Drippings from the Honeycomb
More to be desired are [the rules of the Lord] than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. (Psalm 19:10)
If you ever visit a truly old North American Church (e.g. KT above) or one in Europe (e.g. England) you will like find a copy of the 10 Commandments in the Church. (Most classic Protestant catechisms, like Luther’s and Calvin’s, included them too). In my visits to old churches in Britain you will traditionally find two things on either side of the altar: the 10 commandments and either the Lord’s Prayer or Apostles Creed (or both). The one representing The Law and the other Grace. The Law convicts of sin and drives us to the promise of the Gospel. Once we believe the Law becomes our guide to holiness, enabled by the help of the Holy Spirit. Once familiar to or known by most Christians, sadly today many Christians cannot even tell you the 10 Commandments. I became aware of this at a church retreat when one group activity question was to list the 10 commandments in order. I got them all but not in order. As such I resolved to learn them by heart. Our son was able to say them by the age of 2. Jesus condensed the 10 Commandments (and indeed the whole Mosaic Law) in the Great Commandment. Consider their identical parallels:  Part of the decline of the 10 Commandments is general biblical illiteracy but part of it is a view that does not see them as part of God’s moral law, binding upon all people at all times. However, we have every reason to affirm that they are and so cherish them. We find pre-Law expressions of don’t murder (Cain and Abel) and the Sabbath (Creation and Manna). Abraham kept all of God’s laws too (Gen 26:5). Jesus said, "You know the commandments." (Mk 10:19). Each of the 10 Commandments are reaffirmed in the New Testament (or New Covenant):  Other reasons to view the 10 Commandments as a faithful summary of the moral law include:
So let’s impress the 10 Commandments upon our heart and pray the Holy Spirit will use them to convict of sin and lead to righteousness. [1] https://founders.org/articles/the-moral-law-doth-for-ever-bind-all/ Are Christians still sinners or are they completely saints or are they somehow both? In his commentary on Romans, Martin Luther said that Christians are “both righteous [saints—holy or just ones] and sinners, at the same time.”[1] Like many areas of theology there exist apparent contradictions that may be reconciled in understanding through closer study and the appreciation of nuance (like forgiveness). What shall we make of the apparent contradiction? Take Paul for example. One the one hand throughout Paul’s letters he could write of “the saints.” In Phil 1:1 he greeted “all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons.” In Eph 2:19 he says of those who have been justified (declared right or just) through faith in Jesus, “are no longer aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.” Saint is a common word in the New Testament used to speak—not of exemplary Christians—but of everyday believers. Yet, the same Paul as a saint “could also say, “Christ Jesus came to save sinners, of whom I am foremost (1 Ti 1:15, emphasis added). Describing, not the old self but the present life of the Christian, Paul said emphatically, though lamentably, “wretched man that I am” (Ro 7:24, emphasis added). Clearly Luther’s summary is Biblically confirmed, we are saints and sinners. But what shall we make of this? How should we understand this? The best way to think about this apparent tension is to differentiate between positional and practical righteousness (sometimes known as imputed and imparted righteousness). Positional righteousness is the declarative righteousness that we have in God’s eye’s because we have trusted in Jesus and have been clothed in His righteousness. Our status before God is one of righteousness. You might visualize it like this: [1] Luther, Commentary on Romans, ch. 5.
Practical righteousness is that progressive work by the Spirit and through faith whereby we put off the flesh and pursue righteousness. Our state remains sinful though we are being made righteous. You might visualize it like this:
Verbally we might display both positional and practical righteousness this way:
Unbeliever Believer Status: Sinner Status: Righteous State: Sinner State: Saved Sinner The Apostle Peter summarized this common Biblical line of thinking in 1 Peter chapter one. We weren’t holy, have been made holy and are called to live in line with our new identity. But what about verses about bring a new creation or creature (2 Cor 5:17) or the new self (Eph 4:24), or even regeneration (Jn 3; Tit 3:5) or liberation from sin’s domain (Ro 6:18)? What do they add to this question? Think back to the last image. These passages speak not to a change in our sinful state but to our spiritual renewal that Christ has effected through the Gospel. In Christ we who once were dead sinners are now alive by the Spirit who also is at work renewing and sanctifying our souls (mind, will, affections and conscience). Even though we are still sinners we are sinners of a rather different sort. We are saved sinners and this is no small difference. We are forgiven (have positional righteousness), we have the gift of the Holy Spirit, our souls are being renewed and transformed so that our practice or state may come to reflect our status or position (e.g. Ro 1:7; 1 Cor 1:2). Progressively our lives are conforming to the identity that we have been given in Christ. |
