A Critique of John Colquhoun's The Law and The Gospel (Pt.5)

Section 1: The Law as written on the heart of man in God's creation?

Again, I continue my critique of the presupposition of the moral law as written upon the heart of 'every' man. But in this fifth part of my dissection of his presumptive understanding of the law (1Tim.1:5-11), we pick up again with how the Ten Commandments are also styled the moral law as an obligation by the Covenanters of Covenant Theology in this view, confusing natural laws with the moral law. On page 15 of this explanation, it is said that "although this natural law (and by that, they mean the moral law) inscribed on the heart of Adam was much defaced by the fall, yet it was not wholly obliterated. Some faint impressions or small relics of it remain still in the minds of (all) men. Indeed, with respect to its 'general principles' and immediate conclusions obviously deducible from them, it is not and it cannot be totally effaced; but with regard to such conclusions as are more or less remote, it is, by the darkness of the mind and the depravity of the heart of man, wholly perverted (Rom.1:21, 32)."

Again, here is the rub. Do you hear the political gymnastics in that line of contradictory reasoning? Such language is used to offer politically correct words that carry no confrontation regarding the reality of the total depravity and corruption of sin in the whole man. On one side of the tongue and cheek, they want to affirm total depravity, but on the other side of the tongue and cheek, they utterly deny it and undo their good intentions to be faithful to the doctrine with motivations to protect God from the offense as if God needed to be rescued from the obvious conclusion (Jn.6:60). But to teach that 'it was not (and cannot) be totally effaced' disregards every Biblical text that we used to show in the previous four posts that it was totally effaced and must be effaced due to the likeness that the image represented according to the singular moral principle of the economy of the garden that God had planted in Eden (Gen.2:8-9, 15-17).

The moral principle that represented the likeness of the image was eternal life, which hinged on the singular command that would discern between good and evil ethics, which are the general principles that are corruptible as the incorruptible law creates the moral distinction because they are not obeyed through a pure heart (1Cor.15:33). Therefore, there are no "general" principles presupposed upon the moral image that are inherent to the nature of the carnal man written upon his heart except through the law of sin and death as the work or result of the loss of the moral image (Romans 2:14-15; 7:14). The law of sin and death is one law (Rom.8:2; 1Cor.15:56), not many general principles (Ps.51:5), as it is written upon every 'natural' man in Adam (Rom.8:6-8; 1Cor.2:14; Rom.5:19a). The soul that comes into the world through Adam is dead to God in principle but alive to Adam (Rom.6:20), who was made a law unto himself through sin (1 Cor.15:21-22; Rom.5:12-14; Eph.2:1-3).

How we interpret "dead" regarding the likeness that the image represents is the spiritual principle that is being undermined with ignorant statements such as 'the image was not wholly perverted and was not and cannot be effaced.' This is intellectually dishonest when we take into account that the image cannot be corrupted in the slightest. And if it cannot be corrupted in the slightest, it has to be lost and removed from the man altogether, defacing the man (Mk.7:27-28; 12:13-17). The image is no longer associated with the man born dead in trespasses and sins (Rom.8:29-30; Eph.2:1-3). This is how God preserves the image and the likeness that the image represents (Rom.8:21; 1Pet.1:4; Eph.6:24). The image is incorruptible (Rom.1:23; 1Pet.1:23; 3:4), but the man is corrupted in every part (Lk.11:39; Matt.6:23). So the image can have no part in the man (Ps.51:6; Lk.11:34-36; 1Jn.1:5). So then, the image was "exchanged," which is consistent and correlates directly to the passages in Romans that define and describe the total depravity and loss of the image in the creature (Rom.1:21-25). Therefore, they misuse Romans 1:21, 32 to justify their presupposition. But the presupposition is built upon their own spiritual ignorance imposed upon the text.

The light of nature is not the moral law of the Spirit of life (Rom.8:2-4, 6). The law of sin and death is increased in strength through the principles or "laws" added because of the extent of sin (Rom.5:20; Gal.3:19), but again, these laws that they call general principles are really the effects of the original, singular work of the law as the root of the light of nature or wrath of God revealed from heaven (Rom.1:18; Eph.2:3). But the moral law is incorruptibly preserved from heaven as the light of life through the life of Christ who is the image of God (Col.1:15; Jn.1:18; 3:13 (NKJV); 8:12). Everything hinges on Him as the incorruptible Seed of the promise that was and is and continues to be while it is still called Today (Gen.3:15; Heb.3:12-15; Gal.3:16; Rom.9:7-8; 1Pet.1:23). Because He is the 'beginning' of the reconciliation of all things (Col.1:16-20), all things that consist outside of Him, though they continue to consist (by) Him, are being prepared for the destruction of those things that remain alienated from God because of the stumbling block of His sovereignty over the creation (Matt.11:6; 1Pet.2:6-8; Rom.9:17-24; Lk.2:34-35). Christ is the standard, and the incorruptibility of the image stands in Him as the Lord from heaven whose likeness represents the heavenly and spiritual man of the moral law of eternal life (Matt.5:48; Jn.3:36; 12:50; 1Cor.2:12-16; 15:45-49; Rom.7:24-8:4).

Now, may the Lord of heaven and earth bless the eternal and incorruptible Word to our souls in spirit and truth to worship God as He is. And may this Word be peace to your mind as we suffer together in the flesh and share in the fellowship of the Lord's death that we may also be partakers of His resurrection in the hope of eternal life as our present surety among those who have passed from death to life in the innermost part of our souls with the incorruptible love of the Spirit of Christ. May God fill you with strength for today and confidence for tomorrow in the fight of faith and the war on sin. May the Spirit keep you in perfect peace as He guides your thoughts into the upward call of the knowledge and grace of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.