Walk in Love

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.
- Ephesians 5:1-2

My family and I have been blessed to be worshipping with the believers are Grimsby Bible Church Sunday evenings the past few months. We have been working our way through I Peter and a few weeks ago Kirk Wellum brought a message from I Peter 1: 22-25 in which he spoke about the importance and priority of love, especially among believers. As always, it was both exegetically sound and challenging. In the days that followed, we Marshes have been presented with numerous opportunities to serve others in often unpleasant ways. It has been inconvenient and tiring, disruptive to our schedules and distracting from our plans, but we are thankful that God in His grace and by His Spirit has reminded us of His command to walk in love and given us the discipline and willingness to serve. I can not say it has been easy, but we all feel the satisfaction that obedience to the Lord brings and I pray my entire family will continue to learn how to love one another cheerfully, and from the heart.

I am sometimes asked why I blog on the ten commandments. After all, we are under grace and the Law of Christ, not the Law of Moses. We ought to focus on love alone. While I heartily agree that the chief end of Christ’s law is to love God and to love our neighbours (Mat 22:37-39) I also freely acknowledge my own sinful and deceptive heart. In a day when love has lost much of its objective meaning and had become largely self-defined, the ten commandments, especially the final six, serve as practical examples of how I am to love my neighbour. I can so easily justify my own selfish desires that I thank God He has given commands to not covet, to be honest with others in all things, and to bear with one another.

May the God of all grace glory help each one of us to “walk in love”, sincerely, truthfully and sacrificially.

Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart,
- I Peter 1:22

Doug Wilson on Law and Gospel

Here's a great quotation from Doug Wilson on "Hearing 'Law' and 'Gospel'":

For the perishing, the entire Bible is law. It is heard as law, as condemnation, and as a hateful word of authority.The unbeliever refuses to honor God as God and refuses to give Him thanks. Even the common kindnesses poured out on him - sunshine, food, health - obligate him to render thanks, but he hates to do so. The obligation is therefore perceived by him as hateful law. But when a man hears with faith, the entire Bible is Gospel - good news, relief, rest. The unregenerate heart reacts to the Ten Commandments as though there were nothing there but thunder, lightning, and blue ruin. The regenerate heart hears the preamble to the Ten Commandments - "I am the Lord you God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage." (Ex. 20:2). The law is Gospel, and obedience proceeds from gratitude.

The law is altogether lovely and gracious. But the law presents itself this way to those who have already been saved through the Cross. For those still in the grip of unbelief, the law terrifies and makes them shrink back from the mountain. But, of course, the Gospel makes them shrink back the same way.

So the division that makes sense is the division between sheep and goats, wheat and tares, believers and unbelievers. And it is the Word of God, sharper than any sword, which makes this distinction.

Reading and Teaching in Canada

You don’t have to look far to find articles and essays lamenting the decline of reading in our day. However, things are not as bad in Canada as they might be in other parts of the world. According to the Statistics Canada study, "Reading and Buying Books for Pleasure", only 13% of Canadians have not read a book in the past twelve months. Men and women read about the same amount, but their choice of reading material varies. Women tend to be readers of fiction and literature reading, while men focus on history, science and how-to books.

Reviewing this report made me think about how we share information about the truths of Christianity with our culture (and how I instruct my children in those truths). One thing the study seems to suggest is that, as a group, women value narrative, and infer meaning from it, while men respond to didactic, logical information.

Biblical Theology is an approach to studying God’s revelation that recognizes the progressive nature of God’s self-revelation in the Bible and emphasizes the broader historical context in which different sections of the Bible occur. Biblical theology, in other words, takes the Bible on it’s own terms, and makes sense of any passage in light of how it fits in to the meta-narrative of God’s plan of redemption.

Systematic Theology, on the other hand, takes a more topical, or thematic, approach. Typically beginning with God and seeing what the entire Bible says about Him, systematic theology moves on to other topics and creates an entire philosophical or theological framework in which to understand the Biblical revelation.

So, in light of the Statistics Canada report, I wonder if men are more attuned to systematic theology and women are more inclined to Biblical theology? If that’s so, I pray our approach to teaching and preaching in our churches and in our homes reflects the different inclinations of men and women in Canada, so that "we may present everyone complete in Christ" (Col. 1:28)

Law and Gospel: Part 10 : The Relevance of the Moral Laws of God in the 21st Century

Over the last couple of posts, we have looked at the three different types of Law found in the Old Testament and I made the point that, while some aspects of specific Old Testament commands are not applicable to contemporary Christians, that God’s moral law (summarized in the ten commandments and the great commandments of Christ) is eternal, unchanging, and written upon the heart of mankind.

