1990 Issue 7 - Law and Liberation: The Third Commandment - Counsel of Chalcedon

8/12/2019 1990 Issue 7 - Law and Liberation: The Third Commandment - Counsel of Chalcedon

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aw

&

iberation

y Owen ourie

With such emphasis on the inescapable guilt of those

who misuse the name of God, It is clear that the

Lord's name is inestimably precious and must be

regarded to be so by all His creatures at all times and

in

all

circumstances. The indication of this

commandment is that its breach is a sin above all

sins deserving of God's wrath to a degree not

measured out for other transgressions of His law.

God and All Things

All who are in the business of making things have

their particular trademark by which a manufactured

item is identified as the work of this or that

producer. That concept is derived from God who

created all things. The Creator's mark is on

everything in His creation and, to paraphrase

Cornelius Van Til, even the fastest traveller through

God's estate cannot mistake the signs of His

ownership. The earthly manufacturer's mark can be

a reflection of his name, but the Creator's mark

speaks unquestionably

of

His name which means

that everything bears witness

to

His name.

Consider Psalm 8 in which David sets out to prove

his opening statement, 0 LORD our Lord, how

excellent is thy name in all the earth," by referring to

God's glory which is evident in everything from the

most helpless of creatures--"babes and sucklings"-

to

the highest heavens and the heavenly bodies.

Significantly, in this context of

God's glory, the

psalmist takes cognizance of the position of man and

notes the dominion over the works

of

thy hands;

thou hast put all things under his feet: All sheep and

oxen, yea, and the beasts

of

the field; the fowl of the

air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth

through the paths of the seas." This is the exercise

of

righteous dominion that is supremely fulfilled

in

the Lord Jesus Christ (Hebrews 2:6f.) and required

of all people in terms of the Dominion Mandate of

Genesis 1:26-28 and restated in the Great

Commission of Matthew 28:18-20.

It must be

understood that righteous dominion

over

the earth

cannot be exercised without all that the Great

Commission implies - regeneration, repentance of

sin, faith in the triune God, and obedience to God's

word in all its requirements. Having mentioned the

matter of dominion, David goes on

to

conclude that

his opening statement is well and truly proved, for n

all things, no less the things of the earth, the glory of

the Creator is evident and His mark is seen. 0

LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the

earth " God, the Creator of all, leaves His mark

upon every detail and requires that all things

continue to reflect His name, His glory, by

proper usage on the part of man, His vicegerent, in

terms of His directions--His law. Abuse of any part

of God's creation is rebellion, and in such action

God's name is taken in vain.

Every aspect of God's creation speaks of Him as is

clear from the rejection

by

Christ of the false notion

of

the Pharisees that by not using God's name and

swearing by heaven, or earth, or Jerusalem instead,

God's name is not used in vain. "Swear not at all;

neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: nor by the

earth; for

it

is his footstool: neither

y

Jerusalem; for

it is the city of the Great King. Neither shalt thou

swear by thy head, because thou canst

not

make one

hair white or black." (Matthew 5:34-36). In other

words, the name of God, which reveals His

character and nature, is involved in all these things.

God, who names Himself, who defines Himself,

who says,

I

am that I am," has ensured that every

The Counsel

of

Chalcedon August-September, 1990 Page 25


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detail of HiS creation speaks of His name and His

glory. For this rea8on, the

apostle Paul

can boldly

state: ; For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven

against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men,

who hold the

truth

in unrighteousness; because that

which may be .known of God is manifest in them;

for

God

hath shewed

it

unto them.

For

the

invisible things of him from the creation of the

world

are

clearly seen, being understood by the

things that are made, even his eternal power and

Godhead; so

that

they are without excuse" (Romans

:18-20). Since that which may be known

of

God is

. evident in each and every creature, .they who

suppress this truth to misuse God's creation

in

ungodliness and unrighteousness are without excuse

before the Eteinal Judge.

Implications for Life .

Since the name of God is universally in evidence,

the implications for life are all-embracing.

To

the

redeemed

in

Christ this should be the e l l s p r i n ~

of

wholehearted worship and service in every detatl of

life. To fallen

man,

who would be as God and take

all glory to himself, this is the spectre that haunts

him, the truth that he suppresses, but which he

cannot ultimately deny without plunging into a

bottomless pit

of

meaninglessness.

