Part 3
through rubbing and stimulation, you cannot bring our natural state to
holiness, no matter how fervently motivated or diligent you are. By such
motivations and efforts, you cannot rouse any strength or fortifying grace
within the natural person, for there is no inherent strength within them to be
stirred (Rom. 5:6). Even if you exert all your efforts to the utmost while in
this earthly existence, all you can do is sin, as there is no inherent goodness
within you, as the apostle Paul demonstrates through his own experience:
"For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells" (Rom.
7:18).
1. We have no solid reason to rely on Christ to assist us in willing or
doing what is pleasing to Him while we remain in our natural state,
nor can we assume that the ability to choose holiness is restored to
us through the merit of His death. As previously explained, Christ
had a higher purpose in His incarnation, death, and resurrection than
simply restoring the decay and ruins of our natural state. His aim
was to elevate us to a new and superior state, surpassing anything
the natural state could offer, through union and fellowship with
Himself. In this new state, we are empowered to live for God, not by
the strength of a natural free will, but by the power of His Spirit
living and working within us. Therefore, we can conclude that our
natural state is irreparable and desperate because Christ, the sole
Saviour, did not seek to restore it. It is neither holy nor happy, but
instead subject to sin and all forms of misery as long as it persists.
Even those who are in a new state in Christ and serve God's law with
their minds still find themselves serving the law of sin with their flesh
(Rom. 7:25). As long as the flesh remains in them, it lusts against the Spirit
(Gal. 5:17). While the Spirit brings life to them because of righteousness,
the flesh remains dead due to sin (Rom. 8:10). The flesh must be
completely abolished through death before we can attain the fullness of
holiness and happiness that comes through faith in Christ. After God
promised salvation through Christ, the seed of the woman, He placed
cherubim and a flaming sword to guard the entrance to Paradise. This
served as a reminder that man's initial state was irretrievably lost and
without hope, and that the intended happiness for humanity was entirely
new.
Our old natural self was not revived or reformed by Christ's death; rather,
it was crucified together with Him and is therefore meant to be abolished
and eradicated from within us through the power of His death (Rom. 6:6). It
is comparable to a piece of clothing contaminated with the incurable plague
of leprosy, which had to be torn off to restore cleanliness to the garment
(Lev. 13:56). If Christ does not dwell within us, we are considered
reprobates (2 Cor. 13:5), meaning we are in a state that God has rejected
from participating in His salvation. Therefore, we should not expect
assistance from God to make us holy within this state, but rather to deliver
us from it.
1. This in no way absolves those in a natural state from the obligation
to live a holy life, nor does it make them exempt from accountability
for their sins at God's judgment seat. For God created mankind
upright, but they chose to pursue many sinful ways (Eccles. 7:29).
Pay close attention to the words of this passage, and you will see
that all those who have chosen to follow sinful paths instead of
walking uprightly are included in the term "man" who was
originally created upright. And in this text, "man" signifies all of
humanity. The first Adam represents all of mankind, just as Jacob
and Esau were two nations within Rebecca's womb (Gen. 25:23).
God created us all in our first ancestor, in His own image, with the
ability and inclination to obey His law. It was in that pure nature that
our obligation to obedience was initially placed upon us. The first
deliberate transgression, through which our first parent lost the
image of God and brought upon himself the sentence of death, was
not only his sin but also our sin. "In one man, Adam, all have
sinned, and therefore death has spread to all" (Rom. 5:12), because
all of mankind was present in Adam's loins when the first sin was
committed. This is similar to how Levi can be said to have paid
tithes to Melchizedek in Abraham, even before he was born,
because when his father Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek, Levi
was still in his loins (Heb. 7:9, 10). The promise of God that He will
not hold parents accountable for the iniquities of their children is a
promise belonging to the new covenant established in the blood of
Christ. It is "yes" and "amen" to us only in Christ, in whom we
receive a new nature different from that which our parents passed
down to us. Therefore, we cannot rightfully claim the benefit of that
promise in our old natural state (Jer. 31:29-31; 2 Cor. 1:20). Those
who consider their inability as a sufficient excuse, for themselves or
others, demonstrate that they have never truly been humbled for the
great deliberate transgression committed by all of mankind in
Adam's loins. The inability to pay a debt does not excuse a debtor
who has squandered away their wealth. Likewise, drunkenness does
not excuse the foolish actions of a drunkard but rather exacerbates
their sin. Our inability is not merely a lack of capacity for action but
a lack of willingness to practise true holiness and righteousness.
Naturally, we do not love it, we do not desire it, but we instead lust
against it (Gal. 5:17) and hate the light (John 3:20). If individuals in
a natural state genuinely loved and desired true holiness, and if they
made sincere efforts to practise it out of genuine love, yet failed in
their attempts, then they might have some grounds to plead for an
excuse (as some do on their behalf) that they were compelled to sin
by an unavoidable fate. However, no one has a justifiable reason to
make such a plea as an excuse, because no one endeavours to
practise true holiness out of genuine love for it until the good work
has been initiated in their souls. And when God begins this work,
He will bring it to completion (Phil. 1:6), accepting their willing
hearts even if they fall short in their performance (2 Cor. 8:12). So,
how abhorrent and wicked is man, who consumes iniquity like
water? (Job 15:16). Man cannot practise holiness because he
chooses not to. This is their rightful condemnation, that they prefer
darkness over light. They deserve to share in the torments of the
devils, as they participate in evil desires alongside them. Their
inability to do good will no more excuse them than it excuses the
devils.
2. This assertion does not render it pointless to preach the gospel to
natural individuals or to urge them towards true repentance and faith
in Christ for their conversion and salvation. Our preaching is not
intended to bring them to holiness in their natural state, but to
elevate them above it and present them as perfect in Christ in the
performance of their duties (Col. 1:28). Although they cannot carry
out these duties by their natural strength, the gospel becomes
effective for their conversion and salvation through the power of the
Holy Spirit, which accompanies its proclamation. It quickens those
who are spiritually dead and recreates them in Christ by granting
them repentance leading to life and a vibrant faith in Christ. The
gospel reaches the elect of God not only in word but also in power
and in the Holy Spirit, and with such certainty that they receive it
with the joy of the Holy Spirit (1 Thess. 1:5, 6). The gospel is the
ministry of the Spirit that gives life (2 Cor. 3:6-8); it is "mighty
through God" (2 Cor. 10:4). Its success for our conversion does not
depend at all on the power of our free will, but it imparts into the
soul the life and power through which we receive and obey it. Christ
can make those who are dead in sin hear His voice and come to life
(John 5:25). Therefore, He can also speak to them through His
gospel and command them to repent and believe with great success,
just as He could say to lifeless bodies, "Talitha cumi" (Mark 5:4);
"Lazarus, come forth" (John 11:43, 44); and to the paralytic, "Rise,
take up your bed and go to your house" (Matt. 9:6).
