Elior

. If you are a biblicist preacher who doesn't know how to distinguish God's Law from His gospel promises to sinners who are unable to keep the Law then you are actually part of the problem and not part of the solution. For example, James 1:22 "Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." Most preachers do not take this golden opportunity to point out that no one is a doer of the word, that no one loves God and their neighbors in the way that they love themselves..but instead tell you that you need to try harder. Keeping the old sinner alive, whitewashing sin, and taking away the urgent need of a Savior. Jesus is turned into Moses 2.0, self focused religion remains in the saddle while trust in Jesus' finished work for sinners takes a beating.

. Left wing or liberal churches love the "3rd use of the law" because they are out to make you a "better Christian" by getting you to join in their correct social causes. Right wing or conservative churches use the "3rd use of the law" to get you to become a "better Christian" by getting you to support their correct social causes and to get you to focus more on trying to be obedient to God's law. On either side of the spectrum there is really no dying to self going on. On either side of the spectrum there is really no dying going on. The theological use of the law is to put an end to us where God is concerned. That He might raise us anew, create faith in us (yet again, or for the first time) in the hearing of His sweet gospel promises of the forgiveness of all our sin.

. God is not a means to an end. God IS the end. The Christian faith isn't where we engage in a self focused religious advancement project to become more God pleasing or to become more successful in our pursuits because we tip our hat to God. The Christian faith announces that Jesus has put an end to all our striving where God is concerned. Now we are free to live our lives trusting His promises that He is for us and not against us. We are free to enjoy His creation, to be thankful for all God has given us, and to help others get along in this life where we are able.

. Christians are not free from sin. Christians are not free from the accusation of sin. Christians are not free from the effects of sin. Christians ARE FREE from the condemnation of sin where God is concerned.

. The Theology of Glory says, "Come on..with God's help and your serious commitment, you can have greater spirituality, sin less, increase your holiness, and become a better Christian." The Theology of the Cross says, "You can't do it. You're not up to living as you ought..and you never will be. The patient must die. Christ Jesus has done everything needful for you where your right standing before God is concerned. You are now free in Christ. Go in peace and live."

. It's an ignorant preacher who tells you to look at your right behavior for assurance and then adds these words, "not perfectly". That's how John MacArthur described his own life of "obedience" to God. People are suckers for "I'm doing pretty well, not perfect..but I'm trying."

. "All our righteous deeds are filthy rags." Why is this true? Because we are self preserving, self promoting, self congratulatory sinners who think we deserve a little something extra for doing what we were made to do in the first place. I double-dog dare you to do something nice for someone and not replay it over and over in your head for awhile. When someone owes you money that you lent them try never thinking about it again. That's just how we are wired. Enter Jesus. The One who loves and forgives sinners. The ungodly. People like you..and me.

. James 1:22 "Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." Let's do good theology here.. The verse is demanding that you live up to all of God's laws. The biblical inerrantists will have you on a never ending self focused religious betterment project that keeps you striving to fulfill the verse above by your efforts, and with God's help. Of course you will never arrive and you will move between pride, despair, and phoniness in the trying. The theologian of the Cross will use that verse to point out how no one is a doer of the word because the bound will of the sinner puts comfort & self preservation ahead of the will of God. The theologian of the Cross will remind you that even your best efforts before God are filthy but that Jesus has taken all your sin unto Himself and put you to death and raised you anew with Him in your Baptism. And announce to you that you are free in Christ. The first scenario describes 98% of churches while the second described theology is rare and almost impossible to find these days, even in Lutheran churches, because so many are biblical inerrantists and cannot let go of the law and trust fully in the promises of God alone, for real sinners.