Okay Galatians chapter 3 I just
want to read a couple of verses for my text this morning Galatians chapter 3 verses 21
and 22 Now Paul here asked the second question in this Round
of questions that he gave that's in chapter 3 And he begins it
this way 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. Our brother, the Apostle Paul,
although he never uses in this letter the word legalism. He
certainly refers to it and alludes to it on many occasions. Legalism
is this. Now, I've stated something along
this line several times throughout this series, I'm sure, but I
want to give you this definition of legalism. It is all all misuse
of the law. But Paul does at times speak
of the law itself directly. And when I say the law itself,
I'm not speaking in general terms as some try to do. They try to
kind of skirt legalism by talking about the law of God as being
all that God's declared in his word. Paul speaks about the law
of God, meaning that which issued forth from God at Sinai. Our text is the latter. Is the
law, then, against the promises of God? I will put it this way.
Are the 10 commandments, then, against the promises of God?
You see, the covenant promise dealt with life. Life, and that
is spiritual life. And I know that this is true
because even Abraham understood this. In Genesis 17, you don't
have to turn to it, but Genesis 17 and verse 18, Abraham cried
out to God, oh that Ishmael might live, and then here it is, before
thee. He knew his son was alive physically
before God, that is Ishmael. He knew that God had promised
to bless his son. He would make of Ishmael a great
nation. But Abraham cried out for life
from God. Now neither legalism nor the
law can give that life. It was promised by God in and
through Christ and nothing else. The law cannot give life, neither
is it designed by God to promote or lead to life. This is why
I have said over and over, and God willing, if we're still here
and we get to it, when it says, wherefore the law is our schoolmaster,
and when it says to bring us, it is not in the text. Now thank God the KJV, opposite
of many other so-called translations, will not tell you things like
this. But they put it in italics so we can know that it was not
there. Now whether that was them trying
to make the English flow better, or whether it was them trying
to push into the text their own design, I do not know, but I
do not care. Because it does not matter what
men have said about the word, what matters is what the word
says. Again, life was promised by God
in and through Christ and nothing else. The law cannot give life
and it was not designed. It's never been designed by God
to promote or even lead to life. The law was not designed to force
us to run to Christ. And when we think it has, we
have deceived ourself. I don't care what our experience
is. Men have all kinds of experiences, and I'm not saying their experiences
are not valid. I'm just saying they're not truth.
They're not truth. Now, for just a moment, and I've
read this before, and I'm gonna take the time to do that this
morning, turn to 2 Corinthians, chapter three, and this is a
little lengthy, but I want us to look again at this. Is the
law then against the promises of God? God forbid, but there
is a fault, and I will say it this way, there is a fault in
the law, but not by design, because God never designed the law for
life. We're gonna read what God designed
the law for, 2 Corinthians chapter three, and I'll begin just in,
let me just read the whole thing, just a couple verses extra. Do we begin again to commend
ourselves, or need we as some others letters, that is epistles
of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you? And
evidently this was a practice that people were doing. Ellen,
you've probably seen it before. I know some of us have, where
one person moves from one church and moves to a different location,
and they move to another church that's associated with that church,
and they'll write a letter of commendation. You ever seen that?
This is where they base this upon. But Paul is actually pulling
this down. We don't need this. Ye are our
epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men. For as much as you are manifestly
declared to be the epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written
not with ink, but with the spirit of the living God. Not in tables
of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart. And such trust
we have through Christ to Godward. Not that we are sufficient of
ourselves to think anything of ourselves, but our sufficiency
is of God. If I am preaching the truth,
and if someone believes that truth, it has nothing to do with
me. It has to do with God. Who also
hath made us able ministers of the New Testament, or covenant.
Not of the letter, but of the spirit. For the letter, what
does the letter do? It kills. It kills. And that's it. But, do you see
it? But the Spirit giveth life. Now just so that we don't misunderstand
what he's talking about, the Spirit moves him to go on to
say, but if the ministration or the service of death written
and engraven in stones. So now it's even more particular.
