WCF 19.6

19.6. Of the Law of God

Although true believers be not under the law, as a covenant of works, to be thereby justified, or condemned; yet is it of great use to them, as well as to others; in that, as a rule of life informing them of the will of God, and their duty, it directs, and binds them to walk accordingly; discovering also the sinful pollutions of their nature, hearts, and lives; so as, examining themselves thereby, they may come to further conviction of, humiliation for, and hatred against sin; together with a clearer sight of the need they have of Christ, and the perfection of His obedience. It is likewise of use to the regenerate, to restrain their corruptions, in that it forbids sin: and the threatenings of it serve to show what even their sins deserve; and what afflictions, in this life, they may expect for them, although freed from the curse thereof threatened in the law. The promises of it, in like manner, show them God’s approbation of obedience, and what blessings they may expect upon the performance thereof; although not as due to them by the law, as a covenant of works. So as, a man’s doing good, and refraining from evil, because the law encourageth to the one and deterreth from the other, is no evidence of his being under the law; and not under grace.

Proof texts

• Rom. 6:14 — [14] For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.
• Gal. 2:16 — [16] yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.
• Gal. 3:13 — [13] Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us — for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree” —
• Gal. 4:4, 5 — [4] But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, [5] to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.
• Acts 13:39 — [39] and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.
• Rom. 8:1 — [1] There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
• Rom. 7:12, 22, 25 — [12] So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good. [22] For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, [25] Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.
• Ps. 119:4, 5, 6 — [4] You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently. [5] Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes! [6] Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.
• 1 Cor. 7:19 — [19] For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God.
• Gal. 5:14, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 — [14] For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” [16] But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. [18] But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. [19] Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, [20] idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, [21] envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. [22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
• Rom. 7:7 — [7] What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.”
• Rom. 3:20 — [20] For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.
• James 1:23, 24, 25 — [23] For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. [24] For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. [25] But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.
• Rom. 7:9, 14, 24 — [9] I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died. [14] For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. [24] Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
• Gal. 3:24 — [24] So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.
• Rom. 7:24, 25 — [24] Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? [25] Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.
• Rom. 8:3, 4 — [3] For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, [4] in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
• Jam. 2:11
• Ps. 119:101, 104, 128 — [101] I hold back my feet from every evil way, in order to keep your word. [104] Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way. [128] Therefore I consider all your precepts to be right; I hate every false way.
• Ezra 9:13, 14 — [13] And after all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great guilt, seeing that you, our God, have punished us less than our iniquities deserved and have given us such a remnant as this, [14] shall we break your commandments again and intermarry with the peoples who practice these abominations? Would you not be angry with us until you consumed us, so that there should be no remnant, nor any to escape?
• Ps. 89:30, 31, 32, 33, 34 — [30] If his children forsake my law and do not walk according to my rules, [31] if they violate my statutes and do not keep my commandments, [32] then I will punish their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes, [33] but I will not remove from him my steadfast love or be false to my faithfulness. [34] I will not violate my covenant or alter the word that went forth from my lips.
• Lev. 26:1–14 with 2 Cor. 6:16
• Eph. 6:2, 3 — [2] “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), [3] “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.”
• Ps. 37:11 with Matt. 5:5
• Ps. 19:11 — [11] Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.
• Gal. 2:16 — [16] yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.
• Luke 17:10 — [10] So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’”
• Rom. 6:12, 14 — [12] Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. [14] For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.
• 1 Pet. 3:8, 9, 10, 11, 12, with Ps. 34:12, 13, 14, 15, 16
• Heb. 12:28, 29 — [28] Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, [29] for our God is a consuming fire.

For discussion

1. The Assembly cited Rom. 6:14 in support of this answer. Read it in context — how does it bear on what is claimed here?
2. 30 passages are cited here. Which does the most work, and is anything claimed that the proofs do not obviously carry?
3. WSC Q39 treats the same ground. What does it add, and why might it put things differently?
4. WLC Q91 treats the same ground. What does it add, and why might it put things differently?

Read alongside

WSC Q39 · WLC Q91 · WLC Q97 · HC Q92 · 1689 19.1 · IAR 6.1 · SHC 4.1 · SHC 4.2 · SD 19.1