Plus, or Minus?
The sermon emphasizes the importance of standing in liberty, free from the bondage of law and the neglect of life truth in theology.
Miles J. Stanford preaches about the importance of faith working through love in Jesus Christ, emphasizing that neither circumcision nor uncircumcision matters, but rather faith that is active through love. He critiques Covenant theology for neglecting the truth of spiritual growth and imposing the Ten Commandments as the sole obligation on Christians, contrary to the teachings of the New Testament. Stanford highlights how the Protestant Reformation, while freeing believers from Rome, brought them back under the bondage of Sinai, hindering spiritual life. He stresses that living fruit cannot come from legalism, as the law only produces 'dead works' that need to be purged from conscience.
Text
"For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith which worketh by love" (Galatians 5:6).
Grace + Law = Death. Grace - Law = Life!
"Covenant theology, which has molded the major theological conceptions for many generations, recognizes no distinctions as to ages, therefore can allow for no distinctions between law and grace. This dominating attitude of Covenantism must account for the utter neglect of life truth (growth) in all their works of theology.
"No more representative theological dictum from the Covenant viewpoint has been formed than the Westminster Confession of Faith, which valuable and important document recognizes life truth only to the point of imposing the Ten Commandments on Christians as their sole obligation, and in spite of the teachings of the New Testament which asserts that the Law was never given to Gentile or Christian."-L.S.C.
"While freeing believers from the bondage of Rome, the Protestant Reformation brought them back, in large measure, under the bondage of Sinai. The Reformation took away one set of bindings, but bound the believers with another--and this has atrophied the spiritual life of multitudes." -D.G.B.
"Not a single cluster of living fruit ever was, or ever will be, culled from the tree of legality. Law can only produce 'dead works,' from which we need to have conscience purged just as much as from 'wicked works.'" -C.H.M.
"Stand fast, therefore, in the liberty with which Christ hath made us free" (Galatians 5:1 ).
Sermon Outline
- The Dangers of Mixing Law and Grace
- The Neglect of Life Truth in Theology
- The Protestant Reformation and the Bondage of Sinai
- The Importance of Standing in Liberty
- The Freedom Given to Us by Christ
- The Need to Stand Fast in That Freedom
Key Quotes
“Grace + Law = Death. Grace - Law = Life!” — Miles J. Stanford
“Stand fast, therefore, in the liberty with which Christ hath made us free” — Miles J. Stanford
“Not a single cluster of living fruit ever was, or ever will be, culled from the tree of legality.” — Miles J. Stanford
Application Points
- We must be careful not to mix law and grace, as this leads to death and stifles spiritual growth.
- We must stand in the liberty given to us by Christ, free from the bondage of the law.
- We must prioritize life truth and spiritual growth over the law and its obligations.