Now last week we started looking
at gospel texts from the epistles and of course it's very very
rich. Last week we looked at Romans 3 verses 19 to 26 and
those verses showed us how God has justified sinners. Which
sinners has God justified? Answer, them that believe. That's
who it is, the people that believe. He said, whosoever shall call
upon the name of the Lord, believing, shall be saved. Who are they?
He's elect, chosen in Christ from before the beginning of
time. And how does he justify them? Those verses in our text
last week showed us it was through the faith of Jesus Christ. Let me underline that. It is
not our faith in Jesus Christ that saves us. That is an error.
This is the reason why we use the King James Version, and why
we don't even use the New King James Version, because the New
King James says faith in Jesus Christ, and it gives a completely
wrong impression. It's the faithful work of Christ, what he accomplished. as the spouse of his bride when
he came fully representing his bride in union with him and walked
perfect before the law and bore the sins of his people and paid
the law's full demands for the sins of his people as we sang
in that first hymn that verse the mighty debt his chosen owed
upon the cross he pays that's the debt he's paid not for everybody
so that they can accept an offer that goes out to all? Not at
all. No. And what was the price? What
price did the law demand to be satisfied for the sins of people
whom the law said, you know, that they've sinned? What price
did it demand? It demanded the price of death. Death. And death, how does that come
about? By the shedding of blood. Why? Because the life is in the
blood, says that text in Deuteronomy. By blood, redemption. That is
what it is. It's the blood that pays the
price of the law. the offense to the law that's
what satisfies the law's demands and not just any blood but perfect
sinless righteous blood the precious blood as of a lamb without blemish
and without spot that is what has satisfied the law's demands
for the people who were put in Christ before the beginning of
time and we know they were because in time they now believe the
gospel that God has revealed in this book not some distorted
look-alike that people make up, no, what it is in this book.
And that maintains the strict justice of God, yet graciously
in it he justifies the ungodly. Verse 28 says, therefore we conclude
that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the Lord.
So what has our faith got to do with it? Our faith is that
gift of God, gift of the Holy Spirit, it's that gift of God
by which we apprehend, and we see, and we sense, and we come
into the good of the faith of Jesus Christ, what he has accomplished. our faith in the faith of Christ,
if you like. Our faith is in Christ, but you
know what I mean, I'm just trying to make this point. And it's
entirely without law works, without the deeds of the law. So that,
look what it says in verses 29 and 30 of Romans 3. is he the
God of the Jews only? Because he was, in the Old Testament. Is he not also of the Gentiles?
Yes, of the Gentiles also, seeing it is one God, one and the same
God, not many gods, one and the same God, which shall justify
the Jews, the circumcision by faith, and the Gentiles, the
uncircumcision through faith. It's one and the same. In other
words, irrespective of cultural background, this is the same
good News. Do you know, I remember Bill
Clark used to say how it used to annoy him that people used
to say you have to make your gospel culturally relevant. And he used to say there's only
one gospel. There isn't a gospel for Africans
and a gospel for British people. You have to make it cultural.
No, there's one gospel. To all mankind, irrespective,
Jew or Gentile, there is one gospel, one gospel. And this
is the good news of reconciliation. Where we were by nature in our
flesh, sinners and enemies of God, we were his enemies. You
were at enmity with God, it says. This is the good news of reconciliation. Do you know what it is to be
reconciled? Do you know reconciliation is a delightful condition. Have
you ever had a serious dispute say with a family member or with
a colleague at work and it's been really bitter and it's been
really hard and it screws you up and then you find a way of
reconciliation. Oh how sweet is that feeling
of reconciliation. so much the more sinners reconciled
to a holy God. But where does that leave us
in relation to God's law? Look at verse 31. Do we then,
by this idea of justification by faith, do we then make void
the law through faith? God's law is there, it stands,
unchangeable. Do we make it void because of
our faith? Paul replies, God forbid, perish
the thought, nothing could be further from the truth, yea,
we establish the law, by which he means by faith. By faith we
establish the law, so the title of the message is the law established
through gospel faith. That's what our text tells us,
the law is established through gospel faith. So how is that
the case? You see, we need to be clear
on this because there are so many who claim to be Orthodox,
Reformed, Calvinistic, Biblical Christians and they say and they
insist, I just had an incident of it very recently, being pushed
in our faces Somebody on their soapbox demanding that believers
are preaching a false gospel. We are preaching a false gospel
because we don't say the Ten Commandments are the believers'
rule of life. They are not the believers' rule
of life. They are not. They are not. They
are not. I can't stress it enough. No. They say this. This is another
thing that they say, and they say it so proudly. Ah, what's
the use of the law? The law drives us to the gospel
for salvation. Well, yes, the law is our schoolmaster
to bring us to Christ. But then they say, having been
saved by the gospel, the gospel drives us back to the law to
tell us how to live. So I've become a believer, and
I don't know whether I should be violent towards other people.
