The Westminster Larger Catechism
Questions 91—97: On Man's Duty of Obedience to
the
Moral Law of God
HAVING SEEN WHAT THE
SCRIPTURES PRINCIPALLY
TEACH US TO BELIEVE
CONCERNING GOD,
IT FOLLOWS TO
CONSIDER WHAT THEY REQUIRE AS
THE DUTY OF MAN.
Q. 91. What is the duty which God requireth of
man?
A. The duty which God requireth of man, is
obedience to his revealed willa.
a Rom. 12:1,2; Micah 6:8; 1
Sam. 15:22
Q. 92. What did God at first reveal unto man as
the rule of his obedience?
A. The rule of obedience revealed to Adam in the
estate of innocence, and to all mankind in him, besides a special
command not to eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good
and evil, was the moral lawa.
a Gen. 1:26,27; Rom.
2:14,15; Rom. 10:5; Gen. 2:17
Q. 93. What is the moral law?
A. The moral law is the declaration of the will of
God to mankind, directing and binding every one to personal, perfect,
and perpetual conformity and obedience thereunto, in the frame and
disposition of the whole man, soul and bodya,
and in performance of all those duties of holiness and righteousness
which he oweth to God and manb promising life
upon the fulfilling, and threatening death upon the breach of itc.
a Deut. 5:1-3,31,33; Luke
10:26,27; Gal. 3:10; 1 Thess. 5:23 b Luke 1:75;
Acts 24:16 c Rom. 10:5; Gal. 3:10,12
Q. 94. Is there any use of the moral law to man
since the fall?
A. Although no man, since the fall, can attain to
righteousness and life by the moral lawa; yet
there is great use thereof, as well common to all men, as peculiar
either to the unregenerate, or the regenerateb.
a Rom. 8:3; Gal. 2:16 b
1 Tim. 1:8
Q. 95. Of what use is the moral law to all men?
A. The moral law is of use to all men, to inform
them of the holy nature and will of Goda, and of
their duty, binding them to walk accordinglyb;
to convince them of their disability to keep it, and of the sinful
pollution of their nature, hearts, and livesc:
to humble them in the sense of their sin and miseryd,
and thereby help them to a clearer sight of the need they have of Christe,
and of the perfection of his obediencef.
a Lev. 11:44,45; Lev.
20:7,8; Rom. 7:12 b Micah 6:8; James 2:10,11 c
Ps. 19:11,12; Rom. 3:20; Rom. 7:7 d Rom. 3:9,23
e Gal. 3:21,22 f
Rom. 10:4
Q. 96. What particular use is there of the moral
law to unregenerate men?
A. The moral law is of use to unregenerate men, to
awaken their consciences to flee from wrath to comea,
and to drive them to Christb; or, upon their
continuance in the estate and way of sin, to leave them inexcusablec,
and under the curse thereofd.
a 1 Tim. 1:9,10 b
Gal. 3:24 c Rom. 1:20 compared with Rom. 2:15 d
Gal. 3:10
Q. 97. What special use is there of the moral law
to the regenerate?
A. Although they that are regenerate, and believe
in Christ, be delivered from the moral law as a covenant of worksa,
so as thereby they are neither justifiedb nor
condemnedc; yet, besides the general uses
thereof common to them with all men, it is of special use, to shew them
how much they are bound to Christ for his fulfilling it, and enduring
the curse thereof in their stead, and for their goodd;
and thereby to provoke them to more thankfulnesse,
and to express the same in their greater care to conform themselves
thereunto as the rule of their obediencef.
a Rom. 6:14; Rom. 7:4,6;
Gal. 4:4,5 b Rom. 3:20 c
Gal. 5:23; Rom. 8:1 d Rom. 7:24,25; Gal.
3:13,14; Rom. 8:3,4 e Luke 1:68,69,74,75; Col.
1:12-14 f Rom. 7:22; Rom. 12:2; Tit. 2:11-14
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