CRPC Podcast - Westminster Confession of Faith - Ch19 - Of the Law of God Join Pastors Patrick Hines (Bridwell Heights Presbyterian Church, Kingsport, TN), Jim Thornton (Reformed Faith Presbyterian Church, Clarksville, TN), & Henry Johnson (Trinity Presbyterian Church, Tazwell, VA) as they discuss chapter 19 of the Westminster Confession of Faith, "Of the Law of God" - the entire text of which follows here: CHAP. XIX.—Of the Law of God. I. GOD gave to Adam a law, as a covenant of works, 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 (Gen. 1:26-27; 2:17; Rom. 2:14-15; 10:5; 5:12, 19; Gal. 3:10, 12; Eccl. 7:29; Job 28:28 28 And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; And to depart from evil is understanding. ). II. This law, after his fall, continued to be a perfect rule of righteousness; and, as such, was delivered by God upon Mount Sinai, in ten commandments, and written in two tables ( James 1:25 25 But he that looketh into the perfect law, the `law' of liberty, and `so' continueth, being not a hearer that forgetteth but a doer that worketh, this man shall be blessed in his doing. ; 2:8, 10-12; Rom. 13:8-9; Deut. 5:32; 10:4; Ex. 24:1): the first four commandments containing our duty towards God; and the other six, our duty to man (Matt. 22:37-40). III. Beside this law, commonly called moral, God was pleased to give to the people of Israel, as a church under age, ceremonial laws, containing several typical ordinances, partly of worship, prefiguring Christ, His graces, actions, sufferings, and benefits (Heb. 11; 10:1; Gal. 4:1-3; Col. 2:17); and partly, holding forth divers instructions of moral duties (1 Cor. 5:7; 2 Cor. 6:17; Jude 23). All which ceremonial laws are now abrogated, under the new testament (Col. 2:14, 16-17; Dan. 9:27; Eph. 2:15-16). IV. To them also, as a body politic, He gave sundry judicial laws, which expired together with the State of that people; not obliging any other now, further than the general equity thereof may require (Ex. 21; 22:1-29; Gen. 49:10; 1 Peter 2:13-14 13 Be subject to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether to the king, as supreme; 14 or unto governors, as sent by him for vengeance on evil-doers and for praise to them that do well. ; Matt. 5:17, 38-39; 1 Cor. 9:8-10). V. The moral law doth for ever bind all, as well justified persons as others, to the obedience thereof (Rom. 13:8-10; Eph. 6:2; 1 John 2:3-4 3 And hereby we know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; , 7–8); 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 ( James 2:10-11 10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one `point', he is become guilty of all. 11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou dost not commit adultery, but killest, thou art become a transgressor of the law. ). Neither doth Christ, in the Gospel, any way dissolve, but much strengthen this obligation (Matt. 5:17-19; James 2:8 8 Howbeit if ye fulfil the royal law, according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well: ; Rom. 3:31). VI. Although true believers be not under the law, as a covenant of works, to be thereby justified, or condemned (Rom. 6:14; Gal. 2:16; 3:13; 4:4-5; Acts 13:39 39 and by him every one that believeth is justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. ; Rom. 8:1); yet is it 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 (Rom. 7:12, 22, 25; Ps. 119:4-6; 1 Cor. 7:19; Gal. 5:14, 16, 18–23); discovering also the sinful pollutions of their nature, hearts, and lives (Rom. 7:7; 3:20); so as, examining themselves thereby, they may come to further conviction of, humiliation for, and hatred against sin ( James 1:23-25 23 For if any one is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a mirror: 24 for he beholdeth himself, and goeth away, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 25 But he that looketh into the perfect law, the `law' of liberty, and `so' continueth, being not a hearer that forgetteth but a doer that worketh, this man shall be blessed in his doing. ; Rom. 7:9, 14, 24), together with a clearer sight of the need they have of Christ, and the perfection of His obedience (Gal. 3:24; Rom. 7:24-25; 8:3-4). It is likewise of use to the regenerate, to restrain their corruptions, in that it forbids sin ( James 2:11 11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou dost not commit adultery, but killest, thou art become a transgressor of the law. ; Ps. 119:101, 104, 128): and the threatenings of it serve to show what even their sins deserve; and what afflictions, in this life, they may expect for them, although freed from the curse thereof threatened in the law ( Ezra 9:13-14 13 And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great guilt, seeing that thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and hast given us such a remnant, 14 shall we again break thy commandments, and join in affinity with the peoples that do these abominations? wouldest not thou be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us, so that there should be no remnant, nor any to escape? ; Ps. 89:30-34). The promises of it, in like manner, show them God’s approbation of obedience, and what blessings they may expect upon the performance thereof (Lev. 26:1-14; 2 Cor. 6:16; Eph. 6:2-3; Ps. 37:11; Matt. 5:5; Ps. 19:11): although not as due to them by the law as a covenant of works (Gal. 2:16; Luke 17:10 10 Even so ye also, when ye shall have done all the things that are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants; we have done that which it was our duty to do. ). So as, a 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 law; and not under grace (Rom. 6:12, 14; 1 Peter 3:8-12 8 Finally, `be' ye all likeminded, compassionate, loving as brethren, tenderhearted, humbleminded: 9 not rendering evil for evil, or reviling for reviling; but contrariwise blessing; for hereunto were ye called, that ye should inherit a blessing. 10 For, He that would love life, And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips that they speak no guile: 11 And let him turn away from evil, and do good; Let him seek peace, and pursue it. 12 For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, And his ears unto their supplication: But the face of the Lord is upon them that do evil. ; Ps. 34:12-16; Heb. 12:28-29). VII. Neither are the forementioned uses of the law contrary to the grace of the Gospel, but do sweetly comply with it (Gal. 3:21); 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 (Ezek. 36:27; Heb. 8:10; Jer. 31:33).