The notices for the coming week
are God willing as follows. Mr. Graham Tutor will preach
here next Lord's Day at 10.30 and two o'clock. Mr. Joseph Rupp will preach here
on Thursday evening at seven o'clock. And there'll be a prayer
meeting here on Tuesday evening at seven o'clock. Let us commence our services
today. by singing together hymn number
920. The tune is Triumph 691. When to worship saints assemble,
let the song to Jesus flow. He forsook his ancient glory,
groaned and bled for worms below. Ransom mortals, join to swell
the sacred song. Hymn 920, Tune Triumph, 691.
? Worship saints and samble ? ?
And pass on to Jesus' blood ? ? Be fostered by Jesus' blood ? ?
His ancient glory ? ? World and then for worlds begun ? ? Ransomed
mortals, ransomed mortals, ransomed mortals ? ? Join to spread the
sacred song ? ? Here you'll find yourself spirited ? ? Hear your
heart's song, speak of sin ? He shall have thy God in beauty,
? Righteousness that's right and clear ? ? Tis the moment,
tis the moment ? ? Whom forever God will honor ? ? Tis the hour the Son provideth
? ? Let our wisdom come divine ? ? From His eye forever hiding
? ? Sins of every name and size ? ? He that wears it, he that
wears it ? ? Is by God exulted wise ? ? And when the tempter caught him
? ? His mind rose up, creeping up ? ? The disrighteousness of
Jesus ? concert like this always on. Tis the title, tis the title
to the ancient love of faith. Let us read together from the
Holy Word of God in the Gospel according to Matthew and chapter
5. Matthew's Gospel, chapter 5. And seeing the multitudes, he
went up into a mountain When he was set, his disciples came
unto him, and he opened his mouth and taught them, saying, Blessed
are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed
are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are
the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they that
do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled. Blessed
are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the
pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are
they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs
is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye when men shall
revile you and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil
against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad,
for great is your reward in heaven, for so persecuted they the prophets
which were before you. Ye are the salt of the earth,
For if the sort have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be
sorted? It is henceforth good for nothing
but to be cast out and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye
are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill
cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle
and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick. and it giveth
light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine
before men that they may see your good works and glorify your
Father which is in heaven. Think not that I am come to destroy
the law or the prophets. I am not come to destroy, but
to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, till
heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise
pass from the law till it all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore
shall break one of these least commandments and shall teach
men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven.
But whosoever shall do and teach them the same shall be called
great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you that except
your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes
and Pharisees, that ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom
of heaven. Ye have heard that it was said
by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill, and whosoever shall
kill shall be in danger of the judgment. But I say unto you
that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall
be in danger of the judgment. And whosoever shall say to his
brother Raka shall be in danger of the council. But whosoever
shall say thou fool shall be in danger of hell fire. Therefore
if thou bring thy gift to the altar and there rememberest that
thy brother hath ought against thee, leave there thy gift before
the altar, and go thy way. First be reconciled to thy brother,
and then come and offer thy gift. Agree with thine adversary quickly,
whilst thou art in the way with him, lest at any time the adversary
deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the
officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto you,
thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the
utmost farthing. Ye have heard that it was said
by them of old time, thou shalt not commit adultery. But I say
unto you, that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her
hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. And
if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out and cast it from
thee, for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members
should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into
hell. And if thy right hand offend
thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee, for it is profitable
for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy
whole body should be cast into hell. It hath been said, Whosoever
shall put away his wife, let him give her a bill of divorcement,
a writing of divorcement. But I say unto you, that whosoever
shall put away his wife, saving for thee cause of fornication,
causeth her to commit adultery. And whosoever shall marry her
that is divorced, commiteth adultery. Again, ye have heard that it
hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear
thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths. But I say
unto you, Swear not at all, neither by heaven, for it is God's throne,
nor by the earth, for it is his footstool, neither by Jerusalem,
for it is the city of the great King. Neither shout thou swear
by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black,
but let your communication be yea, yea, nay, nay. For whatsoever is more than these
cometh of evil. Ye have heard that it hath been
said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say unto you,
that ye resist not evil, but whosoever shall smite thee on
thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man
will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have
thy cloak also. and whosoever shall compel thee
to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee,
and from him that would borrow of thee, turn not thou away. Ye have heard that it hath been
said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say
unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do
good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully
use you and persecute you, that you may be the children of your
Father which is in heaven. For he maketh his Son to rise
on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just
and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love
you, what reward have ye? Do not even the publicans the
same? But if ye salute your brethren
only, what do ye more than others? Do not even the publican so? Be ye therefore perfect, even
as your Father, which is in heaven, is perfect. May the Lord bless
the reading of his own precious word and grant unto us a spirit
of real prayer. Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty,
which is an art, an art to come, we desire to bow before thy great
majesty, to call upon thy great and thy holy name. We desire
a spirit of true worship, that the eyes of our understanding
may be enlightened, and that thy word may be a lamp unto our
feet and a light unto our path. We pray, most gracious Lord,
that thou wouldst enable us to come in all our need as poor
sinners unto thee. We come to confess our sins,
our wanderings, our backslidings. We leave undone those things
that we ought to do and we do those things that we ought not
to do, and we find a law within our members that when we would
do good, then evil is present with us. We often have to say
with the dear apostle, O wretched man, that I am, who shall deliver
me from the body of this death. So we come to thee, O Lord, at
this morning of thy holy day, and we desire to worship thee
Them that worship thee must worship thee in spirit and in truth.
