John Wesley knew right well the importance of the law.
“Before I can preach love, mercy and grace, I must preach sin, Law and judgment." and “Preach 90 percent Law and 10 percent grace.”
Today's gospel seems to be quite the opposite where grace is preached before the law and this is very much backwards in light of the scripture's teachings. This leads to many who hear the word today seeing the gospel as foolishness. This foolishness is perceived by the hearer because the gospel is preached to them with the grace that came through the cross first without first showing clearly why Jesus' death had to happen.
So it makes sense when the Apostle Paul wrote: "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness...". 1 Corinthians 1:18
Jesus showed us how it is done:
And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God. Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother. And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up. Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich. And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! Luke 18:18-24
While most may be aware that it is sin that separates from our Father in heaven and destines us to death, many are not clear on exactly what sin is. The Apostle Paul explained what sin is and how you can decipher what constitutes as sin:
What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead. For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me. Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful. Romans 7:7-13
The Apostle John put it very simply that "Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law." 1 John 3:4
“I do not believe that any man can preach the gospel who does not preach the Law.” - Charles Spurgeon
Charles Finney was on point when he said “The essence of the Law should be unsparingly applied to the conscience until the sinners self righteousness is annihilated and he stands speechless and self condemned before a hold God.”
But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful. Romans 7:13
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