Let us turn to God's Word, and
I recting you for our text this evening to words that are found
in the chapter we read. The first chapter of the general
epistle of James, and there at verse 25. James 1, 25. But whoso looketh into the perfect
law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful
hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in
his deeds." Turning then to this verse, James chapter 1 and verse
25, "...but do so looketh into the perfect Lord of liberty,
and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a
doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his days. I'm sure some of you are aware
that James is somewhat controversial with regards to what he says
concerning the place of works in the life of the believer. Great Protestant Reformer Martin
Luther, champion of course of the blessed truth of the Gospel
that justification is all together in the finished work of the Lord
Jesus Christ justification by faith alone in Christ alone. We're so dismayed at some of
the statements that we find throughout this epistle that Luther was
wont to refer to it as an epistle of straw. He would have taken
it out of the canon of Holy Scripture. But it is part of God's words
and if it's part of God's words it is the same Holy Spirit who
inspired Paul in all of his epistles all those Pauline epistles are
really the word of God so also is this epistle of James and
there can be no contradiction God the Holy Ghost doesn't contradict
himself and so if we want to reject some of the statements
that are being made by James, it must be because we're misunderstanding
what he's really saying. I think one of the best commentaries
I've ever read on James is the remarks that William Huntington
makes in his book, The Light Shining in Darkness, in which
he attempts to address some of these controversial, these apparent
contradictory statements that we find in various parts of the
Word of God and in writing of Paul and James Huntington does
show that they are not really contradicting one another they are complementing one another
and so I want us tonight to turn to this rather controversial
part of God's Word and to try to say something concerning what
James is saying in this verse with regards to the perfect law
of liberty. The perfect law of liberty. Whoso looketh into the perfect
law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful
hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in
his days. First of all to consider what
this law is. And I think we need probably
first of all to say what it is not. To be clear with regards to any
misunderstanding. To think that it is something
and it's not the thing that we imagine it is. First of all I
would say the perfect law of liberty is not the ceremonial
law that we have in the Old Testament think of the book of Leviticus
and the ministry of the Aaronic priests and all the various offerings
and sacrifices and ceremonies that they were to observe there
is a law the Leviticus the Levitical law that governs the worship
of God under the Old Testament. Well, that's not being spoken
of here. It's not that particular law. Clearly not. Many ways,
of course, Leviticus is a gospel book. It's full of types and
figures. The multitude of sacrifices and
offerings. They're all pointing us to Christ
who in the fullness of the time would come as the great antitype
and in him we have the fulfillment. He is really that Lamb of God
slain from the foundation of the world. And when we think of the priest
of Aaron of course there was a sense in which that ministry
was going to pass away. the Aaronic priesthood could
not make anything perfect. And here we read of a perfect
law. A perfect law. Remember how in
writing to the Hebrews Paul really is dealing time and again with
the Old Testament worship of God and showing how that in Christ
we have the fulfillment of all these things. That ministry was
committed to the priest of Aaron, they were of the tribe of Levi,
but the Lord Jesus Christ comes and he's not of the tribe of
Levi, he's of the tribe of Judah. And he's a priest after a different
order. If we turn back to Hebrews, remember
the language that we have there in chapter 7 for example. and verse 17 we are told, God
testifieth thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek
and he says, for there is verily a disannulling of the commandment
going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof
for the law, the Levitical law that governed the priest, the
law made nothing perfect But the bringing in of a better hope
did by the witch withdraw nigh unto God. The blood of bulls
and of goats, the ashes of a heifer and so forth. Not all the blood
on Jewish altars slain could give the guilty conscience peace
or wash away the stain, says Isaac Watts in the hymn. There
was nothing perfect. about that particular law. And in fact in that 7th chapter
of Hebrews the Apostle goes on to point out that the priests
of Aaron would not suffer to continue because of death. A priest, a high priest would
die, another high priest would follow. but what a difference
when we come to consider Christ's priesthood as a priest of the
order of Melchizedek it's an unchangeable priesthood when
that priesthood is settled and established the old is gone the
old is gone the whole worship of the tabernacle there was nothing
permanent about that there's nothing perfect about it. Again,
the language of Paul there, writing in Hebrews chapter 9, he makes
mention in the earlier part of that 9th chapter of the tabernacle
worship and the various furnishings. And then he says this, verse
8, the Holy Ghost is signifying that the way unto the holiest
of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle
was yet standing, which was a figure for the time then present in
which were offered both gifts and sacrifices that could not
make him that did the service perfect as pertaining to the
conscience. There's imperfection really in
that old way, that old covenant. And here we read of something
that is perfect. The perfect law of liberty. It
is clearly Not a reference then to that ceremonial law. But neither
is it a reference to what we often refer to as the moral law.
