Welcome to Reign of Grace. This
program is brought to you by Reign of Grace Media Ministries,
an outreach ministry of Eager Avenue Grace Church in Albany,
Georgia. It is our pleasure and privilege
to present to you the gospel message of the sovereign grace
and glory of God in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. We pray that today's program
will be a blessing to you. Thank you for listening and now
for today's program. I'd like to welcome you to our
program today. I'm glad you could join us. If
you would like to follow along in today's message in your Bibles,
turn to the book of 1 Timothy chapter 1. Now today I'll be
beginning in verse 8. 1 Timothy 1 and verse 8 concerning
this subject, using the law lawfully. Paul writes here in 1 Timothy
1.8, but we know that the law is good if a man use it lawfully. Using it lawfully. Now last week,
I dealt with this same subject. Last week was part one of this
series on using the law lawfully. And I went from 1 Timothy 1 up
to this verse to show the context. But basically, let me just state
today, and I urge you to get that message if you want to study
these scriptures. But basically what's happening
here is Paul, as he's writing to Timothy, a young evangelist
who was under Paul's ministry and teaching concerning the gospel. Paul had left Timothy at the
church at Ephesus to guide and teach and support those people,
the believers. But, as in all of the churches
back then, and we'll see as in the churches today, false preachers
had sought to creep in, claiming to be teachers of the law. Many
of these were unbelieving Jews who claimed to be Christian,
who claimed, just like in, for example, the book of Galatia,
the book of Galatians, the churches of Galatia. They claimed to believe
in Christ. They claimed that salvation was
by grace. But they said Gentile believers
had to be circumcised according to the law, and then they had
to keep the law of Moses. They had to come under the law
to really be saved, to really be righteous and holy. And what
Paul was saying here is that's an abuse of the law. He called
them, he said they were just people who promoted fables, unwarranted,
unfounded stories. They desire, look at verse seven
of 1 Timothy 1, they desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding
neither what they say nor whereof they affirm. That kind of reminds
me over in the book of Galatians, when he talked about to those
who profess to be believers, he said, you that desire to be
under the law, do you not hear the law? Do you not really understand
what it says? Because if you did, you would
not desire to be under it. You're not using it lawfully.
So he says in verse eight, but we know that the law is good
if a man use it lawfully. Now I want to go on to a few
more verses in this chapter before I talk about what I think, what
I know is the main way that people abuse the law. But look here
in verse nine, first Timothy one in verse nine. He says, knowing
this, that the law is not made for a righteous man. Now, what
a statement that is. The law is not made for a righteous
man, but the law was made for the lawless and disobedient,
for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers
of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, Verse 10, it's
made for whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind,
for men stealers, for liars, for perjured persons. And if
there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine,
according to the, verse 11, according to the glorious gospel of the
blessed God, which was committed to my trust. Now, you know who
that covers? That covers all of us by nature.
Because we're all sinners. And it even takes it right down
to the very nth degree to show that the law was not made for
a righteous person, but for those who are unbelievers. What he's saying. Why was it
made for them? What is he talking about? Well,
let me give you some thoughts here from the Bible. because
that's the only source and foundation of truth. But first of all, consider
this, as I mentioned this a little bit last week, what is the law?
Well, the law is God's Word, whatever God says. Now, many
people, when they think of the law, they think of the Ten Commandments,
they think of the old covenant law. Well, the nation Israel
was under The Ten Commandments, the Old Covenant Law, not just
Ten Commandments, that was the center of the Old Covenant. There
were other laws. I think some scholars have counted
over 600 and some, 640 or 50 laws. that you find in the book of
Exodus and Leviticus. There was the moral law. That
was basically the Ten Commandments. There was the civil law. There
was the ceremonial law. All of that. It was all one unit. But that law was given to the
nation Israel on Mount Sinai and it lasted as a covenant upon
those people until the death of Christ. What the book of Hebrews,
chapter 9, calls the time of reformation, the time of change. Are we under the old covenant
law today as if we're believers? No, we're not. Does that mean
we have no law? Well, of course it doesn't mean
that. Whatever Christ commands us, that's our law. Now, he didn't
make suggestions. He lays down the law. He lays
down the Word. Well, the Bible says in Romans
chapter 6, for example, that believers are not under law,
but under grace. Well, you've got to keep that
in its context. It doesn't mean, that doesn't
mean that as believers in Christ we don't have things that we're
commanded to do and not do. It simply means we're not condemned
by the law. That's what that's talking about.