We pray, most blessed spirit of truth, that thou wouldst graciously
come and pour upon us the spirit of grace and of supplications
with thanksgiving. Teach us how to pray and for
what to pray. Come and open thy word to our
heart and to our understanding that we may be enabled to delve
into the deep that couches beneath. Come and bless us as a church
and as a congregation. Remember our brethren, the deacons.
Give them wisdom, give them grace, give them help. We do humbly
pray them in all their responsibilities, not only here but elsewhere among
the churches. Grant, O Lord, we do beseech
thee thy blessing upon each one of our brethren and sisters in
Christ Jesus in church fellowship. Lord, bless each one. Those not
able to gather with us today, whether through affliction or
family responsibilities, we do pray that thou would bless them
where they are. And we pray, most gracious Lord,
that thou would remember the little children and bless the
children indeed. Give them the fear of the Lord,
which is the beginning of wisdom. Guide them by thy counsel. Receive
them unto glory. Remember the dear young friends,
each one of them, whether it be in their education, whether
it be regarding any employment, or regarding a partner in life's
journey. Gracious God, we do pray that
thou would hear us and bless them. Bless them with that rich
grace that is in Christ Jesus. Bless them with faith to believe,
to lay hold. Lord, this is thy grace, and
we pray that we may see thy grace. We think of those wonderful words,
in thy precious word, instead of thy father shall be thy children,
whom thou mayest make princes in all the earth. So bless each
one of our young friends, guide them and direct them in all matters
in providence, keep and preserve them from all evil. Deliver us
each from the temptations of Satan, whether he comes as a
roaring lion to devour, or whether he comes as an angel of light
to deceive. Lord, we haven't the wisdom nor
the power to stand against the enemy, but thou hast promised
in thy word that when the enemy comes in like a flood, spirit
of the Lord will lift up a standard against him. Remember parents
and give them grace and wisdom and help, to bring up their children,
the nurture and admonition of the Lord, to read the word of
God and pray in the family. Oh, do grant thy blessing, Lord,
upon the families. And that we do pray that thou
wouldst undertake for each in the midst of the journey of life
and all its attendant trials and perplexities, help and undertake
for each one. While our days on earth are lengthened
May we give them Lord to thee. May we be enabled, O Lord, to
live to thee, to present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy
and acceptable unto thee, which is our reasonable service. Remember
that those of us in the evening time of life's journey, especially
we pray for our dear sister, Ina, that thou would graciously
bless her and be with her and undertake for her We do humbly
beseech thee. We pray, O Lord, that thou, in
thy great mercy, wouldst remember this village and grant that the
glory and light and power of the gospel may shine into this
village and the surrounding villages and hamlets. Many precious souls
may yet be gathered. Lord, thou art able to do abundantly
more than we can even ask or think. Do bless us, Lord, with
a godly do cause the prodigals to return, and thy wonderful
grace to be seen in this. What rejoicing there would be,
O Lord, to see the prodigals returning. Remember all thy servants as
they labour in word and doctrine. Upon the walls of Zion today,
set them free and at liberty, and graciously may bear thine
holy arm in the gospel. We think of the wonderful promises
thou hast given to Zion. I will bring thy sons from far,
and thy daughters from the ends of the earth. They shall come
from the north and from the south, from the east and from the west.
