The Seven Commandments

Consensus ^ | April 2005 | By Rev. Roger Gallup

[sauerkraut]

In a Mel Brooks 1981 film "History of the World - Part 1" there is a scene where Brooks plays the part of Moses coming down from Sinai with three stone tablets. He shouts out to the crowd assembled "Here are the Lord's Fifteen... (then he drops one tablet which shatters) uhhhh... Ten Commandments." This was of course meant to be comedic but one wonders if we are not in danger of dropping a tablet ourselves. The dropping shatters not just the tablet but the unity of the church.

The unity of the church is the Gospel of Christ through the power of the Spirit who calls, gathers and enlightens the whole Christian church on earth. We respond to the work of God by desiring to lead a God pleasing life in part by following God's law.

We normally divide the law into two tables. Table one (commandments 1-3) describes our relationship with God. The Second Table (commandments 4-10) describes our relationship with our fellow humans. The second table can be learned by natural law. For example, almost all cultures outlaw murder and stealing.

We can rejoice that there is great unanimity among us concerning the second table. However, this unity of confession on the second table does not indicate our faithfulness to God or our unity as a church. Muslims are every bit as strong if not stronger than we are on issues such as condemnation of gay sexual activity and speaking up for the right to life. Does that mean they are Godpleasing people with whom we have any degree of unity in faith? Of course not!

Unity of the faith and of the church is given evidence in our faithful confession as we seek to follow all of God's commands, but our Lord tells us the first table is the greatest. "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment" (Matt. 22:37-38). If we are not faithful in our relationship to God then all of our other "works are as filthy rags" (Isaiah 64:6).

It is Godpleasing that The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod under its current and past presidents has taken a strong stand for the right to life. Almost no LCMS clergy would put themselves in a situation where it could be interpreted that an abortionist had a valid opinion that should be honored and respected. Yet where is our unity in words and actions for those not yet reborn? Have we not given the Church's comfort to the abortionists of the soul, those who kill with their proclamation of false gods, as we stand and pray with them?

We have also seen forthright and bold statements concerning the unholy union in gay marriage. We are united on this issue. Yet again, when objection is raised to unholy unions with false teachers or worshipers of false gods those objecting are criticized for "incessant purification of doctrine."

There has been valid objection on all sides when individuals' good names have been tarnished by false criticism. This has been divisive of the unity of the church. I would hope we all agree that we need to work harder to speak well of each other and put the best construction on everything. Yet what of the name of God? We have a political organization (Jesus First) in the LCMS that uses the Savior's incarnate name for themselves. They issue voting lists and declarations of truth about the waiting on tables or business aspects of our church all under His name; declaring they put him first. Where is the angst over this?

Keeping the Sabbath Day holy simply means being faithful in our proclamation of God's Word and the administration of the sacraments. Those who strive to do this are complained about as only being concerned with the incessant purification of doctrine and having no concern for evangelism. Can we really be faithful to God in evangelism when we ignore the part of the great commission that says "teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you" (Matt. 28:20)? We would rightly not tolerate a pastor who was unfaithful to his marriage vows. Yet we are told we must be understanding and accept someone who has dalliances with false teachers because they have a "good heart".

What is at stake here is not the Law but the very Gospel itself. It is the function of the law to convict all of us of our sin and drive us to the Gospel. Souls are not saved by the moralist proclamations around the second table. God would have us warn the world against false teachers and proclaim that prayer to false gods is an offense to Him. We are called to warn the world that following false teachers and false gods leads to eternal damnation. This message will make many people accustomed to the ways of the post modernism world uncomfortable, but that is often the function of the law.

It is not my intent to suggest that anyone in the LCMS has rejected the first table of the law. I do suggest that we have elevated the second table above the first. We have unity in our confession as to our relationship to our fellow humans. To build true unity in the church we must have a faithful confession of our relationship with God.

Rev. Roger Gallup is Pastor of Bethlehem Lutheran Church, River Grove, IL He is the President of Consensus, Inc.

[satchmodog9]

The cult of man has taken much of this away from us. Modern society is more concerned with its own hedonistic pursuits than its duty to society as a whole.

[msdrby]

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