The Law of God Given
by Michael Shipman
Advent Devotional ~ Day 11
Read Deuteronomy 5:1-22
The Decalogue, as it is called by scholars and theologians, is found distinctly in two (and possibly three, as we will see) portions of Holy Scripture. The first giving of the Moral Law (yet another name for the Ten Commandments) can be found in Exodus 20:1-21. The second giving, or “Review” as many have called it, is found in our passage today. I would like to share a 374-year-old definition of the Moral Law. It comes from the Westminster Larger Catechism (The body of Westminster documents (called the Westminster Standards) were written by 120 Pastor-Theologians over a 10-year period), and it goes like this:
Q. 93. What is the moral law? The moral law is the declaration of the will of God to mankind, directing and binding everyone to personal, perfect, and perpetual conformity and obedience thereunto, in the frame and disposition of the whole man, soul and body,[1] and in performance of all those duties of holiness and righteousness which he oweth to God and man:[2] promising life upon the fulfilling, and threatening death upon the breach of it.[3] Deut. 5:1-3, 31, 33; Luke 10:26-27; Gal. 3:10; I Thess. 5:23 Luke 1:75; Acts 14:16; Rom. 10:5; Gal. 3:10, 12
By our standards today, that’s a mouth full. But they concisely nailed it. The demands of the Law of God are all encompassing. It is all rewarding for the perfect adherent, and all damning for the transgressor. And the reality is, not one of us are able to uphold God’s standard found in His Law unto perfection for even one zeptosecond (trillionth of a billionth of a second. That's a decimal point followed by 20 zeroes and a 1, and A zeptosecond is a it looks like this: 0.000 000 000 000 000 000 001. The smallest unit time ever accurately measured.) outwardly or inwardly, that is, functionally & affectionally because our natures are dead, and rotten to the corps (see Eph 2:1-3, Rom 3:10-20). However, there is One who has (that is, has kept it perfectly because of a perfect nature), and He did it for the glory of the Father and the good of His sheep.
The advent of the Messiah, Jesus Christ the Righteous, was the Father’s benevolent solution to a problem that originated in the garden (Gen 3). The Advent of Jesus, our Savior, is certainly good news, but it is also an honest indictment of our inept, depraved ability.
Jesus Christ, and Him alone is only One who contains the perfect inward desires leading to a perfect outward reality in relation to God’s law; and this perfection was imputed (credited) to our account. Please do not miss this Beloved: Christ did not come to wipe your slate clean and then expect you to “finish what He started” (see Gal 3:3). No! The advent of King Jesus carries with it the staggering reality that the King’s perfect righteous standard of heart and conduct has been applied to our being, our existence, our souls. This happened in time and space through what theologian’s call “The Great Exchange.” Meaning, in the totality of God’s redemptive work through Christ, He applied the eternal guilt of His bride to the eternal Son, and conversely, He then applied the eternal righteousness (also called the “Active Obedience of Christ) of His Son Jesus Christ to the account of those whom the Father has chosen before the foundation of the world (Eph 1:3-5) through the Holy Spirit. The Triune.
Reflection
The incarnate Word of God kept perfectly the Law of God so that you may be with God forever!
Application questions
1. Until now, what has been your understanding or disposition to the Law of God?
2. How does the active obedience of Christ change your day-to-day outlook?
3. How does the Law of God still apply to us?