Okay, if you wish to follow along
turd again to Galatians chapter 3 Galatians chapter 3 I will read
the two verses that I actually read last week, but I will back
up just a little for the since of the context at least the immediate
context of Where I'm going to get my title from this morning
I want to read Galatians chapter three, and I'll start in verse
21. Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid. For if there had been a law given
which could have given life, verily righteousness should have
been by the law. But the scripture hath concluded
all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might
be given to them that believe. But before faith came, we were
kept under the law, shut up under the faith which should afterwards
be revealed. Wherefore, the law was our schoolmaster
unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after
that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. My title for this morning is
found pretty much directly from the text. It is this, the law
was, and I emphasize that word, the law was our schoolmaster. Now, it is sad that I have to
say this, but the legalist cannot be content with God using the
law as a means to expose sin. The legalist cannot be content
with God using the law as a means to kill and condemn the conscience
and bring one to know the bondage of our unbelieving flesh. That's
what the law does. The law cannot condemn the believer. The law condemns the believer's
flesh. Do you note that now? The law
does not condemn the believer. The law condemns the believer's
flesh. No, it's even more than that. It's more serious than that for
the legalist. The legalist must, they feel compelled to do so,
and you can just tell by the way they speak to people. The
legalist must press the law into the lives of spirit-regenerated
and gospel-converted people. Apostle, our brother the Apostle
Paul rejects such a tactic. And I'll read the verses again.
Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster. You see it? Remember that the
law was our schoolmaster unto Christ that we might be justified
by faith. But after that faith is come,
we are no longer under a schoolmaster. But it's even deeper than that.
Such a tactic as the legalists use, such tactics as they use,
I should rather say, whether it's those who preach it or those
who believe what they say, because let us remember that if you believe
error, excuse me, if error's being preached and you believe
the error, you will suffer the consequences of the error. Listen to how Paul puts it in
chapter four of this same letter, and I want to read several verses. But listen to how the apostle
Paul puts it in Galatians chapter four, and I'll begin in verse
21. Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law. So when he
says we're not under the schoolmaster, it means we're not under the
law. But he says, tell me, ye that desire to be under the law,
do you not hear the law? For it is written that Abraham
had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a free woman. But
he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh. But he
of the free woman was by promise, which things are an allegory,
or we can say an illustration, a metaphor of a deeper, more
profound truth. which things are an allegory,
for these are the two covenants, the one from Mount Sinai, and
of course, you know this, that's the law, the one from Mount Sinai
which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar, that is, Agar represents
that. for this Agar, is Mount Sinai
in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem, which now is, and is in bondage,
now listen, and is in bondage with her children. So every person
who is a child, put that in quotes, who is a child of the law is
under what? Bondage, okay? And is in bondage
with her children. But it's even worse than that. But Jerusalem, which is above,
is free, which is the mother of us all. Of course, that is
referring to believers. For it is written, rejoice thou
barren that bearest not. Break forth and cry thou that
trevellest not. For the desolate hath many more
children than thee, she which hath a husband. And God willing,
we'll deal with this in more detail later. But we, brethren,
as Isaac was, are the children of promise. were not under any
kind of law, were under promise. But now look at it. But as then,
he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born
after the spirit, even so it is now. Nevertheless, what saith
the scripture? Now think about this. Cast out
the bond woman and her son. So everyone whose salvation,
again, put that in quotes, rests upon and in and under the law
is not only under bondage, they're what? To be what? Cast out. That's what God said. This is
not my take. This is not a Calvinistic take.
This is not, well, dare I say, this is not an antinomian's take. This is the take of God Almighty.
Nevertheless, what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman
and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with
the son of the free woman. So then, brethren, we are not
the children of the bondwoman, but of the free. That sounds
pretty serious, doesn't it? That sounds pretty serious. So
then I have just two thoughts for this morning. First of all,
what I want to look at, and I'll give you the two thoughts first,
and then we'll go back and we'll look at it. How was, was the law our
schoolmaster? We seen the schoolmaster defined
last time, but now what I want to look at is how was the law
our schoolmaster? That's the first thought for
this morning. Here's the second thought for this morning. After
faith comes, after faith comes, We now see the law in new light. We don't despise God's law. We're
not trying to break God's law since we're not under God's law.
But we see the law in a whole new light now. And we'll look
at that later. But before I go into those things,
let me give you one other thing as just a little foundation.
