4 comments

1. Firstly, I want to say how blessed I’ve been by you (and your friend Mike Horton!) as I’ve started learning more about the Reformed faith, the law and the gospel, and the tenets of the reformation and Protestantism in general. I understand that the law doesn’t save, indeed doesn’t have the power to save, and only Christ saves, and faith is what unites us to him apart from works. That faith, then, must be a repentant faith, where one recognizes sins and turns to God, and seeks after holiness, but will never reach anything close to perfect obedience.

   You’ve spoken about how, in particular, the second and fourth commandment are often pushed aside by Christians today. My question is, what’s the extent that one may disagree with the application of a commandment? Could it be considered unrepentant, or impenitent, to disagree with the general Reformed stance on images of Christ, or recreation on the sabbath, for example — especially when other Christian traditions disagree? Lutheranism, for example, would be at odds with both as far as I’m aware, as well as many Anglicans (I’m not saying that we should judge the Reformed stance based off of what other Christians do!). Or, could it be wrong, impenitent, or sinful, to question how, in specific scenarios, we should obey the laws of our local/national government — because if we don’t obey we could be sinning, and not ‘turning’ from that sin — and thus unrepentant? For example, I read something recently that heavily implied (at least, to me) that those (believers and non-believers alike) who didn’t think that images of Christ were a violation of the 2nd commandment were bound to hell. In my overview of the article there was little, if no, mention of the Gospel.

   My questions are not seeking license to sin, but instead are asked as I often struggle with legalistic/moralistic tendencies when considering right application of the law. I fear that I’m unrepentant, or sinning licentiously, or spurning God’s law, if I don’t follow the commandments as the Reformed tradition has historically understood them, or if I believe something is okay when in reality it’s not. I also don’t mean it in an antinomian way, as I accept the remaining validity and purpose of God’s law, but am just struggling with the application of it.

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   • Zachary,

     Thanks for your encouragement. I appreciate it.

     I wrote a long, detailed response and then make a mistake and lost it all. I can’t redo it all.

     I believe I’ve answered most of your questions in four places:

     • Resources On Images Of Christ
     • Resources On The Christian Sabbath
     • Recovering the Reformed Confession
     • The Heidelberg Catechism: A Historical, Theological, Pastoral Commentary

     As to your proposed distinction between the 2nd & 4th commandments and application, what about the 6th? The Pharisees thought they were righteous because they hadn’t murdered anyone with their hands but Jesus said,

     You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny (Matt 5:21–26; ESV).

     Is Jesus’ application of the commandment merely one among many possible applications or is it the moral law? We can see the same thing re the 5th commandment, where the Pharisees justified ignoring their parents, and the 4th commandment, where the Pharisees justified leaving a man injured instead treating him, the seventh commandment and so on.

     If you look at the resources you’ll see that the rejection of images and the reception of the Christian sabbath are hardly idiosyncratic views or just one application among many. Until very recently, the various traditions were largely agreed about the Christian Sabbath.

     The Reformed confession re images is identical with that of the ancient church until the 7th and 8th centuries. Read this: The Case Of The 8th Century Iconoclasts Against Images Of Christ. It’s a great summary of the ancient ecumenical rejection of images.

     Should we condemn to hell those with whom disagree? No! But we should hold our convictions firmly and graciously.

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     • Thank you very much! I appreciate the time you’ve taken to help.

       You’re spot on that the Reformed should in no way lessen their convictions. I guess, in some senses, my questions are not as much regarding whether or not the Reformed view is correct, as much as the state of a churchgoer who holds different convictions. Or, one who is being patient to try their best to learn the proper applications of the different commandments, and in the end comes to agree or disagree with the Reformed approach. Because, as I mentioned, I battle legalistic impulses, where I think if I don’t follow the commands exactly like the Reformed confessions stipulate — say, I do some activity on the Sabbath or I disagree and think images of Christ are okay — that maybe that means I’m not truly repentant of my sins. I do recognize that I’m not saved partially by Christ’s work and partially my own work, but am saved wholly by Christ’s finished work! But the old, legal man dies hard sometimes.

       So, as much as my questions are regarding proper applications of the moral law, I suppose they’re relating more to personal convictions and applications of the commandments (again, without throwing the moral law out!). If a confession states recreation is a no-go on the Sabbath, what if I disagree with that approach and choose to exercise or play a game? What if I consider the second commandment and think images of Christ are okay? Could these things mean I am living in sin, and thus impenitent and unrepentant?

       Thanks again for your time, help, and patience! And in general, your thoughtful work here and with your podcast.

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2. Thank you. I am grateful for such a clear explanation.

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