Oh, I tell you what, let's go back to the Law of Moses. Oh,
it tells us thou shalt not kill. Oh, I better not be violent to
people. Oh, I don't know whether to be
faithful to my wife or not. Oh, I better go to the Law of
Moses. Thou shalt not commit adultery. That's what they say. That's what they say. They say
that we're still under the law as a set of rules and regulations
that prescribe how we ought to live. Now then, there is a proper
use of the law. There is a proper use of the
law in Scripture. The law is in Scripture. You
go to the scriptures, the law is there throughout it. The law
is clear, and the judgment of God on violation of the law is
absolutely clear. Our God is holy and pure, and
he has defined in his law exactly the righteous standards that
he requires for people to be judged as righteous and those
that transgress that law are called sinners for sin is the
transgression of the law and yet we're saying that believers
in the gospel of God's grace are not under law but under grace
we don't have the law of Moses as given to Moses on Mount Sinai
in tablets of stone we do not have that as our rule of life
So what is it for then? Do we make it void through our
faith as verse 31 asks the question? Do we make it of no effect? Do
we make it, you might as well get some scissors and cut it
all out of your Bible because it's got no relevance to us?
No, there is a proper use of the law and by implication there
is an improper use of the law. By which I mean, what do I mean
by use? I mean attitude to it, I mean practical adherence to
it and all things associated with that. Turn with me to 1st
Timothy and chapter one, 1st Timothy and the first chapter. 1st Timothy chapter 1 and I'm
going to begin at verse 5 uh... he's been talking about uh... writing uh... well he's writing
to Timothy who he's told to stay at Ephesus and uh... to teach
them to teach the church to beware of those that are spinning fables
and genealogies all sorts of all sorts of things to have an
argument about which minister questions rather than godly edifying
which is in faith verse five now the end of the commandment
is charity, is love. The end of the commandment, the
objective, the goal of the law, is love, out of a pure heart,
and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned. Don't forget
that. Believer, don't forget that.
Don't despise the law of God. Paul said, I'm not under it,
but I honor the law of God. I love the law. According to
the inward man, I love the law. The commandment, the end of it,
the objective of it, is love out of a pure heart. But he says
in verse six, from which some, having swerved, have turned aside
unto vain jangling. They're just making a noise.