Though the apostle Paul, our brother, has clearly written
under the inspiration of the spirit of God, Wherefore, the
law was our schoolmaster. This does not mean that at one
time the law was certain other, it did used to be a schoolmaster,
but it was not everything else. In other words, what I mean by
that, the law Never was our justification before God. You see, I was taught
this when I was young. I was in that thing called hyper-dispens,
or they didn't call themselves hyper, but dispensationalism,
to where God saved different people in different ways, in
different dispensations. And I was actually taught that
the Jews were saved by keeping the law. And it's just not so. The law was our schoolmaster,
but the law never was our justification. Paul made it clear, did he not,
in verse 11 of our same chapter, chapter three, but that no man
is justified by the law in the sight of God. It is evident,
and he quotes now from what? A man who was under the Old Testament
law, under that dispensation, and that man wrote what? The
just shall live by faith. So again, Though the scripture
does say the law was our schoolmaster, that is not an indication at
one time it was our justification. Grace is not an easier way. Grace
is the only way. The promise is not just an easier
way, the promise has been and always will be the only way. Again, I will say even further,
never was the law our righteousness before God. Now we may have thought
it was righteousness, We may have thought it gave us righteousness
before God, but the law never was our righteousness before
God. So what I'm trying to emphasize
to us this morning is though it says the law was our schoolmaster,
it simply means this. It's no longer the schoolmaster,
but it doesn't mean that it was these other things beforehand.
I will go even on, go so far as to say the law never was our
sanctification before God. because clearly, as we will probably
see a little later in this message, perfection and sanctification,
according to Hebrews 10, go hand in hand, right? It says that
Jesus Christ sanctified those for whom he died. And he said
he perfected forever them that are sanctified. It boggles my
mind that you have a group of people that claim to believe
the word of God and they can talk about a people who believe
being fully righteous in God's sight and then somehow say that
they're not then fully sanctified. How can you not be fully sanctified
and be right? if sanctification is something
you're supposed to have. Do you understand even the logic
of such a thing? How can you be perfected and
not be sanctified? How can you be sanctified and
not be perfected? How can you be righteous and
not be perfected? How can you be righteous and
not be sanctified? Since perfection and sanctification
and righteousness all go hand in hand. Having stated that,
I just want to make sure that no one misunderstands what I'm
saying or misunderstood what Paul was saying. When he says,
wherefore the law was our schoolmaster, it means this. It is no longer
our schoolmaster, but it never was our righteousness. It never
was our justification. It never was our sanctification,
never. So again, back to the question.
How was the law our schoolmaster? I'll give you just three things.
First of all, It's in the in the English. It could be translated
a pedagogue and I'm not gonna try to pronounce the Greek word,
but the Greek word is pronounced very similar to that. But here's
what it means an instructor who educated young male children
and The whole point that most people miss about a pedagogue
about a schoolmaster that the schoolmaster was always I emphasize
this. This is why Paul uses the word
pedagogue, and we have it translated in the KJV as schoolmaster. A
schoolmaster by nature, by its very be, by its very definition,
is temporary. See, that's it. That's the whole
reason Paul used that word pedagogue, is that it's temporary. As I
remember, I stressed this last week. You don't take how men
define the word schoolmaster, whether it was hundreds of years
ago, or just a hundred years ago, or whether it's today. And they define a schoolmaster
as this, and then say the law was this. The law is the schoolmaster
only in the sense in which the scripture says it is the schoolmaster. For instance, a schoolmaster
had the job of training up children and teaching them, as we would
say, what is it, your ABCs and your one, two, threes, right?
But the law don't teach you your ABCs and your one, two, threes
in grace. Only God's grace can teach you
what grace is. So what I'm saying that the word
used, pedagogue, and translated as we have it, which is fine,
schoolmaster, is for this emphasis. It was always designed to be
temporary. And Paul actually points this
out. It's temporary by default. Look at chapter three. Again,
verse 19, wherefore then serveth the law. It was added because
of transgressions till the seed should come. Do you see that? Now granted, I emphasize this,
that Christ only kept the law for his people. He did not keep
it for the whole world universally, but yet the law was still temporary
on behalf of those who were under the pedagogue, okay? Till Christ
should come. Again, I read our text, verse
23, 24, 25. But before faith came, we were
kept under the law, shut up under the faith, which should afterwards
be revealed. And that's profound in and of
itself. It lets us know, Jack, it lets
me know that one day, individually, in each one of God's dear elect
people, God will reveal faith in them. You see that? shut up
unto the faith, that is, they were shut up unto the faith,
which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore, the law was our schoolmaster
unto Christ, that we might be justified, how? By faith. But after that faith has come,
we are no longer under the schoolmaster. And then one more passage, chapter
four, look at it. Chapter four, and let me get
my bearings here. Chapter four, just a few verses
there. The first seven verses. Now I say that the heir, and
I'm not gonna do a lot of explaining here because we'll, God willing,
look at this later, but we'll just look at it, I'll make a
few statements. Now this I say, that the heir, as long as he
is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be
Lord of all. Now I think everyone here probably
knows what they're saying, but let me try to give an example.