We're talking about a specific service that was written and
engraven in a rock. In stones. Was glorious so that
the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face
of Moses. You see it? For the glory of
his countenance which glory or which was to be done away. How many preach that? But let's
go on. How shall not the ministration
or that is the service of the spirit be rather glorious? For if the ministration of, now
here's the definition of the law. Here is the use of the law.
Here's what God gave the law for. He gave the law to do what?
To kill. But it can do no more. He gave the law to do what? For
the ministration of condemnation be glory. Much more doth the
ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. Notice now he
makes a distinction between this second ministration and calls
it the ministration of righteousness. This is not to say that the law
was not righteous, not be any means, but those to whom it given
are not. For if the ministration of condemnation
be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness
exceed in glory. For even that which was made
glorious had no glory in this respect by reason of the glory
that exceleth. Is it not fair for me to say
this morning that Paul is making clear a total distinction between
the ministration of the law of Moses He ate the Ten Commandments
because they were what were written and engraven in stone. Is he
not making a clear distinction between it and the ministration
of the Spirit? Of course he is. For even, I'll
read it again, for even that which was made glorious had no
glory in this respect by reason of the glory that excelleth.
For if that which is, is, and I want you, now it's not done
away for all men, but it is done away for some. As we will read,
look. For if that which is done away
was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.
Seeing then that we have such hope, And here it is, and God
help me. I know I probably haven't always
done it. We use great plainness of speech. Along with what Joe said this
morning. I remember Scott Richardson,
I didn't hear him in person, but I heard it on tape later.
He said, if you don't believe what I say this morning, I hope
I say it plain enough that you'll know what you don't believe when
you leave out of this building. That's what he's talking about.
See, and then we have such hope. We use great plainness of speech.
We're not trying to slip the law in somewhere. The law does
what? It kills, it condemns. Then men, by their own imagination,
will say, well, that is a good thing. Let's read and see. Look. and not as Moses. He's making this distinction
between what he does and all gospel preachers do as opposed
to what Moses was forced by constraint to do. And not as Moses, which
put a veil over his face. Why? Because those people couldn't
even look at him since he was in the presence of this, these
10 commandments. You see it? and not as Moses,
which put a veil over his face that the children of Israel could
not steadfastly look to the end of that which is abolished. It
was hidden from them. It's true death blow and it's
true condemnation was hidden from them. And it was expressed
in the fact that Moses had to put a veil over his face before
he could even talk to the people and bring it to them. Now, if
I stopped there, somebody could say, well, that's just your take
on it. Ah, but look, but their minds were blinded. What does the law do to a man
or woman when God even lets them begin to really see what it is?
It blinds. It does not open up and encourage
the way. It, as Paul goes on to say in
our text, it will shut them up. In two ways. In Galatians, he
says shut them up. That means hems you in. In Romans,
it means shut your mouth. Look, but their minds were blinded
And this was not a temporary problem. And he said, this was
not a temper. Well, I understand in the, you
can say I understand in the magnificence of that fire, that mountain was
burning with fire and there was smoke and lightning. It was so
horrible that God said not even a beast was to touch the base
of the mountain. Not just trying to go up, Jack,
but touch the beast. A beast was not to touch the
base of the mountain. If it did, what did you do? You
slew it. You killed it. But their minds were blinded,
for until this day remaineth the same veil. This is figurative. What Moses did was figurative. Here's the real thing, okay? But their minds were blinded,
for until this day remaineth the same veil, untaken away in
the reading of, and not just the 10 commandments, but the
whole Old Covenant. Do you see that? Which, look
at it, which veil, or we can say which is, is done away in
Christ. But, even unto this day, when
Moses is read, the veil is upon their hearts. So what does, the
law doesn't open things up to you. It shuts you up. Only the spirit of God can open
something up unto you. Nevertheless, when it, that is
the heart, that's the latest reference. Nevertheless, when
it shall turn to the Lord, notice, notice, Nevertheless, when it
shall turn to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away. Now someone says, but that's
those old Jews. That's you and I too by nature.
