Well, we're going to do something
a little bit different this morning for our Scripture reading. I
want you to turn with me to several different passages of Scripture.
I'm going to walk you through the mountain peaks, if you will,
of where the law of the Lord is being referred to. Not all of them, but just to
give you a point of recall. of what we've covered. And not
every one of these texts have we covered. We've mentioned every
one at some time or another. Each one is worthy of its own
perusal, close perusal. And we may ultimately get around
to that. But first of all, open your Bibles
with me to the very first Psalm and read with me verses one and
two. Psalm 1, verses 1 and 2. The Holy Spirit tells us from
this portion of His Word, blessed is the man that walketh not in
the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners,
nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is
in the law of the Lord. and in His law doth He meditate
day and night." And then turn with me to the last book of the
Old Testament, Malachi, and in particular to chapter 2 and verse
6. In this reference, in this context,
a type of the everlasting covenant type of Christ is being referred
to, and the law of the Lord is described in this way. Verse
6, the law of truth was in his mouth and iniquity was not found
in his lips. He walked with me in peace and
equity and did turn many away from iniquity. This is a prophecy
concerning our Lord, using Levi as the type of Christ. And Levi,
you remember, was the head of the tribe that God appointed
to be the priestly representations of Christ on the earth in the
time of Moses. and in the old covenant period. Now turn with me to the New Testament
and the book of Romans, and in particular to Romans chapter
3, and read with me verses 27 and 28. We looked at this more
closely last week. In fact, this section here, this
final section of chapter 3 and all of chapter 4 is where we
ended up studying last week. I want to bring to your remembrance
these particular verses. Again, the Holy Spirit tells
us, asks us this question. since what is being declared
from verses 20 down through 26 is the justification of all the
elect through the faith of Jesus Christ. And we have revealed
to us a righteousness of God that is totally apart from any
manufacture or maintenance of the law of Moses. It's a pristine,
holy righteousness that the law of Moses becomes one of the witnesses
of its higher and holy presence. And that presence was in our
Lord Jesus Christ. And the grace of faith that we
are blessed with is his faith. And this question is brought
forward since this is true, that Jesus is the just and justifier
of the ones who are of, literally, the faith of Him. Verse 27 asks,
where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? That's the law of Moses. Nay, it says, but by the law
of faith, the law of faith. Therefore, we conclude, it says,
that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law,
or again, totally apart from the deeds of the law. The righteousness
that is revealed through Jesus is a righteousness without the
law, totally apart from the law. And I don't want to leave this
portion of Romans without bringing to your remembrance verse 16
of chapter 4. Look over at verse 16 where it
says, therefore it is of faith. And what the it is that is referred
to here is the imputation is justification by the imputation
of righteousness through Christ. Our justification by imputation,
says here in verse 16, is of faith. That's the word of, it's
out of faith. It doesn't come out of the works
of the law. That's what it says. It is of
faith that it might be by grace. And if it's by grace, there's
no works involved in it where we are concerned. Then turn over
to chapter 8 of Romans and look with me. This is not leaving
the context of what is being declared at all. It only expands
it, if you will. verses 1 and 2 of chapter 8.
There is therefore now, that's a time reference, no condemnation
to them which are in Christ Jesus, who, it additionally describes,
walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law
of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus The word hath is inserted. Let's leave it out and emphasize
the words of this verse. For the law of the spirit of
life in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and
death. That's the law of Moses. The
one is the law of the Lord. The other is the law of Moses. Now turn over to Romans chapter
9. We hadn't touched on this particular section yet. This
is new, but it's a reference again to the law of the Lord.
And we want to read from verse 30 down through the end of the
chapter. What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, or the nations,
which followed not after righteousness, literally attained to righteousness. That means they didn't gain it
from anything they did, but suddenly they've attained it. It's become
a part of their existence. And this isn't every single person,
but it is a representation of every nation. They didn't follow
after righteousness. It's not in their heritage like
it is for the children of Israel. It's always been a part of the
direction and communication from God that they follow after righteousness. But they did not attain it. Many
of them didn't. Only the remnant, the elect of
them. And that's what Paul's bringing
forward here. They followed not after righteousness the nations,
they attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which
is, again, out of faith. But Israel, which followed after
the law of righteousness, do you see that, the way the frame
of reference is? The Holy Spirit has thrown an
additional frame of reference, revealing it to us right here.
