Thomas Watson
1. What is the difference between the moral law and the gospel? (1) The law requires that we worship God as our Creator; the gospel that we worship Him in and through Christ. God in Christ is propitious; out of Christ we may see God’s power, justice and holiness; in Him we see His mercy displayed.
(2) The moral law requires obedience, but gives no strength (as Pharaoh required brick, but gave no straw), but the gospel gives strength; it bestows faith on the elect; it sweetens the law; it makes us serve God with delight.
2. What use is the moral law to us? It is a mirror to show us our sins, so that, seeing our perdition and misery, we may be forced to flee to Christ to satisfy for former guilt and to save from future wrath. “The law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ” (Gal 3:24).
3. Is the moral law still in force to believers? Is it not abolished to them? In some sense it is abolished to believers. (1) In respect of justification. They
1An extract, slightly edited, from Watson’s The Ten Commandments.
are not justified by their obedience to the moral law. Believers are to make great use of the moral law, but they must trust only to Christ’s righteousness for justification; as Noah’s dove made use of her wings to fly, but trusted to the ark for safety. If the moral law could justify, what need was there of Christ’s dying?
(2) The moral law is abolished to believers in respect of its curse. They are freed from its curse and condemnatory power. “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us” (Gal 3:13).
Protestant View
Shrine of Bishop Chad in Lichfield Cathedral
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