That's us by nature. We don't even really understand
the Old Testament at all until God Almighty gives us life from
above. That's the first thing. That's
the first thing God has to do to us. He did something for us
in Christ on the tree, but he must do something to us in time. And this is exactly what Paul
was talking about when he said, when he makes these words. Verse 18, for if the inheritance
be of the law, it's no more promised, but God gave it to Abraham by
promise, wherefore then serveth the law. It was added because
of transgressions till the seed should come. And Christ took
away that barrier, that veil, that death, that condemnation
in his sacrifice on the tree. But we still have the veil over
our face. And even when Christ was preached
from the old covenant, when Christ was preached, our eyes, our hearts
were what? Veiled. Veiled. But when God almighty and the
power of his spirit breathes life into a soul, then they begin
to see who? Christ, not the law. The law will make you run to
a false Christ. If the glories of the Christ
itself and himself does not force you to run to him, you don't
know him. If it takes some kind of law
to get you to run to Christ, that's what it really takes.
That is religion. That is legalism. And why do
I say that? I say that because of what Paul
says. Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid. For if there had been a law given,
which could have given what? The first initial thing we need,
life. Verily, righteousness, righteousness
should have been by the law. You see, the remaining ramifications,
the actual ramifications of legal righteousness go way beyond the
source of life. It hits right at the heart of
the gospel. If the law could have done something to me to
initiate in me a move toward God, why did Christ have to die
on that tree? Think about it in that light.
Well, the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ. That's
not what Paul wrote. The law was our schoolmaster
unto Christ. And when Christ gave us life,
then we're no longer under the schoolmaster. Because with life
comes faith. because that's what it goes on.
But the scripture has concluded all under sin that the promise
by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. Somebody says this is confusing.
I understand that. But the reason it's so confusing
is because we, our flesh, love that veil. We love to hear the
reading of the law and the preaching of the law, long as we can interpret
it our own way. With the veil over our face.
But when God removes the veil, and that's only after what? It
is turned to the Lord. Who turns it to the Lord? What
turns it to the Lord? Why does it turn to the Lord?
Because of the power of the spirit of God. It has nothing to do
with the preaching or teaching of the law. Now, if that's not great plainness
of speech, then I don't know what is. Again, the ramifications
of legal righteousness go way beyond just the source of life.
It hits at the very heart of the gospel. I do, verse 21 of
chapter two, I do not frustrate the grace of God, for if righteousness,
what? Even the beginning act of a man
or a woman believing God, is that not included in righteousness? I do not frustrate the grace
of God for if righteousness come by law, by the law, then Christ
is dead in vain. It took his death in order that
we might have life. You see, this is exactly opposite
from what most is described in nature. Life comes from what?
Life. Christ said, except the seed
fall into the ground and die. But if it die, it bringeth forth
much fruit. Legalism is not just a different
take on the Bible. It is an insult to God's Christ. Righteousness before God comes
only through the person and work of Jesus Christ. to claim the
law gives or aids life is to deny Christ's righteousness. I didn't say Christ's possessive,
it's just Christ's righteousness. For life and righteousness in
our text go hand in hand, right? Is the law then against the promise
of God? God forbid. For if there had
been a law that could have given life, he didn't say for verily
life should have been by the law, he didn't even say that,
does he? Of course the law don't give life. Anybody who would
say different simply denies what the book says. But the law doesn't
aid in that life. What is the law then against
the promises of God? God forbid, for if there'd been
law given which could have given life, truly righteousness, righteousness
should have been by the law. They go hand in hand. Chapter
two, we have looked at it before. Verse 20 and 21. I am crucified
with Christ. Nevertheless, I live. So this
is not just the initial impartation of life, but what does it take
Joe to keep me going? And it is not just I go and I
do whatever I want, I live how I want, I think how I want, I
conduct myself how I want, and because I made a decision for
Jesus and I believe in the Christ of the Bible, I'm okay. That's
not the way it works. I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless
I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me, and the life which
I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God
who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the
grace of God, for if righteousness come by the law, Christ died
for nothing. Do we really preach Christ is
all and in all? Just to say it with your mouth
doesn't mean you really are preaching it. Life before God, the righteousness
of Christ's faith to those who believe Christ, all goes hand
in hand. Whosoever that believeth that
Jesus is the Christ is born of God. Hmm. Christ, it goes hand
in hand. It goes hand in hand with Christ's
righteous death. And Joe, Christ is our representative
and our substitute. These are the crux of the gospel.