3. There is no reason for us to be swayed by the examples of heathen
philosophers, or by any Jews or Christians who outwardly profess
faith but lack a saving knowledge of God in Christ. Their wise
sayings and notable achievements in devotion and morality should
not cause us to deviate from the truth that has been extensively
confirmed through the Holy Scriptures. Do we not have grounds to
believe that the apostle Paul, when he was a zealous Pharisee, and at
least some of the many Jews in his time who were zealous for the
law and had the instruction of the Holy Scriptures, came as close to
true holiness as the heathen philosophers or anyone else in their
natural state? Yet Paul, after being enlightened with the saving
knowledge of Christ, considered himself the foremost of sinners
even in his highest previous attainments, though others regarded
him as blameless in terms of the righteousness prescribed by the
law. He found it necessary to begin living for God in a new way
through faith in Christ, and he counted all his former achievements
as loss, regarding them as worthless in comparison to knowing
Christ (1 Tim. 1:15; Phil. 3:6-8).
And none of the great multitude of Jews who diligently followed the path
of righteousness were ever able to attain it because they did not seek it by
faith in Christ (Rom. 9:3, 32). What outward actions could be greater than a
person giving away all their possessions to the poor or even sacrificing their
body to be burned? Yet the Scriptures allow us to consider that these acts
may be done without true love and charity, and therefore without genuine
holiness of heart and life (1 Cor. 13:3). Individuals in their natural state may
have a strong conviction of God's infinite power, wisdom, justice, and
goodness, as well as of the judgment to come and the eternal happiness of
the righteous and the torments of the wicked. These convictions may
motivate them not only to make lofty professions and speak eloquently
about God and godliness but also to exert great effort in avoiding known
sins, subduing their desires, fulfilling all known duties to God, and serving
Him with their lives and resources to the fullest extent possible. They may
even manage to conjure some form of love for God and godliness, driven
by the hope of escaping the terrible torments of hell and securing
everlasting happiness through their own efforts. However, all their love for
God is forced and insincere; they do not genuinely delight in God or His
service. They view Him as a harsh Master, and His commandments as
burdensome. Secretly, they grumble and complain about the weight of these
commandments, and if it weren't for the fear of eternal damnation, they
would pay little attention to the enjoyment of God in heaven. They would
be pleased to have the liberty to indulge in their lusts without the risk of
condemnation. The highest position attainable for those who are born
merely according to the flesh, within Abraham's family, is to be children of
the bondwoman (Gal. 4:23). Although they may toil more in the service of
God than many of His beloved children, God does not accept their service
because their best deeds are performed in a slavish manner, lacking any
genuine affection towards God. Their deeds are no better than glaring sins.
Yet these natural men are not at all indebted to the goodness of their natures
for these counterfeit displays of holiness, or for refraining even in the
slightest from the most flagrant sins. If God were to leave humanity entirely
to their own natural corruptions and the power of Satan (as they deserve),
all semblance of religion and morality would quickly vanish from the
world, and we would become completely numb to wickedness, similar to
cannibals who possess the same inherent goodness as ourselves. However,
God, who can restrain the raging fire without extinguishing it and control
the flowing water without changing its nature, also restrains the workings of
our natural corruption without eradicating it. Through the greatness of His
wisdom and power, He compels His enemies to feign obedience to Him (Ps.
66:3) and to perform many deeds that are good in their substance, even
though they are unable to do anything in a truly righteous manner. He has
appointed various means to curb our corruptions, such as the law, the terrors
of conscience, fearful judgments, rewards in this life, magistrates, human
laws, and the necessity of labor for basic needs like food and clothing. The
same gospel means that are effective for sanctification also serve to restrain
sin. God has gracious purposes in restraining sin: to preserve His church
and allow the preaching of His gospel in the world, to create a better
opportunity for these natural individuals to receive the teachings of the
gospel, to provide a chance for the chosen ones among them to be
converted in due time, and to allow those who are not truly converted to
experience more of God's goodness in this life and suffer less torment in the
hereafter. Despite the vileness and wickedness of the world, we have every
reason to praise and magnify the free goodness of God because it could be
even worse.
Chapter Six
Those that endeavour to perform sincere obedience to all the commands of Christ
hose who strive to obey all of Christ's commands sincerely, believing
that by doing so they can earn their salvation and have a solid
foundation to trust in Him, are seeking salvation through works of the law
rather than through faith in Christ as revealed in the gospel. They will never
be able to achieve sincere and genuinely holy obedience through such
efforts.
To understand the terms used in this discussion, it should be noted that
salvation is understood here to include justification, along with other saving
benefits, and sincere obedience encompasses both heartfelt intentions and
their fulfilment. Many people who have a sense of religion tend to believe
that the most reliable way to establish a life of holiness and righteousness is
to make it the condition for obtaining God's favour and eternal happiness.
This can be seen in the prevalence of various false religions throughout
history. The heathens, for example, were motivated to practice their best
devotion and morality by their knowledge of God's judgment,
understanding that those who fail to uphold their obligations to God and
their fellow human beings deserve punishment, as their consciences either
accuse or excuse them based on their conduct (Rom. 1:32; 2:14, 15).
Through the common light of natural reason, our consciences inform us that
it is just for God to expect us to fulfill these duties in order to avoid His
wrath and experience His favour. Without divine revelation, we cannot find
a better way to attain happiness or motivate ourselves to perform our duties.
However, because our consciences also bear witness to our frequent failures
in fulfilling these duties, we are inclined, out of self-love, to convince
ourselves that our sincere efforts to do our best will be enough to secure
God's favour and obtain forgiveness for our shortcomings.
Thus, we can see that our belief in salvation through the condition of
sincere obedience originates from our corrupt natural reasoning and is part
of the wisdom of this world. It is not part of "the wisdom of God in a
mystery, that hidden wisdom which God ordained before the world to our
glory." It is not one of those things of the Spirit of God that "have not
entered the heart of man," and that the "natural man cannot receive; for they
are foolishness to him; neither can he know them, for they are spiritually
discerned" (1 Cor. 2:6, 7, 9, 14). It is not part of "the foolishness of
preaching," through which God was pleased "to save those who believe" (1
Cor. 1:21). Although a better way has been revealed to us in the gospel, a
way to enjoy God's favour, holiness, and salvation without any requirement
of works, through the free gift of God's grace received by faith in Christ, it
is very difficult to persuade people to abandon the path they are naturally
inclined to. This belief has taken hold of their judgments and has become
ingrained in them, making it hard to change. Most of those who live under
the hearing and profession of the gospel have not come to hate sin for what
it is, and to love godliness for its own sake, even though they understand its
necessity for salvation. Therefore, they cannot truly love it. The only way
they can try to achieve it is by hypocritically practising their old natural
ways, in the hope of avoiding hell and earning heaven through their works.