That all may be so, but in what way do the law and gospel relate to current Christian living? My answer, and the answer we give our children, is that the ten commandments provide a rule for living, or, put another way, they give specific instruction regarding how a Gospel people should live. In other words, they serve the same function in the 21st Century as they did at Sinai: they answer the question, "How should God’s people live?".

We believe and confess that salvation is sola fide, by faith alone, but it is not a faith that is alone. James 2:11 and even Jesus’ summary words of the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 7:24-27) preclude the possibility of a true believer making an empty confession. Our works still matter, not that they affect our standing before God, nor that by them we accrue favour, but because they demonstrate our faith.

But, how can we know if our works are rightly honouring to God and "worthy of the calling wherewith we were called"? Even living in light of the Gospel, is there not a rule of living given by God? Or, should each man be led independantly by the Holy Spirit into right living? There are those who claim that, because of the leading of the Holy Spirit, there are no standards of conduct for Christians, save the standard of "yielding to the Spirit. While not denying the work of the Spirit in each Christian’s life, I believe that this view only gives have the Biblical truth.

We believe that God has graciously revealed His mind on these matters. God has given specific commands, even to His New Testament people. Think of the specific commands of Christ. Think of the beginning of John’s ministry ("Repent! For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!"). Think of the fuller understanding of the ten commandments laid out by Christ in Matthew 5-7. None of these statements make sense if there is not a transcendant, objective and revealed standard of conduct and life for the people of God. The idea of obedience is meaningless if there are no commands to which we should be obedient. The idea of repenting makes no sense if there is no rule of conduct that we have failed to keep.

I’ll conclude by saying, both "law" and "gospel" make demands, both offer promises and both are bathed in the grace of God. In many ways, the distinction between law and gospel is a false one: Law without a gospel is hopeless and condemning, a gospel without law is rudderless. The essential issue is how we respond to the demands and promises of God’s Word. May our gracious God help us live obediently to the praise of His glorious name.

Law and Gospel: Part 8 : The Three Types of Law

In attempting to reconcile the passages we looked at last time, it will be helpful to think of how then Old Testament law has traditionally been divided.

Civil laws – These are laws that governed the running of the nation of Israel during the time it was a theocracy. An example would be Deuteronomy 25:4 which gives direction to not muzzle an Ox while it is threshing. I think of these laws as analogous to the local lawn watering by-law and similar rules in our day. They were intended to be in effect only for a specific time and place. When Israel ceased to be a nation, these laws were no longer applicable. They do, however, reflect the character of God in the underlying principles of justice and mercy that they exhibit (I Corinthians 9:8-10).

Ceremonial laws – These are laws that dealt primarily with how God’s people should interact with Him and worship Him. Violations of them were dealt with harshly, and they all pointed towards Christ and were all fulfilled in Him (Colossians 2:14-17; Ephesians 2:14-16; Hebrews 10:1-18 )[1]. Thus, these too are abolished in the sense that they were but a shadow, a promise, of things which have now become a present reality in Christ.

Moral Laws – These are laws pertaining to the immutable morality of God. The Bible teaches that all are under obligation to obey these laws (Romans 1:18-20; 2:14-15) and that they are a reflection of God’s character (James 2:8-12) Further, it’s clear that far from abolishing them, Jesus clarified and strengthened them (Matthew 5:17-19). In fact, Jesus not only reiterates the ten commandments throughout the New Testament, but he usually raises the standard of obedience above what was commonly being practiced at the time. One example: "You have heard that the ancients were told, 'YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER' and 'Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.' But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court;” (Matthew 5:21,22b).

In summary, civil and ceremonial laws are no longer in effect, but the moral law of God as expressed in the Ten Commandments and summarized in the Great Commandment (Mark 12:28-34) has been written on the hearts of all mankind and will never pass away. I'll try to be clear here: I do not believe the Ten Commandments are binding on believers in the way they had been understood in the Old Covenant, but that they are useful as a reflection of the moral law of God that was perfected in Christ.

Next time, we’ll continue to discuss how to reconcile the different verses on the law we read in the New Testament.

[1] I have not reproduced the scripture passages here, because they are lengthy, but encourage you to follow the links and read the entire passage.

