Good morning. Most of us here are aware that
we have the Ten Commandments in Scripture, but we're aware
there's a bunch of other commandments in the Scripture as well. But
the ten that we see are plenty enough for us to be concerned
about. The Ten Commandments do summarize, if you will, the whole
law of God. Thou shalt have none other gods
before me. Thou shalt not make thee any
graven image. Thou shalt not take the name
of the Lord thy God in vain. Keep the Sabbath day to sanctify. Honor thy father and thy mother.
Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness
against thy neighbor. Thou shalt not covet. We have
these 10, but Christ himself took it down to two. Christ responded
to a Pharisee in Matthew 22, verses 36 through 40. He says,
it says, Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
Jesus said unto him, thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all
thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind. This is
the first and great commandment. And the second is likened to
it. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments
hang all the law and the prophets. So even just these two sum up
the law of God. The law of God is just, just
that, the law of God. These laws are concerning God
and not man. You break these laws and you
are committing a crime against God. You may be committing a
crime against someone else at the same time, but it's ultimately
God that you're offending. He gave this law. I want to look
at a few things concerning God's law this morning. Briefly as
it relates to the unbeliever according to the scripture, then
as it relates to the believer according to scripture. So first I want to look at scripture
and see what God says in his word about those who would want
to follow the hundreds of commandments. Follow the ten commandments or
just follow the two commandments. First of all, the law to the
unbeliever is in full force. So those who do not know Christ,
those who do not believe Christ are still under the law. So God
commands you to keep the whole law of God. One misstep, one
mess up, one sin means you've broken the whole law of God.
We or they will never be able to keep the law of God. But anyone
not in Christ are under God's law. When you think about it,
the law of God instituted sacrifices, which tells us just by the fact
that sacrifices were a part of the law that man would be breaking
God's law. The sacrifices were for sin. Of course, those sacrifices could
never take away sin. However, not all men know that
the law is a glorious condemnation of death. because all they see
it as is a way to please God. They think they are able to keep
the law. They do not understand that the
law was more than just 10 commandments, but even more, they do not understand
who they are, Joe. The law was hundreds of commandments
summed up in these 10, but as has been stated already, Christ
narrowed them down to two. It is not just physically doing
or not doing God's law. Just thinking something against
the law is a sin. Matthew 528 says this, but I
say unto you that whosoever looketh upon a woman to lust after her
hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. Man
cannot and will not be honest with himself and say, I sin against
God's law every day. Man cannot even control his thoughts
and cannot control his heart. Even with just the two, they
are unable to keep the law of God that they might have life. They are required by God to keep
the whole law if they are to live. But they will not be able
to do this. James 2 and 10 says, for whosoever
shall keep the whole law and yet offend in one point, he is
guilty of all. For anyone to think they love
God with all their heart, mind, soul, and strength shows they
are deceived. We know why this is so. The heart
they are born with deceives them. They think that just because
they have not physically committed certain acts against the law,
which that is highly suspect to begin with, but it is also
said in scripture that even to think a wrong thought against
God's law means you have broken the whole law. What does it mean
to break God's law? The soul that sinneth, it shall
die. There's no getting around this.
Either you will die, or by God's grace, another stood in your
place as a substitute who died in your stead. God's word says
that death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. Romans
5.12 reads this. Wherefore, as by one man, sin
entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon
all men, for that all have sinned. Unbelievers never look at the
law as coming from a holy, just, righteous God. Because it comes
from God himself, the law itself is holy, just, and good. But
they look at the law this way. They look at how well they think
they keep the law compared to one another. They think they
are better than others or doing better than others because they
do not do or they do do certain things that others may or may
not do. However, when they do this, they
are just comparing a fallen sinner to themselves who may look worse
than they do in their eyes. But no man, when compared to
the thrice holy God, will ever measure up to that standard.