The law of the Ten Commandments. And again look at the expression
that the Apostle is using. Utho looketh into the perfect
law of liberty, it says. It's a perfect law, it's a law
of liberty. But what are we told concerning
that law that God gave to the children of Israel upon Mount
Sinai, when he brings them out of Egypt, brings them to the
mountains of Horeb and speaks the Ten Commandments, the Ten
Words, there upon the mounts? Well, Paul, writing in Galatians,
says that Mount Sinai gendereth to bondage. nothing of liberty,
man sine I which gendereth to bondage, he says. You see, it's a good law. There's
no imperfection in God's law. The law is holy, the commandment
is holy and just and good. But what is the purpose of the
law? It's to show the man where he is and
what he is. In that sense, Paul writing in 2 Corinthians 3 speaks
of it as a ministration of condemnation and a ministration of death.
He says again, doesn't he, to the Romans, whatever the law
saith, it saith to them who are under the law that every mouth
may be stopped and all the world become guilty before God. All
the world Oh, in that great day, you see,
the end of time, when God is seated upon the white throne,
before Him are gathered the nations, the books are opened, and now
every mouth of man will be stopped, except they be found in the Lord
Jesus Christ. Oh, it condemns the sin of that
law. By the law is the knowledge of sin. Oh, what a law is this! How it condemns men. Even James
says here, "...whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend
in one point, he is guilty of war." That's what the law demands. A complete obedience to all of
its commandments. Not one transgression. Not one
falling short. And that law of course, we know
it's a spiritual law. It's a spiritual law. The Lord
Jesus makes that so plain in his own ministry as we see him
preaching there in the Sermon on the Mount and he's expounding
the law of God. He's not come to destroy the
law, he's come to fulfill it. And what does he say concerning
the commandment? He speaks of the sixth commandment,
thou shalt not kill. And he says there, strangely, that unjustified anger,
it's murder. It's murder. When you're angry with a man,
there's no real cause for it. And he speaks of the seventh
commandment, thou shalt not commit adultery, and he says if you
have a wanton look, a wanton thought, that's a transgression.
Oh, what a law is this! Surely David was conscious of
that in his great penitential psalm. He says, Behold, thou
desirest truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden parts
wilt thou make me to know knowledge, or know wisdom. the hidden parts. God's law has to do with the
hearts of men and surely a man like Saul of Tarsus had to come
to that understanding when he was a Pharisee, the son of a
Pharisee, living the life of a Pharisee and he honestly imagined
that his life was a blameless life because he sought to live
it by all those laws But as he says in the 7th chapter of Romans
how it was the 10th commandment that found him out. Thou shalt
not covet. That's not something one does
outwardly. It's not an action, is it? Covetousness. It's inward,
it's in the heart. It's desire. And his heart was
full of all evil desire, concupiscence. You know the word that we have
in our authorised worship. He came to see that there was
condemnation there through the law of God. No liberty, no liberty
at all. Administration of condemnation,
administration of death to the sinner. We say then that, with
regards to the text, we can see from scripture that it is certainly
not the ceremonial laws contained in the book of Leviticus, all
having to do with the worship of God. Neither is it the law
of the Ten Commandments that God gave there on Mount Sinai. What is it then? I say it is the Gospel. It is
the gospel of the grace of God that's being spoken of by James
in this verse. And think of the words of the
Lord Jesus in the course of his ministry. We have the record
in the fourfold gospel of all that Jesus began both to say
and to teach and to do And there in John 8 and verse 36 he says,
If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. Oh, it's the words of the Lord
Jesus Christ that are a perfect law of liberty. If the Son makes
you free, you're free indeed. What is the context here? Look at the context. It's important,
isn't it? I've announced the text. But
we read through the chapter, and of course we really need
to see the verse just where it's set, and not to tear it away. And so if we go back to what
he says previously here, verse 25, he says, "...lay apart all
filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with
meekness the engrafted words which is able to save your soul." Now, that expression, the engrafted
word, is another way in which we can
describe the Gospel. Various names are given to the
Gospel here in the Word of God. It's the perfect Lord of Liberty,
but in another sense it is the engrafted word which is able
to save the soul. the engrafted or we might render
it the implanted works. It's speaking of an inward ministry. Now, remember the difference between
the Old Covenant, which we have in the Old Testament of course,
the law that was given at Mount Sinai. Remember that and what
we have in the New Testament, which is the good news, the glad
tidings, the gospel of salvation. And one of the key passages in
all the Bible with regards to the difference between those
two covenants is found in what Paul is saying there in the epistles
of the Hebrews. In particular, what he says at
the end of chapter 8. You just turn to that passage
for a while. He's quoting from the Old Testament,
he's quoting from Jeremiah the language of Jeremiah there in
chapter 31 verses 33 and 34. But this is how Paul quotes it
and then remarks under the inspiration of the Spirit. He says in verse
10 of Hebrews 8, this is the covenant that I will make with
the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord, I will
put my laws into their minds. and write them in their hearts,
and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people.
