By Chris Wall
The Bible’s primary goal is to communicate the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. From this comes the necessity of salvation—but it is necessary that a man first understand his need before he humbles himself to receive it.
Chris Wall
The person who is unaware of his sickness is in no rush for a cure. Only when we grasp the danger and severity of our sin do we begin to seek the remedy—and that answer, of course, is found in the gospel.
Thus, the purpose of Scripture, and especially of the law, is to expose our sin and reveal our desperate need for Christ.
Consider the man who boasts of his own righteousness: “I have done much good. My charitable giving is significant. I strive to be a kind neighbor. I attend to my religious duties. I care for my family.”
All these self-made merits excuse his conscience from feeling his need for an external Savior—namely, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Yet Scripture strips away such false security, leaving no room for assurance in the self-righteous. Instead, it condemns him, showing that even our best works are as filthy rags (Isa. 64:6).
The law’s ultimate theological function, then, is redemptive preparation: it locks us up under sin so that only the promise, by faith in Christ, can set us free. Sometimes one must know the depths of despair to truly appreciate the glories of deliverance. And this is what the gospel provides: it places us in the trench of our guilt, only to lift us to the heavenly courts where we hear the triumphant word—though our sin may be great, our Savior’s love is greater still. He washes all who trust in Him whiter than snow.
The law is a mirror, exposing all our blemishes and corruption. The gospel is the cure, applied by the hand of the Great Physician, our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Do you understand your need today? If so, call on the Lord Jesus Christ to save your soul. Understand that He lived the life you never could, died the death you deserved to die, and was bodily resurrected on the third day to save all who place their faith in Him!
Chris Wall is the Pastor of Mesquite Baptist Church (750 W. Pioneer Blvd., Mesquite, NV, 89027). Additional resources can be found at mesquitebaptistchurchnv.com and on YouTube and Instagram at mesquitebaptistchurchnv.
