For what the Law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the
The Fifth Lord's Day Rom 8.3
For what the Law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own
Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.
The Apostle in this passage expounds why the faithful may be freed from sin and death by Christ. The reason is given, as it were, from the cause moving God to this giving of Christ.
[31] And this moving cause was the neediness of our want, which appears in the defect of power in any other means to produce such an effect, as if the Apostle had said, "because it was necessary for us to be delivered from sin and death." And yet this could be effected by no other means; therefore God performed it by Christ. The strength and necessity of this consequence depends on the will of God, which tacitly supposes that God would not have mankind fall, utterly to perish, but to be restored again. The whole syllogism or reason is this: if fallen men could be restored by no other means but by Christ, then that way was to be taken, because God would that it should be done in some way. But the first is true; and therefore also the latter.
The assumption is proved, namely, that man could be restored by no other means, by the most likely instance of the law, which once had been of great power, and of sufficient force to bring man to happiness. For except Christ and the Gospel, nothing was ever given by God to man that was more perfect and divine than the Law.
Therefore, what the Apostle says here about the law, has the force of such an argument as this: If by virtue of the Law man could not be restored, than by no other means could he be, but by Christ. But the first is true, and therefore also the latter.
The Apostle both proves and expounds the Assumption at the same time, from the reason or cause of this defect or weakness of the Law
to restore man. The reason that we cannot fulfill the Law so that it might save us is not properly inherent in the Law itself, but in our flesh or corruption — much less can we by the Law rise up again from Death to life.
[32] Doctrine 1. It is the will of God that miserable men may be delivered from their misery, and restored to life eternal.
This is presupposed by the Apostle as granted, and it is used by him as the ground of his reasoning.
Reason 1. Is taken partly from God's mercy, partly from his wisdom, partly from his power, and partly from the stability of his decrees.
From his mercy, God would relieve miserable men, to show in this the glory of his grace and free mercy as it is called Eph. 1.6;
42 the riches of his mercy, his great love, and the super-eminent riches or treasures of his grace and bounty, Eph 4.7.
43 For unless God had helped miserable men that were all drowned in sin and death, he would not have accomplished above half of his goodness and bounty towards mankind. For that bounty that was manifested in our creation, was neither fully completed in its last perfection and end, because no man by it arrived at eternal happiness; nor was it in itself the greatest, highest, fullest goodness of God, because a higher, fuller, and more surpassing sort of goodness appeared in the preservation of the elect angels. And what is now revealed in the Gospel, and brings perfect salvation to fallen mankind, is also far greater.
Now this was most fitting, that the goodness and mercy of God should as well be perfected towards men, as his justice. From his wisdom God knew the best way whereby he could conveniently help miserable man, and therefore it was fitting that his wisdom should be made manifest in its effect. And this is what the Apostle everywhere teaches, that in this mystery of the Gospel there was a wisdom of [33] God, which was kept hidden from all the Heathen. Therefore by way of excellence, he calls this that wisdom of God into which the Angels
44 For such was our misery, that not only could we not rise out of it ourselves by our own power, but we could not so much as think about or devise a way or means whereby we might be delivered. But this was the proper work of the wisdom of God himself, conjoined with his own mercy. From his power also, he had the ability to help and bring to perfection in this, what he would. For so our redemption in Scripture is not only usually ascribed to God's grace and mercy, but also to his power. For the highest power and sovereignty was required to dissolve the works of the devil, and the bonds of death and the grave, for raising dead men to life again, for guiding and protecting them so that they might be brought to life eternal, despite all opposition of their enemy; and most of all, for laying that groundstone of the whole, and uniting the second person of the Deity, his own Son, and the nature of man, into one Person.
From the immutability also of his decree, it was in some sort necessary for God to procure their deliverance from death, whom he had chosen from eternity, and appointed to life. Hence a twofold necessity of the restoration and liberation of mankind is rightly determined by some: on our part, the necessity of want; on God's part, the necessity of his immutability.
