Theology of theWestminster Confession

Adult Sunday School

2017

The Law of God

Law and Liberty

WCF 19

Of the Law of God

God gave Adam a law, in the form of a covenant of works, by which he bound him and all his descendants to personal, entire, exact, and perpetual obedience. He promised life if Adam kept the law and threatened death if he broke it. Moreover, he endowed Adam with power and ability to keep that law. [WCF, 19.1, MESV]

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God’s gift to Adam

• In the beginning, God gave Adam a law, in the form of the covenant of works

• He promised life if Adam kept the law

• He threatened death if Adam broke the law

• He endowed Adam with the power and ability to keep the law

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Law and covenant: definitions

• Housekeeping: How Law and Covenant are alike, and are different

• Both involve rules or prescriptions (He required Adam and all his descendants complete obedience)

• Both include penalties for non-compliance (He threatened death)

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Law and covenant: relationship

• Housekeeping: How Law and Covenant are alike, and are different

• Covenant has a greater expanse than law

• Covenant includes a promise• God promised an enduring life if the law

was kept

• God enabled Adam with the power and ability to keep covenant

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The Law of God: interchangeable?

• Housekeeping: How Law and Covenant are alike, and are different

• However, “Law” and “Covenant” are often used interchangeably in the New Testament, because Law is such an important part of the covenant

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Of the Law of God

This law, after Adam fell, continued to be a perfect rule of righteousness and, as such, was given by God upon Mount Sinai in ten commandments written on two stone tablets. The first four commandments contain our duty to God, the other six our duty to man. [WCF, 19.2, MESV]

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The perfect rule, pre- and post-fall

• Paragraph 2 reminds us that Adam broke the law

• God did not change, nor did His law –it was, and remains, a perfect law (James 1:25)

• God more fully revealed the law by codifying it for the benefit of corrupted hearts – the 10 Commandments (Deut 10:4)

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Summary of the Ten Commandments

• The 10 Commandments (4 towards God, 6 towards man)

may be further summarized as Jesus did in Matthew

22:34-40:

• But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the

Sadducees, they gathered together. And one of them, a

lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher,

which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he

said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all

your heart and with all your soul and with all your

mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a

second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as

yourself. On these two commandments depend all the

Law and the Prophets.”

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Of the Law of GodWCF19.3

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In addition to this law, commonly called the

moral law, God was pleased to give the people

of Israel—as the church under age—ceremonial

laws, which contained several typological

ordinances. These ordinances consisted partly

of worship, prefiguring Christ, his graces,

actions, sufferings, and benefits, and partly of

various instructions of moral duties. All these

ceremonial laws are now abrogated under the

new testament. [WCF, 19.3, MESV]

The ceremonial lawWCF19.3

Law and Liberty

• Worship ceremonies pointed to Christ, his “actions”

were the things he would do.

• Sacrifices pictured his sufferings.

• Washing and cleansing ceremonies pictured the

“benefits” we receive from Christ, such as the washing

away of our sin. See Hebrews 9 for explanation.

• Heb 10:1: For since the law has but a shadow of the

good things to come instead of the true form of these

realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are

continually offered every year, make perfect those who

draw near.

Laws of worship and moralityWCF19.3

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• Other ceremonies concerned moral duties.

• Portrayed the damaging effect of sin that we should

seek to avoid.

• Passover: no leavening, teaching that even a little sin

spreads itself throughout a person’s life.

• Unclean things and food were to teach God’s people

they were not live as the rest of the world.

• Even dirty clothes remind us of the filth of sin.

• Yet all these ceremonies were put to an end under the

New Covenant under Christ (Col 2:13-17)

Judicial lawsWCF19.4

Law and Liberty

To the people of Israel, as a civil entity, he also gave

various judicial laws which expired at the time their

State expired. Therefore, these judicial laws place no

obligation upon anyone now, except as they embody

general principles of justice. [WCF, 19.4, MESV]

• These judicial laws have also expired under Christ.

• They can still teach us general principles of fairness

and equity. For example, see 1 Cor. 9:8-11.

Of the Law of GodWCF19.5

Law and Liberty

The moral law binds all people at all times to

obedience, both those who are justified and those

who are not. The obligation to obey the moral law is

not only because of its content, but also because of

the authority of God the Creator, who gave it. In the

gospel, Christ in no way dissolves this obligation, but

greatly strengthens it. [WCF 19.5, MESV]

The moral lawWCF19.5

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• The moral law has NOT expired.

• All are obligated to keep the law, whether or not they are

Christians.

• When the Bible says the moral law is “fulfilled”, it does NOT

mean its obligations have passed away.

• Rather, keeping the moral law is part of our “new” duties in

Christ: And by this we know that we have come to know him,

if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him”

but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth

is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the

love of God is perfected. (1 John 2:3-5)

The unity of the moral lawWCF19.5

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• The moral law is a cohesive unity; any one part of it is

connected to/relates to another, just as James says,

For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point

has become guilty of all of it. For he who said, “Do not

commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do

not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a

transgressor of the law. (James 2:10,11)

• It is also unlikely that any part could change, because

that would impact the rest of the moral law. Woe to

those who try to “rewrite” the moral law under Christ!

Jesus upheld and strengthened the moral law

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• How is the moral law strengthened under the New Covenant?

Jesus had eternity in view when he said:

Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the

Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.

