As I've read through the various threads involving Ian Potts and the Christian's position vis-a-vis the law, I can't help feeling that the different views are not as far apart as they may seem. Neither Gadsby nor Huntington (nor, I'm sure, Ian) advocated a sinful lifestyle, and none of the WCF writers ever suggested that one could be saved by keeping the law. The controversy hinges on the understanding of the phrase 'rule of life.'
Well, for me to say that God's law is my rule of life means no more (and no less!) than that I endeavour to keep God's commands, not in order to be saved, but because I am saved! The Christian is in the position of the freed slave in Exodus 21:5-7; he is free from the law as something that condemns him. Instead he is a willing bond-servant of the Lord Jesus Christ and cries out, 'Sacrifice and offering you did not desire; my ears you have opened ('pierced').....I delight to do your will, O my God, and YOUR LAW IS WITHIN MY HEART' (Psalm 40: 6-8).
Now will someone say that Christ's commands are different from those of God the Father? I don't think so. Consider the 10 Commandments:-
1. 'You shall have no other Gods before me.'
1Cor 10:21. 'You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons......'
2. 'You shall not make for yourself a carved image.....'
1John 5:21. 'Little children, keep yourselves from idols.'
3. 'You shall not take the LORD your God's name in vain.'
Matt 5:34. 'But I say to you, do not swear at all; neither by heaven, for it is God's throne; nor by the earth for it is His footstool.'
4. 'Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.'
Luke 4:16. 'AS HIS CUSTOM WAS, He went into thev Synagogue on the Sabbath day.'
Acts 20:7. 'Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together....'.
5. 'Honour your father and mother.'
Eph 6:1-3. 'Children obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.........'.
6. 'You shall not murder.'
Rev 21:8. 'But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers......shall have their part in the lake that burns with fire.'
7. 'You shall not commit adultery.'
1Cor 6:9ff. 'Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolators, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites.....will inherit the KIngdom of God.'
8. 'You shall not steal.'
Eph 4:28. 'Let him who stole steal no longer.'
9. 'You shall not bear false witness.'
Rev 22:15. 'But outside are dogs and sorcerers.....and whoever loves and practises a lie.'
10. 'You shall not covet.'
Eph 5:5. 'For this you know, that no......covetous man, who is an idolator, has any inheritance in the Kingdom of God.'
It would be interesting to ask Mr Gadsby or whoever, which of these commandments the New testament has made obsolete. Perhaps Bookmark can tell us.
We know that we cannot keep God's commands in our own strength; we must be born again, of water and the Spirit:-
'Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols......I will put My Spirit in you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgements and do them' (Ezek 36:25,27).
'Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity (Psalm 32:2). Amen! But blessed also is the man whose 'delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditats day and night' (Psalm 1:2).
We are free from the law and dead to the law in respect of its condemnation and sanctions. It is no longer our tutor to lead us to Christ; but having learned of our tutor, we do not therefore despise his teaching. Not at all! Rather we say to God, 'Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day (Psalm 119:97), and we can even add that, 'unless your law had been my delight, I would then have perished in my affliction (v92).
OK, guys! Come and shoot me down! <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/bif.gif" alt="" /> What haven't I understood?
Blessings to all,
Steve