They're speaking words that are just making a noise. And look,
they're setting themselves up, verse seven. They're desiring
these are people who claim to be Christians in these churches
they desire to be teachers of the law, they desire to tell
us what the law tells us we ought to be doing and in the process
they demonstrate as he says they understand neither what they
say nor whereof they affirm so is the law bad? No, we know that
the law is good if a man use it lawfully What is the lawful
use of the law? There is a lawful use of the
law. Knowing this, right, here's the lawful use of the law. The
law is not made for a righteous man. Now who is righteous? There
is none righteous, no not one. Isn't that what we read in chapter
three of Romans last week? There is none righteous, no not
one. So who is the righteous man that
the law is not made for? Surely it is the one who is declared
righteous by the justification that Christ has accomplished
that's it you and I by faith in Christ are counted righteous
because what does God say about his people that he calls Israel
and Judah and Jacob in the Old Testament he says I searched
for the sins of Judah and of Israel and of Jacob and I found
them not There were none there. I didn't find them. Why were
they not there? Because Christ has taken them
out of the way. On the book of charges charges. You know if you go to a police
station and then on into the law court, what's this person
there in the dock for? It will be written down, a set
of charges. The person, the young man that
threw acid in lots of people's faces I see, there are 15 charges
against that 16 year old young man. That was in yesterday's
news. 15 charges and every single one of those charges will be
reviewed and will be examined according to the law in a court
of law to see whether he is guilty as charged and if he is he will
bear the penalty of the law for that guilt. But the law is not
made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient. That's what the law of God is
for, for those who are outside of Christ, who are not justified
by the precious blood of Christ. It's made for the ungodly and
for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and
murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for whoremongers, for them that
defile themselves with mankind, take note modern society, for
men-stealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there
be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine." Any other
thing? That's pretty sweeping, isn't
it? What's contrary to sound doctrine? Rejection of the gospel
of God's grace in Christ is contrary to sound doctrine. Oh, you may
be ever so nice, you may say, I've never murdered anybody,
I've never committed sodomy, I've never stolen, I've never
done this, that or the other, but you've flown in the face
of that which is sound doctrine. You've refused to bow to the
gospel of God's grace in Christ. You see? So the end of the law
is love, the goal, the purpose of it is love. In the law, God
declares his glory, he declares his greatness, he declares his
holiness, he declares his justice. I could bore you with reference
after reference, but let me just summarize it. Deuteronomy 5 24
the Lord our God has showed us his glory and his greatness and
the context is he's given us his law. God brought Israel out
of bondage in Egypt and he gave law at Sinai and thereby he showed
something of love even in that terrifying situation when they
were shaking with fear and dare not approach to the mountain
because there was a boundary set and if they were to go beyond
that even whether it was a person or an animal they were to be
shot through with an arrow it said. terrifying state, the thunderings
and the lightnings terrified them these were just not superstitious
primitive people who you know you clap your hands and they'd
run in fear these were sophisticated people with just the same brains
that we've got and what they saw and what they experienced
at Sinai terrified them utterly and completely terrified them
turn back to Deuteronomy chapter 7 if you can't get there don't
worry I'll read it out, Deuteronomy chapter 7 and verses seven to
nine. Why did God deal with his people
as he did? Why did he deal with Israel as
he did? It says, the Lord did not set
his love upon you, see, he set his love upon them, nor choose
you because you were more in number than any people, for you
were the fewest of all people, but because the Lord loved you. He loved Israel. Well, you say,
he didn't show it very well at Sinai, he terrified them. Yes,
but in giving the law, there's a demonstration of love. He didn't
tell the rest of mankind how holy he is and what he requires. He told Israel how holy he is
and what he requires. The Lord loved you. And because
he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers,
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, hath the Lord brought you out with
a mighty hand and redeemed you. paid the purchase price for you
out of the house of bondman from the hand of Pharaoh, the king
of Egypt. Love is the sum and substance
of the law. It is. You see, even in that
terrifying thing, God showed his love in that he chose Israel
out of love and gave them his law to show them what he's like.
When our Lord Jesus Christ came, when he laid aside his glory
and came to this earth, In Matthew 22, verses 35 to 40, I'll summarize
it. He says, this is the law, love
God and love your neighbor as yourself. That's it, that summarizes
it. In John 13, verse 34, he says,
a new commandment I give unto you, that you love one another,
even as I have loved you. Love one another. You see, the
end of the law, the goal, the objective, is love. Romans 13,
eight to 10, It says this, and again I'm summarising for the
sake of time. Love is the fulfilling of the law. Love, hear it? Love is the fulfilling of the
law. Galatians 5.14, the law is fulfilled
in one word. that you shall love your neighbor
as yourself that's the fulfilling of the law but law in itself
can't produce love in the heart although it's the objective of
law is love love in itself can't produce love in the heart because
as Romans 8 verse 3 tells us The law was weak through the
flesh. Is it the law that was weak?
