Dr. Michael Horton consistently proclaims the gospel in a loud, clear voice. His book, The Law of Perfect Freedom, is no different. In chapter 1, “Doing the Right Thing,” Horton deals with two issues that struck me as exceptionally helpful in an evangelical culture that is often confused about our God.
First, Dr. Horton tackled the million-dollar question. “How can I know God’s will?” Horton writes, “If God really is in charge, there is no ‘perfect will’ we step in or out of, depending on how good we are at reading tea leaves or discerning ‘signs’ of God’s leading… What this does for those burdened with anxiety over knowing God’s will is amazing. It places our search for God’s will, not in the subjective hunches we often attribute to the Holy Spirit, but in the revealed will of God” (p18). As odd as it seems, limiting how we find God’s will in this way provides great freedom. Why is this the case?
Second, Horton addresses the question of why God gave the Law in this chapter as well. When we misunderstand why God gave the Law we quickly make categorical mistakes in our theology that leads to massive problems in our understanding of the gospel and the Christian life. Horton writes, “The law tells us what we ought to do, and this leads us to despair of meeting God’s standard. Then the gospel tells us what God has done for us already in Christ, meeting the standard as our substitute and taking our punishment on Himself so that we could be regarded as righteous” (p21). Later he writes, “From Genesis to Revelation, every figure, every story, every image, every lesson is the wrapping in which we find God’s gift, Jesus Christ” (p27). Paul says as much in Galatians 3.15-29, as does Jesus in Luke 24.44ff. How does this understanding of the Law (and all of Scripture for that matter) differ from the popular understanding of Scripture as a collection of rules and character studies for us to emulate?
A right understanding of the law is the necessary basis to a right understanding of the gospel. I hope that as we read this book we come to a better understanding of both.
I’m not sure if this is the right forum for response, so let me know if not.
For the first question, I think the freedom comes from knowing that there is an inerrant source in the Bible that, if consulted honestly, will never lead us astray from God’s will for us. It’s much easier to make a decision when you have a concrete ground truth to rely on. Further, when we get a “subjective hunch” we can verify its correctness with God’s word instead of hoping it was God and not our selfish/sinful mind.
For the second, I think people often don’t remember (or even realize) that the Bible is a complete story about God’s redemption of His people. By separating your consideration of the Gospel from the Law or looking only at the lives of individual characters for guidance, it is easy to miss that big picture entirely. Further, if you don’t keep the global theme in mind while reading a particular passage, you can easily misinterpret it.
Derek – I was just listening to a radio broadcast on the Whitehorse Inn, Michael Horton is one of the hosts, dealing with your point. “…people often don’t remember (or even realize) that the Bible is a complete story about God’s redemption of His people.” You are right to recognize the importance of this theme in rightly interpreting various passages of Scripture.
Another point that I thought was helpful but did not include is his discussion of responsibilities verse rights. I think the high premium we have been taught to put on personal freedom can run amuck when we talk about ethics.