But Israel, which followed not, which followed, I'm sorry, after
the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.
It didn't come unto them. Wherefore, that's the first word
of the next verse, What's going on? Why didn't they? Because,
and it's been inserted, and it is not a error in translation. It is understood by the way in
which the original is worded for our English I don't know
that I would have put the word sought, I would have put the
word followed. They followed it not out of faith, but as it were by the works of
the law. They tried to attain unto the
only righteousness that is acceptable with God. That's why it's called
the righteousness of God. apart from the law. They tried
to attain it through the law. It's the law of righteousness.
And what we're going to see crystallized before our understandings, hopefully,
is again the further purpose of the Law of Moses and the experience
at Mount Sinai. It wasn't to provide a means
of redemption, a means of salvation at all. It was to reveal our
lostness. Bunyan makes it clear in his
writings, there's two things that's got to happen before a
sinner is truly saved. First of all, he's got to know
and see and understand he's truly lost. And then, that prepares
him to see and appreciate and embrace, on the outside completely,
the Lord Jesus as his true Savior. And that's what the Law of Moses
was intended to do, and that's what it does. It does that. very,
very well. But Israel is being described
here as they didn't follow after the law of righteousness by faith or out of faith. It doesn't come from a source
that is the grace of faith. And we already know that's the
faith of the Lord Jesus Christ from what chapter? Chapter 3 has told us. For they stumbled, it says, at
that stumbling stone. And it's going to bring forward
the mountain from where the law of the Lord is declared. As it
is written, behold, this is coming right out of the 28th chapter
of Isaiah. where God says, Behold, I lay
in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense, and whosoever
believeth on him shall not be ashamed. It's all pointing to Christ and
Christ alone. I don't want to leave the book
of Romans without you being reminded of the last phrase of verse 23
in Romans chapter 14. Turn over to 14 and look at the
last phrase of verse 23. It is a definitive description
of sin. And it makes everything, breathing,
is sin. If it's outside the context of
this last phrase of verse 23, for whatsoever is not out of
faith, there's our phrase again, is sin. And that's speaking of
the grace of the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ. And then turn over with me to
Galatians chapter 6. Galatians 6. and verse 2. We're going to look at verse
2 and verse 3. Once again, the Holy Spirit writes
to us these words, Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill
the law of Christ. If you're under the law of the
Lord, if it's your meditation day and night, if it's your great
delight, you're going to fulfill this description. You're going
to be an active participant in bearing, we're going to bear
one another's burdens. We can't help it because we love
one another. And that is what the law of the Lord is all about. It is a law of love. 4, verse
3 says, ìIf a man think himself to be something when he is nothing,
he deceives himself.î Now turn with me over to the book of James,
in chapter 1, and in particular verse 25. James is here writing about the
reality of the presence in a Believers, life of true saving faith. It is an active grace. Faith
does work. Verse 25 brings forward in the
midst of this description of being a doer of the Word versus
just a hearer only, He is describing, the Holy Spirit
brings forth this description, but whoso looketh into the perfect
law of liberty. That's the law of the Lord. That's
the law of faith. That's the law of truth. That's
the law of righteousness. It's also a law of liberty, freedom,
remission. Whoso looketh into the perfect
law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful
hearer, but a doer of the work, This man shall be blessed in
his deed. Now we can go back to Psalm 1
and 2. Blessed is the man that walketh
not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law
of the Lord, and in his law doth he meditate day and night. That's
the blessed man. He's following. in obedience. He's captivated. He's ruled by the law of liberty. And then finally, turn over to
1 John, in chapter 5, and look with me at verses 2
and 3. Well, let's read one through
three. Whosoever, the Holy Spirit describes,
whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born out of God. And every one that
loveth Him that begat loveth Him also that is begotten of
