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The law will always be needed for three purposes: pedagogical, civil, moral/normative.
- The first is for the unbeliever to know how great their sin and misery is.
- The second is the application of the moral law to public or civil life.
- The third, contra Antinomianism, is whereby the moral life of the believer is normed and shaped by God's moral law (the ten commandments). After all, sin is lawlessness (1 John 3:4). We're justified in order that we might be so influenced and actuated by the Spirit that we desire to obey God from the heart, out of gratitude, according to His law. Because the law is God's objective standard for morality it is actually a gift that liberates because it frees us from the tyranny of fads and opinions.
What are the major differences between the law and the gospel? Joel Beeke summarizes John Colquhoun's 11 distinctions from his excellent book:
Chapters from the book:
1. The Law of God or the Moral Law in General
2. The Law of God as Promulgated to the Israelites from Mount Sinai
3. The Properties of the Moral Law
4. The Rules for Understanding Aright the Ten Commandments
5. The Gospel of Christ
6. The Uses of the Gospel, and of the Law in Subservience to It
7. The Difference between the Law and the Gospel
8. The Agreement between the Law and the Gospel
9. The Establishment of the Law by the Gospel
10. The Believer's Privilege of Being Dead to the Law as a Covenant of Works
11. The High Obligations under Which Believers Lie
12. The Nature, Necessity, and Desert of Good Works
Belief in Jesus Christ frees us from the curse of the law, but we are not freed from the command and obedience of the law. Indeed we are tied to obedience by a new obligation, a new command from Jesus Christ, a command that Christ used to help us obey, a command that God the Father added his authority and command: "this is his commandment, that we believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he hath commanded us." (1 John 3:23).
Zacharias Ursinus, in his Large Catechism in Introduction to the Heidelberg Catechism, wrote:
151 Q: Since Christ has abolished the law, why are we bound to the ten commandments?
A: Christ has done away with the civil and ceremonial laws of Moses in such a way that no one is obligated to keep them anymore; moreover, it is not at all proper to reintroduce in the church the ceremonies which pointed to the future revelation of the Christ. And, for those who believe in him, Christ has also done away with the ten commandments in such a way that they no longer condemn them. But now that the grace of God in Christ is so much clearer, we owe all the more obedience to him.
152 Q: How many parts are there in the decalogue?
A: There are two tables. The first consists of four, and the second of six commandments.
153 Q: What does the first table teach?
A: How we ought to be and act in relation to God.
154 Q: What does the second table teach?
A: How we ought to be and act in relation to others.
Although somewhat technical, you may appreciate this journal article:
http://www.sbts.edu/documents/tschreiner/ETS-Law.pdf
AMR
- The first is for the unbeliever to know how great their sin and misery is.
- The second is the application of the moral law to public or civil life.
- The third, contra Antinomianism, is whereby the moral life of the believer is normed and shaped by God's moral law (the ten commandments). After all, sin is lawlessness (1 John 3:4). We're justified in order that we might be so influenced and actuated by the Spirit that we desire to obey God from the heart, out of gratitude, according to His law. Because the law is God's objective standard for morality it is actually a gift that liberates because it frees us from the tyranny of fads and opinions.
What are the major differences between the law and the gospel? Joel Beeke summarizes John Colquhoun's 11 distinctions from his excellent book:
1) The law proceeds from the very nature of God; the gospel from his love, grace, and mercy, or his good will to men.
2) The law is known partly by the light of nature, but the gospel is known only by divine revelation.
3) The law regards us as creatures who are capable of yielding perfect obedience; the gospel regards us as sinners who have no strength to perform perfect obedience.
4) The law shows us what we ought to be but not how to become holy; whereas the gospel shows us that we may be made holy through communion with Christ and by the sanctification of his Spirit.
5) The law says, 'Do this and you shall live;' the gospel says, 'Live, for all is already done, believe and you shall be saved.'
6) The law promises eternal life for man's obedience; the gospel promises eternal life for Christ's perfect obedience.
7) The law condemns but cannot justify a sinner; the gospel justifies but cannot condemn a sinner who believes in Jesus Christ for salvation.
8) The law, by the Spirit, convicts us of sin and of unrighteousness; the gospel presents the perfect righteousness of Christ to justify a sinner before God.