You have a master, a man who owns a great farm, a big piece
of land and has cattle and whatever else on it, and this master has
children. These children are put under
the pedagogue, the schoolmaster, these tutors and governors, and
it's their job to train that young heir to the master's fortune
up, and that heir is treated in his schooling just like the
servants of his master, though he, that heir, is over every
one of those servants. He's treated just like everyone
else. But look, but is under tutors
and governors. Here's the point of the schoolmaster
that Paul was using. Nothing more but certainly nothing
less. Here's the whole point of it,
until the time appointed of the father. Now, Jack, in our day,
the government says your children needs to go to school from about
this age up until about this age, or at least from this year
of school to about this year of school. Back then, there was
no such laws and rules. The master, the owner, he determined
how long his children would be under that tutor and that governor.
And that's the whole point Paul's making. This child, the heir,
as long as he is a child, differs nothing from a servant, though
he be Lord of all, but is under tutors and governors until the
time appointed of the father. Even so, We, do you see it? Even so we, when we were children. Now, here's the glorious point. Tommy, I was taught this when
I was very young and in the Association of Regular Baptists, but they
never pointed out that Paul was saying that we were the children
of God before we ever, we were heirs of God before we were ever
brought out from under the schoolmaster. Before we ever even had faith,
we were still the children of God. Even so, we, when we were
children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. But
when the fullness of the time was come, and notice he doesn't
start here when faith was revealed. But when Christ came, do you
see that? Why? Because even our faith has
value only because it's the faith of Jesus Christ. But when the
fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his son, made
of a woman, made under the law, for what purpose? To redeem them
that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption
of sons. And in, Roman times, adoption
was not considered as we think of adoption. Now see, this is
what I was taught. You start out as a child of the
devil, and then whenever you believe, whenever you make your
decision, when you pray the prayer, when you ask God to save you,
when you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, then you're adopted
into God's family. That's not the sense of adoption
in Roman times. This child was an heir even when
he was just a little fella. The adoption is when that pedagogue's
time was done, and this person, this young person, come of what
they would call full age. And we have it, it's put this
way. And I'll read it the way it actually
says it. According, has he, that is God
the Father, according as he has chosen us in Christ before the
foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without
blame before him in love, having predestinated us unto the adoption
of, and the word is, sons. We've always been the children
of God. Yeah, we just didn't know it.
We could care less about it. But we've always been the children
of God, but there comes a time when the adoption takes place. And some have put it this way,
and I don't see any problem with it. We come in as full-fledged
sons, having a right to everything that we were heir to before the
foundation of the world. Having predestinated us, in the
KJV puts it, unto the adoption of children, but it should be
better. It's better to the adoption of
sons by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure
of his will. So it goes on. But when the fullness of the
time was come, God sent forth his son, made of a woman, made
under the law to redeem them that were under the law, look
at it, that we might receive the adoption of, and here it's
translated properly, what? Sons. Sons, do you see it? And because ye are sons, God
has sent forth the spirit of his son into your hearts, crying,
Abba, Father. Wherefore, do you see it? Wherefore. Now you remember what I said
a few weeks ago, the law was temporary until Christ fulfilled
it. but he only fulfilled it for
God's people. But we were still under his bondage, even though
he had fulfilled it, Ellen, for us. But there was a time when
we were to receive that full fledge of sonship. And that's
what Paul is talking about here. Wherefore, thou art no more a
servant, but a son. And if a son, then an heir of
God through Christ. So that's the first thing. The
law was our schoolmaster by its very default points out the fact
that it was always designed to be temporary. I was taught when
I was young. I made a profession. I don't
know how old I was, five or six years old. as they taught me
throughout Sunday school. Well, of course, it was like
most traditional Sunday schools. You were in a certain age class,
and then as you got a little older, then they would give you
a little more in-depth detail as they would talk about it,
as they would mention it. They didn't mind talking about
when the fullness of the time was come. that there was a specific
time for Christ to die on that tree, to come into this world,
to die on that tree, to be buried, to raise again, to go back to
glory, but they never did ever talk about a specific time when
faith was supposed to be given, revealed, and God's people blessed
with it. Never did, because they believed
God wanted everybody to be saved. They taught me God wants everyone
to be saved, but that is not the truth of a school pastor.
The truth of the schoolmasters, everybody may have been under
the tutor and governor, but it was temporary for who? The heir,
the heir. So that's the first point. How
was the law our schoolmaster? It was our schoolmaster only
in a temporary capacity. If anybody teaches you anything
more than a temporary capacity of the law, they are a legalist. I don't care how well they speak
about Jesus Christ. These legalists that were distorting
the truth to the churches of Galatia were not denying the
truth of God's free reigning grace. Pam, they weren't Armenians
even. They weren't free willers. They
testified and believed in free sovereign grace, but they were
trying to put believers back under the schoolmaster, back
under the pedagogue, and the whole point of the pedagogue
for the heir is that the heir was under the schoolmaster temporarily
only. Why? Because it's appointed of
the father to be that. There's number two. The schoolmaster,
and this has been true of no matter what age, when you talk
about a pedagogue or a schoolmaster, schoolmasters were sometimes
associated with what? Strictness and severity. I mean, you know, I had a school
teacher, not quite the same thing as the old pedagogue, the schoolmaster,
but I had a school teacher, and when I was in the first, I mean
the first grade, now this was part of my training. and you
had your little desk, and if you're sitting there and you
had them hands up on the front of that desk, and you were turned around
talking to someone else when you weren't supposed to be, she
had a ruler in her hand. Well, pardon me, she had a yardstick
in her, it wasn't a little ruler. You know what she'd do? She'd
come down across them hands. Now it was with the flat part,
but that still didn't make it feel a lot better. Strict, severe,
why? because even as the children
of God, when we're in the flesh, we are rebellious. And my brothers
and sisters, the law is strict. The law does not request we try
our best. The law demands perfection. Thou shalt not rebel. or thou shout, okay? So sometimes it was associated
with strictness and severity, and often with detailed instruction. And of course, Paul refers to
that when he says these words. It's right there in our chapter.
