Well, turn back to Ephesians
chapter 5, Ephesians chapter 5, which is a very practical
passage, and it's encouraging fruitful living. The first three
chapters, we say in general, 1 to 3, are the doctrinal foundation
and then chapters four to six of the practical application
and that's not an unreasonable way to think of this passage,
this epistle being split up. It's true of other epistles as
well. Basically, doctrinal foundation
followed by practical application. So I want to think again about
this this morning, this very practical passage. It all depends, when you're going
to try and get somebody to behave in a certain way, it all depends
on the environment that you put them in, the jurisdiction in
which you place them, the regime under which you put them. in
order to get them to behave in a certain way. I'm sure you've
heard of Aesop's fables. Aesop was a slave in Greece about
five or six hundred B.C. and he was also a writer and
a poet and he wrote down lots of these little moral tales with
good moral lessons and, you know, you ought to get to know some
of Aesop's fables. They're good lessons for life,
you know, like the tortoise and the hare. It isn't necessarily
the one that can run fastest that gets there In the end, the
tortoise makes it because the hare goes so fast and carelessly
that he makes mistakes. The fox and the grapes, you know,
the fox from which we get sour grapes. I'm not going to spend
the sermon telling you Aesop's fables, but there is one that
I think is very applicable. The sun versus the north wind. You know that one where the sun
and the north wind try to get the traveler to take his coat
off his back. Who's the strongest, the sun or the north wind? and
the sun argues with the north wind that he can get the coat
off his back and the north wind sets about it and blows and blows
his most severe cold gale and all it makes the traveller do
is wrap his coat tighter and tighter around him and it doesn't
get the coat off his back at all and the sun comes out and
warms him and gives him pleasant, pleasant sunshine. And you know
what? The man wants to take his coat
off. He doesn't have to have his coat
ripped off his back. He wants to take his coat off.
And the moral of the story, there are various people, look it up
in Wikipedia, there are various people that have come up with
what is their summary of the moral of the story, but here's
one that I thought was quite good. They cannot win who start
with threats. You start out with threats, you're
not going to win. Think about it in world politics
and the way things go on in the world this day. Is it a law regime
that will say you must do this or else? Or is it a love regime
that makes you want to do the right things? There are two ways,
Rick and I often talk about this, there are two ways of doing business.
There's the way, the harsh way they think gets results, which
is you be really mean and nasty and you get the hardest, toughest
deal you possibly can. And you've only won when you've
made that person make so little money they've virtually gone
out of business. Then you've had a good deal. Not if you want
to be doing business with them in five years or ten years' time.
Maybe you ought to think about that. Maybe you ought to think
about a little bit longer term and about having relationships
where I need you, but you also need me, and so let's be reasonable
with each other. You don't win if you completely
crush the opposition. You know, the parasite in nature
is very crafty. You know, it's no good if the
mistletoe, which is a parasite growing in the tree, so exploits
the tree that it kills the tree, is it? The mistletoe would have
nothing to grow on then. And so it is. What is the regime?
These are verses which talk about a way to behave as those who
are the people of God, who believe God, and a way not to behave. So how are we going to get you
to do one or the other? Let's look at the lifestyle which
is discouraged. I know we did a bit of this two
weeks ago, but verse three. of chapter five. Look at these
verses with me. But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness,
let it not once be named among you as becometh saints. Verse
four, neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting,
which are not convenient, but rather giving of thanks. Verse
five, for this ye know that no whoremonger nor unclean person
nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom
of heaven. Verse eleven, And have no fellowship with the unfruitful
works of darkness, but rather reprove them. And verse twelve,
For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done
of them in secret. And verse 17, Therefore, wherefore,
be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
And verse 18, But be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess,
but be filled with the Spirit. The lifestyle that is discouraged.
The people of God shouldn't be like that. The people of God
shouldn't engage in sexual immorality, or crude speech, or behavior,
or idolatry, or works of darkness, or the shameful hidden things.
