God's law is not in conflict with Himself
What did Jesus teach.....the commandments of God are the Ten Commandments.
3. The moral law, which lies chiefly in the Decalogue, or Ten
Commandments (Ex 20:3-17), and which our Lord has reduced, even
both tables of the law,
to two capital ones, love to God, and love to our
neighbor (Matthew 22:36-40), as the apostle has reduced the commands
of the second table to one, that is, love, which he calls the fulfilling of the
law (Romans 13:9,10).
3b1. That it is perfect.
"The law of the Lord is perfect" (Psalm 19:7), which
is true of the moral law, by which men come to know
"what is that good,
and acceptable, and perfect will of God" (Romans 12:2), what it is his will
should be done, and what not be done; it takes in the whole duty of men,
both to God and man; for to fear God, and keep his commandments, is
the whole duty of man; it includes love to God, and love to our neighbor;
and which are comprehensive of every duty to both: it is very large and
capacious; it is the commandment which is exceeding broad; it is so
complete and perfect, that as nothing is to be detracted from it, so
nothing is to be added to it, nor can be added to it, to make it more
perfect:
The papists talk of counsels, exhortations, etc. as additions; but
these belong either to law or gospel.
And the Socinians say, that Christ
came to make the law more perfect; which they infer from some passages
in (Matthew 5:1-48), where Christ observes, that it had been said by some
of the ancients of old, thus and thus; but he said, so and so; which is not
to be understood of any new laws made by him, but as giving the true
sense of the old laws, and vindicating them from the false glosses and
interpretations of the Scribes and Pharisees:
and when the apostle John
speaks of a new commandment, he means the old commandment to love
one another, as he himself explains it (1 John 2:7,8), and which he calls
new, because enforced by a new instance and example of Christ's love in
dying for his people, and by new motives and arguments taken from the
same.
3b2. It is spiritual; We know that the law is spiritual, says the apostle
(Romans 7:14), which is to be understood of the moral law; for as for the
ceremonial law, that is called, "The law of a carnal commandment;" and
is said to stand in "carnal ordinances" (Heb 7:16 9:10), which only
reached the flesh, and the sanctifying of that:
but the moral law is so
spiritual in its nature and requirements, that so holy and spiritual a man
as the apostle Paul when he compared himself with it, and viewed himself
in the glass of it, thought himself "carnal, and sold under sin".
The law
reaches to the thoughts and intents of the heart, and the affections of the
mind, and forbids and checks all irregular and inordinate motions in it,
and the lusts of it. Thus, for instance, the sixth command not only forbids
actual murder, but all undue heat, passion, anger, wrath, malice,
resentment and revenge, conceived in the mind, and expressed by words.
So the seventh command not only prohibits the outward acts of impurity,
as fornication, adultery, etc. but all unclean thoughts, impure desires, and
unchaste affections, as well as looks and words.
The law directs, not only
to an external worship of God, but to an internal, spiritual one; as to love
the Lord, to fear him, and put trust and confidence in him, suitable to his
nature as a Spirit; it requires of a man to serve it with his own mind and
spirit, with his whole heart, as the apostle did (Romans 7:25), and the
assistance of the Spirit of God is necessary to the observance of it; and
God in covenant has promised his people, that he "will put his Spirit
within them, and cause them to walk in his statutes," and "keep his
judgments, and do them" (Ezekiel 36:27).
3b3. The law is "holy;" so it is said to be (Romans 7:12), and the
commandment holy; it comes from a holy God, from whom nothing
unholy can proceed; for holiness is his nature, and he is holy in all his
works; and the law is a transcript of his holy will; the matter of it, or what
it requires, is holy; even sanctification of heart and life; and it directs to
live holily, soberly, righteously, and godly, in this evil world.
3b4. It is also "just," as well as holy and good (Romans 7:12). There are no
laws so righteous as the laws of God; the judgments of the Lord are true
and righteous altogether (Deuteronomy 4:8; Psalm 19:9). It is impartial
unto all, and requires the same of one as of another, and renders to every
man according to his works; it is just in condemning wicked men for sin,
and in justifying those that have a righteousness answerable to its
demands; for God is just, according to his law, while he is the justifier of
those that believe in Jesus.
Gill
You are correct brother-there is no distinction between the Law of Moses and the Law of Christ.
J.