Him. By this we know without a shadow
of a doubt that we love the children of God, when we love God and
keep His commandments. For this is the love of God,
that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not
grievous or burdensome. Contemplate this. You know this
is not directly referring to the law of Moses. Why? Because of what the law
of Moses, what the law that God delivered to man through Moses
demands. Perfection. Precise perfection. No compromise if you're not precisely
perfect. and the judgment, the curse of
death for infracting the law is upon you and upon your soul. That's the dilemma. You can be
animated dust and breathe air in this age of sin and death,
this temporary age of sin and death. You never know how long
you're going to live. You can have many wonderful days,
you think, of life here. The rich and the
famous have many days spent in wanton, sensual pleasure. But in the end, because they're
all under the law that's delivered through Moses, they enter into
grievous judgment. And if anyone's waked up to the
fact of what the law requires, and they reform themselves, and
they make that law the rule of their life, they live a life
of grief. or deception, or both. Verse
3 declares to us what God's love truly is toward us. He loves
us so much that by His grace we keep His commandments. And
how do we do that? It's the commands of the law
of the Lord. And what are they? Repent. And how do you repent? It's all
by grace. Believe. How do you truly believe? It's all by grace. It's the grace
of the faith of Christ himself. And you love one another. How
do we do that? By the grace of the Lord. His commandments are not grievous.
They're not burdensome. May the Lord bless these portions
of the word in your hearing. this morning. In order for us
to more properly and most profitably make a prayerful approach into
a study of God's Holy Word, our preliminary perspective of how
the Bible truly approaches and refers to us must be accurately
determined. For example, It is imperative
that we understand that God through his scripture has been descriptive
versus prescriptive in how he declares unto us his immutable
truth. And this is especially true in
how he declares unto us his scriptural perspective of time and eternity. There must first be experienced
by grace our coming to see or our coming to spiritually understand
by God the Holy Spirit, the scriptural truth that the things and the
events of time are but reflections of realities already in existence
in eternity. The things and events of time
are in fact scripturally described and defined as being the very
substance of God's unfolding eternal purposes and decrees. For example, our gathering here
this morning, this is an unfolding of God's eternal purpose, because
He has eternally purposed all things throughout this age of
sin and death. Now what this means is that for
our good, God has divinely designed for all his elect to already
be blessed with all of his spiritual blessings in eternity with Christ. And it is the bestowal of God's
grace of faith that gives us the power to believe that we
have indeed received all these spiritual blessings before we
ever really and truly, completely and totally, actually and fully
get to experience and enjoy the reality of them forever in eternity. Praise His name. This is what
Ephesians 1 through 3 is alluding to. when it says, Blessed be
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed
us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ,
according as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation
of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before
Him in love. having predestinated us unto
adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according
to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of
His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved."
This is a part of the meaning of Hebrews 11.1. Turn over to
Hebrews. not so much this morning, but
we are in part. We'll be spending a lot of time
in the book of Hebrews. We have before as I've tried
to unfold the law of the Lord before your eyes from the scriptures. But I want you to look in particular
at Hebrews 11.1. Because this very thing that
we've just declared is a part of the meaning of that which
this verse is conveying to us when it says, very first word
is what? It's now. That means right now
in time. It's a time reference. And then the next word is faith. So right now in time, the bestowal
of the blessing of the grace of faith. is the substance, it
says, of things hoped for. Faith, the grace of faith, is
the substance of things hoped for. It's a substance that must
