Could you please explain your statement of "specifically designed to shame flesh and sin"?
Of course, the
LAW does that - but only if people don't hate the Law and minimize it to nothing (such "I stopped hitting the refrig with my toy so now I'm sinless and keep the Law") The Law condemns and convicts and accuses - if we are honest and don't strip the Law of all its power and meaning - it drives us to our knees in utter despair, crying from the pit of our heart and soul, "God, be MERCIFUL to me - The Sinner!" The Law kills, crushes. The Law shows us our extreme, absolute, totally
NEED for forgiveness, mercy, saving. Those who oppose and hate the Law reject it by minimizing it, stripping it, making it as small as possible and virtually powerless..... and if their ego is enormous enough, they then boast how THEY keep it, THEY ceased to sin..... or for those whose ego is only the size of Saturn and not yet Jupiter, well... they aren't quite there YET but with a bit more time and a tad more divine HELP - they'll get there, praise be to self, glory to be me.
The
GOSPEL is that God has given us The SAVIOR (not helper, not possibility-maker but SAVIOR) - just what we need. The Gospel conveys the unconditional LOVE of God, the MERCY of God, the FORGIVENESS for our imperfection and sinfulness and sins ("77 times 7" meaning EVERY TIME since God is ALWAYS faithful, ALWAYS true to His promises). While the Law kills, the Gospel gives LIFE - abundantly here, eternally hereafter. The SAVIOR is here! It's all about CHRIST'S love, CHRIST'S heart, CHRIST'S obedience, CHRIST'S righteousness, CHRIST'S heart, CHRIST'S Cross, CHRIST'S sacrifice, CHRIST'S death, CHRIST'S resurrection. Those who oppose and hate the Gospel minimize it and strip it of any importance and power and significance.... perhaps making it just some "HELP" that we get from God.... or a bit extra TIME we get from God.... cuz in their ego they conclude that THEY at least don't need no Savior (not someone as great, wonderful, majestic, able as THEY!) - everyone else may need a SAVIOR but not SELF! Jesus ain't no SAVIOR cuz we don't need one (yes, opposing the Gospel results from opposing the Law), how insulting to suggest we need some savior!
The LAW directs us to the PERFECTION and HOLINESS of God - and shouts "you fail, you miss the mark"
The GOSPEL directs us to the Cross - and shouts "you are saved, you are forgiven!"
Those who oppose Law and Gospel look into a rose-colored mirror and ask "who's the fairest of them all" and they say to themselves "me".....
Those who oppose Law and Gospel minimize them, entangle them, confuse them so as to destroy Christianity and in stead of that, promote the soteriology of Bhatki Hinduism (at most!) - From the divine comes the TIME and HELP we need to save ourselves, we just need to sufficiently tap these to achieve it. No Savior is needed, no mercy is needed, no forgiveness is need - just the TIME and HELP we need to clean up your act (not as hard as you think since the Law is.... welll..... not much, the 'bar' is pretty low).
- Josiah