A Christian shouldn't engage in that which is unwise. I'm
not talking about wisdom in the worldly sense, but I'm talking
about that which is unchrist-like. Because Christ in him dwell all
the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Unwise. Without those treasures
of the wisdom and knowledge of Christ. And drunkenness, loss
of control through intoxicating substances. No, that is discouraged. It shouldn't be like that. Turn
back to Galatians, just a few pages back in your Bible, chapter
5. Where Paul there, in verses 19 to 21, calls them the works
of the flesh. Chapter 5 of Galatians, verse
19. Now the works of the flesh are
manifest, which are these, adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath,
strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness,
revelings, and such like. Of the which I tell you before,
as I have also told you in the past, that they which do such
things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Exactly parallel
to what we saw in verse 5 of Ephesians. The works of the flesh. No, they're discouraged. And
all those works of the flesh, those sins, stem from self. Self is at the root of everything
that is sinful. Pleasing self at the expense
of others. exploiting others for your own
personal selfish benefit. Now, we don't want to dwell on
these things. I've already spent three or four
minutes talking about them. We don't want to dwell on them.
We don't want to dwell on them because the scripture tells us
not to. Verse three, let it not be once named among you as become
saints. it's not a good topic for conversation
let's not dwell on it let's not talk about it verse twelve it's
a shame shameful thing even to speak of those things which are
done of them in secret I'd rather not know you know think what
Jesus said about if your eye offend you pluck it out he's
not talking about physically gouging out your eye or physically
mutilating yourself chopping off your hand but he's saying
this Turn away from it. You know, if you see that something,
some images before you are becoming that which is unwholesome, turn
away from it. That's plucking your eye out. Don't go where
the flesh wants to go and have this kind of desire to delve
into those things. No. It's a shame even to speak
of those things which are done in secret. Let's not go there.
Let's not do those things because they're utterly inconsistent
with Christian living. And the new man This is true,
the new man of the Spirit of God cannot, you read in 1 John,
he says the child of God, meaning the new man, cannot sin. Now
he's also said, it used to really confuse me that, because he also
says in the same epistle, if we say we have no sin, we deceive
ourselves and the truth is not in us. He's talking about the
two natures of man. The flesh cannot but sin every
day, but the new man planted by the Spirit of God cannot sin,
and that new man, if that new man is the new manager within
that fallen flesh, planted by the Spirit of God, that new man
cannot live a settled life, a settled existence, with those things
characteristic. The new man hates those things,
the new man wants to flee from those things, the new man knows
that those things are an offense to God whom he loves, and he
cannot live with them, and cannot abide them. and there's a warning
don't treat this lightly we were looking in the study at Isaiah
34 and 35 and you read Isaiah 34 and and and it's a it's a
stark terrifying warning if we really believe you know it's
the word of God the God of the universe speaks to us and he
warns that judgment is certain and terrifying and absolutely
unavoidable and coming and in verse five You know, if you think
you can live as a believer, you say you're a believer, and you
think you can live a settled existence, a comfortable existence,
where your eyes are constantly feasting on that which is immoral
and wrong, where your style of life is one of thieving and dishonesty
and corruption, then understand this, none of those people, no
whoremonger, unclean person, covetous man, hath any inheritance
in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Not just an isolated
verse, we've seen it in Galatians chapter 5. It's utterly inconsistent. So that's a lifestyle discouraged,
but what about the lifestyle that is encouraged? Look again,
let's look down these verses. Verse 2, and walk in love. Walk in love. This is encouraged. Walk in love. You know, love will not do certain
things. If you love, if you love your
neighbor as yourself, you will no more exploit your neighbor
than you will deliberately exploit yourself. You might do foolish
things that exploit yourself, but you won't deliberately do
it. You cherish your own body and your own life. You won't
do anything to harm yourself. But if you love your neighbor
as yourself, you won't do that. Walk in love as Christ also has
loved us with him as an example. Verse 8, verse 8. For ye were
sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord. Walk as
children of light. There, encouragement. Walk as
children of light, not in darkness. Don't do those things that you
want darkness to hide because you know that they're a disgraceful
thing. No, walk in light. With light
shining upon it, walk in light. And verse 9, for the fruit of
the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth.
