Richard Barcellos - Overview of Baptist Covenant Theology Series

For anyone looking for an overview of Baptist Covenant Theology, this is a great starting point. Richard Barcellos takes a good amount of time to explain concepts thoroughly; he speaks in a language that all can understand, and finally he makes much reference to important Reformed Baptist theologians like Nehemiah Coxe (who was likely senior editor of the Second London Baptist Confession), which is essential to understand how the Baptists articulated their understanding of the covenants. This is a good resource for those who wish to better understand how the Baptists formulate their views of the covenant.

Spurgeon Quote Of The Week - Depression: The Prophet Of The Lord's Blessings - 5|26|2014

Starting this week and every Monday following, I will be posting a quote of the week from the late great Prince of Preachers - Charles Haddon Spurgeon. This weeks quote is in regards to depression and perspective. How blessed would we be if we looked at depression as the herald of the near coming blessings of our Lord?

"The cloud is black before it breaks and overshadows before it yields its deluge of mercy. Depression has now become to me as a prophet in rough clothing, a John the Baptist heralding the nearer coming of my Lord’s richer benison." - Charles Haddon Spurgeon 

(Taken from Spurgeon's "Lectures to My Students".)

The Three Functions Of God's Law

In some sense, every Christian struggles to understand how God's Law applies to the Christian life today. Many Christians today struggle to understand if Christians are still bound to parts of the law, such as the "civil law", or if the Law has been made irrelevant in its entirety.

These are important questions, especially since the heresy of Antinomianism continues to gain more traction in our churches today.

Calvin And The Three Functions of God's Law

In his Institutes of the Christian Religion, the 16th-century Reformer, John Calvin noted that the Law of God had three functions. Those three functions are:

1. Usus Theologicus - The first function of the Law is to act as a mirror. This is the "Theological Use". It reflects the perfect righteousness of God, and our own corruption and shortcomings. The Law is meant to give us knowledge of sin (Romans 3:20; 4:15; 5:13; 7:7-11), and by showing us our need for pardon, it drives us to Christ. 
2. Usus Politicus - The second function of the Law is to restrain evil. This is the "Civil or Political Use". The Law cannot change a persons heart, but it can inhibit lawlessness by its threats of judgment, especially when it is backed by a civil code that administers punishment for offenses (Deuteronomy 13:6-11; 19:16-21; Romans 13:3-4). In this sense, it secures civil or political order. 
3. Usus Practicus - The third function of the Law is to reveal God's will for living. This is the "Practical Use". It guides the regenerate person into the good works which God has planned for them (Ephesians 2:10). The Law reveals what it is that pleases God. Christ affirmed this third use of the Law (Matthew 28:20). Christians are free from the law as a system of salvation (Romans 6:14; Galatians 2:15-19), but Christians are "under the law of Christ" (1 Corinthians 9:21; Galatians 6:2). 

The 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith & The Baptist Catechism On The Law

The Second London Baptist Confession and the Baptist Catechism also affirms these three uses of the Law. Question & Answer 89 in the Catechism states that the purpose of the Law since the fall is "to reveal the perfect righteousness of God, that his people might know the path of faith that leads to life, and that the ungodly may be convicted of their sin, restrained from evil, and brought to Christ for salvation". In chapter 19, article 5, the Confession states that "the moral law ever binds to obedience everyone, justified people as well as others, and not only out of regard for the matter contained in it, but also out of respect for the authority of God the Creator, Who gave the law. Nor does Christ in the Gospel dissolve this law in any way, but He considerably strengthens our obligation to obey it."

Both the Catechism and Confession affirm that there is a theological use of the law, which acts as a mirror that reflects God's righteousness, and our shortcomings. Likewise, both also affirm that there is a civil or political use of the law which restrains evil, and finally that there is a practical use, which reveals God's will for living and that which is pleasing to Him.  

Concluding Thoughts

If the function of the Law in the Christian life today seems unclear, it is only because over time false teachings has made it that way. The law serves a threefold function in the life of the Christian today. It serves as a mirror, which drives us to Christ. It serves as a restraint from evil, and it reveals to us what God's will is in regards to Christian living. There are some over the course of church history and even today that say that the Law "should not be urged upon Christians and the true believers, but only upon the unbelieving, unchristians, and impenitent". Those that make such statements by default must deny the third use of the law which states that the Law reveals God's will for living. This is the function that Christ Himself affirmed in Matthew's Gospel (Matthew 28:20). 

Bibliography 

1. http://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/articles/onsite/sproul/threefold_law.html
2. http://www.ligonier.org/blog/threefold-use-law/
3. http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/a-baptist-catechism
4. http://www.spurgeon.org/~phil/creeds/bcof.htm#part19
5. http://www.bookofconcord.org/sd-thirduse.php