And they shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man
his brother, saying, Know the Lord, for all shall know me from
the least to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their
unrighteousness, and their sins, and their iniquities, will I
remember no more. in that he saith a new covenant
he hath made the first old mark the words, he's quoted God's
word and now in a sense he's expanding what this means in
that he says a new covenant he hath made the first old now that
which is which decayeth and waxeth old is readily to vanish away God's dealings under the gospel
are very different to God's dealings under the law. Surely we recognize
that. When God gave that law, when
He entered into the covenant with the children of Israel,
He wrote the commandments by His own finger on tables of stone. And those tables were kept in
the Ark of the Covenant. and placed in the holy of holies
in the tabernacle and covered with the mercy seat we'll come
to that presently but God wrote his law on tables
of stone but you see what God does under the gospel he writes that law upon fleshy
tables of the heart that's what The Apostle is saying, really,
in 2 Corinthians 3, we can't refer to all these various portions
of Scripture, but I commend that you read that third chapter of
2 Corinthians, where he contrasts the two covenants, the law, the
administration of condemnation and death, and the gospel, the
administration of righteousness and life. and he says there in
that particular chapter where the Spirit of the Lord is there
is Libertine. What does God do? He works in
the soul of the sinner. And this is what's being spoken
of in our text really. Received with meekness He engrafted
the implanted Word which is able to save your soul. Whosoever
looketh into that perfect Law of Libertine and continueth therein,
he being not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the Word, This
man shall be blessed in his days. And these things are all spoken
of in prophecy, aren't they? We often say of the prophet Isaiah
that his book's gospel, it's the gospel in the Old Testament.
There's gospel in the Old Testament, of course there is. There's only
ever been one way of salvation. Salvation is in the Lord Jesus
Christ and those of the Old Testament who were truly the spiritual
Israel of God, they were saved as they were able to discern in all the
ceremonies of the Levitical law, they were able to discern something
of what God was promising to come and save you. The Messiah. Just one way of salvation, but
when we come to the New Testament and Christ has come and accomplished
that great work of redemption. And it's spoken of. Isaiah chapter
2 and verse 3, out of Zion shall go forth the law. Out of Zion, not out of Sinai. What is Isaiah speaking of there
in that second chapter and the third verse? Out of Zion. That's
the gospel. That's the gospel. Remember how
in Hebrews 12 at verse 18 following we have the contrast again between
Mount Sinai and Mount Zion. The law that comes out of Zion
is the gospel. And then again the familiar language
of Isaiah 42, Behold my servant says God, through his servant
the prophet. Behold my servant whom I uphold,
mine elect, in whom my soul delighted I have put my spirit upon him.
He is that one who comes to preach the gospel. And what does he
go on to say later in that chapter? How the isles shall wait for
his law. The isles waiting for his law. What law? The perfect law of
liberty. So we can define here what it
is that's being spoken of in our text. We're not to think
in terms of the ceremonial law because there was nothing perfect
there. It served a purpose. But it was
not enduring. And this is a perfect law. But
neither is this the law of the Ten Commandments. Because it's
a law of liberty. And Sinai, the law given at Sinai
engendereth bondage, not liberty. It is clearly the gospel that's
being spoken of there. But then this question comes
to mind, why call the gospel law? Why call the gospel a law? Isn't that rather confusing? When we think of what the law
is, we think in terms of the The condemnation that comes under
the law, every mouth being stopped, and all men found guilty. The
letter kills, doesn't it? It's a terrible ministration,
not only of condemnation, but also of death. Whereas in contrast,
the Gospel is the ministration of righteousness and life. And we're told also quite clearly
that Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone
that believes. It seems rather strange to find
this sort of language being used. We know also, don't we, that
law and grace are exclusive one of the other. Romans 11, 6, if
by grace, if salvation is by grace, it is no more of works.
