Modern 1689 Confession

 Original

Reeves

Chapter 19

Of the Law of God

1. God gave to Adam a law of universal obedience written in his heart, and a particular precept of not eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil; by which he bound him and all his posterity to personal, entire, exact, and perpetual obedience; promised life upon the fulfilling, and threatened death upon the breach of it, and endued him with power and ability to keep it.

( Genesis 1:27; Ecclesiastes 7:29; Romans 10:5; Galatians 3:10, 12 )

2. The same law that was first written in the heart of man continued to be a perfect rule of righteousness after the fall, and was delivered by God upon Mount Sinai, in ten commandments, and written in two tables, the four first containing our duty towards God, and the other six, our duty to man.

( Romans 2:14, 15; Deuteronomy 10:4 )

3. Besides this law, commonly called moral, God was pleased to give to the people of Israel ceremonial laws, containing several typical ordinances, partly of worship, prefiguring Christ, his graces, actions, sufferings, and benefits; and partly holding forth divers instructions of moral duties, all which ceremonial laws being appointed only to the time of reformation, are, by Jesus Christ the true Messiah and only law-giver, who was furnished with power from the Father for that end abrogated and taken away.

( Hebrews 10:1; Colossians 2:17; 1 Corinthians 5:7; Colossians 2:14, 16, 17; Ephesians 2:14, 16 )

4. To them also he gave sundry judicial laws, which expired together with the state of that people, not obliging any now by virtue of that institution; their general equity only being of moral use.

( 1 Corinthians 9:8-10 )

5. 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.

( Romans 13:8-10; James 2:8, 10-12; James 2:10, 11; Matthew 5:17-19; Romans 3:31 )

6. Although true believers be not under the law as a covenant of works, to be thereby justified or condemned, yet it is of great use to them as well as to others, in that as a rule of life, informing them of the will of God and their duty, it directs and binds them to walk accordingly; discovering also the sinful pollutions of their natures, hearts, and lives, so as examining themselves thereby, they may come to further conviction of, humiliation for, and hatred against, sin; together with a clearer sight of the need they have of Christ and the perfection of his obedience; it is likewise of use to the regenerate to restrain their corruptions, in that it forbids sin; and the threatenings of it serve to shew what even their sins deserve, and what afflictions in this life they may expect for them, although freed from the curse and unallayed rigour thereof. The promises of it likewise shew them God's approbation of obedience, and what blessings they may expect upon the performance thereof, though not as due to them by the law as a covenant of works; so as man's doing good and refraining from evil, because the law encourageth to the one and deterreth from the other, is no evidence of his being under the law and not under grace.

( Romans 6:14; Galatians 2:16; Romans 8:1; Romans 10:4; Romans 3:20; Romans 7:7, etc; Romans 6:12-14; 1 Peter 3:8-13 )

7. Neither are the aforementioned uses of the law contrary to the grace of the Gospel, but do sweetly comply with it, the Spirit of Christ subduing and enabling the will of man to do that freely and cheerfully which the will of God, revealed in the law, requireth to be done.

( Galatians 3:21; Ezekiel 36:27 )

Chapter 19

The Law of God

1. God gave Adam a law of comprehensive obedience written in his heart and a specific precept not to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.¹  By these God obligated him and all his descendants to personal, total, exact, and perpetual obedience.²  God promised life if Adam fulfilled it and threatened death if he broke it, and he gave Adam the power and ability to keep it.³

¹Genesis 1:27; Ecclesiastes 7:29. ²Romans 10:5; Galatians 3:10, 12.

2. The same law that was first written in the human heart continued to be a perfect rule of righteousness after the fall.⁴  It was delivered by God on Mount Sinai in ten commandments and was written in two tables.  The first four commandments contain our duty to God and the other six our duty to humanity.⁵

⁴Romans 2:14, 15. ⁵Deuteronomy 10:4.

3. In addition to this law—usually called the moral law—God was pleased to give the people of Israel ceremonial laws, containing several typological ordinances.  In some ways these concerned worship, by prefiguring Christ, his graces, actions, sufferings, and benefits.⁶  In other ways they revealed various instructions about moral duties.⁷  Since all of these ceremonial laws were appointed only until the new order^a arrived, they are now abolished and taken away by Jesus Christ.  As the true Messiah and the only law-giver, he was empowered by the Father to do this.⁸

^a reformation

⁶Hebrews 10:1; Colossians 2:17. ⁷1 Corinthians 5:7. ⁸Colossians 2:14, 16, 17; Ephesians 2:14, 16.

4. To Israel he also gave various judicial laws, which ceased at the same time their nation ended.  These laws no longer obligate anyone as part of that institution.  Only their general principles of justice continue to have moral value.⁹

⁹1 Corinthians 9:8-10.

5. The moral law forever requires obedience of everyone, both those who are justified as well as others.¹⁰  This obligation arises not only because of its content but also because of the authority of God the Creator who gave it.¹¹ Nor does Christ in any way dissolve this obligation in the Gospel; instead he greatly strengthens it.¹²

¹⁰Romans 13:8-10; James 2:8, 10-12. ¹¹James 2:10, 11. ¹²Matthew 5:17-19; Romans 3:31.

6. True believers are not under the law as a covenant of works, to be justified or condemned by it.¹³  Yet it is very useful to them and to others as a rule of life that informs them of the will of God and their duty.  It directs and obligates them to live according to its precepts. It also exposes the sinful corruptions of their natures, hearts, and lives.  As they examine themselves in light of the law, they come to further conviction of, humiliation for, and hatred of sin,¹⁴ along with a clearer view of their need for Christ and the perfection of his obedience.  The law is also useful to the regenerate to restrain their corruptions because it forbids sin.  The punishment threatened by the law shows them what even their sins deserve and what troubles they may expect in this life due to their sin, even though they are freed from the curse and undiminished severity of it. The promises of the law likewise show them God's approval of obedience and the blessings they may expect when they keep it, even though these blessings are not owed to them by the law as a covenant of works.  If people do good and refrain from evil because the law encourages good and discourages evil, that does not indicate that they are under the law and not under grace.¹⁵

¹³Romans 6:14; Galatians 2:16; Romans 8:1; 10:4. ¹⁴Romans 3:20; 7:7, etc; ¹⁵Romans 6:12-14; 1 Peter 3:8-13.

7.  These uses of the law are not contrary to the grace of the Gospel but are in sweet harmony with it,¹⁶ for the Spirit of Christ subdues and enables the human will to do freely and cheerfully what the will of God as revealed in the law requires.¹⁷

¹⁶Galatians 3:21. ¹⁷Ezekiel 36:27.