But I'll get to that later on. Maybe not today, but in another
program. But here's the thing about it. Was there no law until
God gave the law to Moses and the children of Israel on Sinai?
Well, of course there was law. The law goes all the way back
to creation. And I mentioned this last week,
how God created man, put him in the garden, and he laid down
the law. And it was summarized in that
forbidding him to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good
and evil. And the day that you eat thereof, you shall surely
die. But there was law, there was law of conscience. You know
where there's no law, there's no sin and there's no righteousness.
There's no standard. So sin cannot be charged where
there's no law. Paul wrote that by inspiration
of the Spirit. What is it to use the law lawfully
or unlawfully? When it's talking about the law.
Well, let me just give you this. The main way that people use
the law unlawfully, in a wrong way, is when they seek righteousness
before God by their works of the law. That's an unlawful use
of the law. The scripture is so clear on
this issue when it speaks of man under the law. For example,
it says in the book of Romans chapter three, in verse 10, as
it is written, there is none righteous, no not one. Now you
see, that's the problem. God is righteous and we're not. So why did God lay down the law
to any of us? He said over here in 1 Timothy
1 and verse 9, knowing this, the law is not made for a righteous
man, but for sinners. You know, if there was no sin
in the world, God wouldn't have to lay down the law. If everybody
was righteous and perfect, and everybody loved God perfectly
and loved their neighbor, we wouldn't need laws. wouldn't
be necessary. So the law was not made for a
righteous man. But here's the problem. By nature
and by practice, there are no righteous men. There's none,
verse 10 of Romans 3. There's none righteous, no not
one. Now who's that talking about? That's talking about all of us
by nature as we are naturally born. We are not born righteous,
with a right standing before God. We're born dead in trespasses
and sins. It goes on, look at verse 11
of Romans 3. There's none that understandeth,
there's none that seeketh after God. You see, in this quest for
righteousness, religion will not help you. Nothing will. because it's an impossibility. Look at verse 12. They are all
gone out of the way. There's only one way to God,
and that way is Christ. So anything other than Christ
crucified, his blood and righteousness alone, if you go any other way,
you've gone out of the way. They are together become unprofitable. It's an unprofitable way other
than Christ. There is none that doeth good,
no, not one. That is in God's sight. You have
to understand that. We'll jump down to verse 19.
Now, remember he said, the law was not made for a righteous
man. You know, when God gave the law to Israel on Sinai, God
knew that they would break it and they would not keep it and
they didn't. Now, I don't say that self-righteously
because if we had been under that law, we'd been the same
shape, we're sinners. For all have sinned and come
short of the glory of God. Somebody asked, well, why did
God give them a law that he knew they would not and could not
keep? Well, this is the answer. It says in verse 19 of Romans
3, now we know that what things so ever 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. The law was
given to expose their sinfulness. And whatever law we're under,
whatever form of law we're under, that's what it should do if the
Holy Spirit slays us by the law. Now that's what it means to be
slain by the law. It's to be brought by the Holy
Spirit to know that if God were to ever judge me by my works
of the law, or that if God were to ever give me what I deserve
or have earned under the law, it would be eternal death. That's what it is to be slain
by the Spirit. Did you know that? You see these
false preachers on TV. They'll come and they'll hit
people on the head and they'll fall back. And then some of them
will say, well, that's being slain in the Spirit. No, it's
not. That's false religion. It's not of the Bible. To be
slain by the law. You know, Paul said this in Romans
chapter 7. He said, before I was brought
to faith in Christ, I thought I was alive because I kept the
law. But then I found out I didn't
keep the law. I'm a sinner and I died. That's
being slain by the law. Over in Galatians chapter 3 and
verse 10, it says this, Cursed is everyone that continueth not
in all things which are written in the book of the law to do
them. Cursed is everyone that hangeth
on a tree. You see, the law demands perfection. And if we don't have
it in ourselves, we're sinners and the law demands death. were
guilty before God. That's what that means, based
on our works. And so that's why the law was
given, to show us our guilt and deservedness of condemnation.
