Hell’s Best Kept Secret?

A Fresh Look at the Ministry of Righteousness vs. Condemnation

by Pastor Eddie Hughes

June 14, 2004

An old doctrine has resurfaced in recent years and become very popular, especially in many American evangelical circles, which says that unless the Ten Commandments (the Law) is preached to the sinner, he cannot come to the necessary understanding of his need for a Savior. This method of first preaching the Law of God to the sinner, then making the determination, as to whether that sinner is truly sorry for his sins, before presenting the gospel to him; has been referred to as “hell’s best kept secret” (concerning effective evangelism)... But is it biblical?

It is the “gospel” (the good news of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ) that Jesus commanded His disciples to preach to every person --- not the Law (Mark 16:15). Jesus himself, never preached the Law, even to those who were under the Law. As a matter of fact, He contrasted His preaching, with the preaching of the Law, saying, “The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached...” (Luke 16:16).

 

MINISTERS OF THE NEW COVENANT

The preaching of the Law was indeed necessary, prior to the coming of the Messiah, as a means of showing Israel their sins and prescribing the temporary means of atonement for those sins. But in the process, it also brought spiritual death and condemnation into a conscious reality. The New Covenant, however, reveals the free gift of righteousness and peace with God. The preaching of the Law condemns...The preaching of the gospel gives life and hope to those who will receive it.

Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit: for the letter [the law] kills, but the Spirit gives life. But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious... How will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. (2 Cor. 3:5-9)

This passage alone, should be enough to show us the stark contrast between preaching the Law, and preaching the gospel. Clearly, preachers of the New Covenant who minister righteousness, have a much more glorious ministry than did Moses, who was a preacher of the Law, and thus, ministered condemnation.

Some are teaching that unless the Law and/or the Ten Commandments are fully explained to the sinner, he (or she) will not come to the place where he realizes he is truly guilty of sin and in need of redemption. But why didn’t Paul, Peter, Philip or any New Testament preacher ever once take the time to explain the Law to those who were inquiring of salvation? The Philippian jailer, for example (Acts 16) fell on his face before Paul and Silas, and asked them, “What must I do to be saved?” Paul’s answer was simple... “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.” Throughout the book of Acts it is recorded that the apostles preached “Jesus and the resurrection” (Acts 17:18) even in places such as Athens where many had not heard of the Ten Commandments. And yet, many were truly saved, having never been exposed to any preaching of the Law. When Paul was preaching to the Stoic and Epicurean philosophers there, he never even alluded to the Law, but he did quote a Greek poet by the name of Epimenides (Cretica c.600 BC), who composed the phrase, “in him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28).

In addition to the example of the apostle’s preaching, we have an explanation as to why one need not have heard the Law, to still be knowingly accountable to God ...

“For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law... for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to them selves, who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them...” (Romans 2:12-15 NKJV)

 

IS THE LAW A ‘SCHOOLMASTER’ TODAY?

Some may ask... “Doesn’t the Bible say that the law is the ‘schoolmaster’ which brings us to Christ?”

Actually, no. The Bible does not say that. What the apostle Paul actually wrote was this... “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” (Galatians 3:24)

Keeping it within its context, that verse is clearly understood to refer to the purpose of the Law, as applied to the children of Israel, between Moses and the coming of the promised Messiah. Paul did not say the Law IS our schoolmaster... He said the law WAS our schoolmaster to bring us (Israel) to Christ. He begins with verse 19 in this very enlightening explanation...

What purpose then does the law serve? It was added [to the Abrahamic covenant] because of transgressions, TILL THE SEED SHOULD COME to whom the promise was made...

But before faith [in Christ] came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. Therefore the law was our [schoolmaster] to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a [schoolmaster]. (Galatians 3:19, 23-25 NKJV)

The Law served Israel, between the time of Moses and Christ as a tutor, which would guide and guard, preserving a righteous lineage, through which the Messiah would come and put into force the New Covenant. Thus, He would provide righteousness through faith alone. The scripture does not teach that the Law is serving that same purpose today, for anyone... Christ (“the Seed to whom the promise was made”) has come already! And though He did not do away with the Law, per se; He did put an end to it as a means of righteousness (Romans 10:4). Does the Law still serve a purpose at all? Absolutely... As Paul also wrote...

I would not have known sin except through the law... Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good. (Romans 7:7,12 NKJV)

The Law still reveals to man, his sinfulness. It is not only the preaching of the Law, however, but the Law of God written on the tables of every man’s heart, which leaves none without the inward knowledge of his need of redemption. And regardless of how adept one may be at disguising that inward knowledge, we have no business making the judgment as to whether he is sorry enough for his sin, before we present God’s merciful plan of salvation. The Holy Spirit is in the world, convicting the sinner, just as He said He would do (John 16:8). We need to trust Him to do it well enough, so as to prepare the sinner’s heart for the good news we’ve been called to proclaim.

The preaching of the gospel is mentioned over 100 times in the New Testament. The preaching of the Law --- not even once. In my humble opinion, we should stick to the great commission, and the gospel message, so openly revealed; instead of subscribing to what some have called, Hell’s best kept secret.

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