The picture above has been in the news this week, as this heart-breaking image of two slave children just recently surfaced. In God’s providence, I have been reading a very good book this week, Surprised by Grace, and the book closes with an illustration of our freedom in Christ that brought this picture to mind.

There’s a story told, from Civil War days before America’s slaves were freed, about a northerner who went to a slave auction and purchased a young slave girl. As they walked away from the auction, the man turned to the girl and told her, “You’re free.”

With amazement she responded, “You mean, I’m free to do whatever I want?”

“Yes,” he said.

“And to say whatever I want to say?”

“Yes, anything.”

“And to be whatever I want to be?”

“Yep.”

“And even go wherever I want to go?”

“Yes,” he answered with a smile. “You’re free to go wherever you’d like.”

She looked at him intently and replied, “Then I will go with you.”

Jesus has come to the slave market. He came to us there because we would not go to Him. He came and purchased us with His blood so we would no longer be a slave to sin but a slave to Christ, which is the essence of freedom.

First, Fesko begins by examining the Prologue to the 10 Commandments (Ex 20:1-2), brilliantly demonstrating how this introduction is absolutely vital to a proper understanding of what follows –specifically because the prologue and a proper understanding of what it refers to in Israel’s history is a proclamation of the gospel before the Law is ever administrated. If we miss the prologue, we miss the gospel, we miss Christ, and we will misinterpret the Law that follows. Moralism/Phariseeism/antinomianism abounds because this prologue is neglected and ignored when so many come to interpret the 10 commandments.

From there Fesko breaks down each commandment in its historical, covenantal, and redemptive context, as well as its vertical dimension. Regarding this last perspective, Fesko stresses that although we may loosely identify the ‘two tables’ of the law as the first 4 being our duty to God and the last 6 being our duty to man, he rightly identifies that each one of the commandments has both vertical and horizontal dimensions. The 4th commandment, for example, is directed towards God but also has specific application towards man and animals. Another example would be the 5th and the 7th commandment, which David upon committing declares to God that “Against you, you only, have I sinned”.

But the redemptive context perspective is what makes this book so special. Christ is the focus from beginning to end. The believer’s trajectory of interpretation for each commandment must be through the lens of Christ’s accomplished work. We are not to look at Law-Application, but rather Law-Christ’s Work-Application to our lives.

God has saved us to reflect His image as His chosen and beloved people. Our looking into the law, in addition to it serving as a constant reminder and goad to see our need and fix our eyes upon Christ, is for us to reflect the righteousness of Jesus Christ in all our obedience, as He is the exact impersonation of the Law of God.

This is a very special book. It’s concise, easy to read, and its application reaches far and wide. It will make both the antinomian and the legalist sqirm with discomfort, which what makes it such a special treatment of this subject. Not only that, but this book will continually point people to the cross and to Jesus Christ, on every page and with every point made. The gospel-centered approach makes this book really a book about the gospel, even an expounding of the gospel at that, as the Christ-centeredness transcends and even swallows up at times the book’s main subject matter, the 10 commandments.

Also see:

• How Jesus Transforms the Ten Commandments, by the great Ed Clowney
• Law of Perfect Freedom: Relating to God and Others Through the Ten Commandments, by Mike Horton

Update:

I made a comment in the meta below that I thought would be a beneficial part of this post. My thoughts here are related to the book recommendation only in that it’s a little of my own thinking on the subject. The author never explicitly comes to the conclusions I do below.

Let me give a further example of the love and Christ-centeredness of the Law:

The New Testament teaches that there is no greater love than laying down our lives for a friend. Pure love, as it were, is absolutely selfless, up to the point of death if necessary. And in the NT Jesus Christ is given as our supreme example in this sacrificial love. But when we look at His act of love, we understand first that He came to earth to ‘do the will of His father’. That is, His sacrificial death was in obedience to His father’s will, even as He wrestled in the garden with following through with it.

Thus, the 5th commandment commands us to honor and obey our parents. Jesus, in the greatest act of love in the history of the world, was actually obeying His Father’s will first and foremost (obeying the 5th commandment) in laying down His life. So if we look at the 5th commandment isolated from the rest of scripture, we will see nothing different than what pagan nations since the beginning of time have agreed with, and we will undoubtedly setup this command in a moralistic/legalistic/secularistic manner. But if we look at this commandment in light of Christ and how He fulfilled it, only then can we truly understand the ‘love’ that is at its root. In other words, Christ obeyed His father first and foremost, but it was through this obedience He subsequently performed the greatest act of love towards us as well. Therefore, the purest form of love always has obedience to God’s law (the Ten) at its root; and the purest act of obedience to God’s law always has love towards God/others at its root. The two are interchangeable, and cannot ever be separated, otherwise we will become legalists.

