Good morning. Our text is going
to be in Psalm 119. But before you open there, turn
with me to Genesis chapter 9. I want to start out showing what
I think is a very beautiful picture. And then I'm going to take that
picture and we're going to Try to prove it out in the scripture. Genesis 9, you know the story here. The
Lord God, because of the wickedness and sinfulness of mankind, sent
a flood to destroy man and beast. But Noah found grace in the eyes
of the Lord. Genesis 9, verse 13. After the
flood, God said to Noah. I do set my bow in the cloud. And it shall be for a token of
a covenant between me and the earth. And it shall come to pass
when I bring a cloud over the earth. That the bow shall be
seen in the cloud. And I will remember my covenant,
which is between me and you and every living creature of all
flesh. And the waters shall no more
become a flood to destroy all flesh. And the bow shall be in
the cloud. and I will look upon it that
I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every
living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth." The cloud that God sent over
the earth in Noah's day was the result of sin. result of transgressions against
the law. God put his bow in the law, in
the result of the law, in the condemnation and the judgment
of the law. Our Lord Jesus Christ was put
in the law. And he consumed, he fulfilled
the law, and he consumed the judgment and condemnation that
resulted in our breaking of that law for us. For those that he
has been given, for those chosen in eternal love, he bore that
wrath and that condemnation. And he obtained eternal peace
for all those in his covenant. Now turn with me to Psalm 119,
verse 97. Psalm 119. Most of us have experienced something
like this. We're driving along down the
road, following the flow of traffic at the very least, when suddenly
behind us, we see in our rear view mirror, a car is coming. It's coming fast. It's weaving
in and out of traffic, cutting people off, tailgating, driving
recklessly. Briefly, after seeing it, that
car flies past us. And we think, I sure do hope
the cops get that guy. Here in a little while, we're
driving along and we see, in fact, that car has been stopped. The law has gone. And we do a
little happy dance. We think, good for them, they
got him. Why? Why do we celebrate that? Well, mostly it's because we're
glad that in our estimation, in our judgment, we consider
that driver to have been causing unsafe conditions. We're glad
because the law, as we understand it to be for our protection,
has been enforced. It's been fulfilled. And we celebrate, again, in our
judgment, in our estimation, justice has been served. Psalm
119, verse 97. Oh, how love I thy law. It is my meditation all the day. Verse 126. It is time for thee,
Lord, to work. For they have made void thy law. Therefore, because you work,
therefore, I love thy commandments above gold, yea, above fine gold. Therefore, I esteem all thy precepts
concerning all things to be right, and I hate every false way. Verse 174. I have longed for thy salvation,
O Lord, and thy law is my delight. I love thy law. Can I, can you cry out with the
psalmist, oh, how love I Generally, when I've read this
statement before, I would take that word law and substitute
it. Generally, I'd read it, Oh, how
I love thy word. Is it not true that in a sense,
those words can be transposed? Every word in scripture is the
law of God. This is his law. This is his word. But at the same time, doing that,
replacing that word, I realize I'm just trying to smooth out
my own rough edges myself. Can I say with such boldness
as the psalmist, oh, how I love thy law. Thou shalt have no other
gods before me. Can I love that law? It says guilty. Thou shalt not
take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. Guilty. Honor thy father and thy mother. Guilty. Can we hear the law? The law
of almighty God and cry out boldly, O, how I love thy law. Pray this morning, the Lord will
enable us to see the purpose of his law, our natural response,
why and how we do love his law. In our example of driving, almost
all of us can look back at some foolish things we've done while
behind the wheel. As we mature, hopefully, generally
speaking, we begin to not only heed the law to prevent being
punished, but we begin to see some wisdom in some of the established
laws. They're there. We're told, in
general, and we generally believe that the laws are in place for
our protection, that the purpose of those driving laws is to protect
both the driver, me, and the general public. What is the purpose of God's
law? Is His law, is His commandments
only to point men and women on how we should behave? Is it a step-by-step guide to
gain God's acceptance? Turn with me to Galatians 3.