Lord, we watch for thy appearing. We long for the day of thy power. O Lord, we do pray thou wouldst
in thy great mercy remember our nation, We think of all the little
causes of truth up and down the nation, where thy people gather,
where thy servants minister the word. Lord, set them free and
at liberty today, and revive thy Zion, and renew thy people. We pray, most gracious Lord,
that thou would remember our nation, our king, and the royal
household, and that thou wouldst bless them with that rich grace
that is in Christ Jesus. And thou wouldst remember our
government and give wisdom and understanding, guidance and direction
in all matters. We pray that thou wouldst remember
thy people in those places in the earth where thy name is hated,
thy people are persecuted, Lord, send them help from the sanctuary
and strengthen them out of Zion. We do humbly beseech thee. Remember
those who labour in word and doctrine among the nations of
the earth, especially we will remember Ian Sadler and that
great work he does in Burma and India and Pakistan and Africa. Help him to continue, Lord, in
the distribution of thy word, and in the ministry of the word,
we do humbly beseech them. Supply all his needs. Remember
the Savannah Education Trust and that great work that they're
doing in Ghana. Remember the Mombasa mission
and thy servant that labours there. Send real prosperity. O Lord, we do thank thee for
all thy tender mercies, thy loving kindnesses, that have passed
before us in the way. We thank thee that thy mercies
are new every morning and great is thy faithfulness. We thank
thee for our little house of prayer and thy wonderful mercy
and grace that thou hast shown to us. We thank thee for the
open Bible, for the gospel of thy grace. We thank thee for
the glorious person, power and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. the eternal son of the eternal
father, God manifest in the flesh. We thank thee for his holy life
and the law fulfilled. We thank thee for his sacred
and holy sacrifice of Calvary and sin put away and divine justice
satisfied and God and sinners reconciled. O Lord, we thank
Thee that He died for our sins and rose again for our justification
and is now bodily ascended into heaven. We have a great high
priest who has passed into the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God. Oh, we do thank Thee that Thou
art God over all. We thank Thee for the love of
our eternal Father. We thank Thee for the gift and
power of the Holy Ghost. We ask all, with the forgiveness
of all sin, pray that thou wouldst come and touch one's lips with
a live coal from off the heavenly altar. We ask for Jesus Christ's
sake. Amen. Let us now sing together hymn
number 809. The tune is continually 118. Is then the law of God untrue,
which he by Moses gave? No, but to take it in this view,
that it has power to say. Hymn 809, tune continually, ? O'er all the world of truth ?
? Which Thee by mercies gave ? ? O'er all the day-gifted in
this field ? ? That Thou didst vouchsafe to save ? In our opinion's world of bliss,
I love you. to him, his strength to us all
strength. We cannot and we know we live,
and life proceeds from praise. ? But praise him, to the cross
he shall give ? ? Till he must lose his head ? ? Praise, praise,
shall I hear your voice again ? and truth informs us now. Like Christ we enter into grace and
triumph. The earth is your heav'nly nest
As stars do rise for you. Greatly feeling to need the Lord's
gracious help, I would direct your attention to the chapter
that we read, the gospel according to Matthew chapter five, reading
verse 17 for our text. Matthew chapter five, verse 17. Think not that I am come to destroy
the law or the prophets, I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. The discourses of our Lord Jesus
Christ are very searching, very separating. He lays the truth
very clearly and blessedly before us. This chapter in particular
is exceedingly well known beginning as it does with the Beatitudes,
the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount. And as we notice in
the latter part of the chapter four, and there followed him
great multitudes of people from Galilee and from Decapolis and
from Jerusalem and from Judea and from beyond Jordan. And seeing the multitudes, he
went up into a mountain And when he was said, his disciples came
unto him. So it was this path of divine
instruction that the Lord was teaching his disciples, how things
would be done in the New Testament church, through the preaching
of the gospel of Jesus Christ, through the setting forth of
the glorious person, power and grace of Jesus Christ. and the exhortation to his servants,
preach the word. Be instant in season and out
of season. And as the apostle himself says
in the Corinthians, that through the foolishness of preaching,
it's the way that God, the principle way that the Lord has decreed
that his people should be called by grace. Not the only way, but
the principle way. through the preaching of the
gospel of Jesus Christ and the principal thing that the Lord's
servants are to preach is the person, the glorious person of
our Lord Jesus Christ and what he has done and what he has accomplished
and what he has fulfilled. He came to redeem his people
God so loved the world that is God the Eternal Father so loved
the world He gave His only begotten Son. Begotten, not created. He's the Eternal Son of the Eternal
Father. He always has been, He always
will be. He's Jesus Christ the same, yesterday
and today and forever. The Almighty. And the father
sent his son. He sent him here to be a man
of sorrows and acquainted with grief. He saw his people lost
and ruined in the fall. We're all lost and ruined in
the fall. And the Word of God clearly states
in Romans chapter 5, as in Adam all die. As in Adam all die. We all have sinned and come short
of the glory of God, every one of us. And indeed, the scripture
says, there's none that doeth good, no, not one. We, in our natural selves, as
we're born in sin and shape and in iniquity, we cannot please
God. We cannot fulfill his law. We
cannot keep his holy commandments. It's something that is utterly
Impossible for us to do. Now some of you may ask, well
why would God give a law that was impossible to keep? What
the law was given for was that sin might appear to be sin. And that's all that the law can
do. It will show you that you're
a sinner. It will show you that you're unholy. It will show you
that you're unrighteous. In the prophet Amos, we read
of a plumb line. Now builders use a plumb line
to make sure that the wall that they're building is straight. And God uses his holy law as
a plumb line to see that when we come under that holy law of
God, we see how crooked we are. We see how sinful we are. We
see how unrighteous we are. And you see, think not that I
am come to destroy the law. These are the words of Christ.