Law and Gospel: Part 7 : The ‘Contradiction’ of Law in the New Testament

So, at last, we come to the New Testament. What we find there might seem to easily settle the issue of the relationship between the law and gospel.

Jesus affirms the permanency of the Law: “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:17-20). These sentiments are also echoed in the writings of the Apostle Paul: “Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law.” (Romans 3:31) So, the New Testament does not seem to do away with the Law.

Yet, despite the passages we have just looked at, the New Testament also teaches that there is a sense in which we are free from the Law:

“But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.” (Romans 7:6)

“For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.” (Romans 6:14)
“But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.” (Galatians 5:18)

So, what are we to make of the differing messages or the apparent paradoxes? Over the next four entries, we’ll attempt to sort through it and arrive at a consistent perspective on law and gospel.

Law and Gospel: Part 6 : Between the Testaments

Over the last several postings, we’ve seen that even in the Old Testament, right standing before God was obtained, not through acts of outward obedience, but through faith and a transformed heart. These were always the main things in the Law. But, did the Israelites ever really see it that way, or did they have other interpretations of the Law and how one came to a right relationship with God?

The short answer is, no. What followed the giving of the Law, and especially during the inter-Testament period leading up to the advent of Christ (~ 400 hundred years), was a sad corruption of what the Law was and is. Instead of being considered the blessing from God which it was[1] , it was simultaneously denigrated and elevated above it’s place. That is, during the centuries following the giving of the Law, it was misunderstood and mischaracterized to the extent that by the time Jesus began His ministry, Israel was in the throes of the worst form of legalism.

George Ladd and Millard Erickson have both written on this and observed that during this period, the Law cam to be seen as the grounds for hope, salvation, justification, righteousness, life, resurrection and the means by which God’s kingdom would be established (sort of a primative theonomy). In short, “the law came to be viewed as an intermediary between God and man”. That is, in the minds of many, the law, instead of pointing towards the saviour, became the messiah instead!

In the next posting, we’ll see what Jesus and the Apostles had to say about the subject.

[1] I know there are some who are right now aggitated by that statement and would cite New Testament examples to show that the Law was a burden. To them I say, “Just wait, we’re not in the New Testament yet! Wait a couple more posts, and we'll get there!”

Law and Gospel: Part 5: The Law in the Old Testament (cont’d)

Continuing with my look at the Law in the Old Testament, my final point is:

3. Much of the Law was meant to point towards greater things than the specifics of the Law itself. As we will later see, the New Testament writings make the typological aspects of the Law abundantly clear. While is it also true that some aspects of God’s revelation of Himself through the Law and Prophets were shrouded in mystery and only revealed with the advent of Christ (Romans 16: 25-27), there are also examples in which the Old Testament text itself makes the connection explicit.

One such example is circumcision, which was initially given as a mark of the Covenant (Genesis 7:9-14), but more than just an outward and physical practice was (and is) required of those who would keep faith with God. "Moreover the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live.” (Deut 30:6). "Behold, the days are coming," declares the LORD, "that I will punish all who are circumcised and yet uncircumcised-- Egypt and Judah, and Edom and the sons of Ammon, and Moab and all those inhabiting the desert who clip the hair on their temples; for all the nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised of heart." (Jer. 9:25, 26).

The phrase “Circumcised yet uncircumcised” strikes at the heart of our problems, we so often think we possess a form of external and comely righteousness, but our hearts are far from God. In summary, in even our brief survey of a few key verses and concepts, the Old Testament makes it clear that those who are God’s People must both believe it is true, but also live like it is, by their actions and attitudes.

Next time, we’ll examine whether Israel ever understood the Law in this way.

Law and Gospel: Part 4: The Law in the Old Testament (cont’d)

Continuing with our look at the Law in the Old Testament; not only was faith, belief in God’s promises, what was reckoned to Abraham as righteousness, but we know that his faith and belief were reflected in his actions (Gen 12:5). We’ll come back to this when we consider the Law as it relates to the New Testament. However, turning to other areas of the Old Testament, we see:

2. That, despite the common idea that the Law given at Sinai was a series of actions commanded and forbidden, it is clear that the Law always was intended to govern the internal life as well. That is, it dealt with attitudes as well as actions. Two commands that illustrate this are “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” (Deut 6:5) and “You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD.” (Lev. 19:18). What should be clear is that no one can obey either of these two commands without a transformed heart. Both these commands deal with our attitudes and internal lives, not just external actions.

