This evening we had the privilege of hearing the first of three papers on the new covenant from our US visitor, Sam Waldron. He spoke tonight of the necessity of the law in the new covenant. Focusing on Jeremiah 31 he tackled these questions:
1. About what law is God speaking?
He is speaking about a law written by the finger of God on tablets of stone, the moral law as summarised in the Ten Commandments.
2. What is meant by the writing of that law on the heart?
It is important that we correctly understand what the Bible means by heart.
1 The seat and centre of the affections and the convictions (Rom 5:5, 9:2, 10:9, 10, etc, etc)
2 the source and spring of our words and actions (Prov 4:23, 24, Lk 6:44, 45, etc)
To have God;'s law written on hearts is to be convinced of its holiness and authority, to be controlled by its wisdom and instruction, etc, etc.
Not perfectly but truly this is how the Christian lives.
3. For what reason is the law written on the heart?
There is no being in the new covenant without this. There is no knowing God or forgiveness without this. This is how God is their God.
Observations
1. An essential goal of the gospel is the writing of the Law on the heart.
2. An essential accompaniment of true faith is a new heart deep delight in the law.
3. This does not mean that we no longer need to be guided by the objective dictates and authority if the Word but the very opposite. It is rather to love adn delight in the Law. Cf Ps 19, 119, Prov 28:9, etc.
4. Jeremiah 31 supports the threefold division of the Law and the third use of the Law.
5. It indeed upholds the confessional threefold division of judicial, ceremonial and moral law
4. Jeremiah 31 supports the threefold division of the Law and the third use of the Law.
5. It indeed upholds the confessional threefold division of judicial, ceremonial and moral law
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