He wasn't just my representative back then. He is right now. He wasn't just my substitute
back then. He is my substitute now. And even when we get to glory,
we will praise him, even in our perfected state, when this flesh
is dropped and done with. And Jack, we're given a body
made like unto his own glorious body. We're still gonna look
upon him as the L-A-M-B. The Lamb. He will be the source
of all light to us, not even ourselves in our perfected state.
Right? Yeah. When we get to heaven,
we're not going to be our own little sources of light. He's
the light of that city we're going to dwell in. Is that not
what the book says? And somebody thinks I need a
little bit of law to keep prodding me along now. Really, you know
what I need to prod me along now? There's a man like that
to keep standing up here and just preaching the same old simple
thing over and over. Christ, our representative. Christ,
our substitute. Christ, our intercessor. He is
now seated in the heavens for us. For us. Let me give you five
things. I'll try to be brief with them.
Life is not by law, but from Christ personally. And that's
clear in John. Our Lord said this, John chapter
five. And let me kind of move along. Just a couple of verses
here. John chapter five, verse 21 and 22. This is our Lord speaking. For as the Father raiseth up
the dead and quickeneth them, in what way? In any way. And
every way. It doesn't matter whether, Ellen,
whether it be physical life or spiritual life. It doesn't matter.
Even Paul preached to those ignorant Athenians who knew nothing of
law nor gospel. And he said in him, we live and
move and have our being. And that's true when you was
lost and it's true when you're saved, just as much so. God doesn't give you some life
and then it's in you to be prodded along by rules and laws and regulations. No, sir. The only thing that
constrains us is what? 2 Corinthians, the love of Christ. The love of Christ. If that don't
constrain you, then your law, your legalism, that which is
prodding you to Christ, is flesh. Flesh. Paul said, though we known
Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. I understand why people say the
law made me flee to Christ. Hell made me flee to Christ,
but that didn't mean I got to him. I was five or six years old,
wasn't I, Mommy? That's a little fella. The preaching
of hell scared me to death, so I went down the aisle and I prayed
the prayer, and I believed in Jesus. I believed he died for
sinners, that he was buried and rose again, and is even seated
at the right hand of God the Father, but it was all flesh,
flesh. It was laws, rules, regulations. It wasn't the perfections of
Christ himself that drew me to himself. For as the father raiseth
up the dead and quickeneth them, even so the son quickeneth, what's
that say? Whom he will. For the father judgeth no man.
This is not talking about like the final day of wrath, it's
talking about the father makes no declarations toward individuals.
For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment
unto the Son. The Son decides who gives life
or not, who has life, I'm sorry, who has life or not. You see, life does not come by
anything other than the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Secondly, Faith is not by law
or of law. It is Christ's own personal quality. The law doesn't stir up faith
in you. Christ gives it. Christ gives it, and even that
we have read before, Galatians 2 verse 16, knowing that a man
is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith
of Jesus Christ. Even we have believed in Jesus
Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Christ and not
by the works of the law, for by the works of the law shall
no flesh be justified. Somebody said, we don't have
to do it, we just gotta be forced by the law to run to Christ.
That's not the way the scripture presents it. Faith and not law,
or a is not of law or is not by law or of law. It is Christ's
own personal quality given to them that believe. Thirdly, the
righteousness of faith lies in Christ's God-man perfection. And let me just read it to you
because I don't want time to slip away from us here. Listen
to what it says. and being found in fashion as
a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even
the death of the cross. Wherefore, God also hath highly
exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name, that
the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven,
of things in earth, and things under the earth, and that every
tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of
God the Father, and I'm here to say he will. He is now for
some, but one day all men will be forced to confess that Jesus
Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. Jack, they'll
still perish. They'll still perish. Number four. The law does shut
us up, that is, hem us in, but it never provides a release. Because the law has a what? Veil. Veil. The law is what? Condemnation. The law is what? Death. You see, When you hear the law
now as a believer, you know and you understand at least to some
degree on both of those, knowing and understanding, you know that
you have not continually done those things. You know you have
not. And that's a good thing. That's
a good thing. But that alone doesn't draw you
to Christ. The love and the perfection and
the majesty of Christ is what draws you to Christ. This is
why thousands of people can hear the law preached, the Ten Commandments,
and they'll walk the aisle and pray the prayer and believe in
Jesus. But then, jack, they just fade away. and they just fade
away. This is why people can make professions
even here under the truth. And what have we seen happen
to some? They just fade away. But once you truly are given
eyes to see and ears to hear and a heart to perceive the majesty
and perfections of Christ, you'll never be able to get over it.
