If you would, you can just turn
with me at one verse to read Romans 3. And you heard this
pretty recently. Romans 3 verse 31. Romans 3 and
verse 31. Do we then make void the law
through faith? God forbid, yea, we establish
the law. I want to look at this a little
bit more. I did a message on 2 Corinthians
3, which is when Walter preached this message, and it was a good
message. And it just stuck in my mind. I couldn't get it out
of my mind. So I wanted to go over this some more. When we read this verse, there
are some things here that, in my mind, I want to define or
to look at a little further. First of all, looking at the
question, it says, do we? So this is talking about something
we do or, in this case, don't do. Then we have make void. That is, to abolish or to do
away with, and that's the law it's talking about here. Then
it says, through faith. That is faith, the gift of God
to his people in the measure he's pleased to give it. And
then we have, we establish, that is the law. So I want to go through,
do we make void the law? And through faith, we establish
the law. I know this question is answered
right here in this verse, and this is number one, do we make
void the law? The answer is, no we don't. But
we know the law has been voided, right? This verse is absolutely
true, but we also know because we're told in scripture that
there is one who did void the law. 2 Corinthians 3.7 says,
but if the ministration of death written and engraven in stones
was glorious so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly
behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance,
which glory was to be done away. That word there for was to be
done away, it's the same word in our text today. Make void. It's used two more times in 2
Corinthians 3 as well. And it's clear that Jesus Christ
voided the 10 commandments. Jesus Christ by faith did everything
he came to this earth to do. Jesus Christ abolished the law. That is exactly what it says
there in 2 Corinthians 3. Him being the very righteousness
of God without the law, Walter. What are we told then about this
glory that excelleth, that's in 2 Corinthians 3, which has
voided the Ten Commandments? Well, first of all, there will
come a time when his spirit will come upon us, giving us that
heart which will then turn to the Lord. What does it say, 2
Corinthians 3, 17? Now the Lord is that spirit,
and where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. We have
liberty in Christ Jesus. I know there are some who might
think that when you say things like I'm saying that you hate
God's law. This is not about hating God's
law. We are told in the scripture to use the law lawfully. How
do we do that? We tell the truth about what
it does. It shuts our mouth and it kills us. That's all it can
do because it is weak through the flesh. But we have this spirit
that comes to us, and when it does, we are then turned to the
Lord. Walter said this in his message
last week, and I've said it several times in some of my messages,
but what is the fruit of the spirit? Galatians 5, 22 and 23,
we read, but the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering,
gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, against
such there is no law. God gives us by His Spirit, and
this is He gives us in the new man, His Spirit which has all
these fruits, of which there is no law against them. What
are we told in scripture? What avails for us? And this
word avail in Galatians 5, 6 means ability. What gives us the ability
to believe God? To receive the love of the truth
from God. Galatians 5, 6 says, for in Jesus
Christ neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision,
but faith which worketh by love. This faith of Christ being energized
by love, all coming from the grace of God to those who are
his people, they fulfill the law in this way. This is how
they have the ability to fulfill the law. This is how they are
not voiding the law. It is through the fruit of the
spirit which enables them to do this. Romans 13, 10 we read,
love worketh no ill to his neighbor, therefore love is the fulfilling
of the law. We know faith points to Christ
because it is he who authored it and it is he who perfected
it. So let's look further at through
faith we establish the law, number two. It says in our text that
through faith we establish the law. How do we do that? Are we keeping the commandments
of God as our way of life? No. Jesus Christ, who is our
life, who is the righteousness of God without the law, did keep
the law every jot and tittle. He not only did this, but he
also paid for his people's sin. That is sin against his holy
law. He was absolutely holy and perfect
in everything he did. but he was also made a curse
and sin for me. This he did by faith, that faith
that he authored and perfected. This is the very faith that God
by his spirit bestows on us by his grace. That is basically
what it says in Romans 3. Romans 3 verses 21 and 22 we
read, but now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested,
being witnessed by the law and the prophets. Even the law and
the prophets give witness to this. Even the righteousness
of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ, and this faith
is unto all and up on all them that believe. for there is no
difference. We are told in scripture that
the law was weak through the flesh, but Jesus Christ came
down born of a virgin, born under the law. We are told that the
law was weak through the flesh, but not his flesh. He absolutely
kept the law. By faith, we believe in God and
the record he gave of his son do establish that law because
faith is energized by love and love is the fulfillment of the
law. We believe God and his righteousness,
which gives life. The law cannot and does not give
life. Romans 8 says, for the law of
the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from
the law of sin and death. This law of the spirit of life
in Christ Jesus, this law of faith is the law that goeth forth
from Zion. It goes forth from what Jesus
Christ has done. This law is not from Mount Sinai. That law killeth. This law, the
Ten Commandments, is not of faith, but of works. It's not of believing,
but of doing. It is okay to believe God. He
will guide us into all truth by His Spirit. If we walk in
the Spirit, we shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. What am
I trying to get at here by saying these things? What God requires,
He gives. We are told that we must believe
on Jesus Christ or we will die in our sins. We believe by faith. That is by the faith of Jesus
Christ, which is given us by God, by the Holy Spirit. He also
gives us this faith in word through the gospel. His spirit attending
that word of faith. We then have the ability. In
other words, this is what avails for us, is the faith given by
God. Not only that, but it is God
who works in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure.