be conveyed unto us through God blessing us, God making of us
A fulfillment of the description of Psalm 1 and 2. 1st Psalm verses 1 and 2, the
blessed man. The context of Romans 4.16 that
I took you to in our scripture reading, you recall, is, therefore
it is of faith. Or literally, therefore, the
fact of our eternal justification before God by an imputed righteousness
is realized out of faith, that it might be by grace. That's a declaration that faith
is a grace. Just as clear as Ephesians 2,
8, and 9. For by grace are ye saved through
faith, and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of
works. not of the law of Moses, but
the law of the Lord, lest any man should boast. Romans 4.16,
in other words, is saying that the blessing of the active grace
of faith that is bestowed upon us by God alone is the Holy Spirit
given confidence and pledge of all the eternal things, all the
spiritual blessings in the eternal heavenlies that we have not yet
realized. but which are of a certainty
decreed, declared, and promised by Triune God to already actually
exist for us in eternity with Christ our Savior, just as He
chose us in Him in eternity. And so, where our actual experience
of them, of these blessings, is concerned, while we're still
here in this fallen state of being, in time right now, In
this fallen world, these spiritual realities that make up all these
blessings, these spiritual realities are only, by God's grace of faith,
things that are certain to come to pass. Because we're still
suffering under the throes of our fallenness while we're in
this world. We're fallible. We make mistakes. We suffer cold and heat and sickness
and all the things, the trials and troubles that sin has brought
upon this world. We suffer under the throes of
the circumstances they create for us. And so where our actual
experience of these blessings is concerned, while we're still
here in this fallen state of being, while we're still here
in time right now in this fallen world, These are things that
we can only hope for, things that we hope to be true in Christ. Hence, 11.1 says, now, now, right
now, faith is the substance of things hopeful. And it is the
eternal person and work and complete accomplishment of the Lord Jesus
Christ upon which the bestowal and the reception of all the
spiritual blessings of our eternal salvation is dependent. It's
not dependent on anything in us, anything that God sees and
finds in us and expects from us. He shifted all of that accountability
over to His Son. Jesus is the one who is totally
accountable for our receiving everything that's needed to make
us individually a saved one. Individually. He is the personal
Savior of every one of His children. The bestowal upon us of the blessing,
of the grace, of the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ is that
which constitutes the certainty and the surety of our hope. This is why Jesus is said to
be our hope from 1 Timothy 1 verse 1. Chapter 1 verse 1 literally
says, Paul's writing a salutation. And it's under the inspiration
of the Holy Spirit. Paul says, Paul, apostle or messenger of
Jesus Christ, according to the command of God our Savior and
the Lord Jesus Christ, our hope. If you turn back with me to Hebrews
chapter 6, And look at verses 19 and 20. You'll read from there
the descriptive declaration that the Holy Spirit is inspired to
be written from these verses, which say, which hope we have
as an anchor of the soul. See, that's the dilemma, isn't
it? The law of Moses declares unto us mortal, fallen men and
women, as the Lord causes a revelation of what that law literally means,
and it penetrates down into our understandings, we see what? We're doomed. We're sinners. We're born that way. We can't
escape being that way. And we're caught under the curse
of the law, which is death. forever. Our soul is in jeopardy. It is facing an eternity lost
in misery, in hell. But these verses are telling
us we have a hope that is set before us. We have a hope that
is an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, it says.
which entereth into that within the veil." Oh, this hope is animated. This hope becomes, from Hebrews
6.19, something that we say personified. It's actually entering in behind
the veil. That's the high priest that does
that. That's the type of Christ that the high priest is a representation
of. The elect see He goes behind
the veil, that place that they're forbidden to go. Why? Because it's too holy back there. And we're too unholy. And that's
like trying to mix oil and water. Won't do. You can't go into the
presence of God back there. That's why verse 20 tells us,
"...whether the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus."