No, it's the flesh that's weak. And therefore the outworking
of the law in flesh doesn't work. It's impossible because of the
weakness of the flesh, because of the sinful nature that is
in each one of us, because of that Adam-sin trait from the
Garden of Eden that we all inherit by nature of being human beings.
The law works wrath in the heart, not love. That's what Romans
4.15, you could do to turn back to Romans 3 if you're not already
there. Romans 4.15, because the law worketh wrath. Its objective
is love, but because of the sinfulness of the flesh it works love. In Galatians chapter 3, and again
I apologize for dashing around all over the place, just listen
to it and maybe if you want to follow these up later you can
get the message when it's online and you can listen to it again.
but uh... in chapter three verse seventeen
of Galatians Paul says this I say that the covenant that was confirmed
before of God in Christ the law which was four hundred and thirty
years after cannot disannul that it should make the promise of
none effect what that is saying is the law that was given in
time four hundred and thirty years after the promise was made
to Abraham you know when the promise was made to... in your
seed shall all nations be blessed. When that promise, that's a gospel
promise that was given to Abraham which is a reflection of the
eternal covenant of grace made between the persons of the Godhead,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit before the beginning of time to choose
a people, to redeem a people, to quicken and make alive a people
in the knowledge of God and the gospel of his grace. That covenant
which was the first in actual fact that was the first it was
done in eternity the law which was given in the time of Moses
430 years after the promise was made to Abraham that law cannot
overrule cannot disannul the covenant of grace which was made
in Christ before the beginning of time and given to Abraham
you see it's That law given in time to Moses is subservient. Do you know what I mean by that?
It's a big word, isn't it? Children, it's a big word. It means, you
know like, when you're children, you're subservient to your parents,
which means you do what they tell you. That's what you're
meant to do anyway. and that's what they meant to
try and make you do that's what subservient means you do as you're
told it's saying that the law given by Moses has to do what
it's told by the gospel in Christ it's subservient to the gospel
because that was fixed in eternity What do we read about that law
relating to Christ? In Romans 10 and verse 4, you
should know this verse, Christ, it says, is the end of the law
for righteousness. The end of keeping the law as
a means to become righteous. Christ is the end of the law
for righteousness. Who to? Everybody? Not at all. The law is made for sinners. The law is not made for a righteous
man, for Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to
everyone that believes. Christ answers all the believing
sinner's demands, law demands, perfectly. Let me say that again.
Christ answers all the believing sinner's law demands perfectly.
Whatever the law demands of the believing sinner, you and me
if we're believers, Christ has answered it perfectly. And thus
the commandment ends in love. In love. in love. Christ has
honoured and fulfilled the law. He said in the Sermon on the
Mount, don't think I came to get rid of the law. I didn't.
I came to fulfil it. Not a jot or a tittle shall pass
away. Not even a slight bit of it. It stands. But the law now,
what is it? It teaches us as Galatians tells
us. It's a schoolmaster, it's a schoolteacher
who makes you do as you're told and makes you learn your lessons.
The law teaches us to come to Christ for its fulfillment. How
are we going to fulfill the law? God forbid we establish the law
by faith. We come to Christ for its fulfillment
and its end as a rule of life. The law is intended for sinners. All sinners? Well, it convicts
all, but I'll tell you who it's intended for. It's intended for
the conviction of elect sinners. That's what it's for. Remember
that hymn? A sinner is a sacred thing. The
Holy Ghost has made him so. The law is intended for the conviction
of sinners, not made for a righteous man who is justified in Christ. Where does the convicted sinner
go for the righteousness demanded by the law? Where do you go?
The law says this, where do you go for the righteousness demanded
by the law? You go to Christ. This was Paul's
experience. In Romans 7, and again I'm conscious
of time flying, so we won't go there, but read it for yourself.
That was Paul's experience. In Romans 7, he goes, the law
told him clearly that there was no hope in and of himself. As
a Pharisee, he lived as a Pharisee, Romans 10, living as a Pharisee
under the law, thinking that he was keeping every bit of it.