We are told by God to hear His Son. His Son is the more excellent
glory. He is that glory that exceleth,
that the law is glorious, but Jesus Christ is more glorious.
We do this by faith, which is His gift, and this faith also
being energized by love. Jesus Christ saved us by His
death on the cross and then raising to life with us in Him. Then once He gives us this faith
and sending us His gospel, we then believe Him. Does God then
direct us by His Holy Spirit to look to the law as our way
of life? When the law cannot give life,
does God then direct us to look at His law for how we are to
live? If we look to the law, and I mean the Ten Commandments
as our way of life, we are not looking at Christ, who is our
life. We cannot serve two masters.
What does Galatians 3.12 read? Let's turn to that. I don't remember
what it says. Let's turn to Galatians 3.12.
Let's see if I can find it. Galatians 3.12. Galatians 3.12 says, and the
law is not of faith, but the man that doeth them shall live
in them. It tells us about the law, but
then we read in Romans 1.17, the just shall live by faith. This is not saying how they get
life, but it is talking about their way of life. What do we
read in Scripture in Hebrews 9.28? So Christ was once offered
to bear the sins of many, and unto them that look for him shall
he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. We are to look to him by faith,
not to the law. The law can do nothing but kill
us, and it cannot give us life. These are not my words, they
are the words of God written down by his prophets and apostles,
being inspired of God. Hebrews 12 too says, looking
unto Jesus, the author and finisher of faith, who for the joy that
was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and
is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. You will
not find in scripture where we are told to look to the Ten Commandments
as our way of life. It's just not there. There's
no life in them. That which God gives to his people,
his spirit, which has fruit, there is no law against those
gifts, those fruit. So there is no reason to look
to the law. We are to look to Jesus Christ
and Jesus Christ alone, who was beloved of the Father, and it
is he who the Father wants us to hear. the righteousness that
is not of the law, that glory that exceleth. What does it tell
us about Abraham in Galatians 3.6? Even as Abraham believed
God and it was accounted to him for righteousness. It's not of
the law. The law is of works. Faith is
not of works. Romans 4-5 says, but to him that
worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly,
his faith is counted for righteousness. This righteousness is the righteousness
of God, not the righteousness of the law. The law cannot give
righteousness. Galatians 3-21 tells us that. I know not too long ago when
I preached that message on 2 Corinthians 3, I said I would take the accusation
on, and that is the accusation of being an antinomian. I want
to modify that statement up somewhat. When it comes to the Ten Commandments,
I am antinomian. Because I am dead to the law.
I am freed from that law. Jesus Christ has abolished that
law. I am married to Christ, Christ
who is the righteousness of God without the law. So why would
I say that I'm under that law to keep it as my way of life?
But my way of life is faith. That is faith given by God, which
faith looks to Jesus Christ who is the source and object of that
faith. The law of faith is what I'm
talking about. and this law I am under by the
grace of God in Jesus Christ. Romans 3, 27, 28, we read, where
is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? Nay, but by the law
of faith. Therefore we conclude that a
man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. So how
is it that we establish the law through faith? We believe Jesus
Christ has met the demands of the law in my stead. And I want
to be clear here. Jesus Christ certainly kept the
law. Now this next statement that
I'm gonna tell you, I don't have of us, saith the Lord, so it
is my opinion. But I do not believe Jesus Christ
kept the law for me. I believe Jesus Christ kept the
law because he always was well-pleasing to the Father. He worshiped the
Father, as Walker said last week. I believe because who Christ
is, he could do nothing else but keep the law of God. It is
who he is. The demand on my behalf that
my Lord met was this, the soul that sinneth, it shall die. I
have certainly sinned against God in his holy, just, and good
law, the Ten Commandments. So I deserve death. This Jesus
Christ did for his people, taking that which they deserved on and
in himself. In Ezekiel, read that the soul
that sinneth it shall die. That's where you can read that.
