The bible tells us that man has a fallen nature and is not capable of setting a moral compass, therefore God sets the moral compass. For scripture regarding our heart condition, Google: man’s heart is only evil KJV; there you will find many verses. Of course, we have the freedom to follow the standards that God has set forth or not.
Man cannot elevate above human capacity which is fallen. The idea of ‘natural law” says that human beings are capable of knowing the natural moral law by unaided reason. Scripture tells us differently, that our heart is inclined to do evil (sin). Natural law then, is an unrealistic confidence in the power of our rational faculties. Natural law is not so much according to scripture as it is to Greek philosophy and such, which leads to moral tradition – a fusing of scripture and natural law. This fusion is a means to find common ground for moral life which all people can endorse and is promoted as for the “common good”; unfortunately, prominence is given to natural law as the primary source of moral knowledge. This fusion leads to human reasoning apart from God and his word, and we know how that ended in the Garden.
Man’s cognitive powers, which is so corrupted by sin, cannot provide to human beings the power to know the moral law apart from special revelation. Here is the work of the Holy Spirit, who is as divine as he is personal. Since he is God, he has a vast enabling work with a variety of effects. The Spirit is a life-giver, calls us to action, communicator of the gospel, witnesses of Christ, empowers the believer, leads believers into truth, prayer interceder, just to mention a few. The Spirit renews the “image of God” in believers, and leads to live in love towards God and others. The Spirit gives gifts (Romans 12:6-8, 1 Cor. 12:8-10, 28-30; Eph. 4:11; 1 Peter 4:11) and develops fruit in the believer’s life (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control). The Spirit not only builds the believer to image Christ our righteousness, but also the church which is the body of Christ. The Spirit has been available to mankind through the whole of our history…from the very beginning. He is referred to as: Wind, Fire, Water, Oil, Dove, and Seal. For this blog, we will focus how the Spirit brings our sins to the forefront, directs us to repent and ask for forgiveness – how he enables us to rightly live according to God’s standard.
Making a Distinction
The Ten Commandments, commonly called the Decalogue, constitute in principle God’s eternal law. Not only is this law eternal, but it is immutable. It is the foundation of His throne; it is the expression of His character (Deut. 6:5 10:12, 13:3-4; Matt. 22:36-40; Mark 12:28-34; Luke 10:25-37; 1 John 4:7-12). Since it represents His character—or what God Himself is—it is as eternal as the everlasting God.
This thought can be seen in the following qualities inherent in God and in His law:
| GOD IS | SCRIPTURE | LAW IS | SCRIPTURE |
| Righteous | Ezra 9:15 | Righteous | Psalms 119:172 |
| Perfect | Matthew 5:48 | Perfect | Psalms 19:7 |
| Holy | Leviticus 19:2 | Holy | Romans 7:12 |
| Good | Psalms 34:8 | Good | Romans 7:12 |
| Truth | Deuteronomy 32:4 | Truth | Psalms 119:142 |
| Love | 1 John 4:8-16 | Love | Deut. 6:5 10:12, 13:3-4; Matt. 22:36-40; Mark 12:28-34; Luke 10:25-37; 1 John 4:7-12 |
While this is true of the eternal law of God as expressed in the Decalogue, it would not be true of the ceremonial law that God gave to Israel. This ceremonial law embraced the types and shadows that entered into the sacrificial system of Israel. All the sacrificial offerings, the feast days, and even the priesthood—met its end on Calvary’s cross. This is what is meant by the apostle Paul when he wrote that Christ “abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances” (Eph. 2:15). There will be a future blog on “Enmity”.
“Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross” (Col. 2:14).
“Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ” (verse 17). The distinction between the moral law of God—the Decalogue—and the ceremonial law can be seen in the following:
| THE DECALOGUE | THE CEREMONIAL LAW | ||||
| 1. | Spoken by God Himself. Ex. 20:1,22. | 1. | Spoken by Moses. Ex. 24:3 | ||
| 2. | Written by God. Ex. 31:18; 32:16. | 2. | Written by Moses. Ex. 24: 4; Deut. 31:9. | ||
| 3. | On stones. Ex. 31:18. | 3. | In a book. Ex. 24:4, 7; Deut. 31:24. | ||
| 4. | Handed by God, its writer, to Moses. Ex. 31:18. | 4. | Handed by Moses, its writer, to Levites. Deut. 31:25, 26. | ||
| 5. | Deposited by Moses “in the ark.” Deut. 10:5. | 5. | Deposited by the Levites “by the side of the ark.” Dent. 31:26, A.R.V. | ||
| 6. | Deals with moral precepts. Ex. 20:3-17. | 6. | Deals with ceremonial, ritual matters. (See parts of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy.) | ||
| 7. | Reveals sin. Rom. 7:7. | 7. | Prescribes offerings for sins. (See book of Leviticus.) | ||
| 8. | Breaking of “the law” is “sin.” 1 John 3:4. | 8. | No sin in breaking, for now “abolished.” Eph. 2: 15. (“Where no law is, there is no transgression.” Rom. 4:15.) | ||
| 9. | Should “keep the whole law.” James 2:10. | 9. | Apostles gave “no such commandment” to “keep the law.” Acts 15:24. | ||
| 10. | Because we “shall be judged” by this law. James 2:12. | 10. | Not to be judged by it. Col. 2:16. | ||
| 11. | The Christian who this law is “blessed deed.” James 1:25. | 11. | The Christian who keeps this law is not blessed. (See, for example, Gal. 5:1-6.) | ||
| 12. | “The perfect law of liberty.” (Cf. James 1:25. James 2:12.) | 12. | The Christian who keeps this law loses his liberty. Gal. 5:1, 3. | ||
| 13. | Established by faith Christ. Rom. 3:31. | 13. | Abolished by Christ. Eph. 2:15. | ||
