The Law Works Wrath
"Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression." Rom 4:15
How can it be that God's law, which is good and holy (Rom 7:12), which tells us how to live well, which reflects God's will for us, which tells us what pleases God, and which is written on each of our hearts (Rom 2:15), can actually work wrath?
We are all God's children by creation, and so that we might know what he considers right and wrong, and therefore what he wants us to do, he wrote his law on our hearts. The Angave people, who when we first started working among them in 2000, were only 1 to 2 generations out of the stone age; their first contact with the "outside world" was around 1972, yet knew stealing was wrong, killing was wrong, etc.; they broke all the 10 Commandments, but they knew in their hearts, and told us so, that they knew doing those things were wrong. How could that be unless God's law was written on their hearts.
When I taught them this, it was a powerful proof to them that there is only one God, who made us all, and so the same law on everyone's heart, and we are all responsible to him. If we all know that doing these things are wrong, and so therefore not doing them, ie obeying the law, the 10 Commandments is good, how can the law work wrath??
Here is what Luther says in Vol. VII of his Sermons, page 342.
First, there is the written law commanded of God and composed of written words. It is styled "written" or "literal" because it goes no farther and does not enter the heart, nor are there any resulting works other than hypocritical and extorted ones. Consisting only of letter - a written law - it is wholly dead. Its province being to kill, it ruled a dead people. With dead hearts men could not sincerely observe the commandments of God. Were every individual left to do as he pleased, being uninfluenced by fear, not one would be found choosing to be controlled by the Law.
Unquestionably, human nature is conscious of the fact that while it prefers to follow its own inclinations it is impelled to to otherwise; for it reasons: "If I observe not God's commandments, he will punish me, casting me into hell." Thus our nature is conscious of obeying unwillingly and contrary to desire. Because of the punishment men fear, they soon become enemies to God; they feel themselves sinners, unable to stand before God, and consequently not acceptable to him. Indeed they would rather there was no God. Such enmity to God remains persistently in the heart, however beautifully nature may adorn itself outwardly. We see, therefore, how the Law, so long as it consists merely of written words, can make no one righteous, can enter no heart."
The bold print is mine, to focus on the relevant point: why does the law of God which is good, produce wrath?
Luther answers that question, and the answer is: Because heart of man is totally depraved, spiritually dead. We say, Adam and Eve fell; God said they died! The nature of the un-regenerate person, the person who has not been born again, born second time by a work of the Holy Spirit, is at variance with God. That person is at enmity with God, hostile to God. Luther says, Indeed they would rather there was no God. Paul says, "Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." Rom 8:7
People simple do not want to be told what to do! We can all relate to that!
"The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us." Psa 2:2-3
"The LORD shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things: Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us?" Psa 12:3-4
"But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us." Luk 19:14
Here is the issue: The Law tells us to not do certain things, yet we find we want to do them, and in fact we do do them, even though we know it is wrong to do them. We feel the wrongness in our hearts, yet we do them anyway, even though we intuitively know that punishment waits us because we did do them, our conscience tells us so. We know that God the Law-Giver will exact punishment, just like the Government does when crimes are committed (sins are crimes against God's government), yet we get mad at him for punishing us for doing what he told us not to do, and which we know we should not have done in the first place; how messed up we are!
God's law is good, and it only tells us to do good (or not do bad), yet we simply cannot obey, will no obey, and then get mad at God.
The gospel on the other hand gives us the promise of victory over sin and the sinful inclinations of our evil hearts from where those sins originate. The gospel tells us of the Holy Spirit, who after giving us new life, will live in us, and help us in our battle against sin.
"For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." Php 2:13
As John Bunyan said:
Run, John, run, the law commands,
But gives us neither feet nor hands.
Far better news the gospel brings,
It bids us fly and gives us wings.
The Law is not evil, it is good, but it fans up malice in our hearts toward God, because he is telling us to not do what we want to do. We all know people who if you tell them "Don't do that," that will guarantee that they will do it; well in reality, we are all like that. Don't you tell me what I can and cannot do!
And this is one of the great jobs of the Law, firstly, to show us our sinful heart, and then to show us that what we are doing is in fact sin.
"Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin." Rom 3:20
God, having used the Law to show us our sins, then by his Holy Spirit enlightens us, wakes us up, and working in us, he draws us to himself (doctrinally called Effectual Calling), we ask ourselves, "What do I do? How can I change? How can I avoid the wrath of God for my sins? WHO CAN HELP ME?"
The Law drives us to Christ!
"Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith." Gal 3:24
Christ becomes the light at the end of the tunnel. The law which Adam did not obey and resulted in death upon all mankind, and which I cannot obey because I am dead in sins and trespasses, Jesus obeyed. He became a man, and as a man, he obeyed it for us, and that righteousness can be ours, if we receive it by faith.
That is the righteousness from God, apart from the Law, ie apart from our keeping the Law, meaning that I, in my own person cannot get this righteousness by keeping the law myself.
"For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith." Rom 1:17
"But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:" Rom 3:21-22
"For they being ignorant of righteousness from God, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness from God." Rom 10:3
If you are not yet a Christian, meaning if you are not yet born again, LET THE LAW DO ITS WORK!
Think about the Law, the Ten Commandments, and let it show you your sins, how they flow out of your dead heart, and then run to Christ for life and forgiveness and righteousness.
If you are a Christian, I hope this Blog helps you to better understand the relationship of the law to the gospel.
11 April 2025