{"id":9575,"date":"2011-09-26T06:00:24","date_gmt":"2011-09-26T10:00:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.geneveith.com\/?p=9575"},"modified":"2011-09-26T06:00:24","modified_gmt":"2011-09-26T10:00:24","slug":"the-second-use-of-the-law","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/geneveith\/2011\/09\/the-second-use-of-the-law\/","title":{"rendered":"The second use of the Law"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Let\u2019s do a series on God\u2019s Law. . . .Last time we discussed the first use of the Law, the civil use.\u00a0 The second is the theological use, the confrontation with God\u2019s demands that makes us realize our sinfulness and our desperate need for the Gospel.<\/p>\n

When we read a book, we might consider how we situate ourselves as readers.\u00a0 That is, in the case of a novel, whom do we identify with?\u00a0 What side of the conflict do we see ourselves on?\u00a0 Who is the good guy, who is the bad guy, and which are we?<\/p>\n

In the reading the Bible, we tend to identify with the \u201cgood guys\u201d and scorn the villains.\u00a0 We can also situate ourselves as external observers, learning various truths from the text and gleaning useful lessons for our lives.\u00a0 That\u2019s well and good.\u00a0 But to gain the most benefit from God\u2019s Word we might situate ourselves differently.\u00a0 Read the text so that it accuses you.\u00a0 So that you recognize that you are the bad guy.\u00a0 That the judgments against sinners apply to you.<\/p>\n

\nWhen I read the Old Testament, with its seemingly odd prohibitions and harsh punishments, I see that all of the death penalties recorded in the old and superceded covenant are for things I have committed!\u00a0 I have disobeyed my parents and so, by these standards, deserve to be stoned.\u00a0 I have committed idolatry and so deserve to die the death.\u00a0 I am Abihu, presuming to come into God\u2019s holy presence on my own terms rather than His.\u00a0 I am the wicked Canaanites.\u00a0 I am the rebellious children of Israel.\u00a0 I deserve the death penalty that I will eventually receive.\n

When I read the New Testament, I do not just learn about Jesus so that I can emulate Him and answer the question \u201cwhat would Jesus do?\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 I know I should do that, but in all honesty I find that His is a standard that staggers my best efforts.\u00a0 When I read the Beatitudes, I realize that I am not poor in spirit or pure in heart or a peacemaker and that I am not blessed.<\/p>\n

The Bible, read in this way, terrifies me.\u00a0 But then in the Old Testament, my horror gives way to God\u2019s constant and unmerited deliverance of His people, to the bloody charnel house that was the Temple with its sacrifices for sin, to the promises that God will send a Savior who will bear my iniquity and heal me with His stripes.\u00a0 And then in the New Testament, my dismay at Christ\u2019s example gives way to marveling at His work of Redemption and free forgiveness in His Cross and Resurrection. And I realize that He is poor in spirit and pure in heart and a peacemaker and that I am blessed after all in Him.<\/p>\n

Sometimes I read the Bible\u2013or hear it preached\u2013in other ways, as information or as a learner, but I am always in need of repentance and of depending on Christ more and more.\u00a0 So I am always in need of the second use of the Law.<\/p>\n

(Any other insights or applications regarding the Second Use of the Law?)<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p><\/div>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Let\u2019s do a series on God\u2019s Law. . . .Last time we discussed the first use of the Law, the civil use.\u00a0 The second is the theological use, the confrontation with God\u2019s demands that makes us realize our sinfulness and our desperate need for the Gospel. When we read a book, we might consider how […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1281,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,26,47],"tags":[1263,1983],"class_list":["post-9575","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bible","category-law","category-theology","tag-law-gospel","tag-second-use-of-the-law"],"yoast_head":"\nThe second use of the Law<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Let's do a series on God's Law. . . .Last time we discussed the first use of the Law, the civil use.\u00a0 The second is the theological use, the confrontation\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/geneveith\/2011\/09\/the-second-use-of-the-law\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The second use of the Law\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Let's do a series on God's Law. . . .Last time we discussed the first use of the Law, the civil use.\u00a0 The second is the theological use, the confrontation\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/geneveith\/2011\/09\/the-second-use-of-the-law\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Cranach\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/cranachblog\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2011-09-26T10:00:24+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Gene Veith\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Gene Veith\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/geneveith\/2011\/09\/the-second-use-of-the-law\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/geneveith\/2011\/09\/the-second-use-of-the-law\/\",\"name\":\"The second use of the Law\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/geneveith\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2011-09-26T10:00:24+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2011-09-26T10:00:24+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/geneveith\/#\/schema\/person\/f9ca8670bcc51908a78994c0484dbfa1\"},\"description\":\"Let's do a series on God's Law. . . .Last time we discussed the first use of the Law, the civil use.\u00a0 The second is the theological use, the confrontation\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/geneveith\/2011\/09\/the-second-use-of-the-law\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/geneveith\/2011\/09\/the-second-use-of-the-law\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/geneveith\/2011\/09\/the-second-use-of-the-law\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/geneveith\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"The second use of the Law\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/geneveith\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/geneveith\/\",\"name\":\"Cranach\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/geneveith\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/geneveith\/#\/schema\/person\/f9ca8670bcc51908a78994c0484dbfa1\",\"name\":\"Gene Veith\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/geneveith\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/054d79faea5d476edd8f99e5f14fb17f?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/054d79faea5d476edd8f99e5f14fb17f?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Gene Veith\"},\"description\":\"Gene Edward Veith, Jr. is a writer and retired literature professor, serving as Provost Emeritus at Patrick Henry College. 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