It

is the truth

that challenges his whole way oflife

and ~ e a t e n s

to

turn it

-upside down. .

In God, welive,

and

move;

and

have

our

being,"

(Acts17:28). Nothing can

be

done apart from

Him

and

without involving

His

iiatne .

Not

even

the so

dilled atheist's denial of God can be accomplished

without presupposing

at

least

the

idea

of

God.

Every sphere

of

life--the family, the school, the

church, the state; indeed, every area of life--must

submit to God as LORD over all. To establish any

part of life, any thought of action, on anything other

than'the triune God is nothing less than blasphemy.

Unless family life is built upon God's word; urtless

all

education begins and continues with

God

and His

word; unless the church is true in every detail to the

word.ofGod; unless the state limits i tself to the God-'

drdained bounds of ts authority; and unless the dvil

law

and order presupposes the authority

God

and

His law,

all

these areas of life

are

being conducted

blasphemously, and rilany stand guilty before the

Eternal Judge.

The

word "guiltless"

in

this commandi:nent can be

translated "clean". TheLORD will not hold him to

be ciean that tatceth his name in vain;" Our attitude .

towaid the name

of God and

the far-reaching

impiiGation f

His

name reveals our spiritual state,

whether we are clean

or

unclean before .the

Almighty.

Directions for Use

Along with the manufacturer's mark goes the

directions for use.

The

Holy Scriptures

of

the Old

and

New

Testaments give us the law.:word of the

Creator-God

by

which

we

are to live and to order

our

lives in obedience, making proper use of the

earth and the heavens. Time, mind, body, talent,

and every field of knowledge must be governed by

the directions of God's word. n this regard, the

prior and perfect obedience of the Lord Jesus Christ

to the full requirement of God's holy law. is vitally

important. Without

it

there could be no true

following aJ1d fulfillment of the directions of God's'

word. But the merits of Christ's active and passive

obedience, in full atonement for their sins, have been

imputed to the redeemed

of

the

LORD

for

their justification, their adoption as children: of God,

and their eternal life, and they are irresistibly drawn

to Christ and regenerated by the Holy Spirit Being

thus renewed in mind, heart, and will, they find

themselves truly liberated from slavery to sin. With

true knowledge

of

the triune God, and with deep

love for Christ, and in gratitude

for

His redeeming

love, they find that the enabling grace of God places

them in the path of obedience to His law. Here is

true liberation, not to lawlessnes but

to

law-keeping

and the proper use of God's creation. Well has the

apostle Paul said, Let every one thatnameth the

name of

Christ depart from iniquity"

(2

Timothy

2:19).

Since the mark

of God

is upon every detail

of

His

creation, the directions ofHis word are applicable to

everything. The relevance

of

the word ofGod is not

confined to the institutionalized church and the

spiritual and heavenly concerns

of

its members. lt

speaks to the whole

of

life

irt

every aspect. true

following and application of these directions will

give rise to the authoritative preaching and teaching

of the word

of

God with fervent calls for individual

and national. repentance. .The ensuing .practical

obedience of a faithful and God-feariqg people will

see the restoration of the family as God's central unit

in societY. with its covenanting, life-giving, law

making, protecting, schooling, motivating, guiding,

and economic functions ; the return of the church to

the preaching and r a c t i ~ e of the pure word ofGod,

the faithful administration

of

the sacraments

of

baptism

and

L)rd's supper, and the godly exercise

of discipline; the return of the state to its limite i;

God-ordained function as the minister of God's law

and order, punishing evil-doers

and

rewarding

o e r ~

of good; the return of eduction to God and His word

as the foundation, starting point,

d i r e c t i o ~

and

consummation

of

all

n o w l e d g ~

the Christianization

Page

26

A ~ g u s t - S e p t e m b e r

1990 The Counsel of Cbalcedon


3/4

of cultures; and the name of God honored and

glorified as His creation is properly used according

to His word.

