The sermon explores the concept of the moral law, its perfection, and continuity before and after the fall. It emphasizes that the moral law is a reflection of God's perfection and remains a perfect standard of righteousness. The sermon also discusses the three categories of laws in the Old Testament and highlights the significance of the Ten Commandments, which are divided into four commandments concerning duty towards God and six commandments concerning duty towards fellow men.

Our reading today of the second London Baptist Confession of 1689 comes from chapter 19 of the Law of God, paragraph 2. The same law that was first written in the heart of man continued to be a perfect rule of righteousness after the fall, and was delivered by God upon Mount Sinai in Ten Commandments, and written in two tables, the four first containing our duty towards God, and the other six, our duty to man. Last week, we began a new chapter on the law of God. We looked at God's law from creation, a moral law written on our hearts, And at the Covenant of Works, it's conditions, it's promises and penalties. Today we're going to discuss the continuity of the moral law first written on our hearts and then delivered to Moses written on two tablets of stone as the Ten Commandments.

It begins, the same law that was first written in the heart of man continued to be a perfect rule of righteousness after the fall. Simon Martinian states, the confession says that the moral law is a perfect rule of righteousness. This is so because the moral law is a reflection of God's perfection and of His moral excellence. The moral law does not contain arbitrary commands, but ones which are right based on God's being and character. They reflect His righteousness and holiness.

Therefore, they are the standard. They are a perfect rule of what is right, and what is contrary to them is wrong and sinful. Before the fall, they were a perfect standard, and after the fall, they remain a perfect standard of righteousness. The fall did not change the perfection, holiness, and moral excellence of God. Therefore, the moral law was also not changed.

And AA Hodges reflects this law after the fall, while it ceased to offer salvation on the grounds of obedience, nevertheless continued to be the revealed expression of God's will, finding all human consciences as the rule of life. So the idea that the law changed after the fall has no merit and the idea that the law has no application to Christians because they are saved by grace also has no merit. God instructed Moses to tell the people of Israel, you shall observe to do. Therefore, as the Lord your God hath commanded you, You shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. You shall walk in the ways which the Lord your God hath commanded you, that you may live, that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which he possesses." Deuteronomy 5, 32 and 33.

We should strive to obey God's commands. More than that, we should strive to delight in obeying His commands. What does Paul say about those who are now under grace? What then shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? God forbid.

Know ye not that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey, whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto righteousness. But God be thanked that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, you became the servants of righteousness." Romans 15 through 18. Didn't write what chapter? Sorry.

What characterizes you? Are you a servant of righteousness, serving the living God, pursuing holiness? Or are you characterized by rebellion against God, pursuing a life of what is right in your own eyes. David Jones states, it can be said that the moral law was present before Sinai, at Sinai, and after Sinai. Indeed, the moral law is present throughout Scripture as a revelation of God's character.

The moral law is timeless, unchanging, and the standard by which God judges man. After delivering the people of Israel from slavery out of Egypt, it pleased God to give the Ten Commandments. Our confession states, and was delivered by God upon Mount Sinai in Ten Commandments and written in two tables. We read this directly from Scripture, and he gave unto Moses when he had made an end of the communing with him upon Mount Sinai two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God. Exodus 31 18.

The Westminster Shorter Catechism in question 41 explains the continuity of the moral law, that it is summarily comprehended in the Ten Commandments, the importance to obey God's commands after the fall continues We see this from Moses a statement to his people and he declared unto you as covenant Which he commanded you to perform even ten commandments and he wrote them upon two tables of stone. Deuteronomy 4.13. And we get from Jesus' discussion with the rich young man. And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, God.

But if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. He saith unto him, Which? And Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. They shall not bear false witness, honor thy father and mother." Matthew 19, 17-19. When looking at the whole of the Old Testament, we find a variety of laws presented.

Dr. Sproul separates them into three categories. Appedictic laws, caustic laws, and proverbs. Proverbs are not commandments, but are rather expressions of practical wisdom that can be applied to different situations in life. There are practical snippets of wisdom and prudence.

Cauchistic law is what we call case law. They are presented in an if-then formula. For example, if someone's ox tramples his neighbor's flowers, then he is required to pay recompense. They provide specific cases that can be used as guidelines to apply general principles of justice to other situations. Finally, the Appedictic Law consists chiefly, but not exclusively, of the Ten Commandments.

