Having glanced at Calvin’s first and second uses of the law, in which he focussed on the unregenerate, I now turn to his third use, the ‘main’ use. Even though Calvin himself was not always consistent about it being the ‘main’ use, it is usually regarded as such by the Reformed. For them, this third purpose is the law’s principal function. As a consequence, it plays a dominating role in the rest of my book.
The law of Moses, so Calvin claimed, is the best means for a believer to discover God’s will, and, by meditating on it, be moved to sanctification. In other words, progressive sanctification is by the law. The law, which Calvin called a perpetual, inflexible and perfect rule of life, he likened to a whip rousing a lazy ass, driving the believer to godliness. The law is at once the motive, means and standard of sanctification, teaching the believer what God requires of him, and acting as a whip, thrashing him into obedience, beating down his laziness. Thus the law is both behind the believer – whipping him, compelling him, pricking him – and ahead of him, forever setting an unattainable standard, demanding absolute obedience. |
