The Law of God and the Threefold Use of the Law
- M. R. Haddox
- Jul 26, 2023
- 5 min read
God rules His universe by law. Nature itself operates under His providential government. The so-called laws of nature merely describe God’s normal way of ordering His universe. These “laws” are expressions of His sovereign will. God is not accountable to any laws outside of Himself. There are no independent, cosmic rules that God is obligated to obey. Rather, God is a law unto Himself. This simply means that God acts according to His own moral character. His own character is not only morally perfect, it is the ultimate standard of perfection. His actions are perfect because His nature is perfect, and He always acts in according to His nature. God is therefore never arbitrary, whimsical, or capricious. He always does what is right.
As God’s creatures, we are also required to do what is right. God demands that we live according to His moral law, which He has revealed to us in the Bible. God’s law is the ultimate standard of righteousness and the supreme norm for judging right and wrong. As our sovereign, God has the authority to impose obligations on us, to command obedience, and to bind our conscience. He also has the power and right to punish disobedience when we violate His law. Sin can be defined as disobedience to God’s law.
Some laws in the Bible are directly based on the character of God. These laws reflect the permanent, transcultural elements of relationships, both divine and human. The other laws we find are directly tied to the moral law in that they are the case laws that give us guidance once someone has broken the law, yes, even the ceremonial laws as they were tied to understanding God’s holiness and to teach the Israelites about Him. These have been called the Moral law, Civil law, and Ceremonial law. Although Scripture does not fully say this distinction, yet, the distinction is implied as unlike the precise moral laws the ceremonial cleanliness did not require capital punishment if broken. These laws were not annulled by God, but fulfilled in Christ. Christ put them into action, that is what ‘fulfilled’ means in the text. Christ is our Great High Priest and has given us atonement for our sins. Christ even said that it is not what a man puts into his body that defiles him, but what comes out of him; it is not about mixed fibered clothes and dietary restrictions, although they were for a time.
The Civil aspects that we find in Scripture are the detailing of the Moral. God has said not to murder, but it is not until after the giving of the law that we see the nuances of what happens when someone does murder someone and if it was accidental or nefarious; in which we have the level of punishment thereafter. This is the same for adultery, which has the highest punishment of capital, but not always. In the New Testament the authors assume the use of the law unless told differently such as the ceremonial aspects of the law, only God Himself may set aside such laws. Human beings never have the authority to set aside God’s law. Paul uses the animal husbandry law that says to not muzzle the ox as it treads the grain as an example that we should pay our pastors as they study the word. Pastors benefit from God’s law greatly, if it was annulled, then our Pastors do not need paid for their service to their congregations.
We are not autonomous. Meaning, we may not live according to our own law. The moral condition of humans is that of heteronomy: we live under the law of another. The specific form of heteronomy under which we live is the law of God. This is the distinction between man’s law and God’s law also called Theonomy (God-law).
Every Christian wrestles with the question, “how does the Old Testament law relate to my life?” Is the Old Testament law irrelevant to Christians today or are there some aspects of it that still apply? While the heresy of antinomianism has become ever more pervasive in our culture in the West, the need to answer that question has become increasingly urgent. The Reformation was founded on grace and not upon law. Yet the law of God was not repudiated by the Reformers. John Calvin, for example, wrote what has become known as the ‘Threefold Use of the Law’ in order to show the importance of the law for the Christian life (Institutes 2.1.304-10).
The first purpose of the law is to be a mirror. On the one hand, the law of God reflects and mirrors the perfect righteousness of God. The law tells us much about who God is. Perhaps more important, the law illumines human sinfulness. Augustine wrote, “The law orders, that we, after attempting to do what is ordered, and so feeling our weakness under the law, may learn to implore the help of grace.” (Institutes 2.7.9). The law highlights our weakness so that we might seek the strength found in Christ. Here the law acts as a severe schoolmaster who drives us to Christ. This aspect of giving the sacraments and teaching the Word of God and calling for repentance of sin is given to the Church and like a schoolmaster they give discipline to assist the student to accomplish this task of seeking Christ's righteousness and to imitate Him.
The second purpose for the law is the restraint of evil. The law, in of itself, cannot change human hearts. It can, however, serve to protect the righteous from the unjust. Calvin says this purpose is “by means of its fearful denunciations and the consequent dread of punishment, to curb those who, unless forced, have no regard for rectitude and justice.” (Institutes 2.7.10). The law allows for a limited measure of justice on this earth, until the last judgment is realized. The main source of judgement with the sword is given to the state as a servant (deacon) of God so they can accomplish this second use of the law for punishing evil and God will judge them on how well they serve Him in this manner.
The third purpose of the law is to reveal what is pleasing to God. As born again children of God, the law enlightens us as to what is pleasing to our Father, whom we seek to serve. The Christian delights in the law as God Himself delights in it. Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” (John 14:15). This is the highest function of the law, to serve as an instrument for the people of God to give Him honor and glory. By studying and meditating on the law, we attend the school of righteousness. We learn what pleases God and what offends Him. The moral law that God reveals in Scripture is always binding upon us; just as it was binding on the nations God judged for breaking it in the Old Testament. Our redemption is from the curse of God’s law, not from our duty to obey it. We are justified, not because of our obedience to the law, but in order that we may become obedient to God’s law. To love Christ is to keep His commandments. To love God is to obey His law. This is what every man and woman is called to do in the family so that we can better love and please our Father in heaven as we raise up our households and teach our children in the fear and admonition of the Lord.
There is a doctrine called Sphere Sovereignty, which is described as governments that God has created for His image bearers to operate in. That of Family, Church, and State. All following the rightful ruling that we find in marriage with headship and submission in each sphere. Christ and Parents (Fathers and Mothers like Christ and the Church); Christ and Elders; Christ and Kings. All these spheres when functioning in the parameters that God tells us they are to be in is how our culture and world prospers. Christ is Lord and His Word is our standard for all of life.