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Centrality of God's Law in the Life of Men

Living in an "age of grace", many are under the misconception that the law of God has somehow been removed or nullified. If this is the case, one wonders what law or whose law now defines ones duty and what constitutes acceptable behavior and conduct. Certainly the problem of sin remains and has not changed and sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God (Westminster Shorter Catechism, Q14). By what standard are moral choices made and how does one know when repentance is needed?

The great puritan, John Owen draws together the three traditional uses of the law:

The law reveals the character of God in His goodness, holiness, and wisdom. It makes known his sovereign will and authority and manifests his holiness.

The law reveals the duty of man, whether a believer or not. The love of God motivates a life that is pleasing to Him through obedience to His law.

"The law is not abolished, but established, by faith. It is neither abrogated nor dispensed withal by such an interpretation as should take off its obligation in any thing that it requires, nor as to the degree and manner wherein it requires it. Nor is it possible it should be so; for it is nothing but the rule of that obedience which the nature of God and man makes necessary from the one to the other." - John Owen

The law brings men to Jesus Christ by revealing sin and the bondage, ugliness and death associated with it.

"... A due sense of the guilt of sin, a deep experience of its power, all with respect unto the holiness and law of God, are necessary unto us," Owen wrote.

However, Owen very clearly tells us that the ground of our salvation is rooted soley in the righteousness of Jesus Christ and not in the our obedience to the law:

How shall we escape hell, or get to heaven, when we can neither expiate for our past sins, nor do any good for the time to come? Why, here we are relieved again by an acquaintance with Christ. His death expiates former iniquities, and removes the whole guilt of sin. But this is not enough, that we are not guilty, we must also be actually righteous; not only all sin is to be answered for, but all righteousness is to be fulfilled. Now, this righteousness we find only in Christ; we are reconciled to God by his death, and saved by his life. That actual obedience he yielded to the whole law of God, is that righteousness whereby we are saved; we are innocent by virtue of his sacrifice and expiation, and righteous with his righteousness." [more]

The law of God is therefore central in the life of the Christian, first as an indictment that exposes the reality of sin and death. Second, the law is intimately involved in man's redemption because Chirst, as the perfect law-keeper, hung on the cross and died in man's place. Finally, in our sanctification we grow in grace and thereby grow in law-keeping through the mortification of the flesh.

The choicest believers, who are assuredly freed from the condemning Power of sin, ought yet to make it their business all their days to mortify the indwelling power of sin. John Owen, Mortification of the Flesh.

Posted by tim at August 30, 2004 10:34 PM

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