Freedom in Christ to Love and Obey

BY LE ANN TREES | Contingent vs. consequent duties in the Christian life: What's the difference and how does understanding this distinction help believers to better rest in Christ?

One of the most important aspects of the Christian life I learned about in seminary has to do with our freedom in Christ to love and obey God. I'm always thankful to my professor R. Scott Clark for emphasizing the following point, and it's something I wish I had learned as a new Christian.

The point Dr. Clark made to his students is that as Christians we need to distinguish between contingent and consequent duties. When it comes to our salvation in Christ, a contingent duty would be something we need to do to be saved and/or remain saved, whereas a consequent duty is something we need to do because we are saved.

Jesus kept all the contingent duties of God's law on our behalf that we should have kept.

Since Adam's fall in the garden of Eden, there is no path via performing contingent duties to earn eternal life because…