Bearing the fruit of the Spirit of God. That goodness and that
righteousness and that truth which is of God. And verse 10,
proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. Are any of those things
that are discouraged acceptable to the Lord? Of course they're
not. You know they're not. So prove that which is acceptable
to the Lord. Verse 11. Have no fellowship
with unfruitful works of darkness. This doesn't mean that we're
to have nothing to do with people in the world. Of course we do.
We have them as neighbors and colleagues at work and we're
sociable and friendly and We don't make life difficult
in our contact with them. but we don't have fellowship
in the things of God with those who are working the works of
darkness we don't you don't don't don't think that uh... you know
that there are people who used to say oh i'm i'm going to witness
in this particular uh... cd lap dancing club or something
like that i'm sorry you're going to be amongst the works of darkness
don't go there just don't do i mean it's it's it's as clear
and as practical as that and reprove those works verse verse
thirteen All things that are reproved are made manifest by
the light. For whatsoever doth make manifest
is light. You know, we should make it clear
that we don't want anything to do with it. That it's wrong,
it's that which will bring the judgment of God. And we're to
be awake, verse 14. Don't be as those who sleep.
Don't be as those who just let everything pass them by in a
deep spiritual sleep. If you read Pilgrim's Progress,
he talks about the dangers of going to sleep in Bypass Meadow,
and it seemed such a comfortable place, and he lay down, and before
he knew it, all sorts of dangers had overtaken him. No, awake
thou that sleepest. Be alert, be spiritually alert.
Arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. And verse
15, walk circumspectly. You know, that's the way to drive.
Those of you that drive, you know, the thing to do is to drive
circumspectly. You're on the lookout for things
that are going to happen. You know, this is where I fall
out with the speed camera lobby. I think speed cameras are a good
thing in some places, but in other places I think they're
there just to generate some revenue. Because, you see, I used to drive
through Oaklands, before they put the 40 mile an hour limit
on, safely, I believe. I used to try, and we all think
we're great drivers, I know, but I used to try and drive circumspectly,
looking, looking ahead, coming up to the school, I'm going to
slow right down. Especially if it's coming out time, I don't
want to be doing any more than 20 miles an hour past there, because some
little one might run out between cars. And if I'm only doing 20,
I know I can stop before I hit them. But if I'm doing 30 or
40, I might not be able to. So I'm driving circumspectly.
And then they went and put the speed cameras all along there
and the 40 mile an hour limit. And do you know what I tended
to do? I don't do it so much now. I just used to put the cruise
control on 40 miles an hour to make sure I didn't get a ticket
and just sit there and steer the car. I was obeying the letter
of the law, but I wasn't walking circumspectly in my driving. And so this is, be alert. Be on the lookout. Don't blindly
walk in to situations which are contrary to the spirit of God,
and contrary to that lifestyle which he's encouraged for the
child of God. And verse 16, redeeming the time
because the days are evil. Do you know we live in this time
state now, out of eternity in this time state. We live in this
time state which is our existence until we're taken to glory. And
time is a valuable thing. We don't know how much of it
we've got. It goes through your fingers, you know on the beach
on a hot day when the sand is lovely and silver and dry and
sifted and you pick it up in your hand and it just runs through
your fingers and it's gone in no time. Well, time seems like
that. I know you younger ones must
get fed up of hearing us older ones say this but it's absolutely
true. Do you know how long ago it seems
to me when I was as old as you, Michael? It seems like it was
just last week in some respects. And now I look back, and that
is 45 years ago that I was as old as you. You know, three times
your life has gone in what seems like five minutes. It really
does. That's how quick it goes. Redeem it. Buy it back. Buy the
time. Make the best use of it. Don't
just let it fritter away. Redeeming the time. There's another
one of Aesop's fables which is about the ant and the grasshopper. And the grasshopper just loves
his summer. And he spends it all sunbathing
and singing away and making the most of the easy fruits. And
the ant spends all his summer laboring. They find our kitchen
a very good place to labor and we're constantly having to put
powder down to try and stop them. But do you know what they're
doing? They're storing up food for the winter. And when it comes
the winter, this is Aesop's fable, the grasshopper's got nothing
set aside because he's just in, he hasn't redeemed the thyme.
He's just let it fritter away. He's just let it pass through
his fingers. He's not made any provision. But the ant has, and
that's the moral of that story. But it's a similar sort of thing.
Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Seeking God's
will, verse 17. Wherefore, be ye not unwise,
be ye not unchristlike, for in Christ dwell all the treasures
of wisdom and knowledge. But understanding what the will
of the Lord is. How are you going to understand
what the will of the Lord is? Through his word, by his spirit,
that and that alone. Don't say by my feelings, Don't
say that. By His Word and by His Spirit,
we'll know what the will of the Lord is. Be very, very careful
about your feelings. You know, it can depend on what
you've had for tea the night before, whether it's upset your
stomach as to how you feel. No. His Word and His Spirit. Be alert, verse 18. Be not drunk
with wine wherein is excess, but be filled with the Spirit.
Be alert to the inward leadings of God's Spirit, taught by His
Word. And verse 19, speaking to yourselves
in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody
in your heart to God. In a spiritual joy, melody in
the heart, when you see how dreadful is the judgment that is to come,
and how glorious is the salvation that we saw in Isaiah 35, the
singing and the rejoicing and the gladness, of the people that
are redeemed, are saved from that judgment to come. That's
a cause for inner spiritual joy, melody in the heart, songs of
Zion, songs of salvation, sovereign grace, particular redemption.
These things, thankfulness, verse 20, giving thanks always for
all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ. A thankful existence. is what it's talking about. A
lifestyle discouraged and a lifestyle encouraged. It's quite clear
there and it's quite practical and it's in the scriptures and
it encourages us to do those things but this is what I want
to think about in the time that we've got left to us this morning.
What is the nature of the jurisdiction in which the believer lives?
The jurisdiction is the legal control You know, when I drive
my car through Oaklands and Woolmer Green, I'm subject to the jurisdiction
of the laws of this land, of the courts and the laws of this
land. And they have said, you shall do, and if you don't do,
then consequences. If you overstep this line, there
will be consequences for that. A speed camera will take a photograph
of you and you'll pay a fine for it and you'll get points
on your licence. That's a jurisdiction. You children, you live under
a jurisdiction. Do you know what it is? Mum and
Dad. Until you leave home, that's the jurisdiction in which you
live. Do what they say. Follow their leading. That's
true, child rearing. Parents rule, children obey. That's the jurist, you may not
like it, and the older you get, generally speaking, the less
you like aspects of it, but it's true. Parents rule, and children
obey. You say, how do you know that?
Just look at chapter 6 and verse 1. Can you just cast your eyes
forward a few verses to chapter 6 and verse 1? And what's the
first word in chapter 6? Children. He's going to tell
you something. Children, obey your parents in the Lord. Why? For this is right. God says it. Children, obey your parents in
the Lord, for this is right. But what is the nature of that
jurisdiction? What is the nature of it? I know
there are all sorts of variations. There are some very, very cruel
jurisdictions. You look back and you read aspects
of Dickens and you see some school jurisdictions that were there
which were very, very harsh and cruel and severe. What is the
nature of the jurisdiction of children and parents? We're going
to come on to it in a few weeks when we get to that point. But
what's the nature of it? Is it a jurisdiction of fear? and oppression, and punishment,
and severity? Or is it a jurisdiction of love,
and example, and encouragement, and sympathy, with chastisement,
because the flesh always needs to be chastised, with chastisement,
with lines drawn, with consequences for overstepping the line, but
a jurisdiction of love, and example, and encouragement, You see, how
does God deal with his people? This is what we're talking about.
How does God get us to shun the life that he discourages, and
how to embrace the life that he encourages? What's the sort
of thing that God says to his people? Well, if you read in
the early verses of Isaiah, chapter one, he says, come, let us reason
together. this is the God who threatens
such dreadful judgments that we were reading in chapter 34
of Isaiah that same God says come let us reason together Come,
let us reason together. As a man talks with his friend
is how Moses spoke with God. As a man speaks with his friend,
come, let us reason together. This is what God says. He says,
speak peace to them. He says, comfort ye, comfort
ye my people. This is the jurisdiction that
God places upon his people, upon those whom he loves. What drives
my behavior? What drives my driving behaviour? Take the example again of speeding.