Next time, we’ll continue with the Law in the Old Testament…

Law and Gospel: Part 3: The Law in the Old Testament

I recall as a young believer being very confused about how the Law and the Gospel related. I knew that since the resurrection of Jesus Christ we are saved by grace through faith, but laboured under the misapprehension that in Old Testament times, people were saved through following the Law and the sacrifices prescribed at Sinai. I quickly moved beyond that but have been surprised at how many Christians I meet and speak with (even ones who have walked with the Lord for a long time) who think that relationships between man and God were restored by obedience to the Law in the Old Testament, and that only in the New Testament did faith enter in to this business of salvation and atonement.

But this is not so! God’s covenantal relationship with His people always was and is the main thing in the standing of men before God. This is clear for at least three reasons:

1. Genesis 15 recounts a reaffirmation of the Abrahamic Covenant. That is, the covenant God made with Abraham whereby Abraham would be blessed, and through him, all the world would be blessed. It is important to observe that the Covenant was established at God’s initiative and by His grace (Gen 12). After God has restated His covenant, we have Abraham’s reaction: "Then he believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness". Gen 15:6 Quite so. This was in pre-Mosaic Law days, but Abraham’s belief is what makes him righteous, not adherence to external rules. His faith and trust in what God has promised to do are the things that determine his right standing before God.

Next time, we’ll continue with the Law in the Old Testament…

Law and Gospel: Part 2: History & Cautions

As we continue our series on the relationship between law and gospel, I am very conscious of the thin ice that surrounds me. I am aware that there are many views on the subject, and of some of the historical divisions that have arisen as a result of differing interpretations. It could be argued that the fundamental basis of the Reformation was differing interpretations of the law and the gospel and how they relate to one another. It was even the cause of some splits between first and second generation Reformers (I am thinking specifically of Luther and Calvin).

Additionally, there are serious errors that can easily overtake any who begin delving in to this subject. On the one hand, there can be a slavish adherence to the letter of the law with no regard to the spirit, the worst form of legalism. On the other, there can be a total disregard for the commands of God and free-wheeling, self-centred antinomianism that can result.

So, as we go through these studies, let us do so with a spirit of humility and a prayerful desire to comprehend God’s Word fully. I pray also that addressing difficult, controversial issues will not cause unnecessary divisions, but will encourage us to think more deeply about the things of God and emphasize our reliance upon the correcting influence of Scripture to help us think rightly about our Saviour and how we should live to please Him.

So, feel free to make full use of the comments section, and next time, I’ll begin the study proper by looking at the role of the Law in the Old Testament.

All – Law and Gospel

Let my return to posting be marked by a discussion of a topic that should have been more thoroughly and explicitly dealt with earlier.

It has never been our intention with this blog to provide an exhaustive treatise on the Christian faith, not even the ten commandments. We have merely hoped to show how the ten commandments apply to our little homeschooling family. The implication and assumption being that adherence to the ten commandments was a necessarily good thing.

However, through conversations with friends and family over the past several months, I have been reminded that there are many different views of the Christian’s relationship to the Law generally, and to the ten commandments specifically. Not only so, but there seems to be a lack of clarity in the thinking about the Law on the part of many Christians. All this has caused me to re-examine my understanding of Law and Gospel and to reconfirm my beliefs on the subject. It has been a helpful study and over the next several postings I will be sharing some of the results. I pray the studies will as much a blessing to readers as preparing them has been to me.

all - The Housekeeper Who Married the Master

I have been reading a neat commentary on Romans recently by Stuart Olyott. (Welwyn Series) In commenting on Romans 6-8 he gives this parallel:
The Law and Grace are like a housekeeper who worked for a man. She didn't do a very good job, and one day he posted a list of rules in the kitchen for her to follow. This had two effects. The first was that she realized she had been doing a poor job, and the second was to entice her to commit infractions she had never before considered (e.g. putting tea leaves down the sink). She also resented the rules. In time however, she married the master and became his wife. He took down the list of rules, but she, knowing them, delighted in still following them, because now she loved him.

It reminded me of when I was first married to David, and how I would delight to do things to please him, and now after ten years how I still try to do things to delight him - that same attitude should be present when I consider God's laws, not just a dry and legalistic carrying out of them, or worse, a disregard for them.

Sometimes we sin by ignoring the law, and sometimes by adhering in a loveless way. May God quicken our hearts through His Spirit so we may please Him by our devotion!