Otherwise, says Paul, grace is no more grace. If it's of works,
salvation is of works, it's no more of grace. Otherwise, work
is no more work. They exclude one another. It's
either this way, or it's that way. It's either by grace or it's
by work. So, again we say, isn't there
some confusion if this text is really speaking of the gospel
under the name the perfect law of liberty? Well, when we look more closely
into the text, I think we can answer that question, and dismiss
the idea that there's any confusion. You see, the terms that are being
used, the words that are being used, are those that were inspired
by God the Holy Spirit. And what words are they? Well,
we read of law, we read of work, and we read of deeds or doing. who so looketh into the perfect
law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful
hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in
his deed, or in his doing, as it says in the margin. And again, it helps if we take
account of the context and what's being said, what's said in the
previous verses. Look at what we have from verse
22 following. He says, James says, Be ye doers
of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like
unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass, in a mirror, For he beholdeth himself, and
goeth his way, and straightway forgets what manner of man he
was. He forgets what he is. He's a sinner. But if so, looketh
into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein. Not being
a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, that man's blessed.
And he's blessed in his doing. There is a reason then why these
sort of words are used, because when it comes to the word of
God and the gospel of the grace of God, it's not just a question
of our minds assenting to certain truths. Saving faith is not just
in the head, is it? there were those amongst the
Scotch Baptists who followed the teachings of a man called
Robert Sandeman and that was his concept of faith really that
it's just assenting to certain truths in an intellectual way
so you might find the expression Sandemanianism to describe that
sort of faith, just assent true faith is more than that
and I think here in this text we can learn A couple of things
with regards to this true faith. True faith, it's not just a matter
of the mind and the intellect, it's experimental. It has to
do with the experience. But it's also practical. The
Lord Jesus himself says, by their fruit ye shall know them. Well,
let us consider these two things for a while. First of all I would
say this with regards to those who are hearing the gospel and
he's speaking very much of hearers isn't he? We're not to be hearers
only deceiving our own selves. Where there is a real hearing
of the gospel there's going to be something going on in the
depths of a man's soul that's where the spirit works under
the gospel. How does God work in the soul of the sinner? He
writes his laws upon the hearts of the sinner. That's experience you see. I
know the scriptures are so clear with regards to the objectivity
of faith in a sense. The blessed object of faith is
the Lord Jesus Christ. We're not to be looking to ourselves,
we're to be looking to the Lord Jesus Christ, looking on to Jesus,
the author, the beginner, the finisher of our faith. By grace
are you saved through faith. And that not of yourselves, it
is the gift of God. Faith is God's gift. In Colossians
chapter 2 we read of faith of the operation of God. These are
blessed truths. Blessed Truths. Salvation is
of the Lord. But that doesn't mean that we
just say, well, it's of the Lord, I'll sit back and I'll wait. I can't do anything. It's all
together by the grace of God. And I've just got to be apathetic
in a sense. And sit back and wait and do
nothing. Is that right? Woe to them that are at ease
in Zion, it says. Woe to them. Think of the ministry
of the Lord Jesus. What does the Lord say in His
own ministry? With regards to the straight
gate and the narrow way. Oh, remember His preaching. The
kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, He says. and the violent take
it by force. Again, the words of the Lord,
strive to enter in at the straight gate. Many shall seek to enter
in thereat and shall not be able. Oh, there's violence. There's force, there's striving
to enter in. There's something going on. There's
something going on in the soul, you see. when there's a real
hearing of the words. There's restings in the soul.
There's agonizing in the soul. There's that longing, that yearning. There's that discovering the
impossibility of faith. As God teaches us, what does
he do? He brings us to the end of ourselves.