Think not that I am come to destroy the law. Christ hasn't destroyed
the law. There are some people that have
a strange notion that the law has been completely done away with. In our text it
says just the opposite. I come not to destroy the law. It's not being done away with.
It's still God's holy righteous law. Those ten commandments,
very solemn and certain they are. Especially when that law
is brought by the Holy Spirit into the heart of a poor sinner
to convince them of sin. It's exactly the words of our
Lord Jesus Christ in John chapter 16, speaking of the coming of
the Holy Ghost after he had ascended into heaven. He says, when He,
the Spirit of Truth, is come, He will reprove the world of
sin, of righteousness, of judgment. You see, of sin. He will reprove
the world of sin. The Holy Spirit is called a witness. And when he witnesses in our
heart, if we're truly born again. You know, friends, this is a
very fundamental doctrine of our most holy faith. And it's
not something, my beloved friends, that we should take lightly.
You must be born again. except a man be born of water
and of the spirit this is how vital it is he cannot enter the
kingdom of heaven how vital it is that we should
be born again of the holy ghost he must be born again you never
reach heaven if you're not born again if your soul isn't quickened
into life think of those words of the dear apostle in the beginning
of the second chapter of the Ephesians, you hath he quickened. Now that word quickened is an
old English word which means to give life. You hath he quickened
who were dead in trespasses and in sins. You see and this is
a vital question for each one of us whether we're young or
whether we're old. The hymn writer puts it this way, doesn't he?
Am I quickened by His Spirit? Live a life of faith and prayer,
trusting wholly to His merit, casting on Him all my care. Am I quickened by His Spirit?
What a question, even for you dear children. It's a question
for you. Am I quickened by His Spirit?
Have I been born again? Does the Holy Ghost dwell in
my heart? It's a very solemn word in Romans chapter 8. If
any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he's speaking there of
the Holy Ghost. If any man have not the Spirit
of Christ, he is none of his. Do we have the Spirit of Christ? You see, if we do, we shall then
know in some little measure of what we've spoken of from John
chapter 16, when he, the spirit of truth, is come. See, he will reprove, the margin
says, convince the world of sin. That's what the Holy Ghost does.
It's often termed by theologians as the first work of the spirit. He shows us our lost condition. He shows us that we're sinners.
He shows us that we're alienated from God. You see, my beloved friends,
and when these things are done by the Spirit of God, when He
convinces us who we are, each one of us are the fallen sons
and daughters of Adam, born in sin, shapen in iniquity. That's where we are. That's where
you are. That's where I am. Oh, that the Lord would open
our eyes and our hearts to realize just where we are, just what
we are. And you see the Lord Jesus, he
says, you think not that I am come to destroy the law or the
prophets. If you just think for a moment
Mount of Transfiguration. And how that Peter, James and
John were invited up into the Mount with the Lord Jesus Christ.
And we're told that they saw the Lord Jesus Christ transfigured
before them. He was white and glistening. And Peter says in his epistle
that how they beheld his glory. John says in his gospel, and
we beheld his glory, that is the glory of Christ. But the point I want to make
is, he was conversing, speaking with Moses and Elijah. Moses represents the law, Elijah
represents the prophets, so all that has been spoken by the prophets
in the Old Testament. The law and the prophets, that
is what is contained in the Old Testament. The law and the prophets. Sometimes the word law is used
in quite a broad sense in that it means the first five books
of the Bible. The Pentateuch, the books of
Moses. Sometimes when the term the law
is used it means those five books. Often though, it means the Ten
Commandments. And Christ, he says here, think
not I am come to destroy the law or the prophets, I am not
come to destroy but to fulfill. And so what Christ has done,
the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God manifest in the flesh,
he's done something that you and I never can and never will
be able to do. He's fulfilled the law. He lived
a life that was in perfect obedience to God's holy law. Peter, sorry,
Paul, he emphasizes that in the epistle to the Galatians. We
spoke of it. Made a Mormon, made under the
law. That is Christ. God sent his
son, made of a woman. That means he became a real man.