Literally, it says, "...having become an high priest forever,
or unto the eternal ages, after the order of Melchizedek." That
last statement is a description that means, after the manner
of God's holy, immutable, sworn oath. And what is that holy,
Immutable sworn oath. Why it's this, that his eternal
son is a high priest forever and not in accordance with the
specific mandates of the law of Moses, which did appoint the
Levites. The law appointed them. They
didn't have any choice. Hebrews 11.1 also tells us that
this grace of faith is the evidence of things not seen. That is,
it's the facts of things, once again, not seen. Can't see it
with these eyes. They are things not seen because
they are things in eternity. 2 Corinthians 4.18 tells us,
while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things
which are not seen. That's what we look at. You can't
look at those not seen things except you put the glasses of
the grace of faith of Christ on. You look through His eyes. And when you look through His
eyes, you see a life that is perfect and holy and victorious. over the elements, over sin,
over disease, over everything, over death. You see a life as
a human being acceptable with God, where God even speaks from
heaven and declares, this is my beloved Son whom I'm well
pleased. That's what you see. That's the faith of Christ that
gives you the ability to see that. and you rejoice because
the Father put you in Him according to His Word. That's where you're
found. We don't look at the things which
are seen, but at the things which are not seen, for the things
which are seen are temporal. They're time things. Everything
that you look around and see. If the world spins for a hundred
more years, most of these things in this room, this building may
not even be here. Because everything has a beginning
and an end, but the things which are not seen are eternal. The true and genuine grace of
faith focuses on these things, these realities of eternity with
Christ. In other words, we can only truly
see by the active grace of the faith of Jesus Christ, the things
that we are promised to of a certainty actually and fully experience
in eternity. By the grace of the faith of
Jesus Christ, they are revealed to us. By the grace of the faith
of Jesus Christ, do we see what it is that we hope for, what
it is that we are promised to receive, promised by God to receive
in eternity. I once again I want to refer
you to Romans 4, 16 and 17, which you remember says, Therefore
it is out of faith that it might be according to grace. Then it
goes on to say, To the end, the promise which God made unto every
one of his elect, God made the promise might be sure to all
the seed, all the elect. Not only, not to that only which
is of the law. And that's simply referring to
those people to whom the law of Moses was originally given. It was given to Israel and Israel
alone. That's what separated them from
all the other nations on the earth. Moses even brings this
up in Deuteronomy. This is why you have such a God. There is no God like our God
who has loved you the way He has loved you, to give you this
law. It's a law that will spread and
show itself as being in existence over all mankind, whether they
know God or not, whether they believe in the God of Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob or not. All the nations, the uttermost
parts of the earth, the uttermost parts of the history of fallen
mankind are under that law that rules them, rules over the age
of sin and death, because it declares sin, sin, sin, sin,
and it distributes it, mandates the condemnation of death. But
the promise that God makes of a Redeemer is by grace delivered
to all the elect, not only to that which is of the law, but
to that which is also of the faith of Abraham. It speaks of
that. It goes back to Abraham. Abraham
wasn't an Israelite. He couldn't be. Jacob was his
grandson. He couldn't be of him when he
was of him. And neither is He of us, but
we are of Him, of that faith. Abraham had the faith of Jesus
Christ, who is the Father of us all, Romans 4.16 says. Romans 4.17 goes on to say, "...according
as it is written." That's another way of staying. It's predestined
to take place. It's sure to come to pass because
it's written. I have made thee a father of
many nations. That's the phrase that was written. And when God said that to Abraham,
he didn't even have a child by Sarah. I have made thee a father
of many nations. And he said that before God,
it says, whom he believed, who quickens the dead, and calleth
those things which be not where this time frame is concerned,
they don't exist. But God says they are and call
it those things which be not as though they were. It's an
incredible statement of grace truth. So then it is by the blessing
of the active grace of the faith of Jesus that we are able to
focus squarely on the descriptive biblical facts of what is real
and what already exists, even what has already been done for
us by God in eternity, where the eternal salvation of our
souls is concerned. Psalm 115.3 stands firm. But our God is in the heavens,
he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased." This is why God has
firmly established in redemptive history those things and events
that make up all the temporary but nonetheless important examples
or object lessons, metaphors, similes, which reflect the holy
realities that already exist in eternity. This is so that
while we are yet still here in time, our faith and hope in Christ,
Christ as our Savior, our faith can grow and flourish in the
blessed experience of God's gracious, never ending, unfolding revelation
from His Word of these things that directly concern the person
and work of His eternal Son as our eternal Savior. These examples
and object lessons and metaphors are precisely what make up the
types and the shadows. of what is actually predestined
to be realized by us when we die, when we enter into the dimension
of eternity, when we actually enter into the presence of our
eternal Redeemer, Substitute, and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
what we were singing about this morning. This is why 2 Corinthians
5 verses 7 and 8 tells us, for we walk by faith. We walk by
faith. This is why we refer to faith
as the active grace of God. The active grace of faith. For by it do we walk in the Spirit. While we're in this world, we
walk in the Spirit. We're seeing things, the mundane
things, the common things of life in this world, but we're
seeing the movement of God's hand orchestrating and maneuvering,
taking care of us, preserving us, unfolding before us, showing
us a need, causing us to feel the burden of it. We carry it
to God. This demonstrates that we are
His children. Because we go to Him for all
things. That's why when we get up in
the morning, our feet don't hit the floor. Without us meditating,
revolving through our mind, Oh, Lord God, guide me this day.