But look at Romans 3 and verse 20. He says, therefore, by the
deeds of the law, there shall no flesh be justified in God's
sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. That's why
He gave them a law that they couldn't or wouldn't keep, is
to show them their sin. And then over in Romans chapter
5, verse 20, it tells us, Moreover the law entered, that the offense
might abound. The offense is our sin. But where
sin abounded, grace did much more abound. We'll talk about
that in just a moment. Over in the book of Galatians,
chapter 3, And verse 19, here's the question. Wherefore then
serveth the law? Why did God give the law? Now,
what the apostle is saying here is that salvation is not by your
works of the law. Salvation is by the promise of
grace based on Christ's works in the law. Well, they ask, well,
why did God give Israel the law? Well, look at it. Galatians 3
and verse 19. Wherefore then serveth the law?
It was added because of transgressions. Because of sin. The law is not
made for a righteous man, but for sinners. It was added because
of transgressions till the seed should come. That's Christ. To
whom the promise was made and it was ordained by angels in
the hand of a meteor. That was Moses. The law came
by Moses, but grace and truth come by Jesus Christ. Now here's
what's happening. Later on in Galatians 3, he says
the law was their schoolmaster, their tutor, to bring them to
Christ. The law was in effect to Israel
until Christ came. Now that law exposed their sinfulness
and their depravity. It does the same for us. if the
Holy Spirit brings us to know the law. And so whenever, listen,
whenever a sinner seeks salvation by works of the law, or whenever
a sinner seeks righteousness by works of the law in order
to attain or maintain salvation, a right relationship with God,
He's using the law unlawfully. Now turn to Romans chapter nine,
and I'll show you a prime example of that. It's the apostle Paul
writes by inspiration of the Holy Spirit. He says in verse
30, this is Romans nine and verse 30. He says, what shall we say
then that the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness,
have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which
is of faith." Now, the Gentiles that he's talking about here
are believers. He's not talking about all Gentiles without exception. All Gentiles without exception
have not attained righteousness, the righteousness of faith. But
he speaks of the righteousness of faith. Now what is the righteousness
of faith? What exactly is that? Does that
mean that my believing is my righteousness? Because that's
what a lot of people kind of think today. In other words,
God knows I'm a sinner. He knows I can't keep the law
perfectly. So he accepts my faith, my believing,
in the place of a perfect obedience. And that is not what the righteousness
of faith is. The righteousness of faith in
the book of Romans has already been clearly defined. Faith there
is the revelation of God, the teaching, the doctrine of Christ,
the revelation of the righteousness of God. The righteousness of
faith is the righteousness that Christ alone worked out by himself
as the substitute and surety of his people on the cross when
he died. So in other words, the righteousness
of faith is not simply my believing. The righteousness of faith is
believing that Christ alone is my righteousness. His work alone
is my righteousness. Now do you want me to prove that
to you? Read on, look at verse 31 of Romans 9. He says, what
shall we say then that the, or verse 31 rather, but Israel,
now the Gentiles, believing Gentiles, They attained the righteousness,
they found it in Christ. Verse 31, but Israel, which followed
after the law of righteousness, same, all right, hath not attained
to the law of righteousness. They didn't make it. Why? Verse 32, that word wherefore
means why? Because they sought it not by
faith. Now remember, what is it to seek
righteousness by faith? Not in my believing, I do believe,
but that's not my righteousness. My righteousness is Christ, that's
what I believe. Faith has an object. So he says,
but as it were by the works of the law. They were abusing, they
were using the law unlawfully, for they stumbled at that stumbling
stone. Now we get to the crux of it. What is that stumbling stone?
