A poor sinner truly humbled

[MW]

Robert Traill (Sermons from 1 Peter 1:1-4), Works 4:85-86:

Law obedience doth increase the pride and stubbornness of the heart against God, which is the root of all sin. Pray take heed to what I say. I am not now speaking of a man’s obeying the law in point of justification; that casts a reflection on the blood of Jesus Christ. But I am speaking of that obedience which a man strives to pay unto the law, in order to his sanctification; and whosoever labours to obey the law, without a due regard to the sanctifying influences of the grace of God, this man’s pride will grow greater hereby, and his rebellion against God be acted the more. A poor sinner is never truly humbled till he knows that he deserves nothing which is good, and till he knows that he can do nothing that is good, and then he is broken indeed. He can deserve nothing that is good, and therefore must be beholden only to the good that is wrought out for him by another. He can do nothing that is good, and therefore must be beholden to grace to work that in him which he was never able to get.

 

[earl40]

Is it possible "without a due regard to the sanctifying influences of the grace of God" to follow His commands? I ask because people of faith can do what is right, by His grace, with out due regard many times. It seems to me that we, as humans, ought to be thankful after the fact of doing what is right in His sight, and not to say we are to be mindful during the act of following His commands.

In other words, I find myself doing what is right after I comply with His commands, and appear to do such by habit, albeit imperfectly. Maybe I state such knowing that many times it takes all my thinking to do what is right without Jesus in the forefront of my thoughts at the time I am following Him.

 

[MW]

Earl, the main point is that the law is the rule but that it cannot give power to obey. The idea that a sinner has power to obey the law comes from pride, whereas a sense of dependence on grace contains true humility. If a believer still manages to do what is right without having a perfect regard to Christ in the action it only goes to show how much he depends on grace, because there is nothing right in disregarding Christ. Law-obedience would demand he must be perfect in order to be right.