None of us would dare to say
that the law of Moses is a lie. Yet we can most surely say that
if a person should regard that law, apart from seeing it as
a mere schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, then such adherence
is based upon a lie. This is the very error of those
who use the law as a means of establishing their own righteousness,
or of supposedly proving their own righteousness. This is described
by Paul when he spoke to the Thessalonians concerning those
who were not given a love of the truth. And with all deceivableness
of unrighteousness in them that perish, because they received
not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for
this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they should
believe a lie, that they all might be damned who believed
not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. Those who
would define righteousness as some allegiance to a moral code
of ethics would no doubt take issue with the definition of
righteousness as being related not to morality, but rather to
an embracing of the One who is the very epitome of truth and
righteousness. Yet His is the only righteousness
that is accepted in the court of heaven. God is indeed spoken
in times past by the prophets which were chiefly given to the
nation of the natural descendants of Jacob. Yet in these last days,
which is now, he has spoken to those whom he would out of every
tribe by a clearer and final word. To miss this declaration,
or to minimize or marginalize its glory, is to believe a lie
and to dwell in the darkness of unbelief regardless of how
much of the scriptures one may profess to believe and follow.
The Scriptures know of but two times, the former times, which
were until Christ came, and the latter day, now that He has accomplished
the work for which He made the world, and to which all of those
prophets of old pointed to as the restitution of all things.
We are not looking for another age, nor another message, than
that which has been plainly set forth and that which the Son
of God has accomplished. The superiority of Christ and
His complete and utter fulfillment of the law for His elect sake
is contrasted with that law or set of principles which was set
forth by the disposition of angels and delivered to the Israelites
by the hand of Moses. This law was universally broken
by all who claimed allegiance to it due to the fact that it
was weak through the flesh. It could in no wise bring any
sort of deliverance or aid to those who were bound by its tenets. Yet those who would go about
to establish their own righteousness conveniently forget this because
of the enmity they have to the truth, which strips them of any
righteousness of their own. A man does not have to have a
knowledge of the details or the prophecies spoken by men in the
Old Testament in order to obtain salvation, nor does he need to
be aware of that law which was given to Moses and spoken by
angels. Yet no man, regardless of what
else he might have heard, if he has not heard that more sure
word of prophecy, which is spoken by Christ, and been given a love
for it, he will surely perish. Therefore we ought to give the
more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at
any time we should let them slip. It is impossible to ignore or
fail to give attention to that message of hope which declares
Christ to be the heir of all things and to be found a partaker
thereof. Thus Christ calls those that
are His and displays the glory of His grace in their understanding,
causing them to delight in Him alone. Any message which does
not declare that all of the righteousness of the saints is found in Christ
alone cannot be the truth which he has spoken in these last days.
It is another message which is incomplete, and those who declare
it are false teachers. Men can be mistaken about many
things concerning the truth which is found in the scriptures, but
we are warned of the folly of letting this final message from
God carelessly flow by us without due and proper attention. For
if that word which was given by angels and prophets in times
past could not in any wise be disregarded, how much less can
we be found walking in the truth if we pay no heed to this word
spoken by Christ. This is to neglect so great a
salvation, and is to perish along with those who despised Moses'
law. If you would like a free transcript
of this broadcast, Email us at 4the4 at windstream dot net.