He says, and it was of himself too, he says, I bear the Jews
record Pharisees especially that they have a zeal for God he says
in Philippians chapter three he had a zeal for God but not
according to knowledge for they being ignorant of God's righteousness
where is God's righteousness established in the gospel of
grace in Christ and going about to establish their own righteousness
have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God,
because the righteousness of God is only revealed in the gospel
of his grace. No. Paul discovered in Romans
7, the root of sin is in the heart, not just in external actions. As Jeremiah says, the heart is
deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Who can know
it? Who can plumb the depths of it? We certainly can't. We
saw the convicting effect of law last week in Romans 3, 19. We know that what things soever
the law says, it says to them who are under the law that every
mouth may be stopped. You see, we're all brought in
guilty. All the world may become guilty before God. Therefore,
by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in his
sight. The law just tells us what sinners
we are. The law is just there to convict
us. without any excuse. It convicts and shows us what
we really are. In 2 Corinthians chapter 3 and
verse 7, we saw this as we read it earlier, 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, how shall not the ministration of the Spirit
be rather glorious? For if the ministration of condemnation
be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness
exceed in glory." You see there he is comparing where we stand
before the law and where we stand before the gospel and the law
only convicts us of sin and yet is a glorious thing for it says
do this and live but of course because of the weakness of the
flesh none of us ever can do this and live but in the gospel
we who are sinners are justified and made the righteousness of
God in Christ so therefore which is the more glorious that old
covenant of works of the New Testament which is the eternal
testament in the Lord Jesus Christ. Wherefore serveth the law? To
show that a man is a transgressor is the message of Galatians.
Schoolmaster, to bring us to Christ. To show us that sin,
as John says, is the transgression of the law. So the proper use
of the law is to convict sinners and law is never separate from
its penalty. You know in Galatians 3.10, quoting
several Old Testament passages. Paul writes there that in the book of the law it is
written cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things
written in the book of the law to do them perfectly every day
without ever faltering for one minute if you think you've had
a good day you look back across it you haven't not really and
James tells us that whoever offends in one point is guilty of all
as in Adam all die under sin we're all under the condemnation
of the law for sin And when we're awakened under conviction, the
natural reaction is always to revert to the covenant of works.
For what did the Philippian jailer cry out when he was awakened
to his condition as a sinner before a holy God who he thought
he was about to meet? He cried out, what must I do
he didn't cry out what has God done for me he cried out what
must I do he appealed to the covenant of works what must I
do and of course the answer was there's only one thing that you
do and that's believe and even that is not what you do for as
Jesus told the Pharisees this is the work of God that you believe
on him whom he has sent Where is boasting then? Verse 27 of
chapter 3. It is excluded. By what law?
Of works? Nay, but by the law of faith. Deliverance is only in Christ. That verse in Galatians 3, of
not continuing in all things written in the book of the law
to do them, in verse 13 it says, but Christ has redeemed us from
the curse of the law. How? By being made that curse
for us. For cursed is everyone that hangs
on a tree. And when the fullness of the
time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made
under the law, to accomplish that redemption from the curse
of the law, to redeem those who are under the law. For what purpose? That we might receive the adoption
of sons. not slaves, we become willing
bond servants, but we're not slaves, we're sons in the Lord
Jesus Christ. And in Christ's deliverance of
his people from the condemnation of the law is the final establishment
and fulfillment of everything the law demands in respect of
those he has redeemed from its curse. Was that clear enough?
Do I need to say it again? What Christ has done in Christ's
deliverance of his people from the condemnation of the law is
the final establishment and fulfillment of everything the law demands
in respect of those he has redeemed. What has the law got to say to
you now? nothing in terms of what you
need to do to be righteous, because you are made the righteousness
of God in him. So, in the time that's left,
my second point. How is the law established through
gospel faith? I want you to be absolutely 100%
clear, because it is so much. I tell you, if we're not clear
about this, let's pack up today and go and join with any number
of other churches that sound like they're evangelical churches.
Right? Listen to this carefully. How
is the law established through gospel faith? It isn't that faith
is a work that we do that is an alternative obedience to legal
letter of law obedience, as some falsely say. You see, they say,
well here's the law that says this, but you can't do that.