So the son of God, he took into union with his divine nature,
a holy human nature. He's the only holy man that has
lived a completely holy life here upon earth. Adam fell into
sin. Eve fell into sin, or their posterity
because of their sin. They are sinful. We receive a
sinful nature from our parents. We can't receive anything else
from our parents, but a sinful nature. We are as they are. You see, born in sin, shapen
in iniquity. That's our state and that's our
condition. by nature. So God, seeing his
people lost and ruined in the fall, undone, subject to the
curse, cursed is every man that doeth not all things that is
written in the book of the law to do them, God sent his son. He sent his son to redeem, to
deliver from the law. Now that law had to be honoured.
One of the prophecies in the prophecy of Isaiah concerning
our Lord Jesus Christ was that he will magnify the law and make
it honorable. And that is what Christ has done.
That holy law that you have broken, and I have broken, God has fulfilled
in his son, Jesus Christ. That's one of the principal reasons
that he came. And on the Mount of Transfiguration
you have the Law and the Prophets represented. And they came into
a cloud. It says a cloud came over and
the disciples were afraid and they feared as they entered the
cloud. And when the cloud was lifted they saw no man save Jesus
only. Now in my mind there is a sense
of this The Lord had showed them Moses representing the law, and
he'd showed them Elijah representing the prophets, and now they saw
no man save Jesus only, who fulfilled all that was spoken in the law
and the prophets. That is one of the principal
teachings of the Mount of Transfiguration. You've heard what Moses said.
You've heard what the prophets have said, because these were
the scriptures that the Jews had. He said, but now hear what
my son says. And on the Mount of Transfiguration,
the disciples heard a voice speaking from heaven. It was the voice
of the Eternal Father. This is my beloved son. Hear ye So there is the principle
teaching. You've heard the law, you've
heard the prophets. Now hear my son, mine only begotten
son, manifest in the flesh. Hear what he says. Think not
that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets. I am not
come to destroy, but to fulfill. He honored the law. Now, you
notice in the records that we have in the Gospels about the
life of Jesus Christ and especially in his sufferings and death.
And it says again on a number of occasions that the scripture
might be fulfilled. He said. And that's what he came
to do, to fulfill what was purposed and decreed by his eternal father
that he would redeem his people. That holy law that you have broken,
that I have broken, the Lord Jesus Christ has fulfilled it,
he's honoured it, he's magnified it. He's brought the way of life
to light. In him is life. You'll never
find life under the law. We just sung one of Hart's hymns. And how clearly he speaks there,
doesn't he? That we cannot fulfill that holy
righteous law and we cannot find salvation under the holy law
of God. The law was never given for the finding of salvation. The law was given that sin might
appear to be sin. think not that i am come to destroy
the law all all the prophets i am not come to destroy but
to fulfill he goes on to say in verse 18 and for verily i
say unto you till heaven and earth pass one jot or one tittle
shall in no wise pass from the law till all be fulfilled Now
what Christ is telling us here in the verse of our text is that
He has fulfilled it. Christ has fulfilled it. He lived
a life that was perfect. He lived a life that was holy.
He lived a life that was pure. We are given a definition of
sin in 1 John chapter 3. Sin is any transgression of the
law of God. That's a definition of sin, a
scriptural definition of sin. When we break God's holy law,
his holy commandments, those solemn commandments that
we have in the book of Exodus that were given by the Lord under
Moses in the Mount Sinai. And the Lord Jesus, he speaks
of that holy righteous law. In his ministry. And especially in his life. His life was holy without a spot. He never transgressed God's holy
law. We read in Hebrews and we read
in the first epistle of Peter, he did no sin. Neither was guile
found in his mouth. Who was the Lord Jesus Christ?
We go forth from the womb speaking lies and hypocrisy. We have a
heart as it's witnessed in the prophecy of Jeremiah, a heart
that is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. That's
our hearts. You know friends, we sin because
we're sinners. It's natural to us. We're born
in that condition. We're not sinners. Because we
sin, we sin because we're sinners. And we're born as sinners. And
we come under the solemn curse of the law, the holy law of God. You know, the apostle in the
epistle to the Romans, he defines very clearly concerning law and
grace. And it's a very separating discourse. He gives us in the epistle to
the Romans concerning the law of God. And if we just turn for
a moment to the third chapter of Romans, and he says in verse
19, now we know that what thing soever the law saith, it says
to them who are under the law, that every mouth may be be stopped,
and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore,
by the deeds of the law, oh, that I could convey this into
your very hearts. Therefore, by the deeds of the
law, there shall no flesh be justified in his sight. For by
the law is the knowledge of sin. That's all the law can do. It will show that you're a sinner.
It will show that you're undone. It will show you that you're
lost. It will show you that you're under the curse. I think it's
either Gatsby or Berridge. It says the law can give me neither
feet nor hands. In other words, it can't empower
me to keep its holy commandments. It's the divine law of God. This
is the distinction between law and grace. are under grace, what
the apostle, he calls the law of faith, there's power given. Power given. The Holy Ghost is
given. The soul is quickened and made
alive. We're made to feel our lost condition.
