OF THE MISERY OF MAN

(Continued)

Answer: That I love the Lord my God, with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my mind, and with all my strength: this is the first and great commandment. (Matt. 22:37, 38)

With these words the Lord Jesus tells us that God is to be loved with all our faculties, both will and understanding. This love toward God does not consist in words and a slavish, legal bondage; true love does not hold the heart far from God, but causes one to esteem Him above all else in the world, with all that is within us, Ps. 103:1. This is what God requires in His law. It is the first and great commandment, because the obedience to all other commandments flows from this.

The second table requires love to our neighbor, as is taught in the sixth question.

Qu. 6: Which is the sum of what God commands thee in the six commandments of the second table?

Answer: That I love my neighbor as myself; on these two commandments hang the whole law and the prophets. (Matt. 22:39, 40).

The Lord Jesus expresses plainly who our neighbor is in the parable of the good Samaritan. In Luke 10 we are told of a certain lawyer who asked the Lord, ?What shall I do to inherit eternal life??

It was not out of a holy anxiety that this was asked by the lawyer, but to tempt Jesus.

Then it was that Christ directed him to the observance of the law. In an effort to hide his embarrassment, the lawyer asked, ?And who is my neighbor?? Jesus then spoke the parable of the good Samaritan, which parable we surely all know. Actually the Lord answered this lawyer with a counter-question: Just ask that unfortunate man, who fell among the thieves, who his neighbor is. Shall he say: that priest, that Levite, who passed him by without any feeling of compassion? Surely not! But he shall answer: ?The Samaritan, although an enemy of Israel, he is my neighbor.? Now the Lord says: Do thou likewise. Even your enemy must feel constrained to say of you: He is my neighbor. All mankind is to be considered as our neighbor; God hath made of one blood all nations of men, Acts 17:26. God requires charity to all mankind ,even to our enemies. He requires of us to love them as ourselves: i.e., entirely; with a perfect mind; seeking their welfare, as Paul incites the saints at Rome: ?Be kindly affectioned, one to another with brotherly love in honor preferring one another; Romans 12:10; and in chapter 13:10, the Apostle writes, ?Love worketh no ill to his neighbor.?

And this commandment is no smaller nor of less importance than the first commandment; it is explicitly stated: The second is like unto it. Also, the Lord did not say: The first and greatest commandment; but the great. The? second is also great, like unto the first. Gods requirement written on the second table of the law is not less than that expressed in the first table.

O, let us not undervalue any of God?s commandments. Whosoever offendeth in one point, is guilty of all. God?s justice requires perfect obedience to all commandmen?s, and that demand is stated in one word: LOVE;, perfect love toward God and toward our neighbor, for love is the fulfilling of the law, Rom. 13:10. But that is exactly why it is impossible for man in the state of nature to keep the law.

Qu. 7; Canst thou keep all these things perfectly?

Answer: In no wise: for I am prone by nature to hate God and my neighbor: and to? transgress the commandmen?s of God in thought, word and deed!

Indeed, is that truly so? Is it really so bad with natural man, that he not only hates God, but also his neighbor? We surely love our parents, brothers, sisters and children? Even they who forsake God?s Word, and turn their backs upon His service, still have a natural affection toward their neighbor. How then can the instructor say: I am prone by nature to hate God and my neighbor? And this expression definitely does not mean: I am somewhat inclined to this hate; but by ?prone? is meant, that the principle of our existence is hatred; we are hate-ful and hating one another in the root of our heart, by virtue of our fall in Adam. We did not bring any love along out of Paradise, but hatred. And a natural affection is not a consequence of our fall, but is of common grace which God shows unto all mankind in order that the world might be borne by Him until the very last of the elect shall have been gathered in. The answer of the Compendium is in accordance with God?s Word. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be, Rom. 8:7. We are haters of God, Rom. 1:30; hateful and hating one another, Titus 3:3.

Therefore it is also absolutely impossible to keep the law; that requires love. Though we do all that is written in the law: and though we become like unto the rich young man, yet there would be in all our doings nothing but a transgression of God?s law. We give hatred for love. Whatever man can do: precept upon precept: line upon line: he cannot love what he hates. We are transgressors of God?s law in thought, word and deed. Man by nature shall never be able to keep a single one of God?s commandments, even for a moment. Alas! how appalling is the state in which we all are by nature. We increase our guilt; heap sin upon sin, to the coming of the great day of judgment; except we find reconciliation in Him, Who has satisfied the law perfectly by His active and passive obedience.

Dear students, may it please the Lord to discover us by His holy law that we trust not in our own righteousness, for they are as filthy rags. But that Christ may clothe us with His righteousness, which only is acceptable to God.

That the law, to that end, may become unto us a schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ.

A Treatise of the Compendium - by Rev. G. H. Kersten

Deze tekst is geautomatiseerd gemaakt en kan nog fouten bevatten. Digibron werkt voortdurend aan correctie. Klik voor het origineel door naar de pdf. Voor opmerkingen, vragen, informatie: contact.

Op Digibron -en alle daarin opgenomen content- is het databankrecht van toepassing. Gebruiksvoorwaarden. Data protection law applies to Digibron and the content of this database. Terms of use.

Printen