The issue of love and its relation to both God and man is explicit when we come to the 4th commandment (and even the 10th). For we not only obey our God in keeping the Sabbath holy, but we obey as an act of love towards our neighbors, family, foreigners, and even animals. This is one reason why the notion that the 4th is ceremonial cannot be biblically supported. Foreigners and animals don’t have anything to do with Jewish ceremonies/the covenant, and violating the command, per the text, is sinning against both God AND man. In other words, it is a failure to love God and a failure to love our fellow man when we break the 4th commandment. It’s not one or the other. Breaking the 4th commandment always results in a failure to love. And it is only when we throw out the notion that the Law=love do we then misunderstand and misapply (annul or legalize) the 4th commandment.

Thus, the Law serves as an explanation of the perfect life of Christ, as a demonstration of perfect love towards God and man. We don’t jump directly from the Law to application to our lives; we look at the Law, look at it in relation to Christ as an expression of love, and only then do we move towards application in our own lives.

Tim Challies posted an excerpt from Don Whitney (Associate Professor of Biblical Spirituality and Senior Associate Dean at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky) that bears repeating here.

Excellent, excellent thoughts below on the Lord’s Day, taken from the book Simplify Your Spiritual Life:

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the biblical term Sabbath? Many people, including those familiar with the New Testament, may think first of legalism. That’s because nearly every mention of “Sabbath” in the Gospels has to do with the Pharisees accusing Jesus of violating their manmade rules. God’s original intention, however, was for the Jews to “call the Sabbath a delight” (Isaiah 58:13). He meant for each of them on that day to “delight [themselves] in the Lord” (verse 14). Far from being a day to dread because of its restrictions, God designed the Sabbath to be a delightful day, the best of the week.

If that was true in the Old Testament, how much more should those who know God through Christ and have His Holy Spirit find delight in “the Lord’s day” (Revelation 1:10)?

How do we do this? As I mentioned in the previous chapter, there are differing views on what the Bible teaches about the Lord’s Day. But those rooted deeply in Scripture would agree on at least these two principles (though some would argue for much more): First, our greatest privilege and most important responsibility on the Lord’s day is to worship Him with His people. Not only was the Old Testament Sabbath a day of worship, but we have the apostolic command about “not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together” (Hebrews 10:24). And the apostolic example associated with this command is worship “on the first day of the week” (see Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:2).

Second, all our activities on Sunday should reflect the fact that it is “the Lord’s day” (over and above the fact that, according to Psalm 118:24, every day is “the day which the Lord has made”). As you would expect, the practical aspects of what this means are very personal and intensely debated. In general, I think it means devoting ourselves to the pursuit of those things that promote the enjoyment of God. This also includes those activities that edify our church and family, extend the kingdom of God, and refresh our souls and bodies.

Years ago I began to delight in the Lord’s Day much more intentionally. One change was to redirect the time I spent watching sports on Sunday afternoons. It wasn’t because I don’t like viewing sports on TV anymore, for I enjoy that as much as ever. Rather, I stopped watching in order to turn to activities that would better restore my soul and recreate my body. People speak of “vegging” in front of the television. Staring at a screen for hours may not make us more tired, but neither does it invigorate us. Unlike taking a nap, a prayer-walk, reading the Bible or other good book alone or with family, or having a time of spiritual fellowship with other believers, we don’t feel refreshed after an afternoon of TV-watching.

Imagine living to age seventy and spending every Lord’s Day in the ways I’ve suggested. You’d experience ten years of worshiping the Lord with His people, reading great literature, playing with your children or grandchildren, taking walks, enjoying fellowship, and taking naps. Does this sound like a burden to you? Most people dream of a life like this. It’s the kind of life you can enjoy when you delight in the Lord’s Day.

But I often think about this saying. At its root, properly understood theologically, it can be a helpful analysis of things. The problem comes when we look at it through our own experience rather than through the record of Jesus in the scriptures. Thus, it is *much* more important to ask, What Did Jesus Say? than to ask what He actually did.