What is it? Is it just simply the threat
of getting a fine and of getting points on my licence, and if
I get enough points on my licence, I'll lose... Is that what it
is? Well, it's certainly an aspect of it. There's certainly situations
where the only thing that stops me speeding is the fact that
if that camera goes off, I'm going to get some points on my
licence. That's absolutely true. But there are other things that
apply to that jurisdiction. I might want to save some fuel.
I don't know about you, in these days of rocketing fuel prices,
I've discovered that I can get an awful lot more miles to the
gallon if I travel at 70 rather than 80 miles an hour on the
motorway. It really does save a huge amount. And what about
safety? What about concern for others?
What about concern? You know, I don't just stick
to 40 past Oakland School when they're coming out, I slow right
down to whatever's necessary so that if a child does happen
to run between the cars, I won't injure that child. That is another
aspect of the jurisdiction. I want to not speed because I
don't want to hurt a child. It's not just because I don't
want to get points on my licence, I don't want to hurt a child
in that situation, so I slow right down. I don't just slow
down to 40, I slow down way slower than that. When they're all coming
out, you know, you need to do that. These are aspects of the
jurisdiction. What drives the jurisdiction
of me with my grandchildren? What is it that tells me to be
kind to my grandchildren? Is it some law that says I'll
be punished if I'm not kind to them? They might say, he's not
very kind to us actually, don't believe what he's saying, I see
them sitting here. But no, it's love. It's love that drives that
relationship. You see, what does God's law
say to the flesh? What does God's law say to human
beings, men and women? It says this, do this and live. It says, transgress this law
and die. It says the soul that sins, it
shall die. Sin is the transgression of the
law. Do this and live. The rich young ruler came to
Jesus and said, good master, what shall I do to inherit? What
shall I do to inherit eternal life? And Jesus said to him,
why are you calling me good? There's none good but God. You
see, he just saw a man and he's calling him good teacher. Not
recognizing that he himself was God in human flesh. He just came
to him and said, good teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal
life? In other words, it's all on me to do. And Jesus says,
okay, you're asking what flesh needs to do. The scriptures are
clear. To the flesh, God says this,
do this. You shall live. Do this perfectly
and you shall live. Or what? Do 99% of it? No, as
we were looking in James last week. 100% of it. Not one bit
of it to be missing. Absolutely 100% of it. Do it
and live. Transgress the soul that sins,
it shall die. That's a very strict jurisdiction. That's a very strict regime in
which certain behavior is encouraged and certain behavior is discouraged. In fact it's more than encouraged,
it's actually prescribed. It's a clear black and white,
be perfect absolutely in every respect and you will live. Fail
in one point and you are condemned, you have broken all. Legalists
in our day are those who say they are believers, they say
they believe God, they say they stand for the pillar of truth
of the church, and they say the law of Moses. That's the believer's
rule of life. They say that's the rule, that's
the jurisdiction in which we live. That's the thing which
will make us do those things which are good in this passage
and avoid those things which are bad. That's what they say.
Absolutely, no doubt about it. That's what they're saying. The
law of Moses is the believer's rule of life. And they go on
to say it's the measure of your sanctification. You know, the
better you are at obeying that law, the more sanctified you
become. And that becomes the basis of your heavenly reward
and loss. And they have this picture. I
know I've told you this before, but it's important you understand
it so that you're aware of it when you hear it. That you can
reject it because it isn't in accordance with this book. And
they say that there are going to be in heaven those who are
strutting around with jewel-bedecked crowns upon their heads in reward
for their very good sanctification against the law of Moses. And
there are going to be others who are saved by the skin of
their teeth. They're there but they're going
to be miserable Christians because they've been so poor at being
sanctified in this life that is actually what they say if
that was what the scripture teaches really surely it would be spelled
out here in these verses of Ephesians but it isn't it isn't there at
all you see what the gospel says is this unlike the law which
says do this and live what does grace say grace says live and
do not do and live grace says live by the life that God gives
by his spirit and then do these things because that life is there
grace says live and do and grace doesn't add or else it doesn't
add that so what is the jurisdiction in which believers live and remember
You know, we're too liberal in thinking that everybody that
says they're a believer is a believer. A believer is one who believes
God. There are no Christians who don't
believe the doctrine of election. I was saying it in the study
earlier. It needs emphasizing. There are no Christians, there
are no true believers, who don't believe the doctrine of election.