Well, he's quoting here from the book of Isaiah. And that
stumbling stone is identified here. Look at verse 33 of Romans
9. As it is written, Behold, I lay in Zion. Zion, that picture
of the church. A stumbling stone and rock of
offense and whosoever believeth on him. That stumbling stone
and rock of offense is a him. That's a person. Whosoever believeth
on him shall not be ashamed. And then go on to verse one of
chapter 10. Brethren, my heart's desire and
prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved. I bear them
record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to
knowledge. For they, being ignorant of God's
righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness,
have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
And look at verse four. For Christ is the end, the finishing,
the accomplishment of the law for righteousness to everyone
that believes. You see that? My righteousness
is not my believing. My righteousness is Christ, and
He's who I believe in. You see down there in verse 10
of Romans 10, for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness,
and with the mouth confession is made. Over in the book of
Galatians chapter two, Paul writes in verse 19, Galatians 2 and verse 19, he
says, for I through the law am dead to the law that I might
live unto God. How am I through the law dead
to the law? Well, he says it, verse 20, I'm
crucified with Christ. How was I crucified with Christ?
If you're a believer, you were crucified with him. He stood
as your representative, your surety, your substitute. When
He died, I died. When He was buried, I was buried.
When He arose again, I rose again. He did it for me. How do I know
He did it for me? He didn't do it for everybody.
He did it for me. He did it for every believer. That's what He says, to everyone
that believeth. That's what John 3.16 means.
That's the world of believers. So Paul said, I'm crucified with
Christ. That's how I, through the law, am dead. Christ kept
the law. Christ satisfied justice that
stood against me. And I'm dead to the law. How
am I dead to the law? The law cannot condemn me. It cannot look at me and say,
you must die. Why? Because I already died.
When? In my Savior on that cross. Death has been swallowed up in
victory. How do you know he accomplished
what he set out to do? He arose from the dead because
of my justification. By deeds of law shall no flesh
be justified. That means to be declared by
God not guilty and to be declared righteous. Now if I teach you
that you can be justified by your works, that's using the
law unlawfully. But if I tell you that Christ
and Christ alone kept the law for His people, believe in Him,
that's using the law lawfully. Look at verse 20 again of Galatians
chapter 2. He says, I'm crucified with Christ,
nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. Now
Paul's not speaking out of both sides of his mouth there. He's
simply saying I live, but the source of that life is not me,
it's Christ. The power of that life is not
me, it's Christ. And he says, in 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. And look at verse 21.
I do not frustrate the grace of God or make it void. For if
righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. Those who teach that righteousness
in any way to any degree, at any stage, is conditioned on
the sinner, what he does, what he believes, or whatever, they're
actually saying that the death of Christ was for nothing. That's
an abuse of the law. There are people today who will
tell you, well, we believe salvation by grace, it's all of Christ,
but you have to do this, you have to do that in order to be
saved, or in order to be kept saved. Do you realize, now let
me say something to you here, and I know it's gonna offend
a lot of people. It's called the offense of the cross. Here's a church organization.
They teach, well, you can be saved by conditioned on your
faith, But then later on, if you commit some heinous sin or
a series of sins or something like that, you can be lost again. That's an abuse of the law. They're
claiming, they're actually saying Christ died in vain. Because you see, as I stand in
His righteousness, imputed to me, accounted to me, I can never
be lost again. Now that is not a motivation
to excuse sin. not in a believer, because there's
a power of God within too, and it comes from Christ. But to
claim that salvation, at any stage, to any degree, in any
way, is conditioned on the sinner's obedience in any way, even believing,
is to say that Christ died in vain. Now, must we believe? Yes. Will we believe? Yes. But you
see, that's the fruit of righteousness of the law established by Christ.
It's not the ground. It's not the cause. It's not
the condition. Christ met the conditions. He
fulfilled all righteousness. Christ is the end of the law,
the fulfillment of the law for righteousness. How do you know
he did it for me or for you or for anybody? to every one that
believeth. That's the key to using the law
lawfully. All right. Hope you'll join us
next week for another message from God's Word. We are glad you could join us
for another edition of Reign of Grace. This program is brought
to you by Reign of Grace Media Ministries, an outreach ministry
of Eager Avenue Grace Church in Albany, Georgia. To receive
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today and may the Lord be with you.