The Law of God

Greg Dietrich·March 25, 2025·0 comments

1God gave to Adam a law of universal obedience written in his heart and a particular command not to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.2 By this, God bound him and all his future generations to personal, entire, exact, and perpetual obedience.3 God promised life upon the fulfilling of it,4 threatened death upon the breach of it, and endued him with power and ability to keep it.5

The same law that was first written in the heart of man continued to be a perfect rule of righteousness after the fall,6 and it was delivered by God upon Mount Sinai in ten commandments and written in two tables. The first four contain our duty toward God, and the other six contain our duty to man.7

Besides this law, commonly called moral, God was pleased to give to the people of Israel ceremonial laws. These ceremonial laws contain several typical ordinances, some of worship, prefiguring Christ, his graces, actions, sufferings, and benefits;8 and some hold forth various instructions of moral duties.9 All these ceremonial laws were appointed only until the time of reformation and are now abrogated and taken away by Jesus Christ. He is the true Messiah and only lawgiver and was granted power from the Father for this purpose.10

To Israel, God also gave various judicial laws, which expired together with the state of that people, and now do not bind any by virtue of that institution. Yet, the general equity within these laws retains a moral component.11

The moral law forever binds all to its obedience,12 including those who are justified as well as others. This obligation is not only in regard to the content of the law but also with respect to the authority of God the Creator, who gave it.13 Christ in the Gospel does not in any way dissolve but much strengthens this obligation.14

Although true believers are not under the law as a covenant of works to be justified or condemned,15 yet it is of great use to believers as well as to others as a rule of life, informing them of the will of God and their duty. It directs and binds them to walk accordingly. Through it, they also discover the sinful pollutions of their natures, hearts, and lives, and so examining themselves as a result, they may come to the further conviction of, humiliation for, and hatred against sin.16 Together with a clearer sight of the need they have of Christ and the perfection of his obedience, it is likewise of use to the regenerate to restrain their corruptions, in that it forbids sin. The law’s threat of punishment serves to show what their sins deserve and what afflictions in this life they may expect for them, even though they are freed from the curse and its full severity.17 The promises of it likewise show them God’s approval of obedience and what blessings they may expect upon keeping it, though these blessings are not due to them by the law as a covenant of works. Men doing good and refraining from evil, because the law encourages one and deters from the other, is not evidence of them being under the law and not under grace.18

These uses of the law are not contrary to the grace of the Gospel but sweetly comply with it.19 The Spirit of Christ subdues and enables the will of man to freely and cheerfully do that which the will of God, revealed in the law, requires to be done.20

    1. Trinity Fellowship Churches allows a personal exception on the understanding of the tripartite law, subject to approval by the region. ↩︎
    2. Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.  Ecclesiastes 7:29 See, this alone I found, that God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes. ↩︎
    3. Romans 10:5 For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them. ↩︎
    4. Genesis 2:9 And out of the ground the LORD God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  Genesis 2:17 “Of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” ↩︎
    5. Genesis 2:17 “Of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”  Galatians 3:10 For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.”  Galatians 3:12 But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.” ↩︎
    6. Romans 2:14–15 For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them. ↩︎
    7. Deuteronomy 10:4 And he wrote on the tablets, in the same writing as before, the Ten Commandments that the Lord had spoken to you on the mountain out of the midst of the fire on the day of the assembly. And the Lord gave them to me. ↩︎
    8. Hebrews 10:1 For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near.  Colossians 2:17 These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. ↩︎
    9. 1 Corinthians 5:7 Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. ↩︎
    10. Colossians 2:13–17 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.  Ephesians 2:14–16 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. ↩︎
    11. 1 Corinthians 9:8–10 Do I say these things on human authority? Does not the Law say the same? For it is written in the Law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain.” Is it for oxen that God is concerned? Does he not certainly speak for our sake? It was written for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of sharing in the crop. ↩︎
    12. Romans 13:8–10 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.  James 2:8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.  James 2:10–12 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. ↩︎
    13. James 2:10–11 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. ↩︎
    14. Matthew 5:17–19 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.  Romans 3:31 Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law. ↩︎
    15. Romans 6:14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.  Galatians 2:16 A person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.  Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.   Romans 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. ↩︎
    16. Romans 3:20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.  Romans 7:7 What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” ↩︎
    17. Hebrews 12:5–11 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. ↩︎
    18. Romans 6:12–14 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.  1 Peter 3:8–13 Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. For “Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? ↩︎
    19. Galatians 3:21 Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. ↩︎
    20. Ezekiel 36:27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.  Romans 8:2–5 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. ↩︎

    Greg Dietrich

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