We're made to see our lost condition. We're made to see our helpless
condition. under that holy righteous law applied by the Spirit of
God. We're made to see under that
holy law that we're unrighteous. We're unrighteous. But what the
Apostle goes on to say in Romans 3 is, but now, now he's speaking
of the gospel of Jesus Christ, but now the righteousness of
God without the law is manifested. being witnessed by the law and
the prophets. Again, this message that we have
in our text, I come not to destroy the law or the prophets. Being
witnessed by the law and the prophets, even the righteousness
of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon
all them that believe, for there is no difference. It doesn't
matter whether you're Jew or Greek, bond or free. Black or brown or yellow or white,
whatever you are, there's only one Saviour, there's only one
Redeemer, there's only one Deliverer from the curse. And that's our
Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Hence, he says, go ye into all
the world, preaching the Gospel unto every creature. We're not
to make distinctions, who is the Lord's people and who will
receive the Gospel. That's entirely what the Jews
did. Oh, you're no good, you're not
a Jew. That's completely done away with under the New Testament.
The Gospel is preached among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. Among all nations. Even the righteousness
of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ. Jesus said, I am
the way, the truth, and the life. He's the way to God. The hymn writer says, doesn't
he, Jesus is the way to God. Jesus is the way to bliss. In
this way, the saints have drawn down from Adam's day to this. See, he says here, concerning
Jew and Gentile, verse 23 in Romans 3, for all have sinned
and come short of the glory of God, being justified freely by
his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. That's
where there is hope. That's where there is mercy.
You see, the Gospel empowers you to believe. You can't do
it yourself. It's something that is given.
It's something that flows from the inward work of the Holy Ghost
in the heart. A sense of sin, a sense of unrighteousness,
a sense of being lost, A sense of being alienated from God.
Maybe, perhaps for some of you young friends, it may be like
one of the hymn writers says, an aching void that the world
can never fill. There's something missing in
your heart, in your very soul, in your very being. There's an
aching void. There's an emptiness. There's
only one place where it can be filled, and that's in Christ. That's in Christ. He says here
in the discourse that we have before us, he says, blessed are
they that mourn. You see, he starts it, blessed
are they that are poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven. Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they
shall inherit the earth. You see, this is what flows from
the work of the spirit in the heart. By nature we're proud,
you see, but when the Holy Ghost begins that work of grace in
the heart, we're brought to see our lost condition, we're humbled
under a sense of it, and then the Holy Spirit, he works faith
in the heart, and we see, we see then clearly that Jesus is
the way to God. Jesus is the way to God. And
then there's a hope that is raised up in your heart. Jesus is the
way. I am the way, the truth, and
the life. You know the apostle, he goes
on in the epistle to the Romans, he speaks much of the law of
God and of the grace of God. And he separates between those
that are under the law and those that are under grace. And he
gives that exhortation. I'm now looking at chapter six. And he gives this exhortation
to the believers in Rome, and to us too. Verse 12, let not
sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it
in the lust thereof, neither yield you your members as instruments
of unrighteousness unto sin, but yield yourselves unto God,
as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as
instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have
dominion over you, for you are not under the law. He's saying
that to believers. Believers are not under the law,
everyone else is. For you're not under the law,
but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because
we're not under the law but under grace? God forbid! Know ye not
that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants
ye are, to whom ye obey, whether of sin unto death or of obedience
unto righteousness. But God be thanked that ye were
the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form
of doctrine which was delivered unto you. You see, the grace
of God will separate us from sin. It will separate us from
sin. The grace of God will bring us
to love our Lord Jesus Christ. And if we love our Lord Jesus
Christ, then we have the Spirit of Christ in our heart. And we
will desire, not that we're under the law, But you won't break
it. You won't break it. You won't sin. Shall we sin that
grace may abound? God forbid. You see, the separating
work of the spirit in the heart. Now, in chapter seven, in verse
five, he says, for when we were in the flesh, the motions of
sin which were by the Lord did work in our members to bring
forth fruit unto death. But now we are delivered from
the law, that being dead wherein we were held, that we should
serve in newness of spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.
What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid! Nay,
but I had not known sin, but by the law, for I had not known
lust, except the law said thou shalt not covet. But sin, taken
occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence,
that means wickedness and unrighteousness, the lusts of the flesh. For without
the law, sin was dead. For I was alive without law once,
but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. And the commandment which was
ordained to life, I found to be unto death. For sin, taken
occasion by the commandment, deceived me. and by it slew me. Wherefore, the law is holy, and
the commandment holy, and just, and good. There is nothing wrong
with the law, my beloved friends. You look at the beginning of
chapter eight of the Romans, and he says, for the law, in
the second verse, for the law of the spirit of life in Christ
Jesus, hath made me free from the law of sin and death. That's
the Ten Commandments. For what the law could not do.