Their consciences bear witness that their zeal and love for God and
godliness, their self-denial, sorrow for sin, and strictness of life are, in a
way, forced and coerced by slavish fear and selfish hope. They fear that if
they were to trust in Christ for salvation through free grace without works,
the fire of their zeal and devotion would quickly fade, and they would
become careless in their religion, allowing their lusts to run wild and
bringing damnation upon themselves. This leads them to regard as the only
true and powerful preachers those who preach little or nothing about the
doctrine of free grace, but instead focus on rebuking sin and urging people
to attain Christ and His salvation through their works, while thundering hell
and damnation against sinners.
It has also been observed that some who have strongly advocated for
salvation by free grace, without any condition of works, have fallen into
Antinomian opinions and licentious practices. The experience of these
things has influenced some learned and zealous individuals among us to
step back from the doctrine of justification by faith without works, which
was previously unanimously professed and vigorously defended by
Protestants against the Catholics as a key tenet of true religion. They have
convinced themselves that such a path of justification is ineffective and
even detrimental to sanctification. They believe that the practice of sincere
obedience cannot be established against Antinomian errors and prevailing
sinful desires unless it is made the necessary condition for our justification
and, consequently, our eternal salvation. Therefore, they conclude that God
has certainly made sincere obedience the condition for our salvation. They
have endeavoured to reshape Protestant doctrine and interpret the Holy
Scriptures in a manner that aligns with and supports this foundation of
holiness, which they consider to be their only reliable one.
However, I intend to demonstrate that this imagined foundation of
holiness they hold onto was never established by the holy God. Instead, it is
an erroneous foundation that is harmful to true faith and holiness of life. I
consider it an error that should be particularly abhorred and detested
because we are so prone to be deceived by it. Moreover, it is an error
through which Satan, disguising himself as an angel of light and a supporter
of holiness, vehemently opposed the gospel in the time of the apostles. He
incited people to persecute it out of zeal for the law. This error has also
prevailed in establishing and maintaining Popery, which in these days
corrupts the purity of the gospel among Protestants and attempts to heal the
fatal wound inflicted upon Popery by preaching the doctrine of justification
by faith without works.
One aspect emphasized in the directive against this fundamental error is
that it promotes a salvation based on the works of the law rather than the
faith of Christ as revealed in the gospel. However, its proponents want us to
believe that it is the only way of the gospel, so that we may not doubt its
power and efficacy for our justification, sanctification, and overall
salvation. Their argument is that the law, as a covenant of works, requires
us to perfectly fulfill all its commandments in order to live. They, on the
other hand, argue for a milder condition of sincere obedience for our life.
They claim that they are not advocating for the performance of duties out of
obligation to the authority of the law given by God through Moses, but
solely in obedience to the commands of Christ in the gospel. They also
assert that they do not advocate for salvation through sincere obedience
without Christ, but only through Christ and His merit and righteousness.
They acknowledge that both salvation itself and sincere obedience are
freely given to them by the grace of Christ, so that everything is based on
grace. They also acknowledge that their salvation is by faith because
sincere obedience is produced in them through believing the gospel and is
inherent in the nature of that faith, which constitutes the complete condition
for our salvation. Some even refer to it as the act of surrendering in faith.
However, all these arguments are nothing more than deceptive illusions
disguising a legalistic way of salvation to make it appear as pure gospel, as
I will demonstrate in the following explanations.
1. The apostle Paul condemns all those who seek salvation through the
sincere performance of good works as the means to obtain it. He
states that they are seeking righteousness by the works of the law
rather than by faith (Romans 9:32). Additionally, he warns that
those who seek justification by the law are falling from the grace of
Christ (Galatians 5:4). This single assertion, if proven, is enough to
expose the fallacy of relying on sincere obedience as a procuring
condition and to make people detest it as a damning legalistic
doctrine that deprives its followers of salvation through Christ. The
proof of this assertion is not difficult for those who carefully
consider a matter of such great importance for their salvation.
The Jews and Judaizing Christians, with whom the apostle primarily
engages in his dispute, did not claim to be justified by perfect obedience
according to the strictness of the law. They believed that their obedience
needed to be sincere and not hypocritical. We have no reason to doubt that
the Judaizing Galatians, who had been exposed to the gospel, also
understood the distinction between sincere obedience and hypocrisy. The
Jewish religion compelled its adherents to acknowledge their sinfulness, as
evident from their annual humiliation on the day of atonement, various
rituals of the law, and numerous clear testimonies in the Scriptures
entrusted to them (Psalm 143:2; Proverbs 20:9; Ecclesiastes 7:20).
However, they knew that they were required to turn to the Lord with all
their hearts in sincerity and uprightness, and they believed that God would
accept sincere obedience. Consequently, they could view it as a condition of
the law, even more so than we can regard it as a condition of the gospel
(Psalm 51:6, 10; Deuteronomy 6:5; 30:10). Therefore, if the apostle had
argued against those who believed that only perfect obedience was
necessary for justification, he would have been contending with a mere
illusion. They could just as easily consider sincere obedience to be the
condition of justification under the law, just as we consider it to be the
condition under the gospel.
Furthermore, the apostle does not solely condemn them for regarding
sincere obedience to the law given by Moses as the condition of their
justification. Rather, he condemns them more generally for seeking
salvation through their own works. He cites the examples of Abraham, who
lived before the law of Moses, and David, who lived under the law, to
illustrate his point. Despite their sincere obedience, neither Abraham nor
David was justified by their works. The apostle demonstrates that even
those who performed sincere obedience were not justified by it. David, in
particular, was devoted to obeying the commands of the law given by
Moses, just as we are committed to obeying the commands of Christ in the
gospel (Romans 4:2, 3, 5, 6).
Neither does he condemn them for seeking their salvation solely through
works, without acknowledging the grace and salvation offered through
Christ. The judaizing Galatians still professed belief in the grace and
salvation of Christ, although they believed that obedience to the law was a
necessary condition for partaking in it. This belief was also held by many
other judaizing believers. Undoubtedly, they considered themselves
obligated to both Moses and Christ, whom they recognised as their Lord
and Saviour. It was not a damning error to view Moses' law as binding at
that time, as many thousands of Jews who were true believers regarded the
ceremonies of Moses as still in force. Paul was understanding and
accommodating towards them in this regard. Other Jews sought justification
not only through sincere works but also by placing their trust in the promise
made to Abraham, as well as in their priesthood and sacrifices, which were
types foreshadowing Christ. Even the most legalistic Pharisees thanked God
for their works, attributing them to His grace. They could acknowledge that
their salvation was by faith, just as those who assert salvation through
sincere obedience do in present times. They believed that their sincere
obedience was a result of believing in the Word of God, which
encompassed both the gospel and legal teachings. Therefore, they believed
it to be encompassed within the nature of faith if faith was considered the
condition for their entire salvation.
Let them not rebuild the Judaism that the apostle Paul dismantled, which
caused the Jews to stumble at Christ, and put the Galatians at risk of falling
from Christ and grace. They must beware of falling under the curse that the
apostle has pronounced against anyone, even angels, who preach any other
gospel than the one he preached.
