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Wat verwag God van jou in sy wet? – Die Westminster Geloofsbelydenis

1. Lees die aanhalings uit die Westminster Geloofsbelydenis hieronder. Wat leer jy van wat God van ons verwag in die wet? Wat beteken dit vir jou? Wat vra dit van jou?

Chapter 19

The Law of God

1. God gave Adam a law as a covenant of works. He required Adam and all his descendants to obey this law, individually, completely, perpetually, and in precise accordance with its provisions. God promised life for keeping it and threatened death for disobeying it, and he gave man the power and ability to keep it.1

1. Gn 1.26-27, 2.17, Rom 2.14-15, 10.5, 5.12,19, Gal 3.10,12, Eccl 7.29, Jb 28.28, Eph 4.24.

2. After the fall this law continued to be a perfect rule of righteousness and was given, as such, by God on Mount Sinai in the Ten Commandments, written on two tablets.2The first four commandments establish our obligations to God and the remaining six our obligations to human beings.3

2. Jas 1.25, 2.8,10-12, Rom 13.8-9, Dt 5.32, 10.4, Ex 34.1, Rom 3.19, Gal 3.12, Hos 6.7, Gn 2.16-17; compare Rom 5.12-14, 1 Cor 15.22, Lk 10.25-28, and the covenants made with Noah and Abraham; Gn 1.26, Dt 30.19, Jn 7.17, Rv 22.17, Jas 1.14.

3. Mt 22.37-40, Ex 20.3-18.

3. In addition to this law, ordinarily called the moral law, it pleased God to give the people of Israel, as a pre-Christian assembly of believers, ceremonial laws, containing many typical ordinances. Some of these ordinances pertain to worship and foreshadow Christ, his grace, actions, suffering, and the benefits to be had from believing in him.4The rest of these ordinances contain various instructions about moral duties.5All of these ceremonial laws are now nullified under the New Testament.6

4. Heb 9, 10.1, Gal 4.1-3, Col 2.17.

5. 1 Cor 5.7, 2 Cor 6.17, Jude 23; see Lv 5.1-6, 6.1-7, and similar passages, Ex 12.14.

6. Col 2.14,16-17, Dn 9.27, Eph 2.15-16, Mk 7.18-19, Gal 2.4.

4. God also gave the Israelites, as a political body, various judicial laws. These expired with the state of Israel and make no further obligation on God’s people than seems appropriate in contemporary legal codes.7

7. Ex 21, 22.1-29, Gn 49.10, 1 Pt 2.13-14, Mt 5.17,38-39, 1 Cor 9.8-10.

5. The moral law, however, does pertain to everyone, saved and unsaved, forever, not just with respect to its content but also in relationship to the authority of God, the Creator, who gave it.8In the gospel Christ does not in any way remove this obligation, but rather strengthens it.9

8. Rom 13.8-10, Eph 6.2, 1 Jn 2.3-4,7-8, Rom 3.31, 6.15, Jas 2.8,10-11, Rom 3.19.

9. Mt 5.17-19, Jas 2.8, Rom 3.31.

6. Although true believers are not justified or condemned by the law as a covenant of works,10the law is nevertheless very useful to them and to others. As a rule of life, it informs them of God’s will and of their obligation to obey it.11It also reveals to them the sinful pollution of their nature, hearts, and lives,12so that, examining themselves from its point of view, they may become more convinced of the presence of sin in them, more humiliated on account of that sin, and hate sin the more.13Thus they gain a better awareness of their need for Christ and for the perfection of his obedience.14The prohibitions against sin15in the law are also useful in restraining believers from pursuing the desires of their old nature, and the punishments for disobedience in the law show them what their sins deserve and what afflictions they may expect for them in this life, even though they have been freed from the curse threatened in the law.16The promises of the law similarly show them that God approves obedience and that blessings may be expected for obedience,17although not as their due from the law as a covenant of works.18The fact that the law encourages doing good and discourages doing evil does not mean that a person who does good and refrains from evil is under the law and not under grace.19

