Q. 13. What did God give to expose our sin and show us our need for a Savior?

• WSC 40–42
• Heidelberg Catechism 3–4
• AOR 7

Exposed. The moral law is like a mirror that shows us our immoral condition. It is a pure spotlight that shines on our impure hearts. “Through the law comes knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:20). “The law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane” (1 Timothy 1:9).

Moral law … requires. Article 7 of the AOR distinguishes the moral dimensions of the Old Testament, which are still binding for Christians, from its ceremonial and civil dimensions (e.g., the instructions regarding temple worship and Israel’s legal system), which are not binding in the same way, though they reflect God’s wisdom, and are still profitable for God’s people (2 Timothy 3:16–17). The law of God places moral demands on us.

Summarized … Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments, also called the “Decalogue” or “Ten Words,”  must be read in context of the whole law, and of the whole Bible, especially the Lord’s Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7). For example, Jesus teaches that looking at a woman with lustful intent or marrying an illegitimately divorced woman is a violation of the seventh commandment, “You shall not commit adultery” (Matthew 5:27–28). The Ten Commandments were always meant to be understood as a comprehensive summary of the law, requiring and forbidding more than what is stated in the mere letter.

Love. The summary of God’s law is perfect love for God and man (Matthew 22:37–40). The first four commandments, sometimes called the First Table of the Law, teach us how to love God. The last six commandments, sometimes called the Second Table of the Law, teach us how to love our neighbors. Love must always be guided by truth, for love “does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth” (1 Corinthians 13:6).