Verse 10, for as many as are of the works of the law are under
the what? The whacking of the fingers,
do you see it? Are under the curse, for it is written Why is it, I know why it is,
you know why, why is it that men and women profess to be Christians
will hear the law over and over and over again and they think
they're pretty good folk? When the law says this, cursed
is everyone. So that includes how many? Everyone. Cursed is everyone that continueth
not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do
them. If you read the law, any part
of the law, any singular commandment of the law, and you think, I've
done pretty good, you're not understanding the true depth
of that law. You don't understand for sure
that that law, or no, that commandment, I'm sorry, that one singular
commandment is connected to a greater whole and is one law. And I read it last week. James
says if you offend in one point, you're guilty of all because
you've broken the law. The law. I dare say that there
were probably some people, and I don't remember this. Like I
said, it was the first grade. You may not even had to be doing
this and talking. You may have just been looking
back and not watching what was going on in the class. You may
have still got your fingers whacked. I mean, you stated as clearly
as it could possibly be humanly stated, and yet the natural man
still doesn't get the concept that if you don't do all the
law from start to finish in your whole life, you're under the
curse. And that's what the law teaches me. Jack, I'm bad. I can't do it. But the law don't
teach me how bad I am. You know why? Because I don't
understand how bad I am. Tommy pointed out something last
Sunday. We were made sinners before we ever even existed. We understand that, right? Let
me read that to you. That's a part of this. This part
here, think about it. Romans, you know the passage,
of course. Romans chapter five and verse 19, for as by one man's
disobedience, many were what? Made sinners. So I was a sinner
when I was still in my mother's womb. No, Jack, I was a sinner
before I was ever conceived by my mother and my father because
I was made to be one through one man's disobedience. So the law didn't even teach
me that, did it? You know what teaches you that? Grace teaches
you that. Only grace can cause you to see I'm an enemy of God. And Earl illustrated it. Let
me hold my spot. Earl illustrated it years ago
this way, and I know it won't be exactly as he stated it, but
I do remember the gist of it. When you had America and Germany
at war, okay? You had America and Germany at
war. If you were born in Germany and
you're just a little fella, well, a little lat baby, you know what
that makes you concerning America? An enemy. You're an enemy by
default. You don't have to do something
bad to become an enemy. You're an enemy because of your
association with the people you're born from. People understand that. But they
do not understand, for as by one man's disobedience many were
made sinners. And they actually think if I
could just quit sinning, that they're no longer sinners, but
you were a sinner before you ever did anything wrong. We do
what we do wrong because of what we are. We don't become what
we are because of what we do. The law never taught us that. The only thing that teaches us
how bad we really are as sinners is to see what God did to his
son when he was made to be sin and he hung on that tree. He
turned his back, Jack, even on the son who never did anything
wrong. Wait, who did everything right? And yet when our sins were laid
on him, God the Father forsook him, turned his back on him.
The very fact of a pedagogue is intended to mean it's what?
Temporary. It's associated with strictness
and severity and detailed instruction. And is not the law quite detailed? I mean, it has far more to do
than what they used to tell us in Sunday school, when I don't
cuss. Right? Don't use the Lord's name in
vain and don't say gosh. Now I'm not saying you ought
to say gosh, but that was the kind of instruction. Which is
what the law says, thou shalt not use the Lord thy God's name
in vain. For any other reason than to
praise him and honor him and glorify him. Here's number three,
by God's work. Now listen to me, and this is
Is it just something that as long as they may be religious,
they may be Calvinistic, they may be sincere, they may be very
upright moral people as far as compared to other people. But
God's work, not our law preaching. Listen to me, this is the third
point. God's, by, I don't know if I
said that right, by God's work, not our law preaching. God uses
the law to expose sin. I can preach, Tommy, I can preach
and preach and preach and preach the law till God gives you spiritual
life while you're nothing but in the flesh, while you're unregenerate,
you will misconstrue and misunderstand that law and what it's truly
teaching you. It's teaching you you're dead
in trespasses and sins. It's teaching you that your best
deeds are altogether filthy rags in his sight. It's teaching you
if you don't do it all, you're not right in God's sight. How
do I know that? Because Christ told a rich young
ruler, that's what it calls him, a rich young ruler. He said,
keep the commandments. He said, well, which? And he
gave him some. He said, well, I've done that
from my youth up. He's lying like a dog. But we've
convinced ourselves that we have. He believed it. He was, you couldn't,
Ellen, you couldn't have persuaded that rich young ruler that he
was a bad person. And I'm sure he was a very moral
person. But one thing was his problem.
