Lord’s Day 44
Q114. But can those who are converted to God obey these commandments perfectly?
No. In this life even the holiest have only a small beginning of this obedience. Nevertheless, with all seriousness of purpose, they do begin to live according to all, not only some, of God's commandments.
Scripture Proofs — King James Version
Ecclesiastes 7:20
“For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.”
Romans 7:14–15
“For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.”
1 Corinthians 13:9
“For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.”
1 John 1:8
“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”
Psalm 1:1–2
“Blessed the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.”
Romans 7:22–25
“For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.”
Philippians 3:12–16
“Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but one thing , forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.”
Modernized Commentary — Zacharias Ursinus (1616)
Question
114. But can those who are converted to God perfectly keep these commands? Answer: No; but even the holiest people, while in this life, have only small beginnings of this obedience, yet with a sincere resolution they begin to live not only according to some, but all the commands of God.
The question that demands our attention here is this: How is obedience to the law possible, and can those who are regenerated keep the law perfectly? This is the seventh division proposed under the general subject of the law of God. To understand this question more clearly, we need to distinguish between three states of human nature: as it first came from the hands of God, pure and holy; as it exists after the fall; and as it exists after regeneration.