Taming the Law

It's clear that no one obeys the Law of the Lord fully, much as we wish to do so in our spiritual nature.  This is true in either Testament.  Furthermore, Paul and James make it plain that to break one law is to be guilty of breaking them all.  The Law, the great Moral Law of God, teaches perfection, and as the Law of the Covenant of Works it demands perfection under penalty of death.  For life to run its course and for there to be time for repentance, the full rigor of the Moral Law as a demanding covenant must be tamed by divine mercy.  And, it is.

What may not be clear to everyone, however, is that the demanding nature of the Law of God as covenant does not ever dovetail neatly with divine mercy and grace except on the Cross of Christ.  There is a chasm of death between life under the Law and true Life according to the Spirit of Christ (Rom 7).  The Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace do not comport.

This is why there will never, ever, be a neat, comfortable dovetailing of Law and Gospel this side of the Resurrection.  So, yes, the Law in this age is tamed for two reasons:  1)  Lest sinners die immediately, without time for repentance, and 2)  Lest it persecute the believers, as a rigorous covenant of works.  But, in the end the Law cannot be tamed -- only fulfilled.

Remember the Cross.