Welcome, friends, to another
broadcast of Morsels for Zion's Poor. The writer of the epistle
to the Hebrews tells us of two kingdoms, one which could be
shaken and another one which could not. One is the kingdom
of the law given to Moses. The other is the kingdom of righteousness
given by Jesus Christ. The first kingdom was temporary
or of limited power because it could not continue by reason
of the fact that those who are its subjects could not abide
under it. It could only minister death
because it was weak through the flesh. 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. This kingdom could be and was
shaken, and could in no wise ever deliver one of its subjects
unto life. Therefore he says, for ye are
not come unto the mount, that is the kingdom, that might be
touched and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness and
darkness and tempest. Then he goes on to say, But ye
are come unto Mount Sinai, and unto the city of the living God,
the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written
in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of
just men made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of the new
covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better
things than that of Abel. This is quite a contrast and
one which must be understood if one is to understand the deliverance
which is brought to the sons of God by the Lord Jesus Christ
in his redemptive work and complete fulfillment of the law. For the
law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. Paul speaks of the usefulness
of the law as well as its limited purpose and power in his letter
to the Galatians. But before faith, that is, before
the unfolding of the gospel which has brought life and immortality
to light, but before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut
up under the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore
the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that
we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come,
we are no longer under a schoolmaster. The law is good, it is just and
holy, but it can only minister condemnation instead of life.
Therefore it was necessary that the patterns be replaced by a
more perfect law, which Paul describes to the Romans. For
the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me
free from the law of sin and death. "'This is a law which
can never be shaken, "'because it is a law which is in no wise
dependent "'upon the activity of sinful flesh. "'This is a
law whose power is in the lawgiver, "'who is the performer of the
same. "'For I through the law am dead to the law, "'that I
might live unto God. "'I am crucified with Christ.
"'Nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. "'And
the life which I now live in the flesh, "'I live by the faith
of the Son of God, "'who loved me and gave himself for me. I
do not frustrate the grace of God, for if righteousness come
by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. In every age there are
those who continually try to bring the free-born sons of God
back under the law given to Moses. They generally tell us that the
law is divided up into two parts, one which they call the ceremonial
law, that is the dietary restrictions and sacrifices, and the other
which they call the moral law, that is that one which is usually
defined as the Ten Commandments. They tell us that Christ has
fulfilled the ceremonial law by His death on the cross, and
that He has indeed forgiven us for our many sins, while leaving
us His example of law-keeping, which we are to imitate to the
best of our ability. We are told that we are not set
free from the law itself, but that He has left it hanging over
our heads like the sword of Democles. lest we think that salvation
is all of grace and embrace our sinful flesh. The Lord shakes
this kingdom, and the rotten fruit falls by the bushel. For
any righteousness which is defined by an adherence of the flesh
and blood to a moral code cannot stand the test of true righteousness,
which can be found in Christ alone. That man whose hope is
built upon the perfect fulfillment of the law by Christ will never
be ashamed. See that ye refuse not him that
speaketh, for if they escape not who refused him that spake
on earth, much more shall not we escape if we turn away from
him that speaketh from heaven. Do you think that you are a keeper
of the law which was given to Moses? If so, you shall perish
in your sins, for that law was but a schoolmaster, that is,
a truant officer, to bring us unto Christ. Christ is the fulfillment
of the law for his children, and they rest in his perfect
work. Christ alone has kept the law in his jot and tittle for
those who have fled to him. For a free CD containing 15 of
these radio broadcasts, send an email to forthepoor at windstream.net.