It is how we are seen in God's eyes that matters. We have to
see how he views us, and we have already went through what God
says about us in his word. But just so there is no misunderstanding,
hear God's word on the matter. Romans 3, 19. Now we know that
whatsoever things the law saith, it saith to them who are under
the law, that every mouth may be stopped. and all the world
may become guilty before God. 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. So then no flesh will be justified
before God by the deeds of the law. So either doing what the
law says to do or not doing what the law says not to do, if you
do these things and expect justification before God, It will never come. This does not happen, but nevertheless,
it is true. So the unbeliever will never
see this. You will never see what the law
really says as you are born in Adam unless God intervenes. He
will only do this in his son, Jesus Christ, and only for those
given to Christ before the world began. So what does the law mean
to the believer? We can see that clearly from
scripture that keeping the law will never be done by mankind
and therefore not gaining any merit before God. So what does
it mean to the believer? We've already read Romans 3.19.
And we know that whatsoever things the law saith, it saith to them
who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped and all
the world may become guilty before God. 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. The believer comes to know
that I need to shut my mouth and that I am guilty before God. I will never be justified by
the law. All it does for me is to show
me what sin is. There's something else about
sin as it concerns the law. First Corinthians 15 and 56 says
this, the sting of sin, the sting of death is sin, and the strength
of sin is the law. The believer knows or is made
aware of, however you want to say it, but the believer knows
that any time I try to obey the law, I fail, I sin. I cannot obey God's law to gain
God's favor. I do not look to obey God's law
for favor before God. In fact, I cannot obey God's
law at all. The believer is brought to know
this. There is in no sense that a believer thinks about the law
as a way of life, because it is not a way of life. Only death
is revealed in the law. I always miss the mark when it
comes to God's law. I'm not trying to obey God's
law. I cannot do it. Every time I
try, I fail. For the believer looking to the
law is looking in the wrong place. So is the law against everything
that God tells us in Scripture? 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 problem is not with God's
law. The problem is with man who cannot
keep God's law because he is dead in trespasses and in sins.
No matter how well-meaning or sincere he may be in his attempts
to keep God's law, Scripture says that even our righteousnesses
are as filthy rags in God's sight. The law was our schoolmaster
unto Christ. Galatians 3.24 says, wherefore
the law was our schoolmaster unto Christ, that we might be
justified by faith. This is that appointed time of
God when we are given the spirit of bondage to fear. We come to
that place where we know we have offended God's law and we tremble
at the thought of going out into eternity in that state. We know
we have nothing to bring to God with this spirit of bondage. The law shuts our mouth, it tells
us we cannot keep it, and that we are guilty before God. Seeing
that we have no other place to hide, we by faith then look unto
Christ as the only hope for ever having any righteousness before
God. Once faith is come, there is
no longer any need for this schoolmaster. Galatians 3, 25 and 26 says this,
but after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster,
for ye are all the children of God by faith in Jesus Christ. This is that appointed time when
we receive the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Papa, Father. The scripture says that without
faith, it is impossible to please God. Hebrews 11.6 says, but without
faith it is impossible to please him. For he that cometh to God
must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that
diligently seek him. Galatians 2.19 says, for I through
the law am dead to the law that I might live unto God. Faith
brings me to believe Jesus Christ, Him having kept the law for me. I trust Him and what He did.
Do I try to keep the law of God after I have faith? Having faith,
do I then have the ability to keep God's law? Romans 3, 28
through 31 says this. Therefore we conclude that a
man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. Is he the
God of the Jews only? Is he not also of the Gentiles?
Yes, of the Gentiles also. Seeing it is one God which shall
justify the circumcision by faith and earn circumcision through
faith, do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid,
yea, we establish the law. There is nothing in God's law
that can justify me, nothing. But there is in Jesus Christ. Acts 13, 38 and 39. Be it known
unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached
unto you the forgiveness of sin. and by him all that believe are
justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified
by the law of Moses. I'm not looking to keep God's
law in any way, shape, or form, because I cannot. I have been
made righteousness of God in Christ, and I have been imputed
righteousness through faith by God. I am as righteous as Jesus
Christ himself is, if I am in Christ and only if I am in Christ. Does that mean I go out and break
God's law on purpose? Yes, in the flesh I do. I must
look to him for my righteousness always and trust him to work
in me both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Men have
tried to get other men to try and keep God's law. We have an
example in scripture. Acts 15 and verse 24 says this. For as much as we have heard
that certain went out from us have troubled you with words,
subverting your souls, saying, you must be circumcised and keep
the law. To whom we gave no such commandment. Do not let men tell you that
there is any commandments to keep God's law for the believer.