The Westminster Larger Catechism of 1648 asks,

What is required in the third conunandment? and

answers, The third commandment requires, that

the

name

of

God, His titles, attributes, ordinances, His

word, sacraments, prayer, oaths, vows, lots, His

works, and all through which He makes Himself

lmown,

be

used in thought, meditations, word, and

writing with holiness and reverence, that is in a holy

profession .of faith and a corresponding life, all

to

the glory of God, the good of ourselves and others.

Oaths and vows are mentioned. The spiritual health

and stability of a society depends

on

its observance

of its oaths and vows, its regard for taking the

name

of the LORD

in

truth and establishing itself entirely

in every area of life on the foundation of God and

His unbreakable word and under the judgment

of

God

who is the only true ground

of

all being, life,

thought, and action. Hence the sanctity

of

vows and

oaths. Marriage vows require the fidelity of

husbands and wives ; ordination vows require the

faithfulness of ririnisters of God; baptismal vows

require a true profession of Christ; the oaths of

office in the state require integrity before God and

men; and oaths in the courts of law require the

reliabiltiy of witnesses.

Another crucially important directive by which

God's name is honored, which is the special target

of evil men, is succinctly stated

by

R.

J

Rushdoony

in

The Institutes

of

Biblical aw

(page 121):

Respect for duly constituted authorities

s

required

both as a religious duty and a practical policy.

The

world is not bettered by disobedience and anarchy;

evil men cannot produce a good society. The key to

social renewal is individual regeneration.

All

authorities

are

to be obeyed; parents, husbands,

masters, rulers, pastors, always subject to the prior

obedience to God. All obedience is under God,

because required by His word. Therefore .. the

covenant people cannot violate any due authority

without taking the name of the Lord in vain.

The

Spirit of Disobedience

f

the Creators' directions are not followed for

everything in life, His name is taken

in

vain. The

Westminster Larger Cateschism enumerates the sins

forbidden in the third commandment: the refusal to

give glory to God'$ name; and its abuse

in

ignorant,

vain, irreverent, profane, superstitious, or wicked

speech, or in other ways the misuse of His titles,

attributes, ordinances, or works, in blasphemy or

perjury; all sinful cursing, oaths, vows, and lots; the

violating of lawful oaths and vows, and the fulfilling

of unlawful ones; murmuring, complaining, and

willful disrespect with

regard to

God's decrees and

providences; misinterpreting, misapplying, or in any

way perverting the word, or any part

of

it,

in

profane jests, curious or unprofitable questions, vain

discussion, or in maintaining false doctrines;

abusing

God's

name, along with creatures,

or

any

thing contained under His name, for charms

or

sinful lusts and practices; maligning? scorning,

reviling, or any wise opposing God's truth, grace,

and ways; making profession of religion in

hypocrisy, or for sinister ends; being

ashamed

of it,

or bringing shame upon it, by uncomformable,

unwise, unfruitful, and offensive living or

backsliding from it.

In short, whatever is said or done without due

reverence to God, in humble submission to the

directions

of

His law

in

every area

of

life, is a

violation

of

this commandment. This

even

includes

polite and courteous speech and action that does not

acknowledge

God

a sovereign

LORD over

all. It is

this all-encompassing sovereignty of God that Satan

challenged in the temptaton at the dawn of history

and which he continues

to

challenge through the

spirit of disobedience

that

now worketh in the

children of disobedience, (Ephesians 2:2). The

greater the denial of the religion

of the

triune God,

the

more the

religion ofungodly revolution

comes

to

the fore. The language of

such

revolution is

characterized by profanity, blasphemy, and an

obsession wi th excrement and sex, especially sexual

perversion

that

is also practiced, the point being that

revolution draws its

power

from

below. In the

preamble to revolution,

the

sanctity of oaths

and

vows is eroded and a society is moved away from its

bedrock of truth to the sinking sand of lies

from

the

devil who is the father

of

liars (John 8:44).

In a

most

discerning passage in his

Survey

of

Christian Epistemol .y,

Cornelius Van Til said;

According to the B ~ b l e sin has set

man

at enmity

against God. Consequently, it has been . man's

endeavor to

get

away from the idea of God, that is, a

truly absolute God. And the best way

to

accomplish

this subordinate purpose was

to

do

it by making it

appear as though an absolute

God were

retained.