Nevertheless, we do have a record of what He DID. And if we’re to properly ask this question, we’d be wise not to ever go beyond what is written. So what did He do? Well, as I consider this question, I think it’s pretty obvious that He devoted His entire life to two things:

Preaching

&

Prayer

How many of your cool friends were sporting the WWJD stuff back in the day, but weren’t actually doing any preaching or any real praying?

Sadly, we’re probably all right there with them. Not all of us are called to be preachers, but we’re all called to pray without ceasing –something Jesus was always finding time for.

I think, in regards to prayer, this is one time where the ‘WWJD’ question is worth contemplating.

And though I haven’t had much time to blog lately, I’ve been eating up Volume 1 of John Flavel’s Works. In this volume there are 42 sermons entitled, “The Fountain of Life: A Display of Christ in His Essential Mediatorial Glory“.

Recently I came across this little section on patience under trials, and I thought it might benefit a few of my readers as it certainly has done for us during this time:

“Methinks I should persuade you to it: yea, everything about you persuades to patience in your sufferings, as well as I: look which way you will, upward or downward, inward or outward, backward or forward, to the right-hand, or to the left, you shall find all things persuading and urging the doctrine of patience upon you.

First, Look Upwards, when tribulations come upon you: look to that sovereign Lord, that commissionates and sends them upon you. You know troubles do not rise out of the dust, nor spring out of the ground, but are framed in heaven, Jer 18:11…

…It is for want [lack] of looking up to God in our troubles, that we fret, murmur, and despond at the rate we do.

Secondly, Look Downward, and see what is below you, as well as up to that which is above you. You are afflicted, and you cannot bear it. Oh! no trouble like your trouble! Never man in such a case as you are! Well, well, cast the eye of your mind downward, and see those who lie much lower than you…

…Surely, if you can see any creature below you, especially any reasonable being, you have no reason to return to ungratefully upon your God, and accuse your Maker of severity, or charge God foolishly. Look down and you shall see grounds to be quiet.

Thirdly, Look Inward,…and see if you can find nothing there to quiet you. Cast your eye into your own hearts; consider either the corruptions or the graces that are there.

…Hath not that proud heart need enough of all this to humble it? That carnal heart need of such things as these to mortify it? That backsliding, wandering heart need of all this to reduce and recover it to its God?

…And as your corruptions call for it, so do your graces too. Wherefore think ye the Lord planted the principles of faith, humility, patience, etc., in your souls? What, were they put there for nothing? Did the Lord intend they should lie sleeping in their drowsy habits? Or were they not planted there in order to exercise?

Fourthly, Look outward, and see who stands by and observes your carriage under trouble. Are there not many eyes upon you?

…To the wicked there can scarcely be an higher gratification and pleasure, than to see your carriage under trouble so like their own; for thereby they are confirmed in their prejudices against religion, and in their good opinion of themselves…Oh, how do you dishonour Christ before His enemies, when you make them think all your religion lies in talking of it!

Fifthly, Look Backward, and see if there is nothing behind you that may hush and quiet your impatient spirits; consult multitude of experiences past and gone; both your own and others.

…O what cause have you to be quiet now, and patiently wait for the salvation of God! Did He help you then, and cannot He do so now?…[Or] Have you kept no record of past experiences? How ungrateful then have you been to your God, and how injurious to yourselves, if you have not read them over in such a day as this? For to that end they were given to you.

Sixthly, Look Forward, to then end of your troubles; yea, look to a double end of them, the end of their duration, and the end of their operation.

…Alas! What are a few days and nights of sorrows, when they are past? Are they not swallowed up as a spoonful of water in the vast ocean? But more especially look to the end of their operation. What do all these afflictions tend to and effect? Do the not work out an exceeding weight of glory? Are you not by them made “partakers of His holiness”?

Seventhly, Look to your right-hand, and see how you are shamed, convinced and silenced by other Christians and it may be such too, as never made that profession you have done; and yet can not only patiently bear the afflicting hand of God, but are blessing, praising, admiring God under their troubles; whilst you are sinning against, and dishonouring Him under smaller ones. It may be that you will find some poor Christians that know not where to have their next bread, and yet are speaking of the bounty of their God; while you are repining in the midst of plenty.

Eighthly, Look to your left-hand, and there you will see a sad sight, and what one would think should quiet you. There you may see a company of wicked, graceless wretches, carrying themselves under their troubles, but too much like yourselves. What do they more, than fret and murmur, despond and sink; mix sin with their afflictions, when the rod of God is upon them?