He loved his riches. Then Christ gave him a commandment
that's not in the law. Here's your one. Will you go
sell all that you have? Give it to the poor. Now, had
he stopped there, a great humanitarian heart may say, oh, I can do that. But he said, you go sell all
you have, give it to the poor, take up your cross, and follow
me. There was the sticking point,
because he thought himself to be equal with Christ, because
he called Christ the good master. Isn't that how he started it?
Good master, what good thing might I do that I might inherit
eternal life? Christ didn't even deal with
that to start with. He said, why do you call me good? There's one good, but God. So
he'd already told him you're not good. Only God's good, and
if you're calling me good, guess who you're really saying I am?
God. But that man thought he was on
equal planes with Jesus Christ. I'm good, you're good, why do
I need to follow you? Maybe you could follow me. You
see, there is no end to the depth of our depravity. We will take
our best deeds and think God's supposed to appreciate it. Yeah,
you heard what I said? Just appreciate it. And God won't
have it. Again, I quote, that even our
righteousnesses are as filthy rags in God's sight. So there's three things that
we can say how the law was our schoolmaster, but here's the
second thing. After faith comes, we see the law in a new light,
and we do so at least four ways. And I'm not gonna have time to,
I spent too much time on that one. We see the law in new light. Here's at least four different
ways. Turn to Hebrews 4. I do want to at least read some
of this. I may not have time to deal with
all of these verses that I'm going to refer to in much detail,
but I want us to at least read them concerning these four things. Remember, after faith comes,
we then see the law in new light, and we do so in four ways. In
other words, we see the gospel as paramount. That's after faith
comes now, not before faith comes. Before faith comes, we may see
the law and the gospel jacked just on equal planes. And is
that not what the legalist does? Yes, you must have the gospel,
but you equally need the law as well, right? You see, it's
not even on two different planes. Once faith has come, we're no
longer under the schoolmaster. You see that? There's only one
now, it's grace. It's promise, that's it. We see
the gospel as paramount. We see it as paramount to us. Ah, but we see it as paramount
to those who were even under the law in the legal dispensation. Look at Hebrews four. Let us
therefore fear, lest a promise being left us of entering into
his rest. Any of you should seem to come
short of it, for unto us was the gospel preached as well as
unto, who? Them, them. Now before I go any
further, let me say this. Henry May had made a statement,
and I heard it years ago. Jack, I knew it was true, but
I really didn't get it. He said, those people didn't
die. Remember, I don't have time to go through it all. Those people's
carcasses, this book says, fell in the wilderness. Why? Because
they worshiped the calf down there at the bottom of the mountain? No. Because of what? Unbelief. You see it? That's what it says,
look. For unto us was the gospel preached
as well as unto them, but, look at it, but the word preached
did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that
heard it. Their problem wasn't the golden
calf, it was themselves. It was their rebellion of unbelief,
you see it? For we which have believed do,
not shall. Now, a lot of people read this
and think of that rest. They realize it's not the seventh
day of the week rest. They realize it's talking about
a greater rest, a different rest, but they'll talk about entering
heaven. That's certainly true, but that's
not the context. Look, for we which have believed
do enter into rest, as he said, as I have sworn in my wrath,
if they shall enter into my rest, although the works were finished
from the foundation of the world. For he spake in a certain place
on the seventh day of this wise, and God did rest the seventh
day from his works. And in this place again, if they
shall enter into my rest, seeing, therefore it remaineth that some,"
what? Oh, here's the glory though.
Some must enter. Do you see it? They're in. Somebody's got to, Katie. They
got to enter in, you see it? Seeing therefore it remaineth
that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first
preached enter not in because of what? Remember what I told
you, it's been weeks ago, but I've kind of reiterated it over
and over and over again. The one sin that we're all guilty
of is what? Unbelief. We're not all murderers. We're not all adulterers. You
know, we're not all drunks. We're not all using the Lord's
name in vain. I mean, Tommy, I was brought
up where that was taboo. You know, you just, if you use
the Lord's name in vain in company, somebody would whack you. I mean,
you get a whooping. You know, not everybody has committed
every sin except one. What's that? Unbelief. So then
what is it that the Holy Spirit must convince us of when he has
come? Of sin, why? Because ye believe
not on me, Christ said. And again, he said, in this place,
if they shall enter in, seeing therefore it remaineth that some
must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached
enter not in because of unbelief. Again, he limiteth a certain
day, saying in David, today, after so long a time, as it is
said, today, if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. And if you read this whole book,
this hardness of heart comes from what? Unbelief. So that's the first thing. How
do we see the law once faith has come? Even those under it,
their problem wasn't law keeping, it was what? Not believing the
gospel. That's what it says right here.
