Foreword:
The following exerpt is taken from The Ten
Commandments by Arthur W. Pink
(BAKER BOOK HOUSE, 1994 GRAND RAPIDS, MI)
In this blog series I will work through this very
important article a paragraph at a time – asking my reader comprehension style
questions at the end. In our day, when people who identify themselves as
Christians are so sensitive to any accusation of legalism that they tend to
swing all the way out to antinomianism (that is lawlessness), it is perhaps now
more than ever that we ought to prayerfully re-examine the Ten Commandments –
and few do it better than Arthur Pink (1886 - 1952). I found
this article to be very convicting as I first worked through it. And, lest we
think we the church are not in need of this labour, let us be reminded that
those whom Jesus will reject on the last Day even though they did many mighty
works in his name, were accused by our Lord of not just having no intimate
relationship with him (‘I never knew you’), but also that they were accused as
workers of lawlessness by our Lord. The Law of God does not save, nor does it
keep one saved – none the less we are called to obedience to it who are saved –
but enough of me – here is Arthur Pink…
“Seventh, let us consider their spirituality. "The Law
is spiritual" (Rom. 7:14), not only because it proceeds from a spiritual
Legislator, but because it demands something more than the mere obedience of
external conduct, namely, the internal obedience of the heart to its uttermost
extent. It is only as we perceive that the Decalogue extends to thoughts and
desires of the heart that we discover how much there is in ourselves in direct
opposition to it. God requires truth "in the inward parts" (Psa.
51:6) and prohibits the smallest deviation from holiness even in our
imaginations. The fact that the Law takes cognizance of our most secret
dispositions and intentions, that it demands the holy regulation of our mind,
affections, and will, and that it requires all our obedience to proceed from
love at once demonstrates its Divine origin. No other law ever professed to
govern the spirit of man, but He who searches the heart claims nothing less.
This high spirituality of the Law was evidenced by Christ when He insisted that
an unchaste look was adultery and that malignant anger was a breach of the
sixth commandment. “
1) How would you explain “the Law is spiritual” to a
non-believer?
2) Almost all other world religions give laws that are
externally verifiable – laws that can be seen by others to have been obeyed.
For example: going to mass, lighting a candle, praying towards mecca,
presenting sacrifices to idols, going door to door, wearing certain clothing
etc. The Law of God has many external components as well (can you think of
examples of these?) but Jesus holds mankind to a much higher standard – not
only what you do counts but what you think (your attitude or heart’s desire)
actually counts. As Ralph Waldo Emerson correctly observed: “Sow a thought and you reap an action; sow
an act and you reap a habit; sow a habit and you reap a character; sow a
character and you reap a destiny.”
These scriptures show how important a good thought-life is:
Watch over your heart with all
diligence, For from it flow the springs of life. (Proverbs 4:23)
The good man out of the good
treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the
evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which
fills his heart. (Luke 6:45)
"For from within, out of
the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders,
adulteries, (Mark 7:21)
Finally, brothers and sisters,
whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or
praiseworthy—think about such things. (Philippians 4:8)
All too often we sow thoughts which have death as their
ultimate destiny. It is not harmless to imagine sinning - to fantasize
doing that which the scripture prohibits. Which one of the ten commandments
most expresses this idea of a righteous thoughtlife – of guarding your thoughts?
3) “It is only as we perceive that the Decalogue extends
to thoughts and desires of the heart that we discover how much there is in
ourselves in direct opposition to it.” Who is the ‘we’ that Pink is referring
to here? All mankind or beleivers? If you love God and are trusting in Christ
for your eternal destiny but find so much of yourself persistently in
opposition to His Law which was given in love, what is the only response
warranted? What is the only attitude which makes sense? Where can we find hope?
In scripture and in prayer and ultimately in the perfect record of Jesus gifted
to us who are his. Consider what Paul says in the following scripture and
please note the pronouns – here we have perhaps the greatest Christian who ever
lived referring to himself (how much more then do these things apply to
ourselves):
“We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual,
sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want
to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want
to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself
who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does
not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what
is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to
do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do
what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in
me that does it.
21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do
good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in
God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the
law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.
24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is
subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus
Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law,
but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.” (Romans 7:14-25)
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