The law of the Father and the gospel of the Son are not antagonistic elements. Instead of the former being superseded by the latter, it is honored, magnified, and established by it. The plan of salvation was devised not to abolish the law, but that "[God] might be just, and the justifier of him which believes in Jesus." (Romans 3:26)
We know that man is a moral being, under the domain of law and directly responsible to his Creator for all his acts. John tells us that in prophetic vision, he "saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works." (Revelation 20:12)
And again, we are told that: "Every one of us shall give account of himself to God." (Romans 14:12)
Nor are we left it in any uncertainty as to the standard of the judgment to which we are all hastening; the wise man says: "Fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil." (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)
While the master himself said to the young man, "If you will enter into life, keep the commandments." (Matthew 19:17)
But, "Who then can be saved?" (Matthew 19:25)
How can any escape death, the wages of sin, "For all have sinned?" (Romans 3:23)
And because of what the law says every mouth is stopped and all the world is guilty before God. (Romans 3:19) The question is answered in those matchless words of our Saviour: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)
And with Paul every humble, trusting soul may exclaim, "I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 7:25)
And this because there is "no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit." (Romans 8:1) "For He [God] has made Him [Christ] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him." (2 Corinthians 5:21)
Or, as the apostle expresses it elsewhere, God sent His "Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin [margin, "by a sacrifice for sin"], condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." (Romans 8:3-4)
And all this agrees perfectly with the words of our Saviour: "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of Heaven [Campbell's translation, "of no esteem in the sight of Heaven"]: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of Heaven." (Matthew 5:17-19)
But let every soul that has named the name of Christ remember "That no flesh should glory in His [God's] presence. But of Him are you in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glories, let him glory inthe Lord." (1 Corinthians 1:29-31) "For it is God which works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure." (Philippians 2:13)--Signs of the Times, March 17, 1887.