We are told to believe Jesus Christ. He accomplished salvation
for us. We establish the law by believing
Christ. What does that mean? It means
we take sides with God against ourselves, acknowledging that
we cannot keep his law. And we acknowledge that Jesus
Christ was the only man that could ever keep the law of God,
and he did. So you are saying that you believe
that you just go live exactly how you want? No, I believe Jesus
Christ. I believe he has power to keep
me because he says he will, and I know he is all powerful. Does that make me an antinomian?
Maybe. I will live how I want to live.
There is no doubt about that. But I trust God when he says
he will work in me both the will and to do of his good pleasure.
I'm not going to thwart that one way or the other. At best, what I do is mortify
my members. This is not keeping God's law,
but believing God. Colossians 3, 5 says, mortify
therefore your members which are upon the earth, fornication,
uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness,
which is idolatry. It goes on to mention some more,
and I'm sure there are others. But we are to deaden or subdue,
put in check these things. Lock them up, put them, keep
them away. How are we able to do that? In
Colossians 3 verses 9 and 10 it says, lie not one to another,
seeing that you have put off the old man with his deeds. and
have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after
the image of him that created him. We do this through the spirit,
it says in Romans 8 and 13. What God has created is renewed
in knowledge, this new man. This is a constant battle and
not one that we seem to win very often. But we do because he works
in us both the will and to do of his good pleasure through
his spirit. My ability and my strength comes
from him. It is not just something God
does for us one time and that is it. He continues to do this,
to keep me from myself. From time to time he allows me
to fall, but by his power and grace, I get back up, pressing
towards the mark. looking for that time when I
see him as he is. I am no longer married to the
law. Christ took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross.
Romans 7.4 says, wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become
dead to the law by the body of Christ, that ye should be married
to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we
should bring forth fruit unto God. Christ fulfilled the law,
every tittle. Matthew 5, 17 and 18 says, 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 all be fulfilled, and it has. If I look
to the law, all I will see is condemnation, as I in my flesh
cannot please God through the law. I cannot keep the law, whether
it is for righteousness or otherwise. If I look to the law, then I'm
giving strength, giving sin strength, because that is the strength
of sin, the law. Do I hate the law of God? No. I want to honor God's law, but
in my flesh, I cannot. I know by God's grace that Jesus
Christ our Lord kept the law completely. And if I am in him,
then I have kept the law. It is only by faith given by
God that I can please God. This is not of myself, but a
gift of God. This all comes to men and women
who were chosen in Christ and based solely on his work on the
tree. He has bore our sins in his own
body on the tree, being the perfect sacrifice for sin. Sin has no
more power over me because it no longer has what energizes
it to give it strength. The law being put away by Jesus
Christ, my all in all. Romans 10 and four says, for
Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone
that believeth. If this is not so, then Christ
is dead in vain. For if salvation be of works,
of the law, in any way, then it is by works and not grace.
But we know that it is by grace, therefore it is not of works,
otherwise grace is no more grace. This is what God says in his
word, Galatians 2.21. I do not frustrate the grace
of God, for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ
is dead in vain. I am totally freed from the law
in Christ Jesus who has made me free from the law of sin and
death. Romans 8 and 2 says, for the
law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus have made me free
from the law of sin and death. What do you want? Christ or law? Do you want to establish the
law? Believe Jesus Christ. Amen. Dear Lord God, thank you for
allowing us to be here today, dear Lord. And I pray that whatever
is said here at this place honors and glorifies your name. Because
all it is about is about glory to your name, dear Lord. Allow
us to do that. Allow us to rejoice with one
another in that. Be with us. Give us strength,
dear Lord. All these things we ask in Christ's name. Amen.