Dear Christian friends:

Trinity 13th Sunday After The Law and The Gospel September 4, 1966 Rev. August Hauptman Galatians 3:15-22 Dear Christian friends: Often people tell me, "I try to read the Bible, but I can't understand it." The Bible is written in a very simple (easy) language. The vocabulary of the Bible is not too hard for 4th and 5th grade children.

Many people can read 4th and 5th grade books. One great English teacher and author, Rudolph Flesch says the Bible is a good example of plain talk. Really the words and language of our Bible are not very hard.

Why do many people not understand it both the deaf and the hearing? Because they don't have the key that opens the Bible to man's understanding. They don't understand about the Law and Gospel.

If you understand about the Law and Gospel then you will understand the Bible while you read it. In our text St. Paul explains about the Law and the Gospel. So let us attend to that. It is the key to the Bible.

Their relationship: Both the Law and the Gospel are found in the Bible. Both are good because God gave both and God invents nothing bad. Some people think the Law is in the Old Testament and the Gospel is in the New Testament. That is not true. We find the Gospel already in the first book of the Old Testament in Genesis 3:15. In that chapter we find both the Law and Gospel.

In our text here Paul says the Gospel was given to Abraham four-hundred-thirty years before the Law was given to Moses. The story about Abraham is also found in the first book of the Bible, Genesis. The story of God giving the Ten Commandments to Moses is found in the second book of the Bible, Exodus.

So you will find both Law and Gospel in the Old Testament also in the New Testament. You will find both Law and Gospel in the same book and in the same chapter. Very often you will find both in one verse. Look at Romans 6:23, "The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Modern version: "Sin pays off with death, but God gives everlasting life in Christ Jesus, our Lord."

Now, before we continue, perhaps I should ask you to explain the Law and the Gospel. Who can tell me what the Law is? Who can tell me what the Gospel is? The purpose of each Paul has been explaining to the Galatians that man can't get saved by obeying the Law. That anyone who tries to excuse himself by the Law or judge himself by the Law will be lost and go to hell. That was the big mistake of the Jews and the Galatians. Some Jews came and taught the Law while Paul was gone and deceived them. So Paul wrote this letter to them to warn them not to try and excuse themselves or make themselves right by the Law.

Many Jews today still follow only the Law. On their churches you never you never see a cross of Jesus but only the two stone tablets of the law. They do not believe that only Jesus' death and resurrection saves us.

Well, if we can't be saved by the Law why did God give it to Moses and why is it in the Bible? Paul asks that question in verse 19 and then answers, "It was added to arouse transgressions." The Law is like a whip which the trainer uses to stir up (wake-up) a sleeping wild animal to show how terrible it is. We are all born with a sinful nature and heart. Evil sleeps in us. Often we hide our evil thoughts and desires and pretend that we are very good and nice. But the Ten Commandments and many Law stories in the Bible help us to see ourselves and our evil heart and spirit. Then the Law condemns us and lets us know that nothing can help us or save us as the hymn, "Rock of Ages" clearly shows:

Rock of Ages - Song
V2 Not the labors of my hands
can fulfill thy law's demands;
could my zeal no respite know,
could my tears forever flow,
all for sin could not atone;
thou must save, and thou alone.

V3 Nothing in my hand I bring,
simply to the cross I cling;
naked, come to thee for dress;
helpless, look to thee for grace;
foul, I to the fountain fly;
wash me, Savior, or I die.

So God gave the Law to multiply sin and wake up sin in us so that we see how bad we are by nature and then despair of the Law fly to mercy seek Jesus the Savior.

Sing.

V1 Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in thee;

The Law cannot make man good and pleasing to God because his heart and nature is evil. When man sees a law he only gets angry at it and if nobody is looking he breaks it. (Tell the story of Indian boy and Rev. Ironside)

So if you believe in Jesus Christ you will have a new heart and spirit and gladly obey Him. Lets remember our wonderful God and His great love and kindness to us. Let us love Him with new hearts and new spirits which He has given us.

Amen.

LAW AND GOSPEL

Law and Gospel are the two great doctrines of the Bible. The Law tells us how we are to be and what we are to do and not to do. It says we must be good and perfect like God. “You shall be holy; for I, the Lord, your God, am holy." Leviticus 19:2 The Gospel tells us the good news of our salvation in Jesus Christ. “God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3: 16. What is the difference between Law and Gospel? 1. The Law shows us our sin and the anger of God; the Gospel shows us our Savior and the love of God, 2.The Law must be preached to all men especially to people who are not sorry about their sins; the Gospel must be preached to people who are sorry about their sins.