The Lutheran focus on Law & Gospel is a blessing. As part of this disctinction, our Confessions repeatedly state “the law always accuses.” It’s one of those things important enough that it’s often referred to in Latin: lex semper accusat. /1 https://twitter.com/MeldEndCastles/status/1309868147101569027

If there are two modes of God speaking to us, and the Gospel is the good news, and the Law always accuses, then surely it is the bad news, right?

It’s an easy trap to fall into. But this is a terrible error that comes from a deep misunderstanding of the underlying theology. /2

To understand the Law, we have to go back to the Garden of Eden. Adam was made in God's image. He was perfect, sinless. He had no inherent inclination to rebel against God, but he was created with the free will to choose to obey. /3

But even as a perfect creature, Adam did not have perfect knowledge of God's will. God had to reveal that the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good & evil was not meant for Adam at that time. /4

As fallen men, we look at this like it's a setup. Why not that fruit? Why leave a landmine in the middle of Paradise? We think this way because we are inherently idolators. Here's how. /5

God is our Creator & we are His creatures. In libertarian terms, we are God's property because He mixed His labor with the literal soil to create us. We are His slaves, believer & unbeliever alike. It is solely a question of whether we are obedient or disobedient slaves. /6

For a slave to rebel against his master is to become his own master. For a creature to rebel against his Creator is to become his own creator. This of course is foolishness. There is only one God, & we cannot usurp Him. But we are idolators every time we try, with every sin. /7

So when God revealed His Will to Adam that this one tree was not for him, it wasn't a setup. God simply told one creature that another creation did not belong to him. The man & the fruit were equally God's property. God spoke that there would be no confusion. /8

Here we see that the Law isn't a tripwire. It is God's order for His Creation. While we want to know God's purpose, we may never question His Will.

"Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments & his paths beyond tracing out!" /9

There is more Law just a few verses later: "Therefore a man shall leave his father & his mother and hold fast to his wife, & they shall become one flesh."

Sex is truly the forbidden fruit of humanity. God created a wonderful, pleasurable experience for us to enjoy. /10

But sex was not created solely for pleasure. Rather it is a package deal with strict limitations. It is only given to one man & one woman together. Two–not three or four or twenty–become one flesh. Two together, not one are given this pleasure. /11

And God uses the one-flesh union He ordained to create new life in the world. This is the Law, not to condemn us by temptation or deceit. This is the Law because it is how God ordered Creation. Thanks be to God. /12

Fornication breaks the one-flesh union. HomosexuaIity alters it contrary to it's purpose. Masturbation is stealing the pleasure & leaving the rest. Contraception turns sex exclusively into a pleasurable act rather than a procreative one. /13

Do you see what just happened? God didn't make up a bunch of rules designed to trick & damn us. God gave us a gift & revealed His Will for that gift. This is the true nature of the Law. We sin when we elevate ourselves to gods & reorder for our own aims. /14

So if the Law is God's revealed Will, why does it always accuse us? Is it God's Will that we be enemies, eternally separated? Clearly the exact opposite, and that is the message of the Gospel. /15

The Law always accuses for one reason: original sin. Once Adam fell, all Creation fell with him. Adam had the freedom to choose to obey God. Once he disobeyed, every man since has only been capable of choosing disobedience & death.

We sin because we are sinners. /16

This means that the Law does not always accuse according to its own nature, but according to ours. Our fallen sinful nature is set in opposition to God. It is only through the reconciliation paid for by Christ on the Cross, that we may be reconciled to God's Will. /17

So to say that there is no more Law at any point in this life or the life to come is fundamentally to say that God's Will will cease to exist, which is to say *God* will cease to exist, for God's Will is inseparable & unchanging. /18

The true message of the Gospel is that God's Law, His eternal Will, shall define every iota of the new Heavens & the new Earth & we will live in perfect accord with God's Law forever.

Thy Kingdom come
Thy Will be done
On Earth as it is in Heaven.
Amen amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
/19