1. The distinction between the law and the gospel does not lie in the
requirement of perfect obedience versus sincere obedience. Rather,
it lies in the fact that the law requires doing, while the gospel does
not require doing but believing for life and salvation. The terms
themselves differ not only in degree but in their entire nature.
The apostle Paul contrasts the belief required in the gospel with any form
of doing for life, as the appropriate condition under the law. The law is not
based on faith, but rather on the principle that those who do the
commandments shall live by them. However, for the one who does not
work but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, their faith is accounted
as righteousness. Therefore, even if we seek salvation through an easy and
lenient condition of works, we inadvertently subject ourselves to the terms
of the law and become obligated to fulfill the entire law perfectly, even if
our initial intention was to fulfill only part of it. The law serves as a
comprehensive declaration of the only terms by which God will judge those
who have not reached the point of despairing over their ability to earn
salvation through their own works, and who are willing to receive it as a
freely given gift of grace from God in Christ. Consequently, all who seek
salvation, whether knowingly or unknowingly, rightly or wrongly, through
any amount of works, be it the product of their own superstition or
commanded by God in the Old or New Testament, will ultimately stand or
fall according to these terms.
1. Sincere obedience cannot be rendered to all the commands of Christ
in the gospel unless it is also applied to the moral law as given by
Moses, which obliges us through its authority. Some proponents of
the condition of salvation through sincere obedience to the
commands of Christ would prefer to be exempt from the authority of
the Mosaic law, since it justifies no one and instead pronounces a
curse upon all who seek salvation through its works. However, if
they were justified at all by sincere works, their regard for Moses'
authority would not hinder their success. In fact, many devout
Christians believed they were bound to obey not only the moral law
but also the ceremonial law, and if they sought justification through
works, it would have been through those works. They were unaware
of any justification through sincere works exclusively commanded
in the gospel. Yet, if they had erred in something absolutely
necessary for salvation, the apostles would not have tolerated their
error. Whether they like it or not, they must seek their salvation
through the works of the moral law as given by Moses, or else they
can never attain it through sincere obedience to the commands of
Christ. Christ did not cherish their new condition to the extent of
abolishing the Mosaic authority of the moral law for its
establishment. He did not come to abolish the law and the prophets
but to fulfill them, in the practice that they demanded. He declared
that anyone who breaks even the least of these commandments and
teaches others to do so shall be considered least in the kingdom of
Heaven, while those who practice and teach them shall be called
great in the kingdom of Heaven. He commands us to treat others as
we would like to be treated, stating that this encompasses the law
and the prophets. This is sufficient evidence to demonstrate that He
wants us to acknowledge the authority of the law in obliging us in
this matter. He also instructs His disciples to observe and do
whatever the scribes and Pharisees command, for they sit in Moses'
seat.
And, to address the matter at hand, when Christ was asked by those who
were guilty of the same error of seeking salvation through their own works,
He directed them to obey the commands that were already established by
the authority of Moses in the Scriptures of the Old Testament. He asked
them, "What is written in the law? How do you read it? This is what you
must do in order to live" (Luke 10:26, 28). He emphasized that if they
desired eternal life, they should keep the commandments, such as "You
shall not murder" and "You shall not commit adultery."
Similarly, the apostles of Christ also urged believers to fulfil moral duties
based on the authority of the law given by Moses. The apostle Paul
encouraged them to love one another, stating that the one who loves others
has fulfilled the law (Rom. 13:8), and to honour their parents, which is the
first commandment with a promise (Eph. 6:2). The apostle John exhorted
them to love one another, not as a new commandment, but as an old one.
The apostle James urged them to uphold the royal law, as stated in the
Scriptures: "Love your neighbour as yourself" and to keep all the
commandments of the law, for the one who said, "Do not commit adultery"
also said, "Do not murder" (James 2:8, 10, 11). Faithful Protestants have
regarded the denial of the authority of the moral law given by Moses as an
Antinomian error. Although those who recently opposed Antinomianism do
not maintain this error, they establish an even worse error: justification
through their sincere works based on the gospel. I believe the term
"Antinomian" originated from this error. The authority of the law of Moses
initially came from Christ Himself, for Christ was the Lord God of Israel
who ordained the law through angels on Mount Sinai, with Moses acting as
the mediator for the Israelites, who were then His chosen people. We, as
believing Gentiles, are now joined with them as fellow members of the
same body (Eph. 3:6). While Christ has since abolished certain
commandments given by Moses, particularly those relating to ceremonial
and judicial matters, He has not nullified the binding authority of the moral
law. He has left it in full force to obligate us in moral duties that are still to
be practised. It is similar to how, when certain acts of a parliament are
repealed, the authority of that same parliament remains intact for other
unrepealed acts.
I understand that they object by saying that the Ten Commandments of
the moral law, which were written and engraved on stones, have also been
abolished by Christ (2 Cor. 3:7). However, this argument completely
contradicts their conditional covenant. The Ten Commandments are
referred to as the "ministration of death" and have been done away with, not
because they commanded perfect obedience (since even Christ Himself
commands us to be perfect - Matt. 5:48), but because they served as
conditions for obtaining life and avoiding death. They were established with
a promise of life for those who kept them and a curse for those who broke
them (Gal. 3:10, 12). The covenant made with Israel on Mount Sinai has
been abolished by Christ, who is the Mediator of the new covenant (Heb.
8:8, 9, 13). The Ten Commandments do not bind us in the same way as they
did under that covenant (Exod. 34:28). By this, I mean that they do not bind
us as conditions of that covenant, unless we seek justification through our
works. The law, as a covenant, still holds the power to bring a curse upon
those who seek salvation through their own works (Gal. 3:10). If it has been
abolished, it is only for those who are in Christ by faith (Gal. 2:16, 20; Acts
3:22-25; 15:10, 11). However, the Ten Commandments still bind us because
they were given to a people who, at that time, were under the covenant of
grace made with Abraham. They serve to show us what duties are holy, just,
and good, pleasing to God, and to provide a rule for our conduct. In
conclusion, we must continue to practice moral duties as commanded by
Moses, but we must not seek justification through our obedience. If we
view them as a guide for our lives, rather than as conditions for
justification, they cannot be seen as a "ministration of death" or a
condemning letter to us. Although their perfection may make it more
challenging for us to obtain life through them, they serve as a better rule to
reveal our imperfections and guide us towards the perfection we should
strive for. It would be wise not to dismiss the authority of Moses' Ten
Commandments until our modern theologians can present us with a
morality system that is as complete and excellently composed, ordered by
the wisdom of God, and more authentic than the decalogue.
Furthermore, those who seek to obtain Christ's salvation through their
sincere obedience to all His commands are acting contrary to the way of
salvation by Christ, free grace, and faith that is revealed in the gospel,
despite their high profession of it.
