Robert Reymond has a very helpful section on the permanency of the moral law of God for all Christians.[1] The moral law (lex moralis) was given through special revelation to Moses on
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. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen; will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks 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 practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Ephesians 5:5 For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person-- such a man is an idolater-- has any inheritance in the
Colossians 3:5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.
James 2:19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that-- and shudder.
Revelation 21:7 He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.
1 Corinthians 16:2 On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.
Revelation 1:10 On the Lord's Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet,
FIFTH COMMANDMENT: Honor Your Parents
Romans 1:30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents.
Ephesians 6:2-3 “Honor your father and mother"-- which is the first commandment with a promise -- "that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth."
Colossians 3:20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.
1 Timothy 1:9 We also know that law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious; for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers.
SIXTH COMMANDMENT: Do not Murder
Romans 1:29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips.
1 Timothy 1:9-10 Understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, 10 the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers,1 liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound2 doctrine.
James 2:11 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.
1 John 3:15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
SEVENTH COMMANDMENT: Do not Commit Adultery
Romans 2:22 You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?
1 Corinthians 6:9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the
Ephesians 5:3 But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints.
1 Thessalonians 4:3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality.
1 Timothy 1:10 The sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine.
James 2:11 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.
EIGHT COMMANDMENT: Do not Steal
1 Corinthians 6:10 Or thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the
Ephesians 4:28 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.
1 Timothy 1:10 The sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine.
NINTH COMMANDMENT: Do not Bear False Witness
Ephesians 4:25 Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.
Colossians 3:9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self1 with its practices.
1 Timothy 1:10 The sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine.
TENTH COMMANDMENT: Do not Covet
Romans 1:29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips.
Romans 7:7-8 What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, "You shall not covet." But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. Apart from the law, sin lies dead.
Galatians 5:26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
Ephesians 5:5 For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
Colossians 3:5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
Hebrews 13:5 Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."
Reymond concurs with the Westminster Confession which writes, “The moral law doth for ever bind all, as well justified persons as others, to the obedience thereof; and that, not only in regard of the matter contained in it, but also in respect of the authority of God, the Creator, who gave it. Neither doth Christ, in the Gospel, any way dissolve, but much strengthen this obligation” (19.5). So if Scripture seems clear that the moral law has abiding worth what then is its relationship to the Christian? How does the law of God relate to the believer? And an even more difficult question, how does the law relate to unbelievers? Well, until another time…
4 comments:
Good word.
Sir,
We do not know each other but please allow me to inquire about the comments you have posted on this public forum.
I do not understand how Mr. Reymond can call the entire Ten Commandments the "moral law." I do not see the morality in "Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy." I am not sure I see that the other nine commands are all moral laws either.
The following Scriptures (one of which is quoted) seem to contradict the "validity" (effective or binding, having legal force) of the Ten Words for those people who are in Christ.
"For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace (Rom 6:14 ESV)."
"realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious (1 Tim 1:9 NASB)"
"And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law (Gal 5:3)."
In principle if one desires to keep the law he must keep the whole law, and keep it perfectly I might add.
Do the clear statements made in these verses not preclude the believer from the Law?
Thank you.
Mr. Preston:
After a quick perusal of your blog I am somewhat confused. Are you Reformed? Your interest in Covenant theology would seem to point that way. But by your questions you seem to reject the traditional Reformed tertius usus legis (third use of the law)? This is what Reymond is arguing for here. Is this true?
In short, The tertius usus legis argues for the necessity of the law for Christians. For those who have been saved by the grace of Christ the law no longer stands as judge and jury to condemn, but it stands as a norm of conduct, a pattern of life and behavior for the regenerate. It teaches us the way of righteousness. It is not adhered to out of guilt or duty but out of delight in light of the free salvation which God has bestowed on us through the death and resurrection of his son on our behalf.
What is your interpretation/perspective on the law for Christians?
I would be more than happy to dialogue on this topic with you -
Mr. Turner,
Thank you for the response.
In your post, you did a fine job of showing how the law comes out in the books of the New Testament; however, I was left with a sense that Mr. Reymond views the law as "binding" to the Christian.
I merely raised these points to draw out the exact purpose of the law for the Christian, and I believe you eloquintly stated that relationship in your response to me.
Thank you for considering my blog posts. Yes, some would count me in the Reformed camp.
Blessings to you.
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