Preaching the Law
The famed 20th Century British preacher D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones once stated, “"The essence of
evangelism is to start preaching the law; and it is because the law has not been preached that we have
so much superficial evangelism." Normally the response from a 21st Century affluent American Christian,
which we all are by the way, is to recoil at the thought of preaching the Law of God. We are saved by
grace through faith. What the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His
own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh in order
that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but
according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:3-4)
But let us take a moment and really think through what Dr. Lloyd-Jones said and why he said it. First of
all we should examine his phrase “superficial evangelism.” We might use the phrase “easy believism” or
“cheap grace.” It is evangelism that neglects the penalty of the Law. Before you can understand the
“Good News” there must be some “Bad News.” Superficial evangelism offers salvation without any
thought of the requirement of the pursuit of holiness. It is without any understanding of change in
direction or attitude, and without the imperative from Jesus to “deny yourself, pick up your cross, and
follow Him.” Superficial evangelism minimizes the devastating effects of sin in our lives, and the ultimate
just penalty of that sin, which is the wrath of God on all unrighteousness. It minimizes the war that we
must wage against our flesh that was not totally annihilated when we received Jesus. (Romans 8:13)
The 1963 version of the Baptist Faith and Message even succumbed to a bit of superficial evangelism
understanding when it declared that humans are “inclined” to sin. I am inclined to stay in bed too late
each morning and eat too many Doritos in the evening, but the Bible declares that we are “DEAD” in our
sins and our transgressions and should receive the just penalty of our rebellion. (Ephesians 2:1) The
problem with most American Christians is that they have fallen into the trap of judging their corrupted
nature against those with far worse corrupted nature. They fail to understand that any level of
corruption in our human nature condemns us to eternal judgment according to the Law of God. All have
sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23) So simply because you live better than
someone else, and are not as corrupt as you could be, that accounts for nothing as we stand before God
guilty of transgressing His Law.
The Law was always meant to show us our need of a Savior. (Galatians 3:24) Without any understanding
of the Law of God and the penalty for violating His Law, then no one can understand even the remotest
need of a Savior. The Apostle Paul thought he could use the Law as a means of earning his salvation until
he realized that he had continually and willfully broken Commandment Number Ten. He coveted. Once
he realized he coveted, there was no remedy to “un”convet. (Romans 7:7-8) Sin kills. The Law simply
declares it. There was no remedy for his conscience, or his heart, or his life. That was the bad news. “Oh
wretched man that I am, who will deliver me from the body of death?” (Romans 7:24) Then he met
Jesus on the road to Damascus and received grace and mercy. He embraced the good news of Jesus
Christ. Now that is the evangelism we are commanded to preach.
As we launch off in an extensive outreach program this fall, may we preach the Law of God so that
people are confronted with the absolute certainty of God’s eternal wrath and judgment, then and only
then should the free gift of eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord be proffered. (Romans 6:23)
Pastor Scott