Michael S. Horton - Facebook Timeline On the left are comments by Michael S. Horton on his Facebook timeline. On the right are my comments.
We have to distinguish the law from the gospel. I disagree. In fact I think it's sinful (bad exegesis) to compartmentalize God's Word. Instead, we need only distinguish between a regenerate heart and an unregenerate heart. The regenerate heart loves God's Law. The unregenerate heart hates God's Gospel. The unregenerate heart hates all of God's Word, whether you classify it as "law" or "gospel."

I think compartmentalizing God's Word into "law vs. gospel" appeals to a "Me-First" Generation that always asks "What's in it for me?" No duty, just benefits.
This does not mean Old Testament versus New Testament. That's good to hear.
Nor does it mean that law is bad and gospel is good. That's also good to hear.
Both come from the mouth of God. So both are good. At least to those who have "saving faith," by which "
a Christian believeth to be true whatsoever is revealed in the Word, for the authority of God Himself speaking therein;(1) and acteth differently upon that which each particular passage thereof containeth; yielding obedience to the commands,(2) trembling at the threatenings,(3) and embracing the promises of God for this life and that which is to come.(4)
(1) Jn 4:42; 1Th 2:13; Jn 5:10; Ac 24:14 (2) Ro 16:26. (3) Isa 66:2. (4) Heb 11:13; 1Ti 4:8.
An obedient slave always acts on the Master's Word. Every Word requires active response. Every Word requires active obedience. Every Word of the Master is Law. Every announcement from a Good God is Good News ("gospel"). But those who insist on their own autonomy in rebellion against Theonomy will rightly dread anything and everything that comes from the Mouth of God.
So it is a matter of distinguishing between what God is doing and not doing when he is speaking. When God speaks, He does one thing to the regenerate, and a different thing to the unregenerate -- in the same act of speaking.
Is he judging or delivering, The "Gospel" judges those who will not obey it::

Romans 2:16
16 in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.

We don't just "believe" the Gospel, we obey it.

Romans 10:16
But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?”

2 Thessalonians 1:8
in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 4:17
For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?

The "Law" delivers:

Psalm 119:153

[ ר Resh ] Consider my affliction and deliver me, For I do not forget Your law.

Psalm 119:170

Let my supplication come before You; Deliver me according to Your word.

(Every verse in Psalm 119 is about God's Law.)

When God in His Law commands us to bring a sacrifice for sin, He is giving us a provision for our deliverance. Where would we be without that provision? The command is a gracious and undeserved gift.
convicting or comforting, The "Paraklete" convicts:

John 16:7-8
Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. 8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

παράκλητος (paraklētos)
Strong: G3875
GK: G4156
one called or sent for to assist another; an advocate, one who pleads the cause of another, 1 Jn. 2:1; genr. one present to render various beneficial service, and thus the Paraclete, whose influence and operation were to compensate for the departure of Christ himself, Jn. 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7
See everywhere paraklētos appears in the New Testament via teknia.com.

"Convicting" is described as "a word of encouragement"

Hebrews 12:5

And have you forgotten the word of encouragement that speaks to you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor lose heart when corrected by Him.
Ephesians 5:13

But everything that is convicted becomes illuminated by the light,

If you love God and His Law, you love being convicted. You say "Thanks for that." If you love God and His Law, you love when the world is convicted. You yearn for more of that.

The Law comforts:

Psalm 119:50
This is my comfort in my affliction, For Your word has given me life.

Psalm 119:52
I remembered Your judgments of old, O Lord, And have comforted myself.

Psalm 119:76
Let, I pray, Your merciful kindness be for my comfort, According to Your word to Your servant.

The regenerate "servant" (slave) is comforted by every Word of the Master. That's our duty.
revealing his moral will for our lives or revealing his saving purposes?

The revelation of God's moral will for our lives reveals His saving purposes. "Salvation" in the Bible predominantly means a “Vine & Fig Tree” world, in which we obediently beat our swords into plowshares and everyone dwells comfortably under his own vine and fig tree (Micah 4). Too many people reduce "salvation" to "I have a ticket to heaven when I die." This is an "anti-christ" position, as I argue here. If you aren't working to create heaven on earth during your few short decades of life, why would you want to spend eternity there after death?
The principle of inheriting everlasting life by law is totally opposed to the principle of inheriting everlasting life by promise. There is no opposition at all. "Everlasting life" does not begin when you die. It begins right now. It is the product of obeying the Gospel and being comforted by God's gracious Law, and putting His Law into effect.
This is clearly stated in many places, but especially in Galatians 3 and 4. Galatians is about "Judaizers," not "Christian Reconstructionists." The Judaizers HATED God's Law. If they quoted one verse of God's Law, they did so only to negate it and others as well, combining God's Word with their own traditions.

It is a popular myth that

  • Jesus threw out the Law in favor of Grace
  • The Jews were appalled at Jesus, because the Jews were "legalists" who observed every last detail of Old Testament Law ("the Scriptures"), and Jesus was all about replacing all law with "grace." The Jews, we are told, were shocked at the idea of deviating from God's Law by one iota.

The Bible says the exact opposite:

  • Jesus came to put every jot and tittle of God's Law into force, and commanded His followers to do and teach God's Law (Matthew 5:17-20)
  • The Jews rejected the Torah in the Scriptures and replaced God's Law with their own man-made customs and traditions (Mark 7:1-16).

For a thorough defense of this contrast, see Jesus and the Law of Moses (Torah). See also Why Jews Don't Believe In Jesus.
  I think compartmentalizing God's Word into "law vs. gospel" appeals to a "Me-First" Generation that always asks "What's in it for me?" No duty, just benefits.