That's what I want to look at. What the law could not do. It
cannot give you life. It cannot reconcile you unto
God. It cannot bring peace into your heart. It cannot bring salvation
into your soul. It cannot reveal Christ. All
the law can do is curse. Cursed is every man that doeth
not all things that is written in the book of the law to do
them. for what the law could not do, in that it was weak through
the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful
flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteousness
of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the
flesh, but after the Spirit. You see, a follower of If you
are following Christ, you will not break God's holy law. Let's
just be clear on that. We're not under the law as a
covenant. We're under grace. But that doesn't mean that you're
free to break God's holy law. Christ came to fulfill the law,
to honor the law, to magnify the law. So do Christian believers. They're not against the law.
They're not under it, they're in Christ. But they're not free
to break it, and that is what is so abundantly clear. And the
apostle is, you see, the great trial to the living child of
God is this. Sin lives in them, in their heart. Now that's very different from
living in sin. Sin lives in us, and that is
the great trial to the Christian believer. The Apostle speaks
of it here in chapter 7. And you look at verse 13. Was
then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But
sin, that it might appear sin, work in death in me, by that
which is good, that sin by the commandment might become exceeding
sinful. For we know that the law is spiritual,
but I am carnal, sold unto sin. For For that which I do, I allow
not. For what I would, that do I not. But what I hate, that do I. You see, this is the conflict
in the heart of a true believer. There's what the apostle here,
he calls it in the Romans, the old man. He calls it the old
man of sin. And that is a great trial of
the true believer. They have the old man of sin
with the lusts thereof. You see, he goes on here in chapter
seven, and he says in verse 20, now if I do that, I would not,
it is no more either do, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find
then a law that when I would do good, evil is present with
me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man.
But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my
mind. and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin, which is in
my members. Oh, wretched man, that I am,
who shall deliver me from the body of this day. I thank God
through Jesus Christ, our Lord. So then with the mind, I myself
serve the law of God, but with the flesh, the law of sin. There
is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. Christ has delivered us from
the curse of the law. Look what it goes on to say in
chapter 8 concerning the carnal mind. And it says in verse 6,
and it says, For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually
minded is life and peace, because the carnal mind is enmity against
God. He is not subject to the law
of God, neither He can be. So then they that are in the
flesh cannot please God. But you're not in the flesh,
but in the Spirit. If so be the Spirit of God dwelling
in you. How separating and searching
is the Word of God? Now, let us look at the Galatians
now, Galatians chapter 3. Because again, the apostolate
deals with the same point here. That what happened in the church
at Galatia, there was forced Jewish teachers that had entered
into the church at Galatia, and they were teaching the brethren
in the church at Galatia that after they'd come to living faith
in Christ, that they were now capable of fulfilling the law.
And they were mixing up law and grace together. And the apostle,
he saw so emphatically, so clearly, this was completely wrong. You
can't mix law and grace. You're either under the law or
you're under grace. Now listen to what he says. Oh
foolish Galatians, the strong language he uses. Who hath bewitched
you that you should not obey the truth before whose eyes Jesus
Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you, This
what I learn of you. Received ye the Spirit by the
works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish,
having begun in the Spirit? Are ye now made perfect by the
flesh? Have ye suffered so many things
in vain, if it be in vain? He therefore that ministereth
to you the Spirit, that's the Holy Ghost, and worketh miracles
among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing
of faith? even as Abraham believed God.
To believe is to exercise faith, and it was accounted to him for
righteousness. Know ye therefore that they which
are of faith the same are the children of Abraham. And the
scripture foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through
faith preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee
shall all nations be blessed. So then They which we have faith
are blessed with faithful Abraham. For as many as are of the works
of the law are under the curse. For it is written, Cursed is
every one that continueth not in all things which are written
in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified
by the law in the sight of God, it is evident. For the just shall
live by faith. And the law is not of faith,
but the man that doeth them shall live in them. Christ hath redeemed
us from the curse of the law. It's like we have, I come not
to destroy the law, but to fulfill it. Christ has redeemed us from
the curse of the law, being made a curse for us. For it is written,
curse it is every one that hangeth on a tree. You see that the blessing
of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ,
that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. You see, through faith. Faith
in our Lord Jesus Christ. He goes on in the latter part
of that chapter three. And he says in verse 22, but
the scriptures 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 unto
the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law
was our schoolmaster. What does a schoolmaster do?