We also know from scripture that sin is the transgression of the
law. So if I have sinned, and there
is no doubt that I have, then I have transgressed the law of
God. I could not do anything else as the law is weak through
the flesh. 1 John 3 and verse 4 says, whosoever
committeth sin transgresseth also the law, for sin is the
transgression of the law. If the law be a killing letter
and the law of death, then it cannot be a fountain of life.
What is it that the child of God seeks for? Righteousness. Not just any righteousness, but
that righteousness which is of God. That righteousness which
is not of the law. Where do we find this? The law
will not bring righteousness. Galatians 3.21 says, 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. The law does not make us what
we are, and it does not fix what we are. It only shows us what
we are. There is none that can show any
text in God's word that teaches us that the law, the Ten Commandments,
is our way of life once we believe Jesus Christ. The law cannot
give life. So how can it be our way of life?
All the law does is kill. If God's word told us that the
law gives life or in some way is our walk of life, then I would
preach that. But God's word nowhere teaches
it or says it. Paula has this book by William
Huntington and I want to quote something from him. I have a
couple of things. I've changed the words a little bit just for
reading sake. from William Huntington, quote, there is a way which seemeth
right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death,
Proverbs 14, 12. Teaching that believers are to
look to the law as their way of life is turning people from
grace to works. From liberty of the spirit to
the bondage of the law. The true light in the old veil. Death and life can never stand
together. One must give way, grace shall
reign, and Moses must be subject." We know from Scripture that that
which is not of faith is sin. We also know that sin is the
transgression of the law. We just read it. So does faith
look to the Ten Commandments? No. Faith looks to Jesus Christ,
just as Walter said. He is both the object of faith,
that is what faith looks to, and he is also the source of
it. He is where it comes from. And I have another quote by William
Huntington. The law is holy, just, and good
because it defends a holy, just, and good God. It will certainly
cut off and destroy forever every adversary that is found under
it. But though the law was holy, yet it sanctified none. It is
just, but it justifies none. It is good, but it imparts no
goodness to men. God is our justifier and sanctifier,
and Christ is our righteousness and sanctification. God's goodness
to us comes by grace, severity by the law, end quote. Scripture
confirms this to us. John 117 says, for the law was
given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. Brothers
and sisters, we do not hate God's law. We do not look to break
God's law. We are, in fact, not looking
at God's law at all if we are believers, and this by grace.
We have no sufficiency of ourselves. It is all of Him. All that we
must have, he supplies. But we are married to Jesus Christ,
Romans 7, 4. Wherefore, my brethren, ye also
are become dead to the law by the body of Christ, that you
should be married to another, even to him, that is Jesus Christ,
who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit
unto God. I am married to Jesus Christ.
I'm not going to commit adultery with that which he has done away
with. How do I honor God's law? Well,
fulfilling the law, I think, is a pretty good indication of
us doing that, right? We fulfill the law by faith. That is, we believe Jesus Christ,
and in so doing, by his grace, and by his grace alone, we then
fulfill the law, looking unto Jesus, the author and perfecter
of faith. It is he, Jesus Christ, that
was come to be lifted up. John 3.14 says, and as Moses
lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the
Son of Man be lifted up. As Joe said in his TV message
this morning, if you watched that, this is talking about that
time when there were all these fiery serpents who were biting
people. They were dying because of it.
They were told that all those who were bitten Bitten by what? What is the picture given us
in that passage? Those who are bitten by the law
of God, knowing they will surely die, what are they told to do? Look to the brass serpent. We
know this brass serpent is a picture of Christ because we are told
so right here in John, John 3.15. For what reason or what is the
result to looking to Jesus Christ, John 3.15? That whosoever believeth
in him should not perish but have eternal life. Brothers and
sisters, Jesus Christ is our righteousness. Look to him because
he is our only salvation. He is our only way of life. We
do and will fulfill the law through faith. Faith given us by him
who authored it and perfected it. This faith causes us to continually
look to him who is our righteousness without the law. This faith is
counted for righteousness. James 1.17 says, every good gift
and every perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the
Father of lights with whom is no variableness, neither shadow
of turning. God gives us everything we need.
Everything he gives is perfect. that new man, the faith with
which that new man believes, all gifts from God are perfect. The law of faith, that is the
law which we are under, it is okay to believe God. We work to rest. And I will close
with this, if you'll turn with me to Hebrews 4. Hebrews 4. Hebrews 4 verses 10 and 11. For he that is entered into his
rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from
his. Let us labor therefore to enter
into that rest, lest any man fall under the same example of
unbelief. And I'll say one more time, it
is okay to believe God, amen. Dear Lord God, thank you for
allowing us to be here today and hear words of your son, dear
Lord. All power is yours, we have none. Apply these words to our heart
by your spirit, Lord, only you can. All these things we ask
in Christ's name, amen.