THE GOSPEL 101

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William Twisse (1578–1646), the first prolucutor (moderator) of the Westminster Assembly (1640s), which gave us the Westminster Confession and Catechisms, wrote in 1633:
How many ways does the Word of God teach us to come to the Kingdom of heaven?
Two.
Which are they?
The Law and the Gospel.
What says the Law?
Do this and live.
What says the Gospel?
Believe in Jesus Christ and you shall be saved.
Can we come to the Kingdom of God by the way of God’s Law?
No.
Why so?
Because we cannot do it.
Why can we not do it?
Because we are all born in sin.
What is it to be born in sin?
To be naturally prone to evil and …that that which is good.
How did it come to pass that we are all borne in sin?
By reason of our first father Adam.
Which way then do you hope to come tot he Kingdom of Heaven?
By the Gospel
What is the Gospel?
The glad tidings of salvation by Jesus Christ. To whom is the glad tidings brought:
To the righteous?
No.
Why so?
For two reasons.
What is the first?
Because there is none that is righteous and sin not.
What is the other reason?
Because if we were righteous, i.e., without sin we should have no need of Christ Jesus.
To whom then is this glad tiding brought?
To sinners.
What, to all sinners?
To whom then?
To such as believe and repent.
This is the first lesson, to know the right way to the Kingdom of Heaven.: and this consists in knowing the difference between the Law and the Gospel.
What does the Law require?
That we should be without sin.
What does the Gospel require?
That we should confess our sins, amend our lives, and then through faith in Christ we shall be saved.
The Law requires what?
Perfect obedience.
The Gospel [requires] what?
Faith and true repentance.

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