| 14. | Christ was to “magnify the law and make it honourable.” Isa. 42:21. | 14. | Blotted “out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us.” Col. 2:14. | ||
| 15. | “We know that the law is spiritual.” Rom. 7:14. (Cf. verse 7.) | 15. | “The law of a carnal commandment.” Heb. 7:16. |
Leading Confessions of Faith
It should also be noted that the leading confessions of faith, and the historic creeds of Christendom, recognize the difference between God’s moral law, the Ten Commandments, or the Decalogue, as separate and distinct from the ceremonial precepts. The following are a few of them:
The Second Helvetic Confession (1566), of the Reformed Church of Zurich, and one of the most authoritative of all Continental symbols (Philip Schaff, The Creeds of Christendom, vol. 1, pp. 391, 394, 395), in chapter 12, “Of the Law of God,” after contrasting the “moral” and the “ceremonial” laws, says of the moral law, “We believe that the whole will of God, and all necessary precepts, for every part of this life, are fully delivered in this law” (not that we are to be justified by it, but that we shall turn to Christ by faith). The types and figures of the ceremonial law have ceased. “The shadow ceased when the body came,” but the moral law is not to be disdained or rejected, and all teachings against the law are condemned. (See Schaff, vol. 3, pp. 854-856.)
Thirty-nine Articles of Religion of the Church of England (1571). Article VII states that while “the lawe geven from God by Moses” concerning “ceremonies and rites” is not binding, “no Christian man whatsoever, is free from the obedience of the commaundementes, which are called morall.” (See Schaff, vol. 3, pp. 491, 492.)
The American Revision of Thirty-nine Articles by the Protestant-Episcopal Church (1801) is identical with the foregoing.. (See Schaff, vol. 3, p. 816.)
The Irish Articles of Religion (1615), believed to have been composed by Archbishop Ussher, after stating that the ceremonial law is abolished, says: “No Christian man whatsoever is freed from the obedience of the Commandments which are called Moral.” (See Schaff, vol. 3, pp. 526, 541.)
The Westminster Confession of Faith (1647), after showing the difference between the ceremonial and the moral law, and the abrogation of the former and the perpetuity of the latter, in chapter 19 declares “the moral law doth forever bind all,” not for justification, but as a rule of life, in order to recognize the enabling power of Christ. This law continues to be “a perfect rule of righteousness.” And it adds, “Neither doth Christ in the gospel any way dissolve, but much strengthen, this obligation.” (See Schaff, pp. 640-644.)
The Savoy Declaration of the Congregational Churches (1658). There is no change in chapter 19, “Of the Law of God,” from the Westminster Confession. (See Schaff, vol. 3, p. 718).
Baptist Confession of 1688 (Philadelphia), based on the London, 1677, confession, has no change from the Westminster Confession in chapter 19, “Of the Law of God.” It deals with the distinction between the moral and the ceremonial law, and asserts that no Christian is free from obedience to the moral law. (See Schaff, vol. 3, p. 738.)
Methodist Articles of Religion (1784). These twenty-five articles, drawn up by John Wesley for American Methodists, are an abridgement of the Thirty-nine Articles of the Church of England, and declare: “Although the law given from God by Moses, as touching ceremonies and rites, doth not bind Christians, nor ought the civil precepts thereof of necessity be received in any commonwealth, yet, notwithstanding, no Christian whatsoever is free from the obedience to the commandments which are called moral.” (See Schaff, vol. 3, pp. 807, 808.)
The conclusion from the foregoing is therefore clear: The position maintained by Seventh-day Adventists regarding their relationship to the Decalogue, and their distinction between the moral and the ceremonial law, is fully sustained by the leading creeds, articles of faith, and catechisms of historic Protestantism. The concept that the Decalogue was abolished by the death of Christ is a relatively recent one. Certainly, it was not taught by the founding fathers of Protestantism, for such is in total conflict with their belief.
Source: AT Issue
God is Love
Scripture tells us that “God is love” (1 John 4:8-16), and His laws, particularly as summarized in the Ten Commandments, show us the actions that demonstrate love toward others—first toward God (as expressed in the first four of the Ten Commandments), and then toward our fellow man (as expressed in the last six).
Jesus Christ, asked to name the greatest commandment, responded: “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:37-40).
Jesus here quoted Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18. These two commands summarize both the Ten Commandments and the entire law of God, as all God’s other instructions flow from these two greatest commands. Let’s briefly see how the Ten Commandments show the actions that demonstrate our love to our Creator and our fellow man.
A Law that Teaches God’s Way of Love
Each of the Ten Commandments reveals the attitudes and actions that show us how to love God and our neighbor. This is why the apostle John tells us that “whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him” and “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments” (1 John 2:5; 1 John 5:2). The Ten Commandments truly sum up God’s law of love
Those who argue that the Ten Commandments are somehow abolished or done away have to answer a crucial question: Why would God abolish a law that defines for us how to love Him and our fellow human beings?
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2 Timothy 2:15, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” AND 1 Thessalonians 5:21, “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.”