18. Thus he contrasts the two kinds of works which spring from the
two kinds of preaching and doctrine--of the Law and of the
Gospel--and which constitute the difference between the Christians
and those still without faith and the knowledge of Christ. They who
have nothing and know nothing but the Law, can never attain to true,
heartfelt trust and confidence in God, though they do ever so much
and exercise themselves ever so earnestly in the Law. For when the
Law shines upon them in real clearness and they see what it demands
of them and how far they come short of its fulfilment, when it thus
discloses to them God's wrath, it produces in them only a terror, a
fear and dread, of God under which they must at last perish if they
be not rescued by the Gospel. This is what Paul here terms "the
spirit of bondage," one that produces only fear and dread of God.
But, on the other hand, if the heart grasps the preaching of the
Gospel, which declares that, without any merit or worthiness on our
part, God forgives us our sins, for Christ's sake, if we believe in
him--then it finds in God's grace comfort against the terrors of the
Law; then the Holy Spirit enables it to abide in that confidence, to
hold fast to that comfort, and to call upon God sincerely in that
faith, even though it feels and confesses to be still weak and
sinful. This is what is meant by receiving "the spirit of adoption."
19. Paul speaks of the "spirit of bondage" and the "spirit of
adoption" according to the customs of his times. In those days
men-servants and maid-servants were the property of the master of the
house in the same sense that a cow was his property. He bought them
with his money; he did with them as he pleased, just as with his
cattle. They were afraid of their master and had to expect stripes,
imprisonment and punishment even unto death. They could not say, So
much of my master's property belongs to me, and he must give it to
me. But they had always to reflect: Here I serve for my bread only; I
have nothing to expect but stripes, and must be content to have my
master cast me out or sell me to someone else whenever he chooses.
They could never have a well-grounded hope of release from such fear
and bondage and coercion.
20. Such a slavish spirit, such a captive, fearful and uncertain
spirit, ye do not have, says the apostle. Ye are not compelled to
live continually in fear of wrath and condemnation as are the
followers of Moses and all who are under the Law. On the contrary, ye
have a delightful, free spirit, one confident and contented, such as
a child entertains toward its father, and ye need not fear that God
is angry with you or will cast you off and condemn you. For ye have
the Spirit of his Son (as he says above and in Galatians 4, 6) in
your heart and know that ye shall remain in his house and receive the
inheritance, and that ye may comfort yourselves with it and boast of
it as being your own.