Reader, such considerations as these, I am persuaded, would be of singular use to they soul at such a time, but above all, thine eying the great pattern of patience, Jesus Christ; whose Lamb-like carriage, under a trial, with which thine is not to be named in the same day, is her recommended to thee. O how should this transform thee into a lamb, for meekness also!”

[P364-368]

Today, I’d just like to collect and share the various quotes that I have posted on Twitter –quotes that I have found interesting having come across them while reading.

There are some really good quotes below; so I hope you’ll check them out. Feel free to share your thoughts or open up a discussion on any of them:

“Where lies the power of a temptation to sin but in that it offers some contentment that the heart did not have before?”

“The very first [real] work that shall draw the heart to believe and hope in Jesus Christ will draw the heart from the love of every sin…”

“God, in giving all the things of the world to…wicked ones, His enemies, shows there is not much excellency and good in (earthly riches).”

“Shall the understanding of the freedom of the grace of God carry you on less (in obediemce) than your slavish terror did (legalism)?”

(My own observation that might be pertinent to this post): I don’t get why we chide Catholics for their image worship while our own bookstores (Lifeway) market & sell graven images by the thousands

“many godly keep from gross sins…but they should be humbled for their thoughts, for misspending time, and for not sanctifying God’s name”

“It is no love in God to let men go on in sin, and never smite. God’s greatest curse is when He afflicts not for sin.” – T. Watson

“see the dreadful authority in the Word…see that there is more of His glory in the Word than in the whole creation of heaven and earth”

“Ye will not get leave to steal quietly to heaven, in Christ’s company, without a conflict and a cross.” S Rutherford

“Christ is never sweet till sin is felt to be bitter; nor is He rest till man feels sin to be a burden.” – T. Watson

“The gospel starts by teaching that we, as creatures, are absolutely dependent on God, and that He, as Creator, has an absolute claim on us”

“Where Christ sends the gospel there Christ has His people” (unregenerated elect). -JI Packer

“If you have no Calvin, you have no America.” – http://twurl.nl/jcyled

Islamic theologian: “the only version of Christianity we fear is Calvinism, for it encompasses all of life.” – quote from Edward Donnelly

“As theology grew simpler [over time in US history], technique [in evangelism] became predominant”

“If God was severe to His own Son, how dreadful will He be one day to His enemies!” – T. Watson

“If the fountains of science were [studied] without the salt of revealed [divine] truth, they would become a curse.”

“It is [only] the Spirit of God who makes the same means [preaching/evangelizing] more effective at some seasons than at others.”

“Man unhumbled before God believes that God has no right to give to any what he will not equally give to all.”

“It is reverence, humility, and stillness rather than noise and excitement which mark the nearness of God to a people.” – Iain Murray

“Show me a man in whom holiness and sin are struggling for dominion, and I will show you one who is already born again.” – CHS

“The true convert is reconciled because he is pleased with the character of God; the false convert because he hopes God is pleased with him”

“An invitation to come to Jesus Christ is an invitation to become a worshiper of Him.” – J. Mac

“True biblical preaching will never leave unbelievers comfortable in the presence of true Christians.”

Do you agree with Samuel Miller that altar calls “favor the rapid multiplication of superficial, ignorant untrained professors of religion”?

“securing mass consent in evangelism is only possible where the full biblical teaching on depravity & regeneration is kept out of view”

Obvious but still profound: “Wherever there is faith in Jesus Christ a miracle of purification has been wrought in the heart.” – CHS

“God reveals Himself as the God who requires holiness of all who would be in loving relationship with Him.”

“What is repentance? Admitting that you’re not God;valuing Jesus more than your immediate pleasure;giving up the things the Bible calls sin”

“Happiness is the motive of every man, even those who hang themselves.” – Agree or disagree?

But now, 6 years later, though I am a radically new man on the outside, my inside (heart sins) often don’t feel much different than my previous life. Instead of drunkenness, it’s wantonness in things more accepted by the Christian culture; instead of hedonism in things clearly forbidden by scripture, it’s hedonism in trivial pursuits and other accepted pleasures; instead of sexual immorality, it’s inward lust; instead of lying, it’s deceitfulness; instead of stealing, it’s covetousness. And the list goes on. Oh, how easy it is to stop all outward, gross manifestations of sin and then neglect the heart!

Thus, I found the following quote helpful in reminding us Christians for our need of humiliation over seemingly ’small’ sins in our lives.