1. They act in opposition to the way of salvation through Christ, for
they attempt to heal and save themselves from the power and
defilement of sin and earn God's favour through their sincere
obedience before coming to Christ, the only Physician and Saviour.
They place their own obedience as the lowest foundation of their
salvation and build the experience of Christ upon it, whereas Christ
Himself should be the only foundation. They try to sanctify
themselves before having a sure claim on Christ, and in their effort
to establish their own righteousness, they do not submit to the
righteousness of God in Christ (Rom. 10:3, 4). Sometimes they refer
to the righteousness of Christ as their legal righteousness, in order to
make room for their own works as the immediate cause of their
justification by Christ, thus disregarding the fact that the apostle
Paul acknowledged no evangelical righteousness other than that of
Christ, which he called the righteousness of faith without the law
(Rom. 3:21, 22) and not of the law (Phil. 3:9). In doing so, they
render Christ's salvation void while claiming to acknowledge it, and
Christ becomes of no benefit to them. Christ is rendered ineffective
for them as they seek to be justified by the law (Gal. 5:2, 4). If we
desire to be saved by Christ, we must acknowledge ourselves as
dead, lost sinners who possess no righteousness for justification
except His, and have no life or ability to do good until God unites us
with Him in fellowship.
2. They also act in opposition to salvation by grace, as understood in
the true meaning of the gospel. We are not saved by grace as the
supreme cause of salvation through the intervention of works that
are given and accepted by grace as the procuring cause. In such a
sense, we might be saved by grace, yet still by a covenant of works.
It is comparable to a servant who receives money from his master to
purchase an annuity from the master at a reduced rate. The servant
may profess that he received the annuity freely, but he has acquired
it through his own purchase and can claim it as a rightful debt.
However, we are saved by grace as the immediate and complete
cause of our entire salvation, excluding any procurement of our
salvation through the condition of works or claiming it as a debt
owed according to any law.
The Scripture teaches us that there is a complete opposition and
irreconcilability between salvation by grace and works: "But if it is by
grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no
longer be grace" (Rom. 11:6). Likewise, there is an opposition between a
reward based on grace and one based on obligation (Rom. 4:4), and
between a promise of happiness based on the law and one based on grace
(Rom. 4:13, 16). God is so protective of the glory of His free grace that He
will not save us through any works, even if they are His own works within
us, in order to prevent anyone from boasting (Eph. 2:9). He knows that
when He heals people through medicine or sustains them through their own
labour, they are inclined to attribute the glory more to the means they
employ rather than to His sole generosity and goodness.
1. They also act in opposition to the way of salvation by faith. As I
have already demonstrated, the faith required for our salvation in the
gospel should be understood in a sense that contradicts the notion of
doing good works as a condition to earn our salvation. This
maintains the true distinction between the terms of the law and the
gospel. Believing is opposed to any effort to work for salvation, and
the law of works is contrasted with the law of faith (Rom. 4:5; 3:27;
Eph. 2:8, 9). Therefore, we must not view faith as a righteous deed
encompassing any works performed as a means to secure a right and
claim to Christ. Rather, it is simply the hand by which we receive
Christ, freely given to us, or the mouth through which we partake of
Him, as has been previously established. God grants us the right to
receive Christ and His salvation through the free offer and invitation
of the gospel, leaving nothing for our faith to accomplish other than
accepting Him as a free gift. In this way, the glory of our salvation is
not attributed to our faith or works, but solely to the free grace of
God in Christ: "It is by faith, that it might be according to grace"
(Rom. 4:16).
2. Christ and His apostles never taught a gospel that required such a
condition of works for salvation as advocated by them. The
Scripture passages they usually cite in support of their argument are
either contradictory to it or significantly different from it – as they
would discover from many Protestant interpreters if their attachment
to a Popish belief had not blinded them. I will briefly mention just a
few of those texts, which will shed some light on the true meaning
of the others. The "obedience of faith" mentioned by the apostle
Paul as the central aim of gospel preaching (Rom. 1:5) is in direct
opposition to their condition of sincere obedience for salvation, just
as the law of faith opposes the law of works (Rom. 3:27). This
obedience consists of believing the message of the gospel, as the
apostle explains: "But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For
Isaiah says, 'Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?'"
(Rom. 10:16). Faith is imputed as righteousness, not because it is a
righteous work in itself, but because through it, we renounce all
confidence in any righteous works and rely on the One who justifies
the ungodly, as made clear by the very text they often distort for
their purposes (Rom. 4:5). They greatly distort the words of Paul:
"He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by
patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he
will give eternal life" (Rom. 2:6, 7), where they claim that Paul is
declaring the terms of the gospel when he is clearly stating the terms
of the law to demonstrate that both Jews and Gentiles are under sin.
This is evident from the content of his subsequent discourse (Rom.
3:9, 10). They are evidently aligned with the Papists against the
prevailing opinion of the best Protestant theologians in their
interpretation of the text: "You see that a person is justified by works
and not by faith alone" (James 2:24), where they assert that James
presents a more accurate expression of the doctrine of justification
than the apostle Paul, who teaches justification by faith without
works. However, Paul discusses this doctrine as his primary subject,
while James only mentions it incidentally as a motivation for the
practice of good works, allowing us to easily discern which
expressions should be considered most appropriate.
Protestants have adequately demonstrated that James is not speaking of a
true saving faith, but rather of a dead faith that even demons possess. He is
not discussing justification in the proper sense, but rather the manifestation
and declaration of it through its fruits. Furthermore, when he mentions
justification by works, he refers to the commandments given in the law of
Moses, as evidenced by his citation of the commandments (James 2:8, 11),
which the proponents of the new theological ideas want nothing to do with
in their justification doctrine.
Another text they often cite is "Blessed are those who do His
commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may
enter through the gates into the city" (Rev. 22:14). However, the Greek
word translated as "right" here is translated as "power" or "privilege" in
other instances (John 1:12). In this context, it signifies a rightful possession
of the fruit of the tree of life, rather than a mere claim to it. Therefore, this
text proves no more than what most Protestants acknowledge, that good
works are the path we are to walk in order to partake in and possess the
glory of Christ. However, the title to Christ and His glorious salvation is
freely given to us without any requirement of works.
They also argue that when the happiness of heaven is referred to as a
reward, it must necessarily imply a condition of works. They point to verses
such as Revelation 22:12 and Matthew 5:12. Although it is called a reward
because it is granted after the performance of good works, and it
compensates the works better than any earthly wages can compensate a
labourer, it is still a reward of grace and not of obligation (Rom. 4:4). It is
not a proper wage, but rather a free gift. As the Scripture states, "For the
wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our
Lord" (Rom. 6:23).