But actually, God has made a way so that if you exercise your
faith in Jesus and say, come into my heart, come in today,
come into my heart, Lord Jesus, then you have done a work which
has kind of counterbalanced all the bad works of sin that you've
done. That is utter and complete error. It is the basis of all
free offer gospels. It is not true. Every jot and
tittle of that holy law stands intact, along with its strict
penalty. Every, every one. God has not
taken it out of the way. If you want to live by law, if
you want to live by the law of Moses, When it says in the fourth
commandment, remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy, you better
keep Saturday holy. You better not lift a finger
to do any work. You better not pick up the slightest
metaphorical stick to light a fire. You better not do a thing because
you're violating that strict law of God. I'll tell you in
a moment how you keep that fourth commandment. I'll tell you how
by faith you perfectly keep that fourth commandment. Gospel faith
is trust in Christ and in the faithful work of Christ, trust
in the accomplishment of Christ, coming in the likeness of sinful
flesh, perfectly obeying the law, vicariously, that means
He did it, and it might as well have been me doing it. No, not
might as well. God doesn't pretend. No. I did it in him. I did it
in him. When he died, I died. When he
rose, I rose. Everything in the reckoning of
the justice of God that he did, I did in him. I am counted that
way. He vicariously satisfied its
just demand. And what is its demand? The soul
that sins, it shall die. And so to do that, to do that
for his people, he made himself, he who is God, he who is so much
higher than us that we cannot comprehend how high he is, he
made himself of no reputation. And he took the form of a servant
Didn't he show that when he washed his disciples' feet? He took
the form, do you know the washing of the disciples' feet? Washing
of feet in an eastern household two thousand years ago was the
most courteous thing you could do to anybody but the owner of
the house never ever would stoop to that. People's dirty feet
out in the dusty road, no you get your servant to do that!
He got the servant and Christ humbled himself. and took upon
him the form of a servant and he who is God was made in the
likeness of men and being found in fashion as a man clothed in
our flesh and blood the same as the rest of his children he
humbled himself he humbled himself he He set to one side all of
his divine authority and he became obedient. He became obedient
to the law, his law, God's law. He became obedient to it in every
respect so that he could say to them, which of you accuses
me of sin and nobody could accuse him of sin. How obedient did
he become, even to the point of obeying what the law demanded. What does the law demand? The
soul that sins, it shall die. He became obedient unto death. Death? Any old death? The Jews'
death? A death by stoning? No, no, no, no, no. Long before
it was heard of in the Old Testament, it said, Cursed is everyone that
hangeth on a tree. And he was hanged on a Roman
tree, a cross of wood. to pay the penalty for sin to
bear the curse for your sin and mine if you're believing in him
so that when you stand before the judgment seat of Christ he
shall say to you not how do you account for these sins of yours
you must give an account he shall say because he shall look and
he shall see your name written in the Lamb's book of life and
he shall say come ye blessed of my father enter enter into
the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
Our Lord Jesus Christ in human flesh carried the law, honoring
it in his human heart. In Psalm 40 he says, Psalm 40,
this is Christ speaking. Then said I, lo I come. This is God coming in Christ.
In the volume of the book it is written of me. I delight to
do thy will, O my God. Yea, thy law is within my heart. Do you know the Ark of the Covenant?
The Ark, that Ark of Gopherwood, Shittingwood as it's called in
the King James Version, that was ordinary, ordinary simple,
plain wood, but it's a wood that doesn't rot. It's got fantastic
non-rotting properties. And it's a picture of the flesh
of our Lord Jesus Christ. And it's overlaid with fine gold,
which is a picture of the divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ. What
was under the lid in the Ark of the Covenant? Amongst the
pot of manna and Aaron's rod that budded were the two tablets
of stone with the law on it, given to Moses. Thy law, said
Christ, is within my heart. Thy law is within my heart. And
when the sentence is pronounced on the guilty, which is this,
Jesus said it, Matthew 25, depart from me ye cursed into everlasting
fire, prepared for the devil and his angels, in the place
of his people it says this in Colossians 2.14 that he blotted
out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us and he took
it out of the way nailing it to his cross so that therefore
there is now as Romans 8 says if you turn over there Romans
8 there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus
who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit no condemnation
no condemnation for the law of the spirit of life in Jesus Christ
Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. Do
you realize that? These that want to bring us again
into bondage he's made us free as Paul says in Galatians 5 stand
fast then in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free for what
the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh
God has done God sending his own son in the likeness of sinful
flesh, and for sin, condemned sin, paid its penalty in the
flesh, in his flesh. How? That the righteousness of
the law, you see the law is righteous, how is the righteousness of the
law ever to be fulfilled in us? By what Christ has done. We who
walk not after the flesh but after the spirit. We're free
from the law of sin and death. Does that mean we're free to
sin with license because Christ has done it? God forbid. But
we're free from its curse. We're free from its condemnation.