Note, also, his mention of the sin of misspending time. As little as two years ago I wouldn’t have even thought this to be a great sin. But by God’s grace, oh, how I see it to be one of the biggest heart-sins in my life. The selfishness of the heart knows no bounds! In our pleasure-addicted, entertainment-driven society, who doesn’t struggle with the terrible sin of wasting our precious, God-given time? I think this testifies to the wickedness of our hearts more than anything else…for so many sins find their expression in wasting time (selfishness, covetousness, lack of self-control, unfaithfulness, self-righteousness, etc.).

“There may be many godly people who, through God’s mercy, are able to keep from gross sins. They do not find it any great matter to keep from bad company, swearing, drinking, uncleanness, lying, wronging others, or such kinds of sins as these are. They do not see such need for humiliation in this regard, unless it is for the fact that their natures are as corrupt as any, though they do not break forth into those actual gross sins. But the main work of the humiliation of those who are godly is to be humbled for their thoughts, for misspending time, and for not sanctifying God’s name in holy duties.” – Jeremiah Burroughs

So the questions I ultimately come back to are: how do my studies ground in the Person and accomplished work of Jesus Christ? How does this doctrine find its ultimate fulfillment and truth in Christ? How does HE hold it together? Does this doctrine increase my awe and reverence for Him? Does it motivate me to humble myself and worship? Can I cry with Paul, ‘Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!’?

A book that I continually come back to when I’m simply thirsting for Christ is the little puritan work, The True Christian’s Love to the Unseen Christ. A phenomenal devotional read; in fact, it is the very best devotional book I have ever read, and one loaded with great puritan imagery on the beauty and awesomeness of our Savior.

“…you may know your love for Christ by your love of Christ’s image…

“Do you love the image of Christ on His word? As Caesar’s coin bore Caesar’s image and superscription, so the Word of the Scriptures, which is the Word of Christ, bears Christ’s image and superscription. Do you love the scriptures because of Christ’s image which is upon them? Do you love the Word of doctrine in the Scriptures because of the image of Christ’s truth and wisdom upon it? Do you love the Word of precepts in the Scriptures because of the image of Christ’s holiness upon it? Do you love the Word of threatenings in the Scriptures because of the image of Christ’s righteousness upon it? Do you love the Word of promises in the Scriptures because of Christ’s goodness, grace, and love upon it?

“You have Christ’s word in your Bibles, and sometimes sounding in your ears, but does the Word of Christ dwell in your hearts? You receive Christ’s word in the light of it; do you receive His word in the love of it?”

We see Christ’s image and word very clearly in the New Testament, but do we not also see Him clearly in the Old Testament?

“Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

“For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me.”

“O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.“

My friends, one reason why I hold to a Covenant Theology on the Law of God is because I see it as the only ’system’ that is truly Christocentric.

Do we believe that the OT Law speaks and details the righteousness of Christ, whom it was written about? Do we believe that God, albeit, giving baby steps, was teaching Israel how to truly worship God through Christ with all of the ceremonies, rituals, and explicit details? Do we not believe that the OT Law was completely sufficient and perfect for a regenerated Israelite to worship Christ, understanding that all of the typology was ultimately about Him? Do we believe that Jesus Christ is ‘the same yesterday, today, and forever’, and that His righteous, moral, image is revealed in the OT just as they are revealed in the NT?

Whatever view of the Law we take, let us deeply consider it in relation to Person and work of Jesus Christ, and that our view is grounded in the truth that it always has been and always will be all about Him.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

“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 it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.

But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast in God and know his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed from the law; and if you are sure that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law. For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”

For circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision. So, if a man who is uncircumcised keeps the precepts of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? Then he who is physically uncircumcised but keeps the law will condemn you who have the written code and circumcision but break the law. For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.” – Romans 2:12-29

There is a simplicity to this which even a babe in the faith can see from this text. Consider:

What ‘law’ is Paul talking about?
Because of the phrase “if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law“, among other things, it is clear that ‘the law‘ refers to the Law given to the Jews, the Mosaic Law. In fact, from the beginning of this passage to the very end, ‘the law’ refers to the Old Testament, Jewish Law. There is no other exegetical reason to say otherwise.

What law will be used to judge men on the final day?
Because of the phrase “will be judged by the law“, we can see that anyone who has ever read this Old Testament, Jewish Law will be judged by it on the last day. James 2:12, among other passages, teach this as well.