You just won't be able to get over it. Because the veil's now
removed. Now you even see the law in its
true light. It was there to what? But before
faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith,
which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster
unto Christ, that we might be justified by what? Now see that's,
when they say that, to bring us to Christ, it brings you to
Christ and you believe on him. That's not what was written by
Paul. It was our schoolmaster up until the time of Christ's
revelation of faith in our souls. And that's why we go right back
to what I read. Let me read it one more time.
You don't have to turn back to it. I mean, if you don't want
to. Verse 15 of 2 Corinthians chapter
three, but even unto this day when Moses is read, the veil
is upon their heart. Nevertheless, when it shall turn
to the Lord, who does that? The Spirit of God. Then what? Then the veil's taken away. So
what's under the veil didn't cause you to come to Christ,
did it? It's what released. What released it? The Lord. the heart turning to the Lord.
Now the Lord is that spirit. Now why they did not capitalize
spirit and the rest of that, I do not know, but at least,
thank God, they did here. Now the Lord is that spirit,
and where the spirit of the Lord is, where the spirit of the Lord,
there is liberty. Liberty from what? The veil,
let's keep it in context. The condemnation, I'm liberated
from that. the fear of death, and what even
Hebrews says, who fear of death for all their lifetime, subject
to what? Bondage. Here's why legalists
like to preach, here's why they really like to preach the law.
Not because they really think it drives men to Jesus Christ,
but here's what it is. Look, as many as desire to make
a fair show in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised.
only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of
Christ. For neither they themselves who
are circumcised keep the law, but desire to have you circumcised
that they may glory in your flesh. Look what I got them to do. Yeah, that's what it's all about. And Paul said, even in our preaching
of the gospel, it ain't I got you to do anything. You're written
with the Spirit, your testimony, you're being a testimony to God,
actual evidence of the grace of God working in someone is
written not with ink, but by the Spirit of the living God.
So again, the law does shut up, that is it hymns us in, but it
never provides release. Only faith does that, and I read
it. 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. Now he had dealt with the law
for us, both in its warp and woof. He had obeyed it fully,
and he'd also died under its curse. You can't get any better
than that. Can ya? He obeyed it fully, then
he died under the curse for not obeying it fully. Right? Yes,
sir. But before faith came, we were
kept under the law. Shut up under what? The faith
that should afterwards be revealed. And because of this, we say,
wherefore, the law was our schoolmaster unto Christ, that we might be
justified by faith. But after that faith has come,
the schoolmaster's out. That's right. We're no longer
under it, right? That's what it says. So when
any man will then say, well, I believe my congregation needs
a little law to prod them back to Jesus Christ, you're prodding
them to the wrong place. Because you will prod them to
self-righteousness. And they'll start turning just
like you and I talked about before. Tommy, we'll start doing this. Let us not be desirous of vain
glory. Why? Because that's what we're
prone to when we're under law. Provoking one another. Or what? Just back and forth, pointing
fingers, pointing fingers, pointing fingers, right? Pointing fingers. That's what the law will make
you do. It'll make you provoke or envy. Or both. Or both at the same time. But
what's grace do at liberation? You see a brother or sister fall
and you know, I do too. Not I did, I do too. I do too. I do too. Now, that's another reason why
he says this. Brethren, if any man be overtaken
in a fault, ye which are spiritual, that doesn't mean somebody who's
never fallen. At best, that means somebody's
been restored after they've fallen. You which are spiritual, restore
such in one in the spirit of meekness, considering thyself
lest thou also be tempted. And they used to read into this,
in other words, you keep yourself good and holy so that you can
help others out when they fall. That's not what he's talking
about. He's talking about when you try to help somebody else
along, you better remember you're falling too. You may be the next
in line. You may be the next one that
needs that helping hand, so to speak, that compassionate spirit,
that forgiving, uplifting, edifying spirit, and not constantly pointing
fingers. Well, you're not quite good enough.