They express universal principles and absolute norms that are to govern the life of the people, and they appear in terms of thou shalt and thou shalt not. Some call the Ten Commandments the foundation form for righteousness, holiness, ethics, and morality. In fact, each commandment represents a category of sins. The Westminster Larger Catechism in Question 99 explains that under one sin or duty, all of the same kinds are forbidden or commanded, together with all the causes, means, occasions, and appearances thereof, and provocations thereunto. One commentary gives some examples for this.

The first commandment forbids the sins of atheism, idolatry, self-love, unbelief, hypocrisy, pride, tempting God, and more. The third commandment forbids the sins of blasphemy, perjury, false oaths, violating lawful vows, maintaining false doctrine, and more. The sixth commandment forbids sinful anger, hatred, envy, desire for revenge, and more. The seventh commandment forbids adultery, fornication, rape, incest, homosexuality, unnatural lusts, and more. The eighth commandment forbids theft, human trafficking, removing landmarks, unjust contracts, unjust depopulations, gambling, and more.

The Ten Commandments are foundational. They are the basis for living rightly in a fallen world. These Ten commandments were written on two tables hewn out of stone. Our confession describes them this way. The four first containing our duty towards God, and the other six duty to men.

From Exodus, we read, and he hewed two tables of stone like unto the first. And Moses rose up early in the morning and went up unto the Mount Sinai as the Lord had commanded him and took in his hand the two tables of stone. Exodus 34,4. We see the commandments presented in two groups. We might wonder, are they equally important?

Again, the Westminster larger catechism answers this question. With respect to obedience to the law, each and every commandment is absolutely important. To violate any one of them, first or second table is to violate all of them. For whosoever shall keep the whole law, yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. We read in James 2 10.

Yet with the respect to the logical structure of the Ten Commandments, it is correct to say that the second table of the law is subordinate to the first table. That is to say our moral responsibility to God is the basis of our duties to our fellow men. We note Jesus' summary of the law and prophets in his discussion with the Pharisees that, thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." Matthew 22, 37 through 39.

We might better understand what the confession states if we look at it this way. The first four commandments concern the duty which we owe directly to God, while the last six concern the duty which we owe indirectly to God, that is, the duty which we owe to God in the matters involving ourselves and our fellow men. God is our creator. To God we are morally responsible, and by God we will be judged at the last day. It is only because of our moral responsibility to God that we owe any duties at all to our fellow men.

Again, to violate any of the commandments would be a sin against God. The Ten Commandments were given to Moses thousands of years ago. They were given him directly from God, written in stone by his finger. That's pretty remarkable. It's more remarkable that they haven't faded away into history, that they're still with us today.

So much in our world fades with time, but not God's Word. It has and will forever stand the test of time. God's word is timeless, and it is unchanging. It's interesting how we look at God's word. We value it.

We appreciate having God's word so available to us these days. You can even hear phrases like, I love God's word. It's not so common to hear someone saying, I love God's law. In the Old Testament days they saw God's word as God's law. There was no distinction between the two.

The people understood that whatever God said became a duty or a command. It was God's law that they loved. We see this all throughout the scriptures, especially in the book of Psalms. In Psalm 197, Oh how I love thy law, It is my meditation all the day. And from Psalm 1, 2, his delight is in the law of the Lord.

In his law doth he meditate day and night. We find it in many, many, many more passages. Well, how about us? Do we make a distinction between God's Word and God's Law? God's Law does not end with the Old Testament, but continues throughout the whole of the canon of Scripture.

Jesus said, Do not think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For surely I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Matthew 5 17 through 18. Perhaps we should be more like those in the Old Testament that saw whatever God said to be a command, to be their duty, and to be their law.

I'd like to close with some words from Ligonier Ministries. We live in a lawless age that disdains boundaries and restrictions. Thus the notion of loving God's law seems quite strange to the unbeliever, yet it should never seem strange to us. If God by His Spirit has poured His love into our hearts, then we will love whatever reflects his character. We will love his law because it shows us who he is and he is altogether lovely.

Do you love God's law? Pray that the Lord would increase in your heart your love for his law. Pray that the Lord would help you to love him with all your heart, to love him with all your soul, to love him with all your strength. And then pray that the Lord would help you to love your neighbor as yourself. Amen.