We're free from its legal letter requirements. We're free from
its bondage, from its burden that neither we, as Peter said
in the Council of Jerusalem in Acts 15, he said come on let's
be honest, We're trying to put, some are saying put a burden
on these Gentile believers. If we're honest we know that
neither our fathers nor we could keep that law. We could never
keep it. But Christ has fulfilled it. And we fulfill it by faith
in Him. So that as 1 Corinthians 9.21
says, We're not, as believers, without law to God. We're not
lawless, we're not antinomian, but we're under, it says, the
law. You can cross that the out, it shouldn't really be there.
But under law to Christ. What is the law that we're under
to Christ? It's gospel law. It's gospel
precepts. That's the law that we're under.
It's the gospel that is the power of God unto salvation, not the
law. Faith in Christ and trust in
the faithful, completed work of Christ satisfies all the law's
demands on me with respect to the first table of the law which
relate to God for example I said before the Sabbath day the Sabbath
day you know those who tell us we're under the law that's what
they've got to do and they don't do it they've made up a new law
they've made up a law that God has never made up how by faith
do we fulfill the law on the Sabbath day the fourth commandment
Hebrews 4 tells us, there remaineth therefore a rest, a Sabbath,
to the people of God. It's not a day. Colossians 2
tells us, don't let people judge you in respect of the Sabbath.
Don't let people judge you. And if the scripture tells us,
I'm not going to let. the man not far from here who
writes his articles telling us all that we're under bondage
to the law. I'm not going to let him dictate to me. We're
not under the law. Colossians 2 tells us, don't
let men judge you in respect of a Sabbath. Absolutely not.
Today is not the Sabbath day. Today is the Lord's day when
we gather together to worship him. Our Sabbath is Christ. How do we fulfil, how do we keep
the fourth commandment by faith? By trusting Christ. The strict
letter of the law regarding a day is completely fulfilled as I,
by faith, rest in all that Christ has accomplished, having no confidence
in the flesh. I'm not even going to mix a little
bit of law keeping to make me more sanctified because that's
another pernicious error. I'm going to rest in all that
Christ has accomplished and have no confidence in the flesh. So
the law, don't worry I'm nearly finished, the law is no longer
my foe It isn't. The law is no longer my foe because
my debt to the law is fully cleared by my surety. When I stand in
a court having been terrified by the law and its penalty, when
I am found not guilty, when a surety has come and cleared my debt
for me, if it was a debtors court as they used to be, I don't fear
the law anymore because a surety has cleared the debt for me.
This law to Christ that we're under is gospel law, gospel principles,
gospel truth. That's what believers are under
and it is so much more glorious than the law on tablets of stone
as we read in 2 Corinthians 3. Because in 2 Corinthians 3, in
2 Corinthians chapter 3 and in verse 17, now the spirit, the
Lord is that spirit and where the spirit of the Lord is There
is liberty. Freedom. Stand fast in it. Do
you remember several months ago when we were looking at Ecclesiastes?
Is this just the witness of the New Testament? No, it's not. Ecclesiastes chapter 9 and verse
7 says, Go thy way eat thy bread with joy, drink thy wine with
a merry heart, for God now accepteth thy works in Christ by faith,
looking to him alone for everything, and the redemption he has faithfully
accomplished, fulfilling every demand of the law for his people.
Praise God. Amen.