Go before me. Give me strength to endure what
I'm going to face. And those that are our loved
ones that are on our heart, we're continually praying for them.
Open the eyes to my daughter, my son, my friend. Draw them to yourself. See, that's
the law of the Lord that is your delight, your great delight,
the most valuable thing in your life and experience. It says
we walk by faith, not by sight. Because while we see the things
that are there, right in front of you, the colors and the items. And you see what your work involves
and what you got to do to accomplish this and that task. Those things
that you see, you see behind them. You see the orchestration
of the Almighty. which is why the very next verse
of 2 Corinthians 5, 7, and then verse 8 says, but we are confident,
it says, and willing rather to be what? Out of the body and
to be at home with the Lord. Eternity is the dimension wherein
time is noticeably absent. that is at least time as we presently
know and understand it to be in our fallen condition, in this
fallen world. For you see, time here has also
suffered dire consequences from the presence of our sin. With
us, time is inevitably wasted by us. You say, well, I try not
to waste time. Well, you can't help it. This
is a necessary evil, as they call things. This is a necessary
evil of every true believer that's living in the age of sin and
death. Wasting time. Time also dies and fades away. We've killed it. You've heard
that expression, haven't you? You've probably used it. What
are you doing? Oh, just killing time. Leaving whatever has been
done in it as having been done, and we can do nothing about it. How much of our personal lives,
especially the older that we get, how much of our personal
lives, of what we've done in thought, word, and deed, would
we not eclipse entirely out of our existences in this world
if we could? But the fact forever remains
that we can't. and many times the memory of
those things that we would definitely eclipse out of it, leave us with
regret. That's why we, who are God's
true children, absolutely love the pure truth of the gospel
of the glory of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal
God-man. for that pure gospel truth proclaims
that the Lord Jesus Christ right now exercises His eternal sovereign
rule and authority over us, over our fallen existences, right
now in time. And He does so according to His
eternal rule of law. This eternal sovereign rule and
authority over all of God's chosen children is what Scripture alludes
to when it refers to the law of the Lord. This is why Scripture
declares that for the blessed child of God, the law of the
Lord is His great delight. It's the most valuable thing
in His life and existence. And it becomes His meditation.
or that which continually revolves through his thoughts, day and
night. If you're a child, a true child
of God, you do this, and all I'm doing is describing what
you recognize, that's what that is. That's a blessed thing. The law of Moses. as was historically
in time given unto the children of Israel from Mount Sinai, is
included under the all-governing, eternal rule and authority of
the law of the Lord, just as all of time as we know it, as
it comes and as it goes, is. The law of Moses definitely has
its significant place in God's unfolding eternal plan and decree
for fallen mankind. For by it, fallen men and women
throughout the history of fallen humanity come to fully know and
realize that they are before God, indeed, nothing but sinners. Romans 3 verse 20 says, "...therefore
by the deeds of the law," out of the deeds of the law, there
shall no flesh, no flesh, be justified in His sight. For by
the law is the, literally, the full knowledge, epigenosko, of
sin. But the elect recipients of God's
eternally saving grace are not under the resolute rule and authority
of the law of Moses." Not under it. Romans 6.14 boldly declares
this truth when it says, "...for ye are not under the law, but
under grace." Those who are under the law of Moses are all of its
enslaved, lost in sin subjects that have come and gone and that
will continue to come and go throughout the history of fallen
humanity. They're born. They grow into
adults. They go through life and all
the different stages of life. Their lives are filled with sin
after sin after sin after sin because they're born sinners.