10. Rom 6.14, Gal 2.16, 3.13, 4.4-5, Acts 13.39, Rom 8.1.

11. Rom 7.12,22,25, Ps 119.4-6, 1 Cor 7.19, Gal 5.14,16,18-23.

12. Rom 7.7, 3.20.

13. Jas 1.23-25, Rom 7.9,14,24.

14. Gal 3.24, Rom 7.24-25, 8.3-4.

15. Jas 2.11, Ps 119.101,104,128.

16. Ezr 9.13-14, Ps 89.30-34.

17. Lv 26.1-14, 2 Cor 6.16, Eph 6.2-3, Ps 37.11, Mt 5.5, Ps 19.11.

18. Gal 2.16, Lk 17.10.

19. Rom 6.12,14, 1 Pt 3.8-12, Ps 34.12-16, Heb 12.28-29.

7. None of these uses of the law is contrary to the grace of the gospel. They rather beautifully comply with it,20because the Spirit of Christ subdues and enables the will of man to do voluntarily and cheerfully what the will of God, revealed in the law, requires to be done.21

20. Gal 3.21, Ti 2.11-14;

21. Ez 36.27, Heb 8.10, Jer 31.33, Gal 3.13.

2. Loof die Here in gebed vir die spesifieke wysheid en insig wat die geloofsbelydenis jou gee oor wat God van jou in sy wet verwag.

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Wie is God?


Chris van Wyk

Ek is Direkteur van Bediening en Geestelike Vorming by Veritas College International. My passie in die lewe is om God bo alles te dien en gelowiges in geloofsvorming te begelei. I am Director of Ministry and Spiritual Formation at Veritas College International. My passion in life is to serve God above all and to lead believers in faith formation.

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Onlangse kommentaar

  • Chris van Wyk on DaniëlDankie! Waardeer.
  • originalblizzard19aaa84c56 on DaniëlDankie Chris, jou uiteensetting is baie goed en help om die tye waarin ons leef beter te hanteer. Volharding en gebed.
  • Chris van Wyk on DaniëlEk is bly die pennie het vir jou gedrop. Dit is só 'n kosbare boek.
  • originalblizzard19aaa84c56 on DaniëlChris, dankie vir jou studie leiding. Ek het, of die Here se redding vir my het gekom in Mei 1973. Baie geleer uit die Heilige Skrif, maar Daniël vermy, behalwe die maklike begin dele. Vir die eerste keer maak Daniel 8 ev baie sin met jou studiegids. Baie, baie dankie. Dolf
  • Marinda Hattingh on Openbaring 21Dankie vir die verduideliking.
  • Chris van Wyk on Openbaring 21Nee, dit is ook nie wat die teks sê nie. Dit gaan oor mense wat towerspreuke en dwelms gebruik om met geeste kontak te maak en nie dit aflê en tot bekering kom nie.
  • Chris van Wyk on Gebruik die Bybellees metodiek: Lees, luister, leefEk hoop jy geniet dit, Elsie.
  • Marinda Hattingh on Openbaring 21Sekerlik kan die afleiding tog nie gemaak word dat dwelmverslaafdes nie hemel toe gaan nie?!
  • Elsie on Gebruik die Bybellees metodiek: Lees, luister, leefDankie sien uit na die saamreis om te lees, te leer en te leef
  • Chris van Wyk on Openbaring 22My voorreg.
  • Doreen Snyders on Openbaring 22Net om baie baie dankie te sê vir die wonderlike voorreg om elke dag se reis mee te maak . Dit is só insiggewend en besonders. Ek besef dit verg baie tyd en toewyding en waardeer dit opreg . Sien uit na die volgende aflewerings. Met dank. Doreen Snyders.
  • Chris van Wyk on Openbaring 22Ek is dankbaar.
  • Chris van Wyk on Openbaring 22My vreugde.
  • Albertus Van Schalkwyk on Openbaring 22Dankie Chris, ek het teen die einde van die Ou Testament eers ingeval, maar dit was (is) voorwaar sielsvereikend en het die Woord soos nooit tevore vir my oopgemaak. Bybel lees in die konteks van die tydlyn om die Drie-enige God waarlik te leer ken. Weer dankie!
  • runawayjoyous2427b27b07 on Openbaring 22Dankie Dr. Chris, vir die voorreg om saam met jou en ander gelowiges deur die Woord van God te stap. Ek het redelik laat (by Handelinge) van Bybelskool gehoor, en het begin om dit saans en soggens te lees. Ek leer so baie. Erna.