He teaches. He imparts knowledge. And the
law does. What does the law do? It shows
us we're sinners, that we're cursed. Where for the law was
our schoolmaster, it says in the text here, to bring us unto
Christ, but if you look, to bring us is actually in italics, which
means it wasn't in the original. 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. For you're all the children of
God by faith in Christ Jesus, For as many of you as have been
baptized into Christ have put on Christ, there is neither Jew
nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male
nor female, for you're all one in Christ Jesus. If ye be in
Christ, then are ye Abraham's seed and heirs according to the
promise. You see how the Word of God instructs
us and teaches us the distinction between law and grace and what
we must ever remember what some people fall they go to an extreme
and they say the law has been completely banished and finished
in Christ nothing more whatsoever to do with the law that's not
what Christ says I come not to destroy the law must ever remember
that I come not to destroy the law all the prophets, I am not
come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, till
heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise
pass from the law till it be fulfilled. It was fulfilled in
Christ, but it's inflexible. Whosoever therefore shall break
one of these least commandments, that's of the holy law of God,
and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom
of heaven. But whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall
be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you,
that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness
of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into
the kingdom of heaven. The scribes and the Pharisees
were self-righteous. They were self-righteous. They
were right in their own eyes. They believed they were holy. They were righteous. They portrayed
themselves as being the upholder of the law. But it was a self-righteousness. It was an ungodly righteousness.
Now that's a total contradiction of terms, isn't it? But that's
exactly what it was. Christ speaks against Phariseeism
more than any other religion. Constantly and continually in
his teachings, woe unto you Pharisees! You see, that is, those are self-righteous. They trust in themselves. and
in what they can do, and in what they can accomplish, and in what
they can fulfill. They're not trusting in what
Christ has fulfilled. No, for I say unto you that except
your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes
and Pharisees. You shall in no case enter into
the kingdom of heaven. How did it exceed, this righteousness
that he's speaking of, how does it exceed the righteousness of
the scribes and Pharisees because it's the righteousness of Jesus
Christ. We just read in the Romans, Abraham
believed God and it was accounted unto him for righteousness. When
we're brought to see that all our perfection is in Christ,
all our salvation is in Christ, his righteousness is our righteousness,
his precious sin atoning blood that He shed on Calvary, it cleanses
us from all sin. And that glorious everlasting
robe of His righteousness is what clothes the believer, it
covers our nakedness. I'm blessed, I'm blessed, forever
blessed. My rags are gone and I am dressed
in garments white as snow, that everlasting robe of the righteousness
of our Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, this is what the apostle
means when he says, ye are complete in him. He means complete in
Christ. Ye are complete in him. We are
accepted in the beloved. That's the only place. Just think,
I know I often remind you of it, but I believe it's an important
point. In the epistles, and most pointedly,
in the epistle to the Ephesians, It doesn't matter whether the
Apostle is speaking of doctrine, experience, or practice. He constantly
uses these terms, and he's speaking of Christ. He says, in him, through
him, by him, unto him. Salvation, my beloved friends,
is in Christ, in Christ alone. The way to liberty is found.
If the Son shall make you free, then shall you be free indeed.
You're free from the laws, you're free from its curse. You're free
from sin's power. It's by faith in Jesus Christ. That's where liberty and peace
is found in our Lord Jesus Christ. Where the spirit of the Lord
is, there is liberty. Where the divine spirit rules
and reigns in the heart. And we're brought into subjection
unto Christ and to follow him and to serve him in our day and
in generation think not I am come to destroy the law or the
prophets I am not come to destroy but to forfeit and he's made
a new and a living way Christ has he died for our sins he rose
again for our justification and he then ascended into heaven
With the forerunner is for us entered even Jesus, now to appear
in the presence of God for us. For such an high priest hath
we who is passed into the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God. Think not that I am come to destroy
the law or the prophets. I am not come to destroy, but
to fulfill. May the Lord add his blessing. Let us now sing together hymn
number 989. The tune is Siloam, 238. You captive souls in fetters
bound, who feel your misery, the way to liberty is found.
The sun shall make you free. Hymn 989, tune Siloam, 238. ? Let it soothe ? ? In pain and despair
? ? Let it fill your heart ? Liberty is thine. The sun shall
make you free. O come, let us adore Him, Christ
the Lord. Don't go free and go, God will
make you free. to him for refuge be. The voice is gone, he waits to make
you free. Your souls, dear God, my dearest
bring, Your bones have long been sheathed. From sin and death and free indeed.
This day you make me free. Behold thy Son from every day. Let me thy servant be. Now, May the grace of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the love of God the Father, the sacred fellowship of the
Holy Spirit, rest and abide with us each. Amen. Okay.