Then they die. Those are the subjects of the
law of Moses, but not so of the elect. And all those that are
in time bond slaves to the law of Moses, or as Galatians 3.10
says, as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse
of it. Which according to 1 Corinthians
15, verse 26, the law is the very strength of sin itself. And in the end time of their
existence in this cursed world, those under the curse of the
law will ultimately receive the grave and eternal impact and
consequences of that same law's unfavorable judgment upon their
immortal souls. They don't have as an anchor
of the soul the hope that Jesus is. They don't truly believe
in Jesus according to the Word of God. They don't confess with
the mouth, the Lord Jesus Christ, and believe in their heart that
God hath raised Him from the dead. Hence they are not saved,
as the Word declares. This is why the eternal law of
the Lord that declares unto all those that are ruled by Thee
for all of time in this world, the law of Moses, Romans 6.23
says, for the wages of sin. is death. However, the recipients
of God's from everlasting and unto everlasting love and mercy
are all under the eternal sovereign rule and eternal all-governing
administrative authority of the Lord Jesus Christ and His wonderful,
eternally saving grace. It is the law of the Lord that
reveals unto us that this is the way that things truly are. You see, this is the law of the
Lord. This right here, from cover to
cover. It's redemption's story. It's
His story, history. All praise to the eternal glory
of His eternal person and His eternally saving grace. For example,
all the earthly end-time types and shadows of the tabernacle,
and hence also the temple, are but reflections of the eternal
person and work of the promised seed, the Redeemer Christ of
God, promised from the very beginning in the Garden of Eden that this
seed, singular, would come from the fallen woman. through the
avenue, through the conduit, if you will, of the fallen woman,
this promised holy seed would come. And with Him would come
victory for all His people over sin and death, over sin, Satan,
and death. This promised seed is the Redeemer
Christ of God. This promised seed is the eternal
Son of God. This promised seed is the eternal
Lamb of God as physically represented and historically in time revealed
and realized in the person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ,
our one and only sovereign Savior, God. Everything within the end-time
framework of the whole Old Testament sacrificial system, as given
and as instructed by God through Moses, is divinely designed to
give us a glimpse of the in-eternity, already accomplished work and
provision of the grand sacrifice that has been made of the eternal
Lamb of God from eternity. He is the Lamb slain from the
very foundation of the creation of this physical world. Time
is simply the stage upon which and it is simply the arena in
which God's eternal and immutable decrees and purposes are thereby
unfolded and revealed as already having been truly and really
and completely played out in eternity. Romans 13, 8 gives
us the complete title of the Lamb's Book of Life. According
to this text, This book is called the Book of Life of the Lamb
Slain from the foundation of the world. This is why 1 Corinthians
3.11 tells us, for other foundation can no fallen and sinful man
lay, then that is laid by God, which is Jesus Christ. And also
why 1 Timothy 3.14 2 Timothy 2.19 declares unto us, saying,
Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this
seal, the Lord knoweth them that are his. And let every one that
nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. This is how the
Word of God describes the eternal Son of God to be. And therefore,
this is how He is to be known by all of His elect. This is
how He is to be believed in by all of His elect. This is how
He is to be received, realized, and understood by all of His
elect. This is how He is to be worshiped
and adored. as being our eternal sovereign
Savior substitute. He is the eternal Christ of God. Praise His name. This is what
makes the whole history of fallen humanity to also be the whole
history of eternal redemption. Redemption, that is, for all
the elect of God's grace. for all who have been and are
the chosen out from among all of the fallen and cursed nations
and peoples and generations of the entire history of fallen
humanity. All glory and dominion and power
belongs unto the Lord Jesus Christ for the greatness of His Word.
And what we're going to do, starting next week, We're going to get
into the eighth chapter of the book of Hebrews. I'm going to
touch on the first seven chapters. I've done that before, and I'm
sure that we'll be alluding back and forth from those places in
the Word and unfold the realities of this even further. And hopefully
you'll see the principles that have been touched upon here this
morning actually at work. May the Lord bless this to your
hearing.