They must be slain by the Law before they can be made alive by the gospel.

This quote essentially means that individuals must first understand and recognize their faults, sins, or wrongdoings (slain by the Law) before they can truly appreciate and accept grace, forgiveness, or transformation (made alive by the gospel). In other words, one has to realize their shortcomings before they can seek improvement or redemption.

The term ‘Law’ here refers to moral and ethical laws which govern human behavior. When these laws are broken or disregarded, it leads to a sense of guilt or conviction. This is what is meant by being ‘slain by the Law’. The ‘gospel’, on the other hand, represents hope and new life that comes from accepting responsibility for one’s actions and seeking change.

Applying this concept in today’s world could mean acknowledging our flaws and mistakes instead of denying them. In personal development terms, it could signify understanding our weaknesses before we can work towards improving ourselves. For instance, a person struggling with procrastination might first need to acknowledge this habit as detrimental before they can start working on time management strategies.

In societal context too this quote holds relevance. For any reformative measure to be effective in society (for example: drug rehabilitation), it is important for those affected to first realize that they have a problem which needs addressing. Only then will they be open to solutions offered through various reformative programs (the gospel).

So in essence – recognition of fault is step one towards correction; without understanding there’s something wrong you cannot fix it – That’s what Spurgeon implies when he says “They must be slain by the Law before they can be made alive by the gospel.”