For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an

iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is

accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of

these commandments and teaches others to do the same will

be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does

them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of

heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that

of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom

of heaven. (Matthew 5:17-20)

The enduring nature of the moral law

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• James also understood the ongoing nature of the moral

law, and encouraged the church to continue. If you

really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture,

“You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are

doing well. (2:8)

• Paul also says in the relation of faith and law - Do we

then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On

the contrary, we uphold the law. (Rom 3:31)

• How do we then uphold the law? We will see in the

next section of Chapter 19…

Of the Law of God (part 1 of 2)WCF19.6

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Although true believers are not under the law as a

covenant of works by which they are justified or

condemned, nevertheless the law is of great use to them

as well as to others. By informing them—as a rule of life—

both of the will of God and of their duty, it directs and

binds them to walk accordingly. It also reveals to them

the sinful pollutions of their nature, hearts, and lives.

Therefore, when they examine themselves in the light of

the law, they may come to further conviction of,

humiliation for, and hatred of their sin, together with a

clearer view of their need of Christ and the perfection of

his obedience. [WCF, 19.6, MESV]

Of the Law of God (part 2 of 2)WCF19.6

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The law is also useful to the regenerate because, by forbidding

sin, it restrains their corruptions. By its threats it shows them

what their sins deserve, and, although they are free from the

curse threatened in the law, it shows the afflictions that they

may expect because of them in this life. The promises of the

law likewise show to the regenerate God's approval of

obedience and the blessings they may expect as they obey the

law, although these blessings are not due to them by the law as

a covenant of works. Therefore, the fact that a man does good

rather than evil because the law encourages good and

discourages evil is no evidence that the man is under the law

rather than under grace. [WCF, 19.6, MESV]

Not under the law as a system of salvation

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• This great paragraph explains to us the Three Uses of

the Law, but it begins with a preface: That believers

are neither justified by the Law, nor condemned by it.

• Gal 2:16: yet we know that a person is not justified by

works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so

we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be

justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law,

because by works of the law no one will be justified.

• Romans 8:1,2: There is therefore now no condemnation

for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the

Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the

law of sin and death.

A rule of lifeWCF19.6

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• First Use of the Law: A Rule of Life

• The Law informs us of God’s will, and because we

want to walk in God’s will, we will keep the law.

We can therefore delight in God’s law, because we

are assured this is indeed God’s will for us. And

we know that we delight God in being obedient to

Him. We recognize there is goodness for us when

walk in these ways.

O how I love your law!WCF19.6

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• Psalm 119:1-7 Blessed are those whose way is

blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD! Blessed

are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with

their whole heart, who also do no wrong, but walk in

his ways! You have commanded your precepts to be

kept diligently. Oh that my ways may be steadfast in

keeping your statutes! Then I shall not be put to

shame, having my eyes fixed on all your

commandments. I will praise you with an upright

heart, when I learn your righteous rules.

Sign-post to ChristWCF19.6

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• Second Use of the Law: A Sign-post to Christ

• The Law exposes us to our own short-comings, our

selfishness, our weaknesses and faults. It informs

us of our bondage to sin, and creates the condition

for a longing for deliverance.

• Applied to ancient Israel, to prepare them for

their need for a Messiah.

• Applies equally to us today. Jesus has done what

the Law could not do. Through the work Jesus

accomplished “the righteous requirement of the

Law” is fulfilled in us (Rom 8: 3,4)

Restraint for sinWCF19.6

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• Third Use of the Law: A Restraint for Sin

• 1st way: Identifies what are sins. It is good to know

that murder and adultery are sins, so we won’t do

them.

• 2nd way: Identifies what sins deserve. Only by the

mercy we have in Christ, we know we escape

judgment. See Ezra 9:13-15, in the prayer of Ezra.

• 3rd way: Reminds of the continuing consequences of

law-breaking - God’s displeasure and chastening

• 4th way: Reminds of God’s approval and blessings when

we do keep His commandments

Of the Law of GodWCF19.7

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These uses of the law do not conflict with the grace

of the gospel, but are in complete harmony with it;

for it is the Spirit of Christ who subdues and enables

the will of man to do freely and cheerfully those

things which the will of God, revealed in the law,

requires. [WCF, 19.7, MESV]

The law and the gospelWCF19.7

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• Law and Gospel:

• Two mutually exclusive declarations, or

• Two sides of the same coin?

• Under the Gospel, we have the Spirit-

enabled obedience to all the Law’s

demands; we have its fulfillment in Christ

• Ezek 36:27: And I will put my Spirit within

you, and cause you to walk in my statutes

and be careful to obey my rules.

Summary of key pointsWCF19

Law and Liberty

• God gave us Law, in the context of a covenant

• The Law is codified in the 10 Commandments

• The ceremonial and the judicial aspects of

the Law have expired under Christ (although

they have instructional value even now)

• The moral law remains for us today; the 3

Uses of the Law helps us to walk after Christ

• The Law and the Gospel walk hand-in-hand

Consider and discuss

1. What are the three uses of the moral law of God? Which use are you prone to minimize or neglect?

2. How should the judicial law of the OT inform society’s pursuit of justice today?

3. Explain the relationship of the ceremonial law to the gospel.

4. During a conversation about morality derived from the Ten Commandments, your Christian friend claims, “I don’t have to obey them because I’m not under law but under grace.” How would you reply?

5. How has Jesus transformed the law? How has he transformed the law for you?

WCF19

The law orders;

grace supplies the

power of acting.

St. Augustine

Law and Liberty

Memorize

For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.”

Galatians 3:10-11

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Going deeper

Books

• Clowney, Edmund. How Jesus Transforms the Ten Commandments. (Beginner)

• Douma, Joachim. The Ten Commandments. (Intermediate)

• Rosner, Brian. Paul and the Law. (Advanced)

Articles

• York, Barry. Ten Brief Lessons on the Ten Commandments.

• Articles on The Ten Commandments, Law and Gospel, Legalism, and Antinomianism at Monergism.com.

WCF19

Law and Liberty