Some hold it as a doctrine while others have simply absorbed the assumption that the Law of God was for another day and does not apply today. Some believe the Law of God is for the Christian only and that it does not apply to the unbeliever or to the social order. Many believe that a “pluralistic” society should not be tied to one or another law standard but rather be a mix of the opinions within the society. Others say that the social order should be determined by what is commonly called “natural law”.
We believe the Law of God* applies to the Christian, to the unbeliever, and to the social order. The Law of God applies to the Christian, not as a basis for justification, but as the standard that the justified-by-faith-Christian lives within when he lives in love, for “love is the fulfillment of the law” (Romans 13:10). The law of God applies to the unbeliever as the continuing standard of morality because the Law reflects God’s own unchanging moral character and all of Adam’s descendents, Christian and non-Christian have the Law of God written upon their hearts - Romans 2:14. The Law of God is the required standard for the societies and cultures of every nation because that Law is the requirement for each individual as Romans 2:14 states. In other words, since the law of God is the moral requirement for each and every individual person everywhere all the time, how could there be a different moral requirement for the social order in which those individuals live?
It is the ambition of the International Church Council Project to create a succinct theological document that will clearly demonstrate the necessity of the Law of God for all men and all societies. Please pray for us as we take steps toward this goal.
* The Law of God being referred to is the moral law set forth in the Ten Commandments and includes the explanations or expansions of the law commonly called “case laws” in which the Ten Commandments are explained. An example of this is the commandment, “You shall not murder.” The case laws define murder as being neither an accidental killing nor capital punishment (Deut. 19:4-6; 19:11-13).
by Eugene Clingman
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Tags: case law, Deut. 19:11-13, Deut. 19:4-6, eugene clingman, granola, Law of God, natural law, Pluralism, pluralistic society, Romans 13:10, Romans 2:14, ten commandments