LEARNING THE LAW

Bill Fitzhenry's Thoughts For Today…

Understanding important truths from the Bible….

Psalm 1:2 NASB

But his delight is in the law of the Lord,

I have made some statements about the believer and the law that may seem strange in the present context of church teaching.  But after 51 years in the church both as a member and as a teacher, I have found the single greatest contributor to the low level of spiritual power presently experienced in Christianity to be the of a misunderstanding and a disregard for the Law of God.

I have mentioned before that the most helpful commentary on the law that I have found is in the Westminster Larger Catechism.  The law with the questions, commentary, and scriptural proofs is preceded by a list of rules given for the understanding of it.  These rules are excellent helps to clarify and explain how the Ten Commandments are to be understood.  They are being included today that you may know how the Law has been, in the past and should be in the present, understood by Christians.  Please read them carefully.  The Scripture texts for the rules can be found in the Westminster Larger Catechism.

Q. 98. Where is the moral law summarily comprehended?
A. The moral law is summarily comprehended in the Ten Commandments, which were delivered by the voice of God upon mount Sinai, and written by him in two tables of stone; and are recorded in the twentieth chapter of Exodus; the four first commandments containing our duty to God, and the other six our duty to man.

Q. 99. What rules are to be observed for the right understanding of the Ten Commandments?
A. For the right understanding of the Ten Commandments, these rules are to be observed:

1. That the law is perfect, and bindeth every one to full conformity in the whole man unto the

righteousness thereof, and unto entire obedience forever; so as to require the utmost perfection of every duty, and to forbid the least degree of every sin.
2. That it is spiritual, and so reacheth the understanding, will, affections, and all other powers of the soul; as well as words, works, and gestures.

3. That one and the same thing, in divers respects, is required or forbidden in several commandments.
4. That as, where a duty is commanded, the contrary sin is forbidden; and, where a sin is forbidden, the contrary duty is commanded: so, where a promise is annexed, the contrary threatening is included; and, where a threatening is annexed, the contrary promise is included.
5. That what God forbids, is at no time to be done; what he commands, is always our duty; and yet every particular duty is not to be done at all times.
6. That under one sin or duty, all of the same kind are forbidden or commanded; together with all the causes, means, occasions, and appearances thereof, and provocations thereunto.
7. That what is forbidden or commanded to ourselves, we are bound, according to our places, to endeavor that it may be avoided or performed by others, according to the duty of their places.
8. That in what is commanded to others, we are bound, according to our places and callings, to be helpful to them; and to take heed of partaking with others in what is forbidden them.