The Law Part 6 -- the Law Has a Twofold Use

The moral Law refers to the Ten Commandments and is found in Exodus 20. The judicial aspect of the Law was given to the Israelites and is found in Exodus 21-24. Then there is the ceremonial aspect of the Law beginning with Exodus 25 and continuing through Exodus 40. This is the period of time in which the Israelites were constructing all the different parts of the Tabernacle to be erected. The Shekinah glory of God would not shine upon Israel until everything had been made and put together in the most minute detail. Exodus 40 tells of the Shekinah glory of God filling the place, denoting God’s presence with Israel. The moral Law written in the heart is not the same Law as the Law of Moses. Paul referred to both in his Epistle to the Romans: “For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law; and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law; for not the hearers of the Law are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified. For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness, and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus” (Rom. 2:12-16 NASB).

Both Jews and non-Jews alike will be judged—some judged in the sphere of the Mosaic Law, and the Gentiles judged even though they have no written law. The verb “sinned” takes in both Jews and Gentiles, because both are under law. Some are “in the sphere of” (adverb ennomos, meaning subjects of the Law), and some are “without the written law” (adverb anomos, meaning without the written Law). Since none are doers of the Law—written or unwritten, none are justified by the Law. We must not lose sight of the fact that the moral Law was given to a redeemed people (Ex. 12; 20). The Greek verb translated “justified” of Romans 2:13 is a future passive indicative of dikaioo, meaning to be pronounced and treated as righteous. At this point in the study of the Law, the argument gets heated between antinomians and those who oppose them. Antinomians have a favorite question: “Can you put your conscience under the mandatory, and yet keep it from the damnatory power of the law?” Their argument is that man is either under both of these aspects of the Law or he is under neither. Law to a righteous man is not a burden, but a delight—not driven, but drawn by the love of God which has been shed abroad in our hearts. Others say that because the believer delights to do what is good, he needs no law to direct his behavior. If that is true, since faith is implanted in the sinner’s heart to embrace the gospel, he does not need the gospel to be embraced. The word Law must be defined morally, judicially, and ceremonially. The antinomian fails to understand the true relation between Law and grace. Freedom to do what is right in one’s own eyes is not true liberty. To express oneself to the limit, despising law and authority, is not true fulfillment. To give vent to passions of all kinds without restraint or control is not what is meant by freedom. Our sick society increasingly believes that freedom does lie along these lines. People have been seduced into believing that liberty and law are opposites. The cry today is “down with the thou shall nots.” Law, however, is the very basis of existence. Trains run on fixed rails; they run according to a fixed timetable by recognized authority. Mankind needs to be made to tremble, to fear, and to quake at the awful majesty of the sovereign God.

Closely following fourteen horrible indictments, Paul said, “Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, that every mouth may be closed, and all the world may become accountable to God; because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin” (Rom. 3:19, 20 NASB). Therefore, the perfect Law of liberty is the instrument and regulator of the sons of God. James said, “But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man shall be blessed in what he does” (James 1:25 NASB).

The antinomian fails to understand the true relation between Law and grace. He extols the latter at the expense of the former. He fails to see that the old covenant is never to be dissociated from the covenant of grace. He thinks of the Law as if it were an entity to be done away with and of grace as an entity taking its place; but this hypostatizing of Law and grace was a false concept, for in salvation, it is God always acting only in His grace for the elect. The three uses of the Law are (1) to restrain sin, (2) to lead to Christ, and (3) to determine the believer’s conduct.

The moral Law of God is spiritual. Paul said, “For we know that the Law is spiritual; but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin” (Rom. 7:14 NASB). The moral Law of God is designated spiritual. It could not be otherwise, since it is the very impress of the character of God who gave it. The Law therefore allows no change, admits no deficiency, makes no allowances, and bends to no circumstances.

God’s moral Law is for the Gentiles as well as for the Jews. It was spoken by God (Elohim, God’s title as Creator). “LORD God” is God in covenant relationship. The characteristic feature of Sinai is the Law. Therefore, it is important to observe that it is not a means of salvation, but Law is a sequel to salvation. To whom was the Law given? It was given to a redeemed people. The word Law comes from the verb “to lay”; it means something laid down. Therefore, the Law is something that God has laid down for His redeemed people to do.

The Law (nomos) means authoritative rule or duty. It is called the covenant. This is not legalism, because legalism is the abuse of the Law. It is a reliance on Law-keeping for deliverance. To obey God because one loves to do so is not legalism. The Psalmist said, “O how I love Thy law! It is my meditation all the day. Thy commandments make me wiser than my enemies, For they are ever mine. I have more insight than all my teachers, For Thy testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the aged, Because I have observed Thy precepts. I have restrained my feet from every evil way, That I may keep Thy word. I have not turned aside from Thine ordinances, For Thou Thyself hast taught me. How sweet are Thy words to my taste! Yes sweeter than honey to my mouth! From Thy precepts I get understanding; Therefore I hate every false way” (Ps. 119:97-104 NASB).

The Biblical doctrine of sanctification is not “rely and relay” but “trust and obey.” It must be carefully observed that Christ’s obedience to the Law, for the justification of the elect, does not exempt the justified from obedience to it for sanctification. Paul gives an example of this fact in his letter to the Romans. For example, in Romans 3:24-31, Paul shows how the elect are justified by the faithfulness of Jesus Christ: “being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of Law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one. Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law” (Rom. 3:24-31 NASB).

In this passage of Scripture, verse 25 states, “He passed over the sins previously committed.” There is a great truth in that statement. When Christ shed His blood at Calvary, all the sins of all the chosen ones of Old Testament times before His death had been pushed forward, but they were not paid for. All of our sins in the future have already been paid for. Christians sin daily (I John 1:6, 7). What is going to happen if Christians fail to confess their sins? These Christians are chastened. Failure to confess is to lose fellowship. If a Christian lives in disobedience, Scripture has these words: “If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death; I do not say that he should make request for this” (I John 5:16 NASB). A Christian can commit a sin leading to physical death by the hand of God for that disobedience. When that Christian stands before the Lord, he will lose a reward. “Watch yourselves, that you might not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward. Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds” (II John 9-11 NASB).

The Greek participle dikaioumenoi is the present passive nominative masculine of the verb dikaioo and means to declare or treat as righteous on the basis of a God-provided righteousness (Rom. 3:24). The passive voice means the recipient makes no contribution to his position before the righteous Judge. The present tense and passive voice means God Himself is continually declaring the regenerated person righteous. Paul gave us the information concerning the righteousness which God has provided for His sheep through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ.

Many think the moral Law has been abolished. This raises a question. The moral Law was the first part of the Law that was given. Was it perfect? Paul said, “So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good” (Rom. 7:12 NASB). Since the moral Law is the impress of the Divine image, it cannot be destroyed. If anyone declares that the moral Law is either altered or abolished, in order to be consistent, he must also suppose that the Divine nature is either altered or revoked. It is true that we do not need the light of the stars when the sun is shining, but let us not forget that the stars are still shining.

Only in Christ can a person serve the Law. Paul said, “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin” (Rom. 7:25 NASB). Scripture urges the obligation of the moral Law upon converted Gentiles, and the obligation is stated to have come down to them from their fathers. When Paul wrote the Roman saints, he said, “Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law” (Rom. 13:8 NASB). Following this, the apostle sums up the Commandments of the Mosaic Law. This is not an isolated case. Study Ephesians 6:2, James 2:8 and 11, I Thessalonians 4:1-12, and I Corinthians 10:1-11. This proves the Law of the LORD is not only used for a true conversion experience (not the new birth), but also for the nurture and warning of the converted.