We were just here earlier this morning. Galatians 3, you don't
need to hold your place anywhere. Galatians 3, beginning in verse
10. For as many as are of the works
of the law are under the curse, for it is written, the law says,
cursed is everyone 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. What does the law
say to those of us who by nature claim to keep the law? It says,
cursed is everyone that continueth, remains in, be true to, continueth
not in all things, not just the things we agree with, not just
the things that we think are relevant today, all things which
are written in the book of the law to do them. In short. For all of Adam's children, that
gets every one of us in here, we are cursed under the law.
Verse 13, Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law,
being made a curse for us, for it is written, cursed is everyone
that hangeth on a tree. that the blessing of Abraham
might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ, that we might receive
the promise of the Spirit through faith. We are born under the
law. We are condemned under the law. How shall we escape? Only if
the price is paid. Christ hath redeemed us. He has bought us by becoming
what we are. We are cursed. He became a curse
for us, that we might receive the promise through faith, not
by keeping the law, but through faith. Verse 19. wherefore then serveth the law?"
Paul asks our question, what is the point, what is the purpose
of God's law? Continuing on, it, the law was
added because of transgressions. till the seed should come to
whom the promise was made which we heard so read so ably this
morning from verse 16 the seed is Christ and it was ordained
by angels in the hand of a mediator the law was given not to take
away or make away around God's promise, but it was given to
expose our utter sinfulness. It was added because of transgressions. Verse 20, now a mediator is not
a mediator of one, but God is one. 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 unto the faith which should afterwards
be revealed." What's the point? What is the purpose of all of
God's law? Verse 24, wherefore, the law
was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ that we might
be justified by faith. The whole purpose of God's law
is to bring us to our Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus. Oh, how
love I thy law, which brings me unto Christ. Now back to our example of us
being a responsible driver and getting to the place where we
rejoice to see the other driver pulled over and getting the just
rewards of his actions. Who is it in this scenario who
rejoices? Who loves the law? It's the responsible
driver, of course. The other driver had shown his
or her disdain for the law and now being caught, more than likely
they're even more angry about the law. At the heart of it,
The responsible driver rejoices, loves the law, because he recognized
the danger that the other driver posed to himself and to others. And he recognizes the purpose
of the law is to provide protection. Can I say, can we say, oh, how
love I God's law? When God is pleased to reveal
the truth of his law, when he's pleased to reveal that it is
the means by which he brings poor, vile sinners to the Lord
Jesus Christ, then I can say, oh, how I love thy law. That driver having no regard
for the laws blatantly declares he has no love for the law. What
about you and I? What is our attitude towards
God's law? My nature, that nature that I
inherited from my first father, Adam, shows its true regard for
God's commandments. My flesh despises the things
of God and it abhors his holy law. That's my condition. And according to the scripture,
that is the condition of all mankind in our natural state,
dead in trespasses and sins. Can one such as I, who has such
disdain, such abhorrence of God's holy law, can I be turned to
one who cries out, oh, how I love thy law. At the heart of God's
law it says, the man which doeth shall live. And it declares the
wages of sin, breaking the law, is death. Sinful mankind, you
and me, is totally incapable of keeping God's law. And beyond
that, in our natural flesh, we are unwilling to keep his law. The ultimate condemnation of
death hangs upon us all. Back to our example. In truth, as I go by that guy
who's been pulled over, do I have any right to stand in judgment
over him. Have I ever kept the law of the
roads perfectly? Can I truly say I'm better than
you are? I'm just like that driver. I
have broken the law and I am a lawbreaker. I am guilty before
the law. In our example, that driver who
is driving so recklessly will stand before a judge who is like
unto himself, a lawbreaker. At the end of our days, We shall
stand before the judge, a judge who is not like ourselves. We
will stand before the just and holy God, the God who made the
law and the God who kept the law. And if we stand before him
in our natural flesh, despising his law, He shall declare, depart
from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and
