Theology
101 No.5
When
Adam and Eve sinned, there was but one thing forbidden: They were
instructed by God to eat of every tree of the garden except one.
In all that freedom, with all those choices they chose to go
against God’s one prohibition and the world has suffered
since. When God made a formal covenant (treaty) with
the people of
While
the whole of the subject of God’s Law is much broader than
the Ten Commandments, we will concern ourselves with the moral
law of God shown in these Commandments. The moral law
of God was originally written upon the heart of man starting with
Adam. Even though that original imprint upon man’s
heart has been tarnished since the Fall, it still exists to some
degree as what we commonly term one’s conscience. We can see
the universal nature of this moral law when one studies the
various cultures of our world. Many cultures have similar
laws concerning murder, property, and the way individuals are to
treat one another. This serves to point us to the existence
of God, but fails to reveal Him fully.
In the Ten Commandments we can see clearly what it is that God desires of not only His chosen people, but all people. The moral law of God is binding on all whether or not they believe in the Triune God (Romans 3:23). It is the standard by which all men will be judged on the Last Day. The Law does more, however, than stand a rule and measure of a person’s sinfulness. It also serves the purpose of showing us our sin in order to show us our need for a Savior. It is made quite clear that no one by their own power or strength can obey God’s moral law perfectly. Likewise, if we do not see that we are sinners before God we cannot see our need for a Savior (Galatians 3:19,24).
Christ claimed part of His mission in coming in the flesh was to fulfill the Law for us since we could not and cannot. (Matthew 5:17). And indeed He has. The Gospel tells us that Christ has certainly fulfilled the Law for us and through faith we have His righteousness . Through faith the stain of sin is removed from us. But, then, how does the Law still apply to those who have been freed from its curse of death and damnation? First we remember that Christ came to fulfill, not abolish the Law. Part of the Law’s continued function is to make us conscious of our sin and it makes us feel the need of a Savior at all times. The reality is, the closer we are to God and the more we know and love Him, the more we see our own sin and the more deeply we know and appreciate the forgiveness that was won for us by Christ.
In Faith we also have the gift of the Holy Spirit. It is through the power of Him working in us through the Means of Grace (the Word and the Holy Sacraments) that we have the ability and desire to live according to God’s moral law. We desire to please God, not out of fear of punishment or desire of reward, but out of a sincere gratitude for the salvation He had given us through Jesus Christ (I John 4:19).
The Law is now for the Christian a guide in his day to day life. We see the Ten Commandments as a good and gracious gift of God and not as a burden. His Commandments are a source of protection. For example, we typically don’t go to jail for theft if we do not steal, we don’t get grounded if we honor your mother and father when we are young, we don’t usually contract HIV if we are not engaged in sex outside of marriage, and so on. Keeping God’s Law has its rewards both in this life and the life to come (I Timothy 4:8)
Keeping
God’s moral law is also a tremendous witness to a world that
still likes to follow the ways of the Old Adam. When people
see us acting in a manner that is contrary to the ways of the
world they can see first hand the power of God at work in a
person’s life. When they see the consequences of sin
that are avoided by a God-pleasing life, it can help them to ask
the question, “How can I have what you have?” and
provide a tremendous opportunity to share God’s Word of Law
and Gospel with them so that they might see their sin and desire
to repent and begin a new life in Christ. Then they, too, will
see God’s Ten Commandments as the gift they truly are.