What about those who never hear this ‘law’; what ‘law’ will they be judged by?
Because of the phrase, “They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts”, we see that those who never hear of this Jewish Law will nevertheless be judged by it, and this because they prove by their actions that this same Jewish Law is written on their hearts.

How is one found righteous before God?
Because of the phrase, “it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law“, we know that those who obey this same law are pleasing and righteous in God’s sight. We also know from the continuation of Paul’s argument here in Romans, that no man can perfectly obey this Law so as to be perfectly righteous. However, there is one who has, the Man Christ Jesus, who’s obedience becomes ours by faith. Thus, we still keep this law, imperfectly when we obey and are pleasing in God’s sight; and perfectly, for justification and complete righteousness, through the merits of Jesus Christ.

But doesn’t this Jewish ‘law’ contain all sorts of ceremonies and cleanliness laws that we Christians are released from?
Yes, the New Testament teaches that Christians are released from obeying ‘ceremonial’ laws which were only given to the Jews for a period. However, by the phrase “For circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision“, we can see that Paul is not speaking of the outward ceremonies of the law. Instead, he makes a clear distinction between ‘obeying the law’ and simply performing it’s outward ceremonies (which have since passed away).

So how do we know what aspects of ‘the law’ Paul is talking about here?
Because of three phrases: 1) “While you preach against stealing, do you steal?“, 2) “You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery?“, and 3) “You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?“, we see the 8th commandment, the 7th commandment, and the 10th commandment, respectively, alluded to by Paul.

Conclusion:
By the scripture here we conclude that ‘the law’ will be the standard judge on the last day, that this ‘law’ is written on the hearts of those who’ve never heard of it, that this ‘law’ details how one is righteous before God, that this ‘law’ doesn’t include the ceremonies clearly abolished by Jesus and the Apostles, and that this ‘law’ consists of precepts found in the Ten Commandments.

Given these plain facts, as well as other testimonies of scripture, we are bound to affirm that the Ten Commandments, not just 9 of the commandments as many try to argue in this day, are foundational to the ‘moral’ law of God that transcends time, covenants, culture, and even eternity. To allude to just one of the Ten Commandments is to allude to them all, as they are never divided in scripture, always being treated as a unit, and James 2:10, when referring to the Ten Commandments, confirms their unity by teaching us that breaking one of them is tantamount to breaking them all.

Paul doesn’t directly allude to Jesus and this so-called ‘law of Christ’; Paul doesn’t allude to the greatest commandments of Love to God and neighbor, even though both Jesus’ teaching and the greatest two commandments are certainly included in the ‘moral’ law. Rather, Paul clearly refers back to the Old Testament law, the law previously given and widely understood, and he clearly upholds the Ten Commandments as the foundational to all morality, ethics, and righteousness.

“Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.” – 3:19-25

And there are always those who will seek to make excuse for their sin in saying that they are ‘trying to minister’ or ‘be a witness’ to the lost, while they indulge in practices and situations where sin in inevitable. In the same way, there will always be the legalist and self-centered professing Christian who isolates himself from the world to the extent that the Great Commission becomes impossible to fulfill.

I think Mike Horton gives a nice balance below, maybe with a few qualifiers. What do you think?

“Martin Luther, a former monk, was no friend of the monastic way of life. When he was released from the bondage of climbing the latter to heaven by piety, he saw his place in the world as one of service –not to himself, but to his neighbor. Instead of trying to save his own soul, he was now concerned with issues beyond himself…Godliness, Luther insisted, was not a self-serving, individualistic pursuit, but a means of glorifying God by serving others.”

“…We [modern Christians] have abandoned the world in our own pursuit of “holiness” –a style of holiness about which God could care less. Fleeing to our evangelical subculture, with its own music, symbols, bumper stickers, activities, and even Christian cruises, we are able to avoid at least some of the suffering and need of our unbelieving neighbors. Our “holiness” is individualistic and selfish, like the monks’ of Luther’s day, with the greatest attention given to the commandments of men (dancing, drinking, smoking, movie-going)…my abstinence from secular entertainment may help me, but what does it accomplish for my neighbor?”

“Biblical holiness is concerned with getting us to love God and neighbor in tangible acts of self-giving, not with entangling us in a web of worries and doubts over whether we have done our duty to a rule.”

The Law of Perfect Freedom, Michael Horton, P157-158