his angels. But God, in mercy, in grace,
in our Lord Jesus Christ, lovingly chose a number of Adam's fallen
race to pour out his loving kindness upon. He looked upon those he
chose in his covenant of grace. He looked upon me. He saw my
condition utterly ruined in sin and a rebel against him. Sometimes when we hear this truth,
when we're presented with a vastness of our sin that Christ
took upon himself, it's overwhelming. Our minds can't enter into it. It can somehow obscure how great
things God has done for me. Let's consider one little event
Very specific event. This morning, I drove from my
house about a mile away to here. For most of that drive, the speed
limit is 25 miles per hour. If I keep my vehicle at 25 or
below, I keep the law. The law has no penalty against
me, no hold on me. one decimeter, .0000001 above 25, I have broken the law. I am guilty before the law. Whether I'm apprehended now or
not, I am guilty. I've broken that law. I have
no means to claim innocence, no means to say I'm righteous
before the law. I'm guilty. I've damaged the
law and I cannot change that. That is my standing before God's
law. I have broken his law and I stand
guilty. I have offended in one point,
I've offended in all. And I have no way to repair that
law I've broken. Well, did God look at his law
and say, well, no one's able to keep that law. Maybe I'm a
little too strict. Maybe I'll change the, well,
no, no, no, I'll tell you what. Five above the speed limit, we'll
just let that slide. 10 above, we'll just let that
slide. That cannot be. Where would we
seek hope if God changed either his law or his enforcement of
his law? Today we'll let five go. Tomorrow
we'll let, nope, we're back down to you can't go over the speed
limit. Where's our hope if the goalposts always shift? Thank
God he recorded in his word, I am the Lord, I change not. Therefore, ye sons of Jacob are
not consumed. He didn't change his law. He
didn't change his judgments. My Lord and my God came down
himself. He made himself of no reputation. He came like unto us. He came
born under, born in subjection to his own law. As he walked
in the flesh, he fulfilled every law, the laws of man, the laws
of God. He perfectly fulfilled them all. of all men throughout all time,
he alone earned the right to stand in judgment over lawbreakers. And what did he do with that
righteousness which he obtained, that righteousness which he earned
a perfect upright standing before God? gave it away. That law I broke
in the drive coming here this morning, when justice comes for
me and cries on March 2, you, Obie Williams, you broke the
law. I have a mediator. My Lord Jesus
Christ, who when the accusation is presented before the court,
he stands and declares, incorrect. Obie Williams was not the driver
that morning. He kept the law perfectly every
time he got behind the wheel. I was the driver. I broke the speed limit. The
court then looks upon me and declares, I find in you no fault
at all. Now, if at that time the court
ended and no other actions were taken, the law would be incomplete. Justice would have been denied.
And the law, being found applied with some form of favoritism,
would become detestable. The court, as God cannot change, as God
cannot be unjust, the court turned to my substitute and passed judgment. The soul that sinneth, it shall
die. Crucify him. So condemned for
my sin, which he bore in my place, they led him out. They scourged
him. They nailed him to the tree that
was readied for me. He shed his precious blood to
redeem me from the curse of his law. He lived for me, keeping
the law which I could not. He died for me, paying the sin
debt which he did not owe. He freely took my sin upon himself. They took his precious body down,
and they laid him in a tomb that was my tomb. He entered once. into the holy
place with his own blood, and he obtained eternal redemption
for us. He rose again, proving once and
for all that he had completely, fully satisfied the law and his
just demands. How can a man lost and dead in
trespasses and sins, a lawbreaker, cry out from the depths of his
soul, oh, how love I thy law. When that sinner sees the great
love with which God loved his people, that he would send his
only beloved, only begotten son, to bear our sins, to shed his
precious blood, to fulfill the law and the prophets. When we
see that Christ Jesus, God took him and put him in the
law, in that judgment, in that condemnation, he fully satisfied
the law and he did away with the judgment and condemnation
reserved for this sinner. When we see him, when we see
Christ, we will love him and we will love his law. When that
law comes upon us and we hear it's just verdict of guilty declared,
When the cloud of condemnation appears against us, may God be
pleased to use that to cause us to flee to Christ alone. He who fulfilled the law also
consumed the condemnation, and he obtained peace through his
blood. Oh, how love I thy law, because
of my Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus.