They differ in that Law is like a whip to drive you. It keeps you in line by fear of punishment. Moral truth does not drive you to obedience by fear it gives you a desire to do what is right. Certainly there are consequences to our sin and they are at times difficult and even harsh. But that is the natural outcome of sin. The consequences are part of the draw of sin in us. We think we can get by without the resulting outcome.
But for the believer the consequences are not a punishment for disobedience. We have already been punished in Christ. God promises to correct and chastise His own but He never punishes them. He cannot for He punished us in Christ. Your thought process eludes me here. I don't quite get it.
I understand what your getting at, the law acts as a whip to spur on obedience, but Paul tells us, "the law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ that we might be justified by faith." The idea behind the use of "schoolmaster" is one of a loving teacher that has charge over us until we have faith in Christ for justification. Now all the ceremonial aspects are gone but that which pleases God is still binding. We cannot sin so grace abounds, Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” John 14:15
"Is the law against the promises of God? God forbid..." What is the promise? Salvation. We are justified before God. This is what the "schoolmaster" was powerless to do: save. This does not mean the moral nature of the law ceases to be, only that no one is perfect, or able to earn salvation.
The heart is deceitful above all things, that's a fact, and out of the heart are the issues of life or from it flows the springs of life. In regeneration we are given a knew heart. When God said to Israel, "these words which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart" He was pointing to the importance of moral law and that which
man cannot do, Christ has done for him. You are setting up another system of morality that is not found in the former revelation or any of the promises therein. God promises in Jer. 31:31, "I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts."
Notice, God is speaking to national/ethnic Israel and makes reference to "my law," not many laws or anything else. "My law" can only be in reference to the 10 Commandments. We both acknowledge this passage as a 'new covenant' passage, "and will be their God, and they shall be my people." The moral law given to Israel will be written on the hearts of believers in the new covenant, for us to understand God's holy nature, and this is what spurs us on. A heart directed toward holiness "and they shall teach no more" for everyone under this covenant of grace knows the Lord, knows the will of God, understands the law and lives accordingly.
The law
is not a whip after regeneration because it motivates from inside and out of love to God. It's the law promised in Jer. 31 to believers and can only be the law found in the Decalogue.
(To assume another law is to open the door to universalism. The main premise of universalism is that other peoples and nations will be judged according to another law. As you can imagine this destroys the biblical doctrine of the atonement.) Once the law is written on the heart fear is not apart of our motivation, love is.
Brother twin, I really love this point about
"the natural consequences of sin" because it assumes a universal law and lawlessness. It's true that we can never "arrive" or be holy, but it is clearly stated that we must "depart from iniquity" 2 Tim. 2 and in so doing avoid some of the consequences of physical sin, of lawless and riotous living.
(If you like I could explain what I mean by "physical sin" further.) As Christians we have the moral law on our hearts and it is not a "new law" but a law of moral uprightness expressed in the 10 Commandments. We often ignore the law and respond to the impulse to sin, explaining with Paul, "Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?"
We are warned to renew our minds in accordance with what is right and good, with the will of God written on the tablets of our heart and scripture. The very fact that we are warned to do so points us to something timeless and external, a reminder of what we have already on our hearts. Let us be a living sacrifice to God and heed the warning not to be taken captive through empty and deceptive philosophy. The law on our hearts, the Decalogue, is an outward reminder of the will of God so that we will not be carried away by philosophy and vain religion.
Yours in the Lord.
