The Law and the Gospel
As taught in the Reformed / Presbyterian tradition
Distinguishing between the commands of God and the promises of God in the economy of salvation.
Within the Reformed tradition, perhaps no distinction is more foundational to the proper interpretation of Holy Scripture and the healthy functioning of the Christian life than that between the Law and the Gospel. The question this subtopic answers is one of ultimate spiritual survival: How can a righteous and holy God, who demands perfect obedience to His moral standard, justify and commune with a fallen, rebellious humanity? For the Reformed believer, the answer is not found in a blending of our efforts with God’s grace, but in a sharp, biblical distinction between what God demands of us in the Law and what He does for us in the Gospel. As the early Reformers frequently noted, failing to distinguish these two is the root of almost all theological error.
By the end of this lesson
- **Identify** the fundamental difference between the "Covenant of Works" and the "Covenant of Grace" in Reformed federal theology.
- **Distinguish** between the "Three Uses of the Law" (Pedagogical, Civil, and Normative) as articulated in the Reformed tradition.
- **Explain** why the Law remains "holy, just, and good" (Romans 7:12) even though it cannot justify the sinner.
- **Articulate** the meaning of being "not under law, but under grace" (Romans 6:14) without falling into the error of antinomianism.
- **Trace** the pedagogical role of the Law as a "schoolmaster" (Galatians 3:24) leading to justification by faith alone.
- **Defend** the necessity of the Moral Law as a rule of life for the regenerate believer, as outlined in the Westminster Confession of Faith Chapter 19.
- **Apply** the Law-Gospel distinction to personal assurance of salvation, recognizing that our standing before God is based on Christ’s obedience, not our own.
- **Compare** the Reformed view of the Law and the Gospel with the Roman Catholic and Antinomian perspectives to clarify the distinctiveness of the doctrine.
Scripture
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