In our previous article, we saw how the Westminster Confession divides the Old Testament law into three categories: Ceremonial (which is abolished), Judicial (which expired with the nation of Israel), and Moral (which remains forever).
But this raises a profound question: If Christians are saved entirely by grace, and if Paul explicitly states that we “are not under law but under grace” (Rom. 6:14), what role does the Moral Law play in the Christian life today? Is it merely a historical relic?
In sections 19.5 through 19.7, the Confession delivers a masterclass on the relationship between Law and Gospel. It firmly rejects Antinomianism (the idea that Christians are free from the moral law) while simultaneously protecting the free grace of the Gospel. It does this by making a vital distinction between the law as a covenant of works and the law as a rule of life.
The Confession teaches that the moral law forever binds all people; that while believers are completely free from the law as a covenant of works for their justification, it remains of great use as a rule of life to expose sin, restrain corruption, and guide obedience; and that this use of the law does not contradict the Gospel, but sweetly complies with it through the empowering work of the Spirit.
The Unbreakable Obligation (WCF 19.5)
The Confession begins with an uncompromising statement: “The moral law doth for ever bind all, as well justified persons as others, to the obedience thereof.”
Whether you are a Christian or a non-Christian, you are bound to obey the Ten Commandments. Why? Because of two things:
- The Nature of the Law: The content of the law is intrinsically good and reflects God’s unchanging character.
- The Origin of the Law: It was given by “God the Creator.” Because God is always our Creator, we are always His creatures, obligated to obey Him.
Some argue that Jesus abolished the Ten Commandments and replaced them with a new, simpler “law of love.” The divines strongly disagree: “Neither doth Christ, in the Gospel, any way dissolve, but much strengthen this obligation.” Jesus didn’t abolish the command against murder; He expanded it to include sinful anger (Matt. 5:21-22). Love is not a replacement for the law; love is the fulfillment of the law (Rom. 13:10).
Freed from the Covenant, Bound to the Rule (WCF 19.6)
If we are bound to obey the law, how can Paul say we are “not under the law”? The Confession resolves this by distinguishing how we relate to the law.
“Although true believers be not under the law, as a covenant of works, to be thereby justified, or condemned…”
This is the glorious truth of Justification. As a system of earning salvation (a covenant of works), the law is dead to you. It cannot justify you, and praise God, it cannot condemn you (Rom. 8:1). Christ took the curse of the law for us.
However, being free from the law’s condemnation does not mean we are free from its direction. The Confession states that the law remains “of great use to them… as a rule of life informing them of the will of God.”
Historically, Reformed theology speaks of the “Three Uses of the Law,” all of which are beautifully detailed in this paragraph:
- A Mirror (Pedagogical Use): The law discovers the “sinful pollutions” of our hearts. By examining ourselves against the Ten Commandments, we are humbled and driven to see “the need they have of Christ, and the perfection of His obedience.” The law shows us our dirt, so we will run to the fountain of Christ’s blood.
- A Curb (Civil/Restraining Use): The law serves “to restrain their corruptions, in that it forbids sin.” Even for the regenerate, the law’s threatenings remind us of what our sin deserves and the temporal fatherly discipline we might face if we stray.
- A Guide (Normative Use): This is the primary use for the believer. It is a “rule of life,” showing us what pleases our Father. The promises attached to the law show “God’s approbation of obedience” and the blessings we can expect—not as a merited reward, but as a grace upon grace.
Because of this, if a Christian avoids evil and does good because the law encourages it, this “is no evidence of his being under law; and not under grace.” Fearing God’s fatherly discipline and desiring His fatherly reward is standard, healthy Christianity.
Sweet Compliance: Law and Gospel (WCF 19.7)
One might worry that emphasizing the law so heavily will crush the joy of the Gospel. The divines close the chapter with one of the most beautiful sentences in the entire Confession:
“Neither are the forementioned uses of the law contrary to the grace of the Gospel, but do sweetly comply with it; the Spirit of Christ subduing and enabling the will of man to do that freely, and cheerfully, which the will of God, revealed in the law, requireth to be done.”
The Law and the Gospel are not enemies; they are friends. The Law commands, but the Gospel gives what the Law demands. The Law says, “Walk!” but it cannot give a paralyzed man legs. The Gospel, however, brings the “Spirit of Christ,” who heals our paralysis, changes our hearts, and enables our wills so that we want to obey.
Under the covenant of works, the law was a terrifying taskmaster with a whip. Under the covenant of grace, the law is a friendly guide holding a lantern, while the Spirit of Christ holds our hand and gives us the strength to walk the path cheerfully.
Key Terms
- Covenant of Works (in relation to the Law): The law functioning as a system where perfect obedience merits eternal life and any disobedience merits eternal death. Believers are completely delivered from the law in this sense.
- Rule of Life: The law functioning as a normative guide for the believer’s conduct, showing us how to live in a way that pleases the God who has already saved us.
- First Use of the Law (Mirror/Pedagogical): The function of the moral law to expose our sin, corruption, and inability to save ourselves. It acts as a mirror that reveals our unrighteousness, condemning our pride and ultimately driving us to seek justification solely through the grace of Christ.
- Second Use of the Law (Curb/Civil): The function of the moral law to restrain outward wickedness and maintain basic order in a fallen world. It acts as a curb by using the threat of divine and temporal punishment to deter people from their worst sinful impulses.
- Third Use of the Law (Guide/Normative): The principal use of the moral law for the regenerate believer. Having been saved by grace and freed from the law’s condemnation, it now functions as a friendly guide and rule of life, showing the believer how to live in a way that is pleasing and thankful to their Heavenly Father.