This is the fourth and final part of my interview with Mike Horton on
the nature of the gospel and sanctification. You can (and should)
read Part One , Two, and Three.
A friend of mine recently wrote this to me. How would you respond? “I’ve
not heard many of the folks who focus on the indicative be very
specific about how they handle the imperative in preaching and
counseling. They keep saying, “Of course we believe in the
imperatives…” Then what? It think it would be very instructive to have
some “indicative folks” post specifics on how they preach and counsel
with the imperatives. What is the role of the imperative in preaching,
counseling, personal sanctification, etc.? What does it actually “look
like” in real life ministry to build the imperatives on the indicative?
I wonder if this is quite fair. Speaking in my own defense, I’ve
written a book on the application of the Ten Commandments to us today
and I can’t think of any book I’ve written on the gospel that doesn’t
include the claims of God’s law as well. When you’re trying to shift
the focus, it’s easy for people to think that this is all you talk
about in the pulpit or in counseling. However, when preaching through
the whole of Scriptures—which full-time pastors are privileged to
do—there’s no freedom to cherry-pick your favorite verses and emphases.
To be sure, “the sacred writings…make you wise for salvation through
faith in Christ” (2 Tim 3:15).
Nevertheless, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for
teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in
righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every
good work” (v 16). Containing both indicatives and imperatives,
Scripture itself gives us what we need; our job is to make sure that we
distinguish these and recall which does the saving work. Keep Reading...
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