Another point emphasized in this discussion is that those who strive to
perform sincere obedience as a condition to obtain a right and title to Christ
and His salvation will never be able to sincerely fulfil any true obedience
through such efforts. Despite their earnest labour, fervent prayers, frequent
fasting, and commitments to holiness through numerous vows, driven by
powerful motives drawn from the infinite power, justice, and knowledge of
God, the righteousness and goodness of His commands, the salvation of
Christ, eternal happiness and misery, or any other motive contemplated with
utmost affection, they will never achieve the desired outcome through such
a misguided approach. They may restrain their sinful inclinations and
engage in many hypocritical and servile acts, which may earn them a
reputation as exemplary saints among people, but they will be unable to
mortify a single sinful inclination or perform a single duty in a manner that
pleases God. However, I am critiquing only an error, not the lives of those
who hold this belief. I have heard that some preach in a legalistic manner
but pray with an evangelical spirit. I have no doubt that their hearts and
lives align more with their prayers than their sermons. Although Peter
temporarily conformed to Judaism in an outward act of profession, he still
lived as a Christian (Gal. 2:11, 14). I only affirm that no godly person did or
could attain to godliness through this erroneous path. What a lamentable
disappointment this is for those who have attempted to alter Protestant
doctrine, perverting and confusing the distinction between law and gospel,
causing much contention within the church, all in an effort to secure the
practice of sincere obedience against Antinomian errors by making it the
procuring condition of salvation. Yet, after all their efforts, the remedy is
found to be as ineffective and detrimental to the intended purpose as the
disease itself, exerting an Antinomian influence and effect contrary to the
power of true godliness!
Much more could be said to refute this novel doctrine. However, if this
one point is well established, it should suffice to make the zealous
proponents of this belief ashamed of their craft, angry with themselves, and
remorseful for investing so much effort and stretching their intellects to
uphold such an unprofitable and unsanctifying opinion. It will be enough to
prove this by demonstrating that the practice of true holiness cannot
possibly be attained by seeking to be saved by the works of the law. I have
already established that this doctrine of salvation through sincere obedience
aligns with the terms of the law, not the gospel. Those who attribute
justification solely to the gospel and sanctification to the law should also
recognize their error. However, because those who advocate for the
condition of sincere obedience may not easily be persuaded by what has
been said thus far, that it aligns with the law of works, I will further
substantiate my argument to sufficiently reveal that "it possesses no other
nature and effect than any other doctrine inherent to the law, and produces
no better fruit." This will demonstrate that seeking holiness through the law
of works is not worthy to be called gospel doctrine.
1. The path of salvation through the works of the law contradicts and
undermines the necessary means for a holy life that have been
discussed in the preceding instructions and clearly proven from the
Scriptures. I have demonstrated that a genuine inclination towards a
holy life cannot be achieved without a firm conviction of our
reconciliation with God through justification, our eternal happiness,
and the sufficient strength to both desire and carry out our duties.
Moreover, I have shown that all these and other necessary qualities
can only be found in Christ through our union and fellowship with
Him. And Christ Himself, along with His fullness, is united to us
through faith, which is not a condition to earn a right and claim to
Christ, but a means by which we actually receive Him into our
hearts, relying on Him for the freely promised salvation in the
gospel. These means for a holy life are the very essence of our
spiritual existence and joy. Therefore, if we possess them, eternal
life has already commenced within us. Since they are the necessary
means for a holy life, the beginning of eternal life within us should
not be positioned after such a life, as its fruit and consequence, but
rather it must precede it as the cause before the effect. Now, the
terms of the law directly oppose this approach. They place the
practice of holiness before life and make it the means and cause for
obtaining life, as Moses describes: "The person who does these
things shall live by them" (Rom. 10:5). According to these terms,
one must first perform the prescribed holy duties before having any
claim to the promised life or any right to embrace it through faith.
And you must pursue holiness without the aforementioned means,
or else you will never attain them. Thus, the true means are stripped
of their role and, instead of being causes, they are made to be effects
and outcomes of a holy life. However, it would be futile to expect
such effects and outcomes when the necessary causes are removed.
Therefore, the apostle Paul testifies that the way of salvation
through the works of the law nullifies faith, renders the promises
ineffective, frustrates the grace of God, treats Christ's sacrifice as
meaningless, and renders Christ useless and ineffective to us, as if
we have fallen from grace (Rom. 4:14; Gal. 2:21; 5:2, 4).
Let us now examine the contemporary doctrine of salvation through the
condition of sincere obedience to all the commands of Christ, and we will
quickly discover that it is cut from the same cloth as the former legal way of
salvation, and it is just as destructive to the means of holiness and holiness
itself. It demands from us the performance of sincere obedience before we
possess the means necessary to accomplish it. It places obedience as a
prerequisite to our justification, assurance of eternal happiness, our actual
experience of union and fellowship with Christ, and the acquisition of the
new nature that can only be found in Him through faith. This doctrine
undermines the essence of saving faith, through which we truly receive and
enjoy Christ and all His blessings. It discourages us from laying hold of
Christ and His salvation by telling us, much like Christ told the legalistic
worker after all his efforts, that we still lack something (Mark 10:21). It
suggests that it would be presumptuous to claim Him as our own until we
have fulfilled the condition for our right and entitlement to Him, which is
another form of saving faith commonly known as sincere obedience.
Through this imposed conditional faith, Satan keeps many troubled souls at
a distance, causing them to scrutinise their hearts for many years, trying to
determine whether they have fulfilled the condition and whether they
possess any right to Christ for their salvation, hesitating to take Him as their
own. It acts as a formidable barrier, preventing the soul from approaching
Christ until it is demolished by the knowledge of salvation by grace,
without any requirement of works to procure it. Though it may be
considered as a trivial payment for a vast estate, it is enough to break even
the most capable person, because it hinders them from laying hold of the
only effective means of holiness, by which that seemingly insignificant
payment can be obtained.
1. Those who seek salvation through the works of the law are acting in
accordance with their natural state. They live and walk according to
the flesh or the old self, rather than the new state of having Christ
living within them. I have no doubt that many of them who live
under the light of the gospel are participants in the new state in
Christ and walk in holiness. However, even the best individuals in
this world have both flesh and spirit within them, and to some
extent, they may act in accordance with either state. In this matter,
they are acting according to their carnal and natural state. When the
Galatians, who initially believed, were led astray to a legalistic
approach to salvation, the Apostle Paul rebuked them for their
foolishness in seeking to be "perfected by the flesh" after beginning
in the Spirit (Gal. 3:3). He likened those who desired to be under the
law to Hagar, the bondwoman and mother of Abraham's son, to
illustrate that they were walking in the manner of those born
according to the flesh, rather than the Spirit (Gal. 4:22, 23, 29). The
law was first given to Adam in his original state of innocence to set
the terms for his continued enjoyment of the happiness he then
possessed. Since then, the flesh or the natural man has been bound
to the law, and the law holds dominion over a person as long as they
live, that is, until they die to their fleshly state through the body of
Christ and are united with Him who is raised from the dead (Rom.