You're not quite in the way. You're not quite sanctified enough.
I lived under that for years. For years, I suffered under that.
I suffered under it and was constantly wondered where any assurance
could be. And then when God by His Spirit opened up my eyes
to Jesus Christ, my heart to Jesus Christ, that veil started
going like this. But you know what happens whenever
we go back to the law? That veil starts to come back
down. That's what happens when we start pleading to the law
for anything. That veil comes back down. Number five. The law
as our schoolmaster, and I've done said it, the law at our
schoolmaster ends, E-N-D-S. The law as our schoolmaster ends
at faith. Isn't that what he says? Wherefore
the law was our schoolmaster, yes it was, unto Christ, that
we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come,
ye are no longer under a schoolmaster. So preachers, quit teaching or
preaching the law to believers. preach Christ to them. Now you
got some guy out here that is in heresy, some guy out here
that's an unbeliever, tell him what the law says. You're dead.
You're under condemnation without Jesus Christ. But don't talk
to believers like that. Why? We are dead no more. We're
not dead anymore. Why are you still here still
believing? Because sin doesn't have dominion over you. That's
why. Sin not having dominion over
you doesn't mean sin doesn't exist in you and it doesn't sometimes
come out of you. It just means it doesn't dominate
you. That's why you're still believing God. That's why you
have it just give up and abandon it altogether. Some have. Some have. But as the apostle,
I believe it was Paul, and I value my opinion pretty highly when
it comes to that, but that's neither here nor there. As Paul
says, we are not of them that draw back unto utter ruin. Unto perdition. But what? But
believe to the saving of the soul. And that's not just an
initial, first time saving. That just, Joe just keeps on
going. Just believing, believing, believing, believing. Somebody
says it can't be that easy. It ain't easy, it's impossible,
apart from the grace of God. But when you believe, when God
gives you faith, you just can't help yourself. Isn't that something? You just can't help yourself.
When you fall flat on your face, and you feel miserable because
of it, and the law comes back to haunt you. Huh? Yeah, the
law comes back to haunt you. Well, look at you. You can't
truly be a believer. Oh, wait a minute. He came to
save sinners. He came to save the ungodly.
He even died for ungodly people. Does that make me want to run
back to the gutter? No, it makes me want to run to Christ. Was
it the law that drove me there? No, it's His glory. The fact
that this man receiveth sinners. He doesn't receive us when we
once were sinners and now receives us because we're saints. He receiveth
what? Continually. Sinners. Sinners. Sinners. The writer of Hebrews,
is that more appropriate to say it that way without putting my
opinion on it? This is why Hebrews puts it this
way. Look, and I'll close with this. I'm sorry, I've got one other
thing after this, but this is getting to the close. Wherefore,
chapter 12 of Hebrews, wherefore seeing we also are compassed
about with so great a cloud of witnesses, go back and look at
these folks. They had their faults and their
failures just like we do. but look at what they did through
faith. At the same time. Both existed at the same, Jack,
their faults and failures existed, but so did faith at the same
time. To pass about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us
lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset
us, and let us run with patience the race set before us, looking
down. unto Jesus, the author and finisher
of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured
the cross. Think about it. That's kind of
amazing to think of. He endured it. He endured. He put up with it, Joe. He endured
the cross, despising the shame. and is set down at the right
hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured
such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be worried
and faint in your minds. We ain't, none of us had to take
it that far. No, because when we suffer for
our faults, it is indeed because of our faults. Isn't that what
Peter told us? And we just take it patiently.
Take it patiently. Just deal with it because you
earned it. You earned it. He didn't earn
any that he did, but he willingly took upon all that condemnation
and judgment. But look, for consider him that
endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest
ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Ye have not resisted unto
blood, striving against sin. Oh boy, I tell you what, I'm
just on the holy road now. No you ain't, you on a self-righteous
road now. And have you forgotten the exhortation
which speaketh unto you as unto children, my son, my son. Despise
not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art
rebuked of him. Why? It hurts, right? He goes on to say, it hurts.
