It is true that the first use of the law is still applicable to the Christian. The Christians hears the law and realizes his need for Christ and realizing that Christ is his only hope for what the law requires he rises in gratitude that Christ has given him a salvation that not be can improved upon to live an increasingly, though a never perfectly obedient life. The believer, living in the Spirit, walks in the Spirit, as they take heed to what God requires of His people as it comes to us via the third use of the law. We must never give up either the first use or the third use of the law for the Christian. To give up the first use would make us legalists trusting in our own performance instead of Christ’s performance for us. To give up the third use would make us antinomian, denying that we’ve been called to be a Holy people.
Bud Powell objects,
Did you read what I wrote, Bret? The law has the same relation to sanctification as it has to justification, by it is the knowledge of sin. But the thermometer does not cure the fever. Only Christ can cure. Moses points to Christ; Christ does not point to Moses, for when we have come to Him, we have come to the fullness of God.
A good work is one done in faith, according to the law of God, and for the glory of God as the HC says. But what has this to do with the heart? Until you can show me that good works sanctify and melt the hard heart, I will not subscribe to the idea that grace justifies and the law sanctifies.
But as I said before, good luck with this idea. It has been tried before with the same results. The flesh always produces the same fruit. I put on Christ and put off Adam; I don’t put off Adam so I can put on Moses.”
Bret responds,
Bud,
No one is saying that the law is a cure for sin in the life of the redeemed sinner. Obviously that will never do. What is being said is that the grace filled Christians, overflowing w/ gratitude for the redeeming work of Christ move out in Holy Spirit given grace to increasingly become all that they have freely been declared to be. As they increasingly become all that they have freely been declared to be the Spirit, through the preaching of the third use of the law brings to their consciousness how it is that can live in such a way as to please Him, who never ceases to be pleased w/ them for the sake of Christ. Grace and law are not in absolute antithesis for the redeemed believer. It is the work of grace to bring to the believer the law so that he may increasingly conform to Christ and it is the work of grace to cause the believer to understand that his increasingly and never adequate obedience is the consequence of grace and not the cause of grace.
Grace and law are not in absolute antithesis for the believer.
By the way Bud, what do you think of this quote from Westminster Divine Samuel Bolton?
The law sends us to the Gospel that we may be justified; and the Gospel sends us to the law again to inquire what is our duty as those who are justified.
Bud Powell continues the conversation,
But how does Hodge differ from what I said? By the law is the knowledge of sin. But Rushdoony put an antithesis between grace and law, saying that justification is by grace and purpose, sanctification is by law. That is flat wrong, for the law is necessary for justification to bring the knowledge and conviction of sin, and faith and grace is necessary for sanctification. We can no more be sanctified by law-keeping than we can be justified. It confuses cause and effect. Even the holiest of men have only a small beginning in obedience [HC]
Predestination is to be conformed to the image of Christ; is this not sanctification, and is not all of predestination by grace through faith and the renewal of the Holy Ghost? It is the dichotomy in Rush’s words that permeated theonomy that I object to and did years ago.
It is being joined to Christ though HIs Spirit, signified in the broken bread and cup of the Lord Supper, that nourishes my soul to life eternal; that’s why Paul could glory in the Cross of Christ by which he was crucified unto the world and the world unto him [sanctification]. The diagnostic tool is not the cure. The law is diagnostic, bit is the blood of Christ which cleanses us from all sin as we confess. [1John 1–sanctification]
Galatians is emphatically not about an error justification, but an error in sanctification. Are you made perfect by the law? having begun in Christ.
Bret responds,
Bud I think you are not accurate here.
You will have to show me where Rushdoony says that sanctification is by law apart from grace. Peter gives one sentence above but to suggest by this one sentence RJR believed in sanctification by a law that has nothing to do w/ grace is to read to much into one sentence.
Here is one example from Rushdoony that counters your assertion that Rushdoony believed that sanctification was by law apart from grace.
Man’s salvation and sanctification [the process of becoming holy] are acts of God’s grace, not human effort” (Leviticus, p. 54).
Who has denied that faith and grace are necessary for sanctification? Will you deny that sincere though inadequate obedience to God’s law is part of sanctification? We are to put off the old man and put on the new man. Being dead to sin we are not longer to live in sin. The HC does say we have only a small beginning in obedience (but we do begin) but then it goes on to say ‘nevertheless, with earnest purpose Christians do begin to live not only according to some but to all the commandments of God.” Did you forget the second sentence Bud? Sanctification includes the grace to increasingly obey God’s law, and we can’t increasingly obedient if the law is not our standard informing us as to what obedience looks like.
Yes all of predestination is by grace through faith as by the Spirits gracious renewing work within us we increasingly conform to God’s law realizing all the while that even our best obedience must have the righteousness of Christ imputed to it in order to be acceptable before the Father. Your objection is misplaced Bud and your explanations seemingly lead to antinomianism.
Once again in this note you put a antithesis between the work of Christ for me that is outside of me and the work of the Spirit of Christ within me renewing me. The Spirit takes me to Christ to remind me of the unlimited free Grace won for me in His finished work on the Cross and Christ takes me back to the gracious law so as to know how to live for His glory. Christ nourishes my soul to life eternal and being nourished I work out my salvation with fear and trembling by learning what pleases God by meditating on His law both day and night.
Galatians is emphatically an error in justification. If they had believed that they were made perfect by Christ (justification) they would not have tried to be made perfect by the law.
I plead w/ you to re-think your theology. Shall we go on sinning that grace might increase?
T.D.,
It took place on Facebook.