One of the most important things to consider when were talking about the Law of God, and then get into those little conversations about this law or that law, or what the law means, whether it applies or doesnt apply, whether we should obey it or whether its been fulfilled, whether its ceremonial or moral, is whether or not were talking about to a Christian or someone who is not a Christian. Its pretty obvious that someone that is not a Christian is not covered by the Covenant of Grace, has not had their duty to keep the law perfectly in thought word and deed fulfilled for them by Christ, and so has an ongoing duty to keep the moral law of God perfectly. But of course that doesnt mean that a non-christian has the duty to keep the Jewish dietary laws specific to national Israel being that the laws of Moses are an administration of the Covenant of Grace which does not apply to them. Still, the idea that a non-christian person has no duty to repent of their sins, have faith in God and avoid murdering people would be a strange interpretation of their moral duties as the image of God. Obedience to certain kinds of laws has little to do with ones religious status. Still, the Christian is said to not be under the law as a measurement of ones legal righteousness before God being that God will measure the legal obedience of Christ on ones behalf, imputed, vicarious and substitutionary. So that our righteousness is His righteousness not as an intrinsic trait or as virtue but as the payment of a debt, to God, for us. Christian obedience to the law is not in the likeness of the obedience of a slave or the fear of a criminal but as a child conforming their behavior to the righteousness of the Father they love. Christian obedience is the expression of the heart transformed and not the fear of punishment. Christian obedience flows from an intrinsic righteousness and virtue but not a righteous or virtue that God takes into account when measuring ones righteousness in regard to legal obedience of the Covenant of Works. Sometimes its hard for Christians to reconcile two things: 1) that they have no righteousness that God will accept and 2) we must produce a righteousness that God will demand. Well were talking about two different things there. In regard to our legal obedience toward being acceptable to God He refuses to recognize any merit in the guilty. If we fail at even one point in the law we are guilty of all of it. But once Christ has paid the debt of the law on our behalf we come into a new orientation in regard to the law. What was once death to us has become life; what was once our enemy has become our friend; the God who was against us is now for us. Why does God reject those that break His law? Because the law is the expression of the eternal moral character of God Himself. Breaking the law is in a sense breaking with God. Because the law is what God is like, the essence of being under sin is being unlike God and the essence of being under grace is being like Him again. If we are true children of God He will conform us to the likeness of His Son because His Son reveals the righteous character of the Father. When we come into Christ we come into the law not as under a judge but under a Father who teaches us to be like Him. The law is not to the Christian an external code for conformity or judgement but an internal longing for the perfections of Christ. Both imputed and intrinsic, though not in the same way. When we were in the flesh we longed to be free from the law so that we might indulge the deeds of the flesh but under grace we long to be free from the flesh that we might indulge the deeds of the law. In this of course under the covenant of grace God is free to fill us up with merit and virtues, character and righteousness, legal obedience and knowledge being that it is impossible for any of these to be called upon as good works of ours or a measurement of our righteousness before God. In regard to our acceptability before God all of our good works are filthy rags and He will reject them all as if they were sins on the day of judgement but as they are expression of Christs righteousness in us and for us so that Christ is all in all, they please Him and He sees in them the image of God originally given to Adam and fulfilled in Christ. In regard to ceremonial laws they are the Gospel in type and shadow and so are in Christ and not in ourselves leaving them abrogated in the New Covenant. In regard to the moral laws and what they have to do with the Christian, these three remain, faith hope and love, but the greatest of these is love.
Posted on: Tue, 01 Apr 2014 19:09:28 +0000
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