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THE LAW OF GOD

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The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 1, 1876

FromThe Review and Herald, Review and Herald, Vol. 47, No. 22.

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THE LAW OF GOD.

In the Catechism of the Wesleyan Methodists of Canada, compiled by order of the Conference, and published in Toronto, in 1868, for the use of families and schools connected with that body, we find the following questions and answers relative to the law of God which, doubtless, would be of interest to the readers of the REVIEW:—
“What is the law of God?”
“The law of God is his will respecting mankind in general, both as to what they are to do, and to leave undone.”
“Where is the law of God to be found?”
“The law of God is to be found in the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments.”
“What is said of the excellency of this law in the Scriptures?”
“The Scriptures say of the excellency of the law of God that ‘the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.’ (Rom. 7:12.)”
“Did not Jesus Christ sum up the whole law of God in two great commandments?”
“Jesus Christ summed up the whole law of God in these two great commandments; namely,—‘Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’ Matt. 22: 37–40.”
“Have we not a larger summary of the law of God also in the Scriptures?”
“In the Scriptures we have a larger summaryof the law of God contained in the ten commandments, first written by the finger of God on two tables of stone, and given to Moses, but now recorded in the twentieth chapter of the book of Exodus.”
“Have these ten commandments any particular name?”
“The particular name by which these ten commandments are called is the moral law, as in substance containing all the moral duties required of all mankind in the Scriptures; and they are called the moral law also, to distinguish them from the laws given by God to the children of Israel respecting the ceremonies of religious worship, and their political duties, which were chiefly binding upon the Israelites only.”
“Repeat the ten commandments.”
Here they are repeated verbatim as they are found in Ex. 20: 3–17.
“What do you chiefly learn by these commandments?”
“By these commandments I chiefly learn two things; my duty toward God, and my duty toward my neighbor.”
“What is your duty toward God?”
“My duty toward God is to believe in him, to fear him, and to love him with all my heart, with all my mind, with all my soul, and with all my strength; to worship him, to give him thanks, to put my whole trust in him, to call upon him, to honor his holy name, his Sabbath, and his word, and to serve him truly all the days of my life.”
“What is your duty toward your neighbor?”
“My duty toward my neighbor is to love him as myself, and to do to all men as I would they should do unto me; to love, honor, and succor my father and mother; . . . to order myself lowly and reverently to all my betters; to hurt nobody by word or deed; to be true and just in all my dealings; to bear no malice nor hatred in my heart; to keep my hands from picking and stealing, and my tongue from evil-speaking, lying, and slandering; to keep my body in temperance, soberness, and chastity; not to covet or desire other men’s goods; but to labor to get my own living, and to so do my duty in that state of life unto which it shall please God to call me.”
“What other information does the Scripture give us respecting the law of God?”
“The other information which the Scripture gives us respecting the law of God is that these ten commandments are further explained and enforced, and the principles they contain applied to various duties and cases, both in the Old and the New Testament.”
“Where is this further explanation and enforcement given in particular?”
“The law of God is further explained and enforced, and its principles applied to various duties and uses, particularly in our Lord’s sermon on the mount, and his discourses at other times, where he explains the extensive meaning of the moral law, and enjoins its observance upon all his disciples to the end of time. Matt. 5: 18: ‘Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets; I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law till all be fulfilled.’”
We find further on this subject as follows:—
“What explanations of the ten commandments do we find in the New Testament?”
“Our Lord hath explained the law of God by teaching us that the ten commandments do not only forbid sin in outward actions, but also in the thoughts and purposes of the mind. Matt. 5:21, 22: ‘It was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill, shall be in danger of the judgment. But I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment,’ etc.”
“Does not St. James teach us that if we break but one of the commandments, we shall fall into condemnation?”
“St. James teaches us that if we break but one of the commandments, we shall fall into condemnation; for he says that ‘whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all!’ James 2:10.”
On the transgression of the law we find the following:—
“What doth every sin deserve?”
“Every sin deserveth God’s wrath and curse, both in this life and that which is to come. Rom. 6:23: ‘The wages of sin is death.’”
“Does the law of God promise the pardon of sin to those who have transgressed it?”},{