If it don't hurt, you got troubles. You ain't got no chastening,
look. For whom the Lord, here it is, Joe, loveth. All of your
list was right there. For whom the Lord loveth, he
chasteneth, and scourges every son whom he receiveth. If ye
endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with what? But sons, for what son is he
whom the Father chastened not? But, if ye be without chastisement,
whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, ye are illegitimate,
and not sons. Furthermore, we've had our fathers
of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence.
Shall not we be much rather in subjection unto the Father of
spirits than live? For they truly, or verily, for
a few days chastened us after their own pleasure, but he for
our Do you see that? He's not getting us back, Jack. He's correcting us. Guiding us
back to who we need to look to. Look, who we need to look to. For our prophet, that we might
be partakers of his holiness. And again, I was always taught
once he chastens you, now you'll be holy again. You're a partaker
of his holiness when he lays the rod on your back. Do you
get that? That's it, you're partaking of
his holiness when he corrects you. That's the context, that's
what it's talking about. Now, no chastening for the present
seemeth to be joyous. If it is, it ain't much correction,
is it? That's why children are running wild today because the
so-called correction they're getting is not chastisement. You know, sit in the corner,
have a time out. Well, whoop-dee-doo. That might work, I'm just guessing,
that might work for 1% of the population of young folks, but
it probably don't work for the other 99%. Now no chastening
for the present, seemeth to be joyous, but greebious. Nevertheless,
afterward, it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them
which are exercised thereby. That's not you're exercising
it, it's exercising you. You know what that makes you
do? Looking unto Jesus. looking unto Jesus. But here it is, here's what I
was actually reading. Wherefore, lift up the hands which hang
down and the feeble knees. If somebody cries out for help,
try to help. If all they're doing though is
constantly tell you how they're trying so hard and how they're
doing this and how they're doing that, they're not getting it.
They're not getting it. Is that right or wrong? When
God chastens you, you gonna quit talking about how good you're
trying to do. And make straight paths for your
feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way, but
let it rather be what? Healed. Isn't it, listen. I don't want
to try to use an illustration, because I don't want to embarrass
myself any more than I'm already still embarrassed about it down
in here or anybody else. But isn't it good when you know
you've fouled up? I mean, you know you've fouled
up, you're embarrassed. The inside of you just feels
nasty and just corrupt. Like I said, I'm not trying to
use an exact example. I'm just illustrating here. And
somebody comes along and says, I understand. I know where you're
at. I know where you're at. But God
will help you. Don't that help? Now which would
you rather have, that or this? Which would you rather have?
I want that person, I'll be in there. I know what it's like. And the only thing I can do is
say, look to Jesus. Look to Jesus. You see, let me
sum it up. Where then is our devotion and
our indebtedness to be? Where is it to be? Is it to be a two-pronged covenant? Law and gospel, is it to be it?
No, it is one covenant. Because that one covenant was
made in one person. Isn't that what he says? In this
I say that the covenant that was confirmed before of God in
Christ, the law, which was 430 years after, cannot disannul
that should make the promise of none of fact. Our devotion,
our indebtedness, our hearts and minds is to be to Jesus Christ
and his cross work only. And then that is why Paul summed
it up when he talks about why some people gotta have the law,
they gotta put the law in there. We read that part, but here's
what Paul then says. But God forbid that I should
glory, save in the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the
world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. For in Christ
Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision. But I knew creature, as many
as walk according to this rule. There is a rule, right there
it is. Do you glory in Christ or something else? You cannot
glory in Christ and something else. They don't fit together. They may in our minds, they may
in our experience, they may in our confession, but they don't
before God. Heavenly Father, oh God, these
things, are so simple but yet so complex because of our flesh
and our rebellion and our own thoughts and our own will. God,
conquer our wills. Work in us, Lord, both the will
and the do of your good pleasure. We know that Christ not only
ought to get all the glory, Lord, he deserves all the glory. In
his name, amen.