Hence the great insistence on the part of those

who

are really anti-Christian, that they are Christian.

Such a statement fits Liberation Theology which

uses Biblical

and

Christian terminology to convert

the people to Marxism. In doing so

and

in using

the

LORD'S name in liturgies of hate and n associating

the names of God and Christ with so-called freedom

fighters and with revolutionary violence, Liberation

Theology takes the

name

of the LORD in vain. The

The Counsel of Chalcedon August-September, 1990 Page 27


4/4

New Age

Movement's Messiah, Maitreya,

supposedly

the

fifth incarnation of Buddha, the

Mahdi

of

Islam, and the Krishna of Hinduism, is

called. Christ

in orderto attract Christians The

LORD God

Almighty

will

not hold Liberationists

and

exponents

of

the

New

Age

guiltless.

Conclusion

It

is

not

possible for the Christian to come away

from a study of this commandment in its far

reaching implications without the conviction of

failure

in

the keeping

of t Only by

the mercy and

ook

the grace of

God

is there forgiveness through the

perfect and finished atonement of Christ for our

sins. Only

by

the enabling grace

of

God can we

really attain to a greater steadfastness in our striving

to keep t is law and to glorify His name in

everything

in

life.

That same

mercy

and

that same

grace bids the sinner, even the most hardened

offender, to repent and to exalt that worthy name,

that name which above every name, the name of

Jesus Christ, and confess tnat

He

is Lord,

to

the

glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11). 0

LORD

our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the

earth "

0

Review

A

.A

A AAAA .A

AAA

essiah the Prince

Messiah. the P r i n ~ e by William

Symington

. Still

Waters Revival Books 12810-126 St. Edmonton, .

AB Canada T5L-OYL, 1990 $24.95 (USA) $29.95

(Canada). Reviewed by Byron Snapp.

"I

personally am opposed to abortion.

But

I

am not

going to use my office to superimpose my personal

position

on

.

other

people's decisions. I

am o i n ~ to

listen carefully to both sides each tinie I am requrred

to

vote." ("Warner Kicks Off Campaign," Roanoke

Times World News, Feb. 6, 1990)

The

Wisconsin woman

charged

with adultery is

being singled out for punishment that could be

applied to thousands. Laws against adultery,

fomication

and

sodomy are still on the books in 27

states . including Virginia, but are enforced only

rarely. They serve

no

good

purpose and ought to

be

repealed ..Society is

far more

tolerant than when

Wisconsin's adultery law was passed in the 19th

century.

For

the most part, government has gotten

out of the business of trying

to

legislate morality.

Wisconsin, Virginia

and

the other 5 states with

these antiquated laws

ought

to get

rid of them

.

Otherwise, they'll continue

to be

pulled

out

to satisfy

grudges." ("Selectively judging morality"

The

Roanoke

Times

and

World News May

3, 1990,

p.l4)

Page

8

August-September, 1990 The Counsel

of

Chalcedon

These quotes are only two of many that could be

given to

show

the importance of the recent reprinting

of William Symington's Messiah the Prince. This

book

is solely devoted to unfolding the Biblical

doctrine

of

Christ's kingship

over

all

things

both

now and throughout eternity.

"Without Christ's kingly work, the gracious

purposes

of

God

could not be

executed; the

mediatorial character itself would not

be

complete;

the

work

ofsalvat ion must continue unrewarded; the

enemies

of

trti.th and holiness should

finally

triumph,

and

the

necessities of the children

ofGod

remain for

ever unsupplied. Such things cannot--shall not be."

(p.l6) Having pointed

out

the necessity of Christ's

kingship the author then points

out

the reality of His

lordship as well as His qualifications for this office.

Mr. Symington readily acknowledges and explains

that

Christ's kingdom is spiritual. Yet such an

explanation in no way means that Christ has no rule

in His world

now

. Defining Christ's kingdom as

spiritual means "that its nature and design are wholly

celestial, that

it

is of a character.different from the

kirtgdoms

of

this world, and destined to higher and

more gloriouspurposes" (p.

64).

In other words all

things are

under

Christ. Christ's kingdom being

Documents

1990 Issue 7 - Law and Liberation: The Third Commandment - Counsel of Chalcedon