Christ has redeemed believers from the curse of the law
Christ has redeemed believers from the curse of the law
Nom. But, sir, you know it was our first parents only that fell away from God in eating the forbidden fruit, and none of their posterity; how then can it be truly said that we have lost that power through our own fault?
Evan. In answer to this, I ask you to consider that Adam, by God’s appointment, was not to stand or fall as a single person only, but as a common public person, representing all mankind which would come from him. And therefore, if he had been obedient, and not eaten the forbidden fruit, he would have retained and kept that power which he had by creation, for all mankind as well as for himself. Even so, by his disobedience in eating that forbidden fruit, he was disrobed of God’s image, and so he lost that power, for all mankind as well as for himself.
Nom. Why then, sir, it would seem that all mankind is under sin, wrath, and eternal death!
Evan. Yes, indeed by nature they are so, “For we know,” says the apostle, ‘‘that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God,” Rom. 3.19; and again, he says, “We have charged both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin,” Rom. 3.9. And in another place he says, “We were by nature children of wrath as well as others,” Eph. 2.3; and, lastly, he says, “So death passed upon all men, for all have sinned,” Rom. 5.12.
Nom. But, sir, I beg you to tell me whether you think that any regenerate man keeps the commandments perfectly, as you have expounded them.
Evan. No, not the most sanctified man in the world.
Nom. Why then, sir, it would seem that not only natural men, but regenerate men also, are under the curse of the law. For if every one that does not keep the law perfectly is included under the curse; and if regenerate men do not keep the law perfectly, then they must also be under the curse.
Evan. The conclusion of your argument is not true. For if by “regenerate men” you mean true believers, then they have fulfilled the law perfectly in Christ; or rather Christ has perfectly fulfilled the law in them, and was made a curse for them; and so he has redeemed them from the curse of the law, as you may see in Gal. 3.13.
Nom. Well, sir, now I understand you, and have ever been of your judgment in that point, for I have always concluded that either a man himself, or Christ for him, must keep the law perfectly, or else God will not accept him. And therefore I have endeavoured to do the best I could to perfectly keep the law; and what I failed in and came short of, I believed that Christ has done it for me.
Evan. The apostle says in Gal. 3.10, “As many as are of the works of the law, are under the curse.” And truly, neighbour Nomologista, if I may say it without offence, I fear that you are still of the works of the law, and therefore you are still under the curse.
Nom. Why, sir, I ask you, what does it mean to be “of the works of the law”?
Evan. To be of the works of the law, is for a man to look for, or hope to be justified or accepted in the sight of God, for his own obedience to the law.
Nom. But surely, sir, I never did that. For though I was ignorant of what is required and forbidden in every commandment, I had an idea that I came very near perfectly fulfilling the law. Yet I never thought I did all things contained in it; and therefore I never looked for, nor hoped, that God would accept me for my own obedience, without Christ’s being joined with it.
Evan. Then it seems that you did conceive that your obedience, and Christ’s obedience, must be joined together, and so God would accept you for that.
Nom. Yes, indeed, sir, there has been my hope, and indeed there is still my hope.
Evan. Ah, but neighbour Nomologista, as I told my neighbour Neophytus and others not long ago, so I tell you now: that just as the justice of God requires a perfect obedience, so it requires that this perfect obedience be a personal obedience. That is, it must be the obedience of one person only. The obedience of two must not be put together to make up a perfect obedience. Indeed, to say it as it is, God will let no one have a hand in the justification and salvation of any man, except Christ alone; for as the apostle Peter says in Acts 4.12, “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we may be saved.” Believe it then, I beseech you, that Christ Jesus will either be a whole Saviour, or he will be no Saviour; he will either save you alone, or he will not save you at all.
Nom. But, sir, if man’s obedience to the law does not help to procure his justification and acceptance with God, then why did God give the law to the Israelites on Mount Sinai, and why is it read and expounded by you that are ministers’? I would gladly know of what use it is.
Evan. The apostle says in Gal. 3.19, “that the law was added because of transgression.” That is, as Luther expounds it, “That transgressions might increase and be more known, and seen;” or as Perkins expounds it, “For revealing sin, and its punishment; for by the law comes the knowledge of sin,” as Paul says in Rom. 3.20. And therefore, when the children of Israel conceived that they were righteous, and could keep all of God’s commandments perfectly, as manifested by their saying in Exo. 19.8, “All that the Lord commands we will do, and be obedient,” the Lord gave them this law, with the intent that they might see how far short they came of yielding the obedience which it requires; and consequently, how sinful they were. Our Saviour also dealt this way with the young expounder of the law in Mat. 19.16, who it seems was sick from the same disease. “Good Master,” he says, “what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” “He does not,” says Calvin, “simply ask which way, or by what means he should come to eternal life, but what good he should do to get it.” By this it appears that he was a proud justiciary, someone who swelled in a fleshly opinion that he could keep the law and be saved by it. Therefore he is worthily sent to the law to work himself weary, and to see his need to come to Christ for remedy.
Now then, if you would know of what use the law is, why first let me tell you that it is of special use to all those who have a conceit that they themselves can do anything to procure their own justification and acceptance in the sight of God; it is to let them see, as in a mirror, that they can do nothing in that case. And therefore, seeing that you yourself have such a conceit, I beseech you to labour to make use of it, that by doing so, you may be completely driven out of yourself to Jesus Christ.
Nom. Believe me, sir, I would be glad if I could make such a good use of it; and therefore, I beg you to give me some directions how I may do that.
Evan. Why, first of all, I would desire you to consider, in that regard, that all mankind was at first created in such an estate as I declared to you. The law and justice of God requires that the man who undertakes, by his own obedience, to procure his justification and acceptance in the sight of God, either in whole or in part, must be as completely furnished with the habit of righteousness and true holiness, and be as free from all corruption of nature, as Adam was in the state of innocency. This is to avoid the least corruption being mingled with any of those good actions which he does, and not to have the least motion of heart or inclination of will towards any of those evil actions which he does not do.
Secondly, I would desire you to consider that neither you nor any other man, while you live on earth, will be so furnished with perfect righteousness and true holiness, or be so free from all corruptions of nature, as Adam was in the state of innocency. Thus no good action which you do will be free from having some corruption mingled with it: nor will any evil action which you do not do, be free from some motion of your heart or some inclination of your will towards it. And therefore you can do nothing towards procuring your justification and acceptance in the sight of God. The prophet David, well considering this, cries out in Psalm 143.2, “Do not enter into judgment with your servant, O Lord! For in your sight no man living shall be justified.” Yes, and this made the apostle cry out, “Oh wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death!” Rom. 7.24. Yes, and this made him desire to be found in Christ, not having his own righteousness which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, Philip. 3.9.
Nom. But, sir, I am persuaded there are some good actions which I do, that are free from having any corruption at all mixed with them; and some evil actions which I do not do, towards which I have no motion of heart, or inclination of will at all.