Use. Of Exhortation: that with all admiration we behold and look into this good will of God, and with all thankfulness in our thoughts, as well as in [34] our speech; all our lifetime we publish and praise it.
Doctrine 2. The Law cannot deliver miserable men from their misery.
It is clear enough in the Text; and it is grounded moreover on the following reasons:
Reason 1. Because the Law promises no good to miserable sinners, but only to just persons, and those who keep it.
Reason 2. Because in itself, it has no force of taking away sin, but only of punishing it. themselves are said to look with desire and wonder, 1Pet 1.12.
Reason 3. Because by no sinner can it be fulfilled, and that is because of the weakness of the flesh, or the impotency of carnal and fallen mankind, as it is in the Text.
Reason 4. Because though the Law might be fulfilled for time to come, yet bypassed sins would take away all hope of receiving the reward of Life from the Law. Hence it is that the Law is called a killing letter, 45 and the minister of death and of condemnation.
Use. Of Refutation: against those who put their trust in their own works, and look for salvation from their good intentions and endeavors: which is the errour of Papists, Remonstrants or Arminians, and Anabaptists, who always extol an honest life, and good works.
Doctrine 3. No sinner can deliver himself from this misery.
This is thus gathered, because none go above the Law. For if the Law cannot deliver us for the weakness of our flesh, then neither can we ourselves, for the same weakness of our flesh.
Reason 1. No debt can duly be blotted out by the debtor till it is paid.
[35] Reason 2. Because, though no one ever augmented his first debt by sinning, yet he should in all this do no more, but pay what he owes in so doing; and so he could not by that means make satisfaction for his former transgression.
Reason 3. Because, if man could not preserve himself, nor did not preserve himself in that integrity in which he was created, it cannot reasonably be thought that now he can recover it again.
Reason 4. If he could recover his first integrity, he would be as subject to easily lose it again, as our first Father was at the beginning.
Use. Of Direction: that we put no confidence in ourselves, nor in our own strength, but denying ourselves, we depend altogether on God's grace and mercy in Jesus Christ.
Doctrine 4. No mere creature in heaven, or on earth, can deliver miserable men from sin and death.
It follows from the Text, because no such creature is above the Law.
Reason 1. Because no external thing, that is a mere creature, has in itself that worth that can be a compensation for sin to God's justice and truth, and so be a price of redemption from death, Mat 16.26.
Indeed, not the whole world. For that is what is hinted at in 1Pet 1.18, 48 where all corruptible things, among the best of which are gold and silver and the like, are determined to be below the redeeming of man.
Reason 2. Because whatever any mere creature may do, whether man or Angel, it owes all that for itself, and on its own behalf.
Reason 3. Because if we were redeemed by a mere creature, for this very reason we would become the [36] servants of that mere creature, out of justice and gratitude, just as we are the servants of Christ our Redeemer, because he is our
Redeemer, as already taught. But this would be an unworthy thing, and it would infer a kind of self-contradiction. For seeing that man before his fall was not the servant of any creature, but of God alone, then if by redemption he were to become the servant of any creature, he would not be redeemed and restored into that perfect liberty from which he fell. And so, though redeemed (as we suppose), yet he would not be properly redeemed; that is, he would not be made free by such a redemption.
Reason 4. The evils that are to be removed from us are greater than can be taken away by any mere creature; such as the infinite and eternal wrath of God; the guilt of sin confirmed by the force of an eternal law; and the command that sin and death have over us. What we have about these in Rom 7.8-13, 49 is true.
Reason 5. The good things to be imparted, and before that to be purchased, are of greater worth than can be communicated to us from any mere creature — such as, a righteousness going beyond the righteousness of the Law; the resurrection, bodily as well as spiritual; the communication of the divine nature, life eternal, and a happiness that surmounts that of Adam in his innocence — that is, a Kingdom that cannot be shaken, Heb 12.28.
Use. Of Instruction: that in the business of our salvation, we turn away our eyes away from all creatures, and lift them up above to the fountain of salvation, in the manner mentioned.