Thought Luther’s quote from How Christians should regard Moses was relevant: “this text makes it clear even the 10 commandments do not pertain to us. We will regard Moses as a teacher but not as a law-giver- unless he agrees with both the NT and the natural law.” And, “Nature also has these laws. Nature provides we should call upon God. The Gentile attests to this fact.”
If you read the context of exodus 20 we also need to go back to ch. 19:4-6. These words are to be the “motivator” for the Israelites to want to follow God’s Holy will, or law. The law doesn’t motivate us to even want to follow Christ. We would only try to do it so that we can count our good works. That’s all the law can produce. But the Holy Spirit working together with the Word of God helps us to cooperate with God’s Holy will. The Holy Spirit Through the Word teaches us God’s loving kindnesses as we study the history of salvation recorded in the Bible and that’s the motivating power of the Gospel! The law kills Paul said because he learned through experience that it only works together with our old nature to bring out more sin since the law only can tempt us to do what it says not to do. Our natures love to rebel. Titus 2:11 states that the GRACE of God that brings salvation teaches us to say no to sin. That grace is the recorded works of the Lord saving us through the history of salvation so that as we turn the pages God’s love jumps out to us and we have a new changed attitude towards God.
Truly enjoying the conversations on The Book of Concord. God's peace be with you.
Thought Luther’s quote from How Christians should regard Moses was relevant: “this text makes it clear even the 10 commandments do not pertain to us. We will regard Moses as a teacher but not as a law-giver- unless he agrees with both the NT and the natural law.” And, “Nature also has these laws. Nature provides we should call upon God. The Gentile attests to this fact.”
If you read the context of exodus 20 we also need to go back to ch. 19:4-6. These words are to be the “motivator” for the Israelites to want to follow God’s Holy will, or law.
The law doesn’t motivate us to even want to follow Christ. We would only try to do it so that we can count our good works. That’s all the law can produce. But the Holy Spirit working together with the Word of God helps us to cooperate with God’s Holy will. The Holy Spirit Through the Word teaches us God’s loving kindnesses as we study the history of salvation recorded in the Bible and that’s the motivating power of the Gospel! The law kills Paul said because he learned through experience that it only works together with our old nature to bring out more sin since the law only can tempt us to do what it says not to do. Our natures love to rebel. Titus 2:11 states that the GRACE of God that brings salvation teaches us to say no to sin. That grace is the recorded works of the Lord saving us through the history of salvation so that as we turn the pages God’s love jumps out to us and we have a new changed attitude towards God.