He turns men to destruction. They can see there's nothing
that they can do, but all they long and they yearn, they cry,
they seek. There's an earnestness. There's
something going on in the depths of a man's soul. Who are these
people who come to saving faith? Aren't they the true Israel of
God? Aren't they spiritual Jews? A Jew is not or circumcision
is not that that is outward in the flesh but circumcision is
that in the heart of the spirit and not of the letter whose praise
is of God and not of men he's a Jew which is one inwardly you
see that's the true Israel of God
and remember how Jacob came to be Israel there in Genesis 32
at Peneo when the angel meets him and
the angel wrestles with him, he's wrestling with the angel and his name is changed he has
power with the angel, he prevails and so Jacob the supplanter,
the man who supplanted his older brother Esau becomes Israel,
a prince with God if we're the true seed of Jacob, the real
spiritual Israel, we'll know, we'll know something surely of
that exercise of Saul. There must be exercise in the
Saul, there's something to be experienced. That's what, that's
what James is saying, "...who so looketh into the perfect law
of liberty, and continueth therein, being not a forgetful hearer,
but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deeds."
But there's also a Another aspect, there must be obedience in life.
As I said, Christ says himself, by their fruit ye shall know
them. And remember what James goes on to say here
in the second chapter. verse 17 there in chapter 2 even
so faith it hath not works is dead being alone yea a man may
say thou hast faith and I have works show me thy faith without
thy works and I will show thee my faith by my works or the believer has a rule to
follow in his life and what is that rule? Well, that rule, ultimately,
of course, is the Gospel. It's the Gospel. And we see it in what the Apostle
says, in Galatians chapter 6, there at
the end of that epistle, where he had much to say, of course,
with regards to to Gospel grace. What does he say? Coming right to the end of the
epistle there in verse 15 of the sixth chapter, "...in Christ
Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision,
but a new creature. And as many as walk according
to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel
of God." What is this rule that he is referring to? It's the gospel, really. It's
the gospel. Now, I've got... I think of the 16th article,
Gospel Standard Articles, our articles, what does it say in
the 16th article? And I think it's put so beautifully.
We believe that the believer's rule of conduct is the gospel
and not the law, commonly called the moral law, issued on Mount
Sinai, which hath no glory no glory in it by reason of the
glory that excelleth. And that's what Paul points out
in 2nd Corinthians 3, the gospel is the glory that excelleth. And then he goes on, or the article
goes on, the gospel contains the sum and substance and glory
of all the laws which God ever promulgated from his throne.
all the laws. So, the Ten Commandments, that's
part of God's laws. But we're not under the Ten Commandments
in a legal sense. We're under them as Christ expounds
them. And as the apostles themselves,
of course, apply those precepts of the Gospel. And you can think
of the way in which Paul does that when he's writing to the
Ephesians. And you know the pattern of his
epistles. Time and again we see this. He
deals with profound doctrine, doesn't he? The first part of
the epistles. Great doctrinal truths. And then as we come towards
the end, we begin to have spelt out the implications. If we really
believe these truths, it's going to affect us in the way we live
our lives. That's what Paul is saying. And
so it is with the epistle to the Ephesians. Look at what he
says at the end of chapter 4. And the motivation! This is a
thing, gospel motivation. He says remarkable things. I won't read too long a passage,
but you can read the portion for yourselves. But reading just
at the end of that fourth chapter and into chapter 5, he says,
"...grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed
unto the day of redemption. These are exhortations, these
are all in the imperative, they are words of command. Let all
bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking
be put away from you with all malice. And be ye kind one to
another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for
Christ's sake has forgiven you. Be ye therefore followers of
God as their children, and walk in love, as Christ also hath
loved us, and hath given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice
to God for a sweet-smelling savour." Here is the motivation, you see.
What has Christ done? Having loved His own which were
in the world, He loves them to the end. Walk in love as Christ
also hath loved us, and given Himself for us an offering and
a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour, but fornication, and
all uncleanness, all covetousness, let it not be once named among
you, as becometh saints, neither filthiness, nor foolish talking,
nor jesting, which are not convenient, but rather giving of thanks."
Or we're to live by the Gospel. What constrains us? The love
of Christ is the great constraining. We're not under law. we're not
under law are we if we're the people of God surely we're under
grace doesn't Paul state it as plain as anything there in Romans
chapter 6 verse 14 sin shall not have dominion
over you for you are not under the law but under grace what
then shall we sin because we're not under the law but under grace
God forbid How can we, if we are the true people of God, the
true Israel of God, if God has dealt with us in our souls and
written his law upon our heart, we love it. We love the Gospel
precepts as much as we love the Gospel promises. Or we want our
lives to be more and more conformed to the Lord Jesus Christ. This is why then The Holy Spirit
through James uses these particular words. He speaks of a law. He speaks of work. He speaks
of doing and deeds. But as we close, as we close,
let me just say a little more about this doing. How do we hear the Word of God?
