The laws of God are the best laws. Civil magistrates who compromise are sinning against a righteous God, and they will be judged according to His law.

“But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully”
1 Timothy 1:8

When I was in grade school, I was sent to the principal for misbehavior. He gave me two choices: I could get spanked with that big wooden paddle in his office, or he would turn me over to my dad for punishment. I chose my dad. My dad loved me, and I trusted him. This is the question of this article: who should punish, what should be punished, and by what standard? Would you prefer the law of God or the law of man? I’ll take God’s law, for “His work is perfect; For all His ways are justice, A God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright is He” (Deut 32:4).

Many years ago, I preached verse by verse through Deuteronomy. As I worked through each section, I used the Second London Baptist Confession of 1689 (SLBC) as my interpretive guide for preaching about the laws and punishments Moses delivers. I looked for the “general equity” of both tables of the law. During these expositions, it was thrilling to see the interplay of the law and the gospel as our only hope and how they “sweetly comply” with one another (SLBC 19:7). People in our church were saved as a result of hearing the law and gospel.

God in His wisdom has established three jurisdictions to rule the world for His glory: the family, the church, and the state. Each jurisdiction has particular duties within a defined scope. The family has nearly comprehensive authority over a small number of people. The church has less authority over a larger number. The state has very limited authority over a much larger group.

Spoiler alert! As you read this piece, you will sense that I am conflicted between the perspectives of the SLBC and the Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF) on the first table of the law. My heroes on both sides press at me, so you may encounter things that seem conflicted, contradictory, or unclear. Guilty as charged!

What is the ultimate standard of law to which a civil government is accountable, and how is that standard known?

Short answer: God’s law, contained in His Word and summarized in the Ten Commandments (Exod 20:1–17). “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul, the testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple” (Ps 19:7–11; see also 2 Tim 3:16–17; Ps 119:105; Josh 1:8; Isa 8:20; John 12:48; Heb 4:12; Mark 7:8–9).

While certain laws can be gathered through general revelation (Rom 2:15; SLBC 19:1), the ultimate standard civil rulers must uphold is God’s revealed moral law found in Scripture. This law is distilled in the Ten Commandments He gave to Moses (SLBC 19:2).

Civil rulers are servants of Christ; they must do what is good and “kiss the Son” (Ps 2:10–12; Rom 13:1–7). They are accountable to Him: “Shall the throne of iniquity, which devises evil by law, Have fellowship with You?” (Ps 94:20).

The magistrate will either serve Christ or oppose God. Neutrality is mythical and impossible (Matt 12:30). Civil rulers will uphold God’s law or that of a rival god—be it man himself or some other deity. This is not establishing a theocracy but a civil government informed by the truth of God. It is not government rule over the church but a means of ordering society at large.

The SLBC affirms this. Chapter 24 states:

God, the supreme Lord and King of all the world, hath ordained civil magistrates to be under him, over the people, for his own glory and the public good; and to this end hath armed them with the power of the sword, for defense and encouragement of them that do good, and for the punishment of evil doers.

Thus, the law of God is the only just standard for society. The best civil magistrates will govern with His law as their guide. This was God’s command for the kings of Israel. In Deuteronomy 17:18–20 kings are instructed to write a copy of the law in their own hand and keep it for guidance during their reign: “he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes.”

We must remember that the church also has a duty to speak the Word of God to the civil magistrate: “I will speak of your testimonies also before Kings, and I will not be ashamed” (Ps 119:46).

Our church did this during COVID. We wrote letters to our governor saying in effect, “We will gather our church against your ordinance; we must ‘obey God, rather than men’—LEX REX—the law is king” (Acts 5:29).

What is the specific duty of the civil magistrate in relation to the Ten Commandments?

I believe the state (as well as the family and the church) should be informed and governed by both tables of the law, but the state must stay in its limited lane—keeping the peace and punishing evildoers—while reflecting the influence of the Ten Commandments and even making laws to undergird the first table, like the “blue laws” to promote the Lord’s Day.

The Reformed understanding distinguishes between the moral law (perpetual), the ceremonial law (fulfilled in Christ and abolished), and the judicial law (expired with Israel). The moral law was written on human hearts (Rom 2:14–15), then delivered on Mount Sinai in two tables: the first four commandments toward God, the last six toward man (Exod 20:1–17; Deut 10:4). The moral law binds all forever. Christ does not dissolve but strengthens it (Matt 5:17–19; SLBC 19:2, 5).

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