Here's the second thought. The second way we see the law
in new light. Turn to Hebrews chapter seven. We see, now I've mentioned this
before, I mentioned this last week, I've kind of mentioned
it a little sporadically as we begin to look at the context
of Galatians 3 where we're at now. We see even the worship
and the representation of the people under the law was superseded
by a superior and preceding priesthood. I mean, I state this over and over
and over again. I believe you have it here, I
believe you see it here, but I know everybody out there don't, that law keeping, when you were
even keeping the law, when you were offering the sacrifices,
when the high priest was standing in your stead, it still never,
ever took away one sin. Obedience to the law never saved
one person. It never took away one sin. It never kept somebody from sinning. Never kept somebody from sinning. Here's the passage. Hebrews chapter
seven. Let me begin for the sake of
time in verse 11. If therefore perfection were by the Levitical
priesthood, the whole point is it was not. The Levitical priesthood
never brought perfection. Look, for under it, the people
received what? The law. You see it? The law. What further need was there that
another priest should rise after the order of Melchizedek? And
remember, Melchizedek preceded the law. Melchizedek was in Abraham's
time, not under the legal dispensation. There was a high priest named
Melchizedek when Abraham was alive. What further need was there that
another priest should rise after the order of Melchizedek and
not be called after the order of Aaron? For the priesthood
being changed, and as I pointed out last week, that doesn't mean
God changed the law. It means the priesthood, every
time the high priest died, they had to appoint what? Another
one. Every time the lower priest died, they had to appoint what?
Other priests. So it says this. For the priesthood
being changed, there is made of necessity, now here's where
he actually says it, a change also of the law. For he to whom these things are
spoken, that's Jesus Christ, pertaineth to another tribe,
of which no man gave attendance at the altar. For it is evident
that our Lord sprang out of Judah, of which tribe Moses spake nothing
concerning priesthood. And yet it's far more evident
for that." See, that's why when people argue from the law, They're
arguing from the wrong position, from the wrong place. It's not
the foundation. You start your argument, if you
will, from the promise, from grace, from eternal mercy in
Christ Jesus. If you start your arguments there,
Jack, you're on solid ground. If you start your arguments from
the law, you're under an unperfected starting point. That's the whole
point he's making. And yet it's far more evident
for after that the similitude of Melchizedek, there ariseth
another priest who is made not after the law of a carnal commandment,
but after the power of an endless life. For he testifieth thou,
that is the Messiah, that's who he's speaking of, thou art a
priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. For there is
truly or verily Now look at what it says. I didn't write this.
I am quoting the King James translation of what Paul, or whoever it was
that wrote Hebrews, wrote down when they said, listen, let me
read it again. For there is verily a disannulling. Now somebody says, Well, let
me read it now. There's a disannulling of the
commandment going before for the weakness and profit of unprofitableness
thereof for the, and I know people say, well, that's just the sacrifices.
That all was a hole. Well, Christ took care of the
sacrifices, but you're still to love your neighbor as yourself.
Yes, you're supposed to, but you don't. You never have. Right? And look, for the law
made nothing perfect. And I'll show you that, I'll
show you that the commandments themselves, the thou shalt nots
and the thou shalts are included in what Christ done away with.
I'll show you that. For the law made, how much perfect? Nothing. Even back then. And Christ didn't die so then
the law could do its job. Christ did the work because we
couldn't do it under the law. For the law made nothing perfect.
Oh, but here it is. But the bringing in of a better
hope did, by the which we draw nigh unto God. So when you get ready to approach
God, where should you leave the law? Way back yonder. You see it? Don't approach God
in the law. All you'll find is cursing, and
lightning, and thunder, and severity, and wrath. Approach him how? Look. And inasmuch as not without
an oath he was made priest, for those priests were made without
an oath, but this with an oath by him that said, the Lord swear
and will not repent, thou art a priest forever after the order
of Melchizedek, by so much was Jesus made the surety of a better
testament. So if you have something that's
better, why would you ever want to be under what was not better? Huh? The only possible reason
is you really don't believe that he's better. That's the only
other possibility. You may not say it with your
mouth. You might not even be really conscious of it in your
outward consciousness, but subconsciously, you don't really think Christ
alone is enough. That's what it boils down to.
And you know what the scripture calls that? Well, we mentioned
before, unbelief in him. That's what it boils down to.
That's number two. But as I said, I'll show you the commandments
that thou shalt not and thou shalt are all connected. Here's
number three. We see the law, now listen to me, we see the
law for its gospel example and shadow and figure of the true. Right now, still in Hebrews,
look at chapter eight. I know I'm getting a little long
this morning. Hebrews chapter eight, just the first six verses.
Now with the things which we have spoken, this is the sum.