9) The law shows the sinner that his debt is infinitely great and he can make no payment toward that debt; the gospel tells the sinner that, by Christ's obedience as his divine Surety, his debt is paid to the last penny.
10) The law irritates the depravity of the sinner and hardens his heart; the gospel melts the sinful heart and subdues depravity.
11) The law, when obeyed, prompts boasting; the gospel discourages all boasting because of the law of faith.
2) The law is known partly by the light of nature, but the gospel is known only by divine revelation.
3) The law regards us as creatures who are capable of yielding perfect obedience; the gospel regards us as sinners who have no strength to perform perfect obedience.
4) The law shows us what we ought to be but not how to become holy; whereas the gospel shows us that we may be made holy through communion with Christ and by the sanctification of his Spirit.
5) The law says, 'Do this and you shall live;' the gospel says, 'Live, for all is already done, believe and you shall be saved.'
6) The law promises eternal life for man's obedience; the gospel promises eternal life for Christ's perfect obedience.
7) The law condemns but cannot justify a sinner; the gospel justifies but cannot condemn a sinner who believes in Jesus Christ for salvation.
8) The law, by the Spirit, convicts us of sin and of unrighteousness; the gospel presents the perfect righteousness of Christ to justify a sinner before God.
9) The law shows the sinner that his debt is infinitely great and he can make no payment toward that debt; the gospel tells the sinner that, by Christ's obedience as his divine Surety, his debt is paid to the last penny.
10) The law irritates the depravity of the sinner and hardens his heart; the gospel melts the sinful heart and subdues depravity.
11) The law, when obeyed, prompts boasting; the gospel discourages all boasting because of the law of faith.
Chapters from the book:
1. The Law of God or the Moral Law in General
2. The Law of God as Promulgated to the Israelites from Mount Sinai
3. The Properties of the Moral Law
4. The Rules for Understanding Aright the Ten Commandments
5. The Gospel of Christ
6. The Uses of the Gospel, and of the Law in Subservience to It
7. The Difference between the Law and the Gospel
8. The Agreement between the Law and the Gospel
9. The Establishment of the Law by the Gospel
10. The Believer's Privilege of Being Dead to the Law as a Covenant of Works
11. The High Obligations under Which Believers Lie
12. The Nature, Necessity, and Desert of Good Works
"The law and the gospel are the principal parts of divine revelation; or rather they are the center, sum, and substance of all the other parts of it. Every passage of sacred Scripture is either law or gospel, or is capable of being referred either to the one or to the other . . . If then a man cannot distinguish aright between the law and the gospel, he cannot rightly understand so much as a single article of divine truth. If he does not have spiritual and just apprehensions of the holy law, he cannot have spiritual and transforming discoveries of the glorious gospel; and, on the other hand, if his view of the gospel is erroneous, his notions of the law cannot be right."
- John Colquhoun
Belief in Jesus Christ frees us from the curse of the law, but we are not freed from the command and obedience of the law. Indeed we are tied to obedience by a new obligation, a new command from Jesus Christ, a command that Christ used to help us obey, a command that God the Father added his authority and command: "this is his commandment, that we believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he hath commanded us." (1 John 3:23).
Zacharias Ursinus, in his Large Catechism in Introduction to the Heidelberg Catechism, wrote:
151 Q: Since Christ has abolished the law, why are we bound to the ten commandments?
A: Christ has done away with the civil and ceremonial laws of Moses in such a way that no one is obligated to keep them anymore; moreover, it is not at all proper to reintroduce in the church the ceremonies which pointed to the future revelation of the Christ. And, for those who believe in him, Christ has also done away with the ten commandments in such a way that they no longer condemn them. But now that the grace of God in Christ is so much clearer, we owe all the more obedience to him.
152 Q: How many parts are there in the decalogue?
A: There are two tables. The first consists of four, and the second of six commandments.
153 Q: What does the first table teach?
A: How we ought to be and act in relation to God.
154 Q: What does the second table teach?
A: How we ought to be and act in relation to others.
Although somewhat technical, you may appreciate this journal article:
http://www.sbts.edu/documents/tschreiner/ETS-Law.pdf
AMR