7:1, 4). We are not under the law as a covenant of works in our new
state in Christ, as the Apostle testifies: "For sin shall not have
dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace"
(Rom. 6:14), and "But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under
the law" (Gal. 5:18). From this, we can firmly conclude that it is
impossible to attain true godliness by acting according to legalistic
terms. I have already fully proven that it is impossible to be godly
while we are in the flesh or in a natural state, and as long as we act
according to it, we can do nothing but sin. The law is weakened by
the flesh to such an extent that it cannot bring us to fulfill its own
righteousness (Rom. 8:3, 4). It is joined to a rebellious nature that is
hostile towards it and can never submit to it (Rom. 8:7). It demands
from the natural person a debt of obedience that they are completely
unable to repay since the Fall, and as a result, it receives nothing.
Neither do those who attempt to attain holiness by making sincere
obedience to Christ's commands a condition for their salvation take a better
approach. Their way is essentially the same as that of the previously
mentioned Galatians who sought to be perfected in the flesh, not through
perfect obedience, but sincere obedience, as has been explained before.
Their efforts to secure an interest in Christ through their sincere obedience
testify against themselves, revealing that they do not act as people who are
in Christ, but rather as people who consider themselves to be without an
interest in Christ and still in need of it. And sincere obedience is just as
impossible to attain as perfect obedience when we act according to our
spiritually dead natural state.
As the law deprives us of all the means of strength that can be obtained
through faith in Christ and finds us without strength in our natural state, it,
by itself, does not provide us with the strength to fulfill its own commands.
"If a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would
certainly have come by the law" (Gal. 3:21). It does not even promise life
until we have performed the obedience it requires. "The person who does
these things will live by them" (Rom. 10:5). It is aptly called a voice of
words (Heb. 12:19) because its lofty and grand words are not accompanied
by a life-giving power. And the doctrine of life and salvation through
sincere obedience is no more gracious or generous towards us, as it
demands the performance of the condition before granting us any life or
salvation through Christ. Can anyone reasonably expect the strength to
sincerely obey by following a doctrine that does not even promise it? The
true gospel is of a more benevolent nature, for it promises that God will
pour out His Spirit on all flesh (Acts 2:17), that He will put His laws into
our minds and write them on our hearts (Heb. 8:10), and that He will enable
us to walk in His statutes, keeping His judgments and doing them (Ezek.
36:27). This word of God's grace, which does not require holiness from us
as a condition but promises it to us as a free gift, must surely be the only
doctrine capable of building us up and granting us an inheritance among
those who are sanctified (Acts 20:32). Since it pleases God to bring us to
holiness through believing a doctrine, it is reasonable to expect that God
would work in us in accordance with the nature of the doctrine we believe,
giving by a giving doctrine and demanding by a demanding doctrine.
1. The approach of attaining life and happiness through the condition
of perfect or sincere works is not a rational method for the
restoration of fallen humanity, although it may have been suitable
for preserving life before the Fall. It prescribes the immediate
practice of holiness to revive a person dead in sin - as if one were to
say to someone paralysed, "Rise and walk, and then you will be
whole and able to walk." We sometimes jokingly say to a child who
has fallen on the ground, "Come here, and I will help you up." But if
we were to say the same to someone bedridden with paralysis, we
would be guilty of mocking and cruelly insulting the afflicted.
Those who are humbled and aware of their original sin and spiritual
deadness know that they must first live by the Spirit before they can
live a holy life (Gal. 5:25). They would inquire, "How will we have
the strength to perform the required duty?" If you answer that they
must trust in God and Christ to assist them, they may readily
respond that they have no solid basis to trust in God or Christ for
any saving grace according to this doctrine, until they have fulfilled
this condition, at least in a sincere resolution of obedience. And they
assert that they are as incapable of bringing their hearts to such a
resolution as a dead person is of raising themselves out of the grave.
Let's consider another example. The approach of the doctrine of
works is "You must love God first, and then, on that condition, He
will love you in return." However, on the contrary, "We love God
because He loved us first" (1 John 4:19). And if God withholds His
love from us based on any condition, our love for Him will not be
absolute but suspended upon the same condition, and it will in no
way be contrary to actually hating Him.
2. The law does not heal our sinful corruption; instead, it becomes a
cause of sinful desires and actions in those who seek salvation
through their works. This happens because our natural corruption is
stirred up and intensified when the holy and just law of God is set
against it. The fault lies not with the law itself, but with our own
hearts. Those who have not experienced this personally should
believe the plain teaching of the apostle Paul, who speaks from his
own experience (Rom. 7:5, 14). He affirms that sinful desires are
provoked by the law in a carnal state, and that sin, taking advantage
of the commandment "You shall not covet," produced all kinds of
covetousness in him, deceived him, brought death upon him, and
became exceedingly sinful. He also declares that he was alive apart
from the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived, and he
died. The apostle explains the reason for this irreconcilable enmity
and conflict between his sinful nature and the law: "The law is
spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin." From the explanation
given by the apostle, it should be noted that the doctrine of salvation
through sincere obedience will yield the same result. Corrupt nature
is opposed to both sincere and perfect obedience, and if we make it
the condition for our salvation, sin will take advantage of it to
become exceedingly sinful in its desires and actions. The effect of
the legal doctrine on the natural man can be understood through the
proverb, "Do not reprove a scorner, or he will hate you" (Prov. 9:8).
Rebuking a madman only serves to enrage him, and such is the
condition of the natural man in spiritual matters since the fall of
Adam.
We have observed through various experiences that while people
generally cling to the idea of salvation through works, many of them
despise strict preachers and true advocates of holiness because they trouble
their consciences. They try to shield themselves in ignorance of the law,
thinking that the less they know, the less accountable they will be. They do
not want to hear the truth proclaimed to them (Isa. 30:10). Their influence
has, for the most part, obscured the natural understanding of moral duties to
such an extent that divine revelation from the Scriptures is necessary to
learn them. We can see how inclined legalistic writers are to corrupt the
meaning of the law in order to leave room for their own corruptions, just as
the scribes and Pharisees did with their distorted interpretations, which
Jesus corrected (Matt. 5). From what I have observed, those who seek
holiness and salvation without any legalistic conditions, solely relying on
the free grace of God in Christ, are the ones who most diligently strive to
understand the purity and perfection of the law. The doctrine of salvation
through sincere obedience merely diminishes the perfection required by the
law. Yet even this doctrine is further diminished and diluted to the point
where the essence of true obedience is lost. A willingness to be saved
according to Christ's terms, or an agreement that Christ should be our Lord,
or a determination to obey His commandments (which is little more than
what ignorant people rely on when they say they hope God will save them
because they have good intentions, despite neglecting all religious practice)
without any actual pursuit of holiness, is considered by many to be
sufficient sincere obedience to enter into a state of salvation and to remain
in it. As long as they can make such claims, they will never be regarded as
violators of the gospel covenant. The only thing deemed necessary for
salvation is to make an effort to do what we can to obey Christ's commands,
even though the best we can do is nothing truly good. Those who are more
zealous in seeking salvation through works are prone to engaging in
superstitious practices because they are more in line with their worldly
nature than the spiritual commands of God and Christ. I have no doubt that
this has contributed to the prevalence of pagan, Jewish, and Roman
Catholic superstitions in the world. We have witnessed how the influence of
Roman Catholicism has declined in several nations in recent years,
particularly when the central pillar of its doctrine, justification by works,
was overthrown by the Protestant doctrine of justification by faith alone.