So we can kind of, Jack, figure that from chapter one all the
way up to chapter seven, we're gonna get a summary thus far,
right? Isn't that what he's saying? Now the things which we have
spoken, this is the sum. We have such a high priest, we
have one, okay? We have one who is set on the
right hand of the throne of the majesty in the heavens, a minister
of the sanctuary and the true tabernacle which the Lord pitched
in not man. for every high priest is ordained
to offer gifts and sacrifices, wherefore it is of necessity
that this man have somewhat also to offer, for if he were on the
earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests
that offer gifts according to the law, who serve, now look
at it, who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things. So what's he saying? Those things,
all of those, that priesthood, that Levitical order is a shadow
or example of what? Heavenly things, right? As Moses
was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle,
foresee, saith he, that they'll make all things according to,
now here it is, the pattern. See, this is what people don't
get. God showed Moses who Jesus Christ was and what he would
do when he was on that mount and says, now here's the way
you portray it when you go back down the mountain. That's what
he's saying there. That word there, pattern, means
the tie cast, the original thing. Do you see it? And what's the
law? It's the stamp that the original
thing leaves. You see it? It's not the thing
itself, Jack, but it's the stamp that it leaves. Look, make it
according to the pattern, all things according to the pattern,
showed thee in the mouth, but now he hath obtained a more excellent
ministry by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant,
which is established upon better promises. For if the first covenant
had been what? Faultless. So what's the clear
implication? The first covenant was what?
Faulty. Isn't that what it says? The
first covenant was faulty. Now I know some people say, well,
that's just the sacrifices. Just hang tight. For if the first
covenant had been faultless, there should no place have been
sought for the second for finding fault with, what's the problem?
The people that that first covenant dealt with. For finding fault
with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord,
when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and
with the house of Jacob, not according to the covenant that
I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the
hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, because they continued
not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. For
this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel
after those days, saith the Lord. I will put my laws where? In
their heart and mind. It's in here. We love it where?
In here in the new man. Not in the flesh. We love it
in the new man. As a matter of fact, Romans,
in Romans chapter eight, the apostle Paul puts it this way,
that if we're in Christ Jesus, the law is fulfilled in us. Never by us, but it's fulfilled
where? In us. In us. Let me read on.
For 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 mind and I will 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, saying, know the Lord, for they
shall all know me from the least to the greatest, for I will be
merciful to their unrighteousness and their sins and iniquities
while I remember no more, in that he saith a new covenant,
When was the first one made old? When soon as God said there's
a new one. That's what it says. In that he saith a new covenant,
he hath made the first old, now that which decayeth and waxeth
old is ready to what? Vanish away. And we can say this
now, in 70 AD, it did. The temple, everything, all the
sacrifices, they've never been truly offered according to the
law again. Now, as I said, some folks say,
well, that's just the Levitical priesthood, the sacrifices. All
right, look at chapter nine, verse six. Chapter nine, verse
six. Okay, now when these things were
thus ordained, the priest went always into the first tabernacle,
accomplishing the service of God, but into the second went
the high priest alone, once every year, not without blood, which
he offered for himself and for the errors of the people. The
Holy Ghost thus signifying that the way into the holiest of all
was not yet made manifest while as the first tabernacle was yet
standing, which was a what? a figure, see it, a figure for
the time and present in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices
that could not make him that did the service perfect as pertained
to conscience. And I know we're still dealing
with those sacrifices, that Levitical priesthood, I know that, which
stood in, but I'm trying to emphasize, it keeps calling it what? Types.
figures, shadows, examples, right? Which stood only in meats and
drinks and different washings and cardinal ordinances imposed
upon them until the time of reformation, as to the time when Jesus Christ
died on Calvary's cross. But Christ, being coming high
priest of good things to come, By a greater and more perfect
tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building,
neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood
he entered at once into the holy place, having obtained eternal
redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and
goats and ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean sanctify
to the purifying of the what? The body, the flesh. How much
more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit
offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience
from what? Dead works. What's a dead work?