Are we really hearing the Word of God? If we're really hearing
the Word of God, we'll see the importance of this particular
verse of Scripture. "...whoso looketh into the perfect
law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful
hearer, but a doer of the work, this
man shall be blessed in his deed, in his doing." I want to make
this clear, nothing, nothing is earned by any of our doing. Our diligence in seeking, our
striving to enter in at the straight gates. We don't put God into
our debts in any sense of the word. Any good deeds we do in
our lives because we want to express something of our gratitude
towards God. That doesn't put God into our
debts. We're the ones who are debtors. Debtors to mercy alone. The covenant mercy of seeing. Says Augustus' top lady. Oh,
true. We're the debtors. We're the
debtors. By grace are ye saved through
faith. And that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of
works. Not of works. lest any man should boast, but
we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works." Look at the verse here and here's
the importance you see of taking account of the very words of
Holy Scripture and taking account of the little words the little
words. I remember once at a minister's
conference I can't remember who it was, a man was giving an address
and he said something like this, he says, be careful with the
word of God because the theology, the doctrine, the doctrine is
in the prepositions. Little words. Now look at the
words here. What does it say at the end? This man shall be blessed It
doesn't say for his deeds. It doesn't say that, does it? This man shall be blessed in
his deeds. This man shall be blessed in
what he's doing. Now what is the man doing? Well,
he's looking into the perfect Lord of Liberty. That's what
it says, that's the deed, "...whoso looketh into the perfect law
of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer,
but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed."
He's looking into, he's continuing really in the Gospel, that's
what it's saying. We come, we hear the Word of
God, we hear the Gospel, do we go away and then forget all that
we've heard? It's all gone. Or do we want
to continue in these things? This that he is doing at the
beginning of the verse, he looketh into the perfect Lord of liberty. Now, Thomas Manton, one of the Puritans,
has a full commentary on the book of James, a very good commentary.
Certainly, one of the best of all the commentaries. And the
remark that the Puritan makes here with regards to this opening
statement, looking into the perfect law of liberty, he says that
this is an allusion to the cherubim and their faces towards the mercy
seat. Remember Exodus 25. I said earlier,
there we have it, the Ark of the Covenant, the Ten Commandments
in that chest, made of shitting wood overlaid with gold, and
atop the mercy seat. And on each end of the mercy
seat, figures of the angels and their faces toward the mercy
seat. They're looking into the mercy
seat. And what is the mercy seat? Oh, what a remarkable, wonderful
type of the Lord Jesus Christ. It was there, of course, on the
great day of atonement in Leviticus 16, there in the Holy of Holies
that the high priest took the blood of sacrifice and sprinkled
it before the mercy seat upon the mercy seat. Atonement being
made for the children of Israel. And the angels looking into these
things. Doesn't Peter also allude to
these things there in 1 Peter 1 and verse 12, which things
the angels desire to look into? Well, the angels have no interest
in salvation for themselves. They're elect angels, they never
fell, they never needed salvation. Those angels that fell, no provision
was ever made for them. But in the wonder of wonders,
God made provision for fallen sinners of mankind. The Lord
Jesus, who is a... He's God's. manifest in the flesh
he made himself a little lower than the angels for the suffering
of death? or do we desire to look into
these things? this gospel we love it, we want
to look into it we want to know more about it We want to live
by it. That's all that James is saying
here. He's not contradicting anything that Paul says, at all.
But he's teaching us, really, that if we're those who are really
hearers of the Word, it will mean something. Be you doers
of the Word, not hearers only deceiving your own selves. There'll
be all that exercise in our souls. There'll be real spiritual desires,
hungerings, thirstings. There'll be that desire to live
by the Gospel. We're not to go our way and forget
what manner of men and women we are. Oh God help us then to
take heed, to take heed to His words in the day of grace, to
be those who do the very thing that the text speak of. because
this is the blessed man or this is the blessed man might it be
might it be your portion might it be my portion easy enough
in some ways to to speak of these things or to live these things
that's a different matter altogether isn't it? but whoso looketh into
the perfect law of liberty and continueth therein he being not
a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this man shall be
blessed in his deed." The Lord bless his word to us. Amen.