Love is commanded in the law and is not an alternative to the law. The proper understanding of both the goodness and the use of the law must not be forsaken by Christians, many today draw a sharp distinction between the law and love, claiming that we are to follow love not law as a rule of life. But where does God tell us to love, but in the law, for what is the sum of the Ten Commandments but to love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, with our strength,

Rev David Silversides, Loughbrickland RPCI, defends the Reformed understanding of the Moral Law and corrects the antinomian abuse of this passage during his sermon, The Christian and the Law (delivered at Templepatrick & Doagh Conference, 22nd May 2011). The relevant portion of the sermon is transcribed below. ““And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law. To

Objection 5. '...the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious...For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.' 2 Cor 3:6-7, 11. Here the apostle shows the difference between the Old and New Testament. The Old Testament is the letter and ministration of death, and has been done away with. How do those, therefore, who live by the spirit have anything to d

We continue with a Brakel's treatment of objections to the moral law, as summarised in the ten commandments, applying as a rule of life to the New Testament believer. Objection 2: The law came to an end with Christ, and therefore cannot place us under obligation. "For Christ is the end of the law." Rom 10:4 Answer: The apostle declares that the Jews neither knew nor sought the way unto justification. They therefore sought to establish their own righteousness, and did not atta

In Volume Three of The Christian's Reasonable Service, Wilhelmus a Brakel sets out the moral law as continuing as the rule of life for New Testament believers. Brakel also deals with a number of antinomian objections to the application of that law to believers. Over our next three posts we shall look at a Brakel's answers to these objections, beginning with the most common - 'we are not under the law but grace'. These arguments are summarised in our posts, and can be found in

Dr. Watson in his final rule looks at our inability to obey the law of God, and the grace of God to us in this respect. Rule 8. Although we cannot, by our own strength, fulfil all these commandments, yet doing quoad posse (what we are able), the Lord has provided encouragement for us. There is a threefold encouragement. (a) That though we have not ability to obey any one command, yet God has in the new covenant, promised to work that in us which he requires. 'I will cause you

The second part of Thomas Watson's Body of Practical Divinity (1692) deals with the law of God, in which he exclaims that 'to obey God, is not so much our duty as our privilege; his commands carry meat in the mouth of them.' Indeed the moral law as summarised in the ten commandments is for the benefit and felicity of the believer and the meditation on and obedience to that law is an important and beneficial part of our reasonable religion. Dr. Watson sets out general rules fo