Any work you do trying to gain God's favor. That's what it boils
down to. Any work you do trying to gain
God's favor, and for this cause, he is the mediator of a new testament
that by means of death for the redemption of the transgressions,
Now look at it, for the what? For the transgressions, that's
not just not offering a sacrifice, that's breaking the law. For the transgressions that were
under the first covenant testament, they which are called might receive
the promise of eternal inheritance. For where a testament is, there
must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a
testament is a force after men are dead, otherwise it is no
strength at all when the testator liveth. Let me sum this part
up. Christ not only came to do the will of the Father, but he
died to ratify that will, but he's now living to see that that
will is carried out. You and I make a will, we say
this is what we want when we die, and we have lawyers sign
it, and we sign it, and we pay the lawyers money, but Jack,
that don't guarantee anything. Why? Because we're dead and gone,
and they can argue about what we really intended. Christ is
alive to make sure that what he willed and what he did, it
will be carried out. You pardon me, I've got another
passage. Look at verse 23. It was therefore
necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should
be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with
what better sacrifices than these? For Christ is not entered into
the holy places made with hands, which are the, here again he
says it, which are the figures of the true, but into heaven
itself now to appear in the presence of God for us. Nor yet that he
should offer himself often as the high priest entered into
the holy place every year with the blood of others. For then
must he have suffered since the foundation of the world. But
now, once in the end of the world, hath he appeared to put away,
what? sin, not just the sin of not
offering a sacrifice, the sin of not, the sin of taking the
Lord God's name in vain, the sin of theft, the sin of adultery,
the sin of not loving your neighbor, everything. Now, let me try to
sum it up. I know I come in rambling on. Every law The law of the Sabbath,
it is not the Sabbath, the keeping of the Sabbath day, that's, what
is it, Friday evening, sundown, Saturday evening, sundown, is
that not one of the 10? It is, right? It's one of the 10 commandments,
right? But we know that keeping that
Sabbath will earn you nothing before God. What's the true Sabbath? Christ is the true Sabbath. That's the, Christ is the true
Sabbath. That was just a figure, now I'm
not belittling The law, the commandment of that law, but I'm saying it's
true fulfillment is found where? In Christ himself. There's true
rest. Another example. Thou shalt not
muzzle the mouth of the ox that feedeth the tread of the corn.
That was one of the laws. is one of the 607 laws. And Paul
asked the question, does God care for oxen? Did he write it
just for their sake so we won't mistreat our animals? Is that
what it's about? He said, no, it was written for
our sake, and that means God's people are to take care of God's
men. Go back and read it. That's what he says. I've preached on this here. the
law of not removing your neighbor's landmark. That's not just about
removing a piece of stone that you set up to set off a piece
of land. Christ is the landmark. He's the starting place, and
he's where it all ends back up. He's everything. I'm saying that
the law is this. Here's what it says. Hebrews,
for the law having a shadow, of good things to come, and not
the very image of the things can never, with those sacrifices
which they offered, year by year continually make the comers therein
too perfect. So here it is. You break the
first commandment, well, the first of the 10. What's that?
Honoring God with what is it? Oh, your heart, mind, soul, and
strength. You break that, and what were you to do if you broke
that? You were to offer a sacrifice, right? But guess what that did
for you? Nothing. And with those sacrifices, which
they offered year by year continually, could not make the comers there
into perfect. So even when you did what was
right, because you did something that was wrong, even what you
did that was right didn't make you perfect. And I have to say,
all this means is that God did away with the animal sacrifices.
God did away with it all for his people, completely, from
the first commandment all the way through the 10th one, and
then every one that follows after. Because if you need to keep the
law to be sanctified before God, even sanctified, you'll never
die. ever be sanctified. And this very chapter we read,
as I said, I don't have time, goes on to say, how were we perfected?
How were we sanctified? Through the offering of the body
of Jesus Christ. How many times? Once. Once. Now, fourth one. We reject
legal righteousness and we believe Christ for God's righteousness.
And I've quoted this one almost every message. Paul said not
Having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that
which is through the faith of Christ the righteousness Which
is of God by faith as Tim James put it. It's okay just to believe
God And yet our flesh says I will not just believe God Think about it John Newton wrote
this "'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, not the law."
I'm saying John, John didn't write, but why did John Newton
write that taught him to fear, his heart to fear? "'Twas grace
that taught my heart to fear." How does grace do that? When
you find out that God says, I will be gracious to whom I'll be gracious.
I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy. I will have compassion
on whom I will have compassion. And whom I will, I'll harden. If you just start to know that
much about God, you'll start to fear God. You see it? And if God's given you life,
I said if he's given you life, it'll be this. You'll be able
to say with John Newton himself, "'Twas grace that taught my heart
to fear." But what's the next line? And grace, that same exact
grace. And grace, my fears relieved. You see yes grace can teach us
to fear our utter corruption and our utter inability under
the law But it's much more than that grace teaches our heart
to fear God because God does with us as he pleases I Don't have to know that I've
not loved my neighbor as myself What I got to know is God will
deal with me as he is pleased to deal with me I don't deserve
his mercy and compassion. Why? Because I was made a sinner
when Adam sinned in the garden. I don't need to commit even one
more sin, Jack. I was conceived and born under
condemnation. And if you don't get that, You
can get all about the law and all the things you're supposed
to do and things you're not supposed to do. But if you're missing
that, you're not seeing the real reason for grace, is you needed
God's grace before you'd ever done anything wrong. You were
an enemy of God by default because from whom you were sired. Heavenly Father, Lord, these
things are just, They're so simple, but yet so profound. And Lord,
so opposed to what our flesh would look at as logical and
rational and reasonable. Lord, teach us, teach us, and
you do, teach us of our constant need of Christ. Oh God, make
us lean hard upon Him and rest in Him. In Christ's name, amen.