If these legalistic enthusiasts are compelled by strong conviction to strive
for the practice of spiritual duties in order to pacify their guilty consciences,
they may exert great effort and even afflict their bodies through fasting in
an attempt to kill their sinful desires. However, their desires remain alive
and just as strong as ever, and they display their enmity towards God's law
through inward irritation, discontentment, and resentment, viewing it as a
burdensome taskmaster, even though a fear of punishment restrains their
outward sinful actions. And once these zealots are enlightened with the
understanding that God rejects their slavish service and does not consider it
sincere obedience, they fall into despair regarding their salvation. They
realize that they have failed in their highest efforts to meet the required
conditions, and they can easily discern that their hearts are filled with anger
and open hatred towards the law, God, and Christ for prescribing such
difficult conditions of salvation that they cannot fulfill, yet must expect to
be eternally damned for breaking them. This fills them with blasphemous
thoughts against God and Christ, and they can hardly restrain themselves
from uttering blasphemy. When they reach this dreadful state, if God does
not in His mercy reveal to them the way of salvation by free grace through
faith alone, they will attempt, if possible, to numb their consciences to the
feeling of sin and completely abandon all religion, which has proven to be
an unbearable torment for them. If they cannot numb their consciences,
some of them are easily persuaded by Satan to contemplate self-destruction
rather than continue living in their hatred towards God, with a spirit of
blasphemy and perpetual torment of conscience.
This is the destructive effect of legalistic doctrine on a carnal heart;
instead of killing the sleeping lion of our sinful corruption, it only rouses it
and fills it with terrible rage. This is evident through the sorrowful
experiences of many who have exerted their utmost efforts to follow it, and
it is supported by Scripture, which provides a sufficient explanation as to
why it cannot be otherwise. Therefore, the doctrine of salvation through
sincere obedience, which was devised as a response to Antinomianism, can
rightly be classified among the most pernicious Antinomian errors. As for
myself, I detest it with complete aversion and consider it my enemy, as I
have experienced its harmful effects. Through some valuable experiences, I
have confirmed the truth of the lesson taught by the apostle, that the way to
be freed from the mastery and dominion of sin is not to be under the law,
but under grace (Rom. 6:14).
1. The way of salvation through works was ruined by the curse
pronounced on Adam's initial sin, so that now it cannot bring forth
life or holiness in us, but only death. The law, which demands both
sincere and perfect obedience to God in all things, was revealed to
Adam at his creation as the means of maintaining the happy life
bestowed upon him. It would have been effective for this purpose if
he had not transgressed by eating the forbidden fruit. However, once
he subjected himself and his descendants to the dreadful sentence,
"You shall surely die" (Gen. 2:17), all the knowledge of God and
His law that had previously contributed to the preservation of life
turned in the opposite direction. It now worked towards his death,
both the death of the soul in sin and the death of his physical body.
Consequently, Adam was compelled to hide himself from God as an
enemy. It was as if God were saying, "All the light and knowledge
you possess will not be able to sustain or restore your life; instead, it
will contribute to your death." Therefore, as long as we remain in
our natural state, burdened by the guilt and curse of Adam, any
knowledge of the law or of God's attributes that the natural man may
acquire is likewise cursed for us. Since man did not employ his
natural knowledge and wisdom correctly, God resolved to avenge its
misuse by providing salvation through a way that opposes it, which
appears foolish to the natural man. God completely abolished the
notion of living by our works or by any wisdom or knowledge that
the natural man can attain. As it is written, "I will destroy the
wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing the understanding of the
prudent. Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For
since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not
know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of preaching to
save those who believe" (1 Corinthians 1:19-21).
2. From this, we can conclude that God's purpose in giving the law to
Moses was not for anyone to ever attain holiness or salvation
through perfect or sincere obedience to it. Although if there had
been such a means of salvation at that time, it would have consisted
of fulfilling that law, which was given to the church as both a rule of
life and a covenant. There was a previous covenant made with
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, a covenant of grace, which promised all
blessings freely through Christ, the promised seed, through whom
they alone would be saved. The covenant of the law was added so
that they would recognize their sinfulness, their subjection to death
and wrath, and the impossibility of attaining life or holiness through
their works. They would be compelled to rely solely on the free
promise for their salvation, and sin would be restrained by the spirit
of bondage until the coming of the promised seed, Jesus Christ, and
the abundant outpouring of the sanctifying Spirit through Him. The
apostle Paul extensively explains this (Galatians 3:15-24; Romans
5:20, 21; 10:3, 4). None of the Israelites under the Old Testament
were ever saved by the Sinai covenant, nor did any of them attain
holiness through its terms. Some of them sincerely, albeit
imperfectly, followed its commandments, but they were first
justified and made partakers of life and holiness through the better
covenant made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, which is essentially
the same as the new covenant or testament established through the
blood of Christ. Without that better covenant, the Sinai covenant
would have brought them no happiness but only sin, despair, and
destruction. By itself, it was merely a letter that kills, the ministry of
death and condemnation, and therefore it has now been abolished (2
Corinthians 3:6, 8, 9, 11).
We have reason to give thanks to God for delivering His church, through
the sacrifice of Christ, from this oppressive yoke of bondage. Furthermore,
we should strongly condemn the scheme of those who would impose upon
us an even more burdensome and dreadful yoke by transforming our very
new covenant into a covenant of sincere works. They offer us no better
covenant, similar to what the Israelites had during their time of
enslavement, to provide relief in our time of need.
Chapter Seven
We are not to imagine that our hearts and lives must be changed.
e must not assume that our hearts and lives must undergo any
degree of change from sin to holiness before we can safely trust in
Christ for the certain enjoyment of Himself and His salvation.
By nature, we are inclined to base our salvation on our own works. Even
if we cannot make them procuring conditions or causes of our salvation by
Christ, we will at least strive to make them necessary preparations to make
us fit to receive Christ and His salvation through faith. People are easily
convinced that this is not contrary to salvation by free grace, because
everything attributed to our works or good qualities in this manner is simply
seen as putting us in a suitable position to receive a free gift. Just as good
manners and proper respect would lead us to tidy ourselves up before
approaching a prince for a free gift, like Joseph did when he came out of the
dungeon before appearing before Pharaoh. It appears to be a brazen
disregard and disrespect towards the justice and holiness of God and Christ,