Outline.
Lesson 23. (The Decalogue and a Defense of Formulating Confessions Summarizing Doctrine)

God himself wrote the Decalogue, as a summary of things to be done.

Intro.
i. God Himself is the author of truth. Ministers are merely dispensers of the word of truth. Truth is abstract. The minister must be taught by God, and declare that which is true to the hearers. 

What is truth? That which is, and not that which is not. 

Two concrete examples.

We affirm that the doctrine of Predestination is true. Our adversaries maintain that the doctrine of free will is true. The word of God absolutely and unequivocally teaches the doctrine of Predestination in Ephesians 1 and Romans 9 so that they must twist the meaning of these passages to maintain their position. However, the verses they bring up (J. 3:16,Josh. 24:15) do not teach the doctrine of the free will of man but only appear to favor human activity, which does not absolutely demand the freedom of the will either way, neither are their interpretations of the before said passages at all favorable to the rule of faith. For if God works His will in those willing, and through His word delivers them from apostasy and falling away, it shows that free will is not a necessary truth or an absolute drawn from scripture, as Predestination, but conjured and framed according to man’s carnal reason. Therefore Predestination is a concrete example of truth that is verified in scripture. A minister according to his ability is called to preach and prove that which is true. The doctrine of free will belongs in the natural world, mankind is endowed with freedom of choice in many things pertaining to this life, and yet not such liberty as overrules the sovereignty of God or overturns his decree, as the Proverbs says, “the king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water, he turneth it whithersoever he will.” and if so with the ruler of the people, how much more with the common citizens who have no overruling authority? 

God Himself authored the holy scriptures. Therefore everything written in it is truth.

ii. God speaks with authority so that whatsoever He declares we are to receive with all holy submission and obedience. Psalm 103:17-22

It is NOT left to the hearers to receive truth at the mouth of God and do what they wish with it. We are absolutely obligated according to the highest authority to believe that which is true. This applies to law and for that which is preached by God’s ministers in the history of the church. There is absolutely no excuse for heresy or schism seeing we have this document of Westminster. If men will not hear it it is because Satan has blinded their eyes so they cannot see. 

1. God Himself wrote the Decalogue as a summary of things to be believed and done. 
[Exodus 19-20]

God charged the people to do all that was commanded them.

At the same time He wrote that when the law was given the people trembled with fear and could not bear the words spoken to them. Therefore we see that it was not given so that the people would imagine they were able in their own strength to perform it. 

The law was given to demonstrate to the people that,
1. God is pleased only by obedience.
2. If they kept it not they would die.
3. If they are justified on the basis of their performance of it they would die. 
4. Therefore their only hope is to resort to the free grace and mercy of God to forgive sins. Exodus 34:5-8. Hebrews 8:10-13

The ministry of truth consists in the preaching of the law to the end that men might look unto God for the free forgiveness of sins. The ministry of the devil labors to keep men under the law, continually performing that which they are never able to fulfill. Love Christ more. Put Christ first in all areas of your life. Make him Lord of your whole life. As if they’ve lifted one finger for the cause of Christ. Keep this in mind when we read Acts 7.

Both true and false ministers come before the people with the word of God laboring to convey truth to the people. Both will say they bring the truth. 
Truth is consistent with itself and unified. 
Those who are not sanctified by God but take upon themselves that office (of their own accord and the blessings of the common people) manifest themselves by their inability to unite truth and make sense of scripture. They preach works for the sake of works, rather than doctrine producing works. Remember the quote from Hodge. 
App. If scripture according to the fundamental way of salvation (law and gospel) be so simple, so that a child may learn the faith, and these highly esteemed and learned men have not the understanding to bring the truth of God into harmony, it is surely a sign they are false prophets deceived by the devil and wolves sent to devour the flock.

2. God Himself commissioned ministers to write this confession of faith.
First a word of warning, that if God destroyed those Israelites in the wilderness who received not the law at his hands, how much more furious will He be towards those who reject His gospel, though it is so conspicuously set down in the words of this confession? See Hebrews 1-4.
(Quote from Calvin)
Seeing then that all words of truth belong to God, if the Westminster Confession of Faith speaks the truth, it is from God.
Evidence that Westminster contains a summary of the truth of scripture. 
(WCF, 1.4-10)

Similarities and differences between the Decalogue and the WCF. 
They are both summaries of doctrine and practice. The Decalogue in the form of commandments, the WCF in the form of doctrinal statements. They were both given to the people by a minister sent by God. The Decalogue by Moses, the WCF by the assembly. They are both systematic in their approach. The Decalogue beginning with man’s duty to God, which naturally produces love towards fellow men, and the WCF beginning with the doctrine of the Word which is the standard of truth and moving on to what the Word teaches concerning God, His decrees, the beginning of the world, how He governs it, the fall, man’s redemption, and church ordinances that make for orderly and acceptable worship.

This is the summary of the lesson, that God has in His word given His law, and sent ministers to train the people in righteousness. If He has spoken by the Westminster assembly, we are obligated to receive their doctrine as if God Himself was speaking. He is NOT inconsistent with Himself. If men will not be Reformed in their doctrine, they will perish with the wicked. Whether their name is MacArthur, Pink, Edwards, Hodge or any other notable person. 

Inform. App. 
The people have never graciously received truth at the hands of God’s ministers, and Consequently have heaped up for themselves false teachers. Therefore we are not to be surprised by the state of the church today. Isaiah 6:8-13, John 1:10-11, Acts 7:25, 35-60

1. God is the God of truth.
2. His word is law. 
3. He speaks by ministers. 
4. He has given us brief summaries of His will. 
5. The gospel outshines the law. 
6. The Westminster Confession is a summary of the gospel, those articles necessary to be believed for salvation.
7. Therefore,
Concluding App. If God is the author of truth, and has written a summary of those things to be believed and done, and that He speaks by ministers, surely this document is a word of authority we are bound and obligated to believe and obey.

If this confession is the very truth of God ratified in a public assembly for the benefit and use of the whole church, woe unto us if we hear it not, learn not from it, bless not God for it. 

Praise God for His mercy in giving us a proper understanding of his will. Praise God for the Westminster Confession. 
Hebrews 2:1-4
“Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; God bearing them witness thereto, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?“

YouTube Audio: https://youtu.be/i_TjneXa-pw