Absolutely. Absolutely not. True believers
believe what God says. Don't let anybody tell you, I
mean you don't have to get into a fight with them, but just do
not believe it. Anybody that says they don't
believe election does not believe God. He's not saved, he's not
a Christian. That is truth. So what is the jurisdiction in
which true believers live? Turn back to verse one. Chapter
five and verse one. Be ye therefore followers of
God Look at those next three words. As dear children. Not just as children. As dear
children. God loves his children. He loves,
they're dear to him. God's children are dear to him.
As dear children. Do you see the jurisdiction?
Does this not put it in a different light? It's not the law of Moses
is not my rule of life. As dear children. You who are
parents, you don't get up every morning and write the laws on
the board as to absolutely, you know, step over this mark at
dear children. Yes, I know you've got rules
and regulations that you seek to apply, but, you know, your
children are dear to you. So are God's children, as dear
children. In Luke 18, verse 7, he talks
about his elect, but he doesn't just say his elect, he says his
own elect. His own, you know, God's elect
are his own elect. They're his possession. They're
his dear children. They're his prized children.
They're his loved children. love children, walk in love as
Christ hath loved us. Dear children, loved of God,
loved of Christ, how do I know Christ has loved me? He's given
himself for me. A sweet smelling sacrifice, an
offering to God to make me right with him, to cleanse my sin,
to make me acceptable in his sight. Romans 5 verse 8 he says that
like this you know God commends his love to us in that while
we were yet sinners Christ died for us not while there was anything
good about us not while there was anything of this good behavior
about us while we were children of wrath even as others while
we were yet sinners Christ died for us that commends his love
to us doesn't it? pure grace, pure grace, everlasting
love from eternity. God so loved the world, a world
of sinners, his people, from all over the world, that he gave
his only begotten son to save from condemnation. the word goes
out in Leviticus 25 and 25. If thy brother be waxen poor,
I love that old language, if he's become poor, your brother's
become poor, and hath sold away some of his possession, and if
any of his kin come to redeem it, then he shall redeem that
which his brother sold. I as a sinner, I sold my birthright
for a mess of pottage. But my brother, my friend, my
master, my lord, he came to redeem me. He loved me from before the
beginning of time, and in time he came to redeem me. Redeem
me from the curse of the law, to buy me back from that curse
of the law. I was waxen poor. I was waxen
very poor I was waxen utterly poverty stricken I'd sold away
all of my possession of eternal life but Christ my kin came to
redeem me and that's what that verse is talking about in saying
live and do instead of do this and you shall live in saying
live and do the gospel of grace That's what it says, our God
implants new life. That's the new birth. You know
what John chapter 1 and verses 12 and 13 say, but as many as
received him, to them gave, note, grace, gave, to them gave he
power to become the sons of God. even to them that believe on
his name, which were born." How were they born? They came out
to the front in a meeting. They decided to follow Jesus.
No, they didn't. Which were born not of blood,
nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of
God. It was God's will. And that new
heart that he gives, that new life that the Spirit of God plants,
wants to do the things that God encourages, wants to shun and
turn away from the things that God discourages. He says, Ezekiel
36, 26, a new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit
I will put within you, and I will take away the stony heart out
of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. God puts
a new heart within that wants to do God's will. And in terms
of laws directing how we live, Jeremiah 31-34, and they shall
teach no more, this is talking about the people of God, every
man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, know the
Lord, in a legalistic sense, You know, drawing lines, you
will not know. No, no, no. They shall all know
me from within. They shall all know me. From
the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord. For
I will forgive their iniquity and I will remember their sin
no more. Believers, we live under a new
jurisdiction. We live under a new jurisdiction
in our relationship with God. Not of law, but of grace. And, you know, where do I get
that from in the scriptures? Well, it absolutely couldn't
be clearer. You can read Romans 6 and verse 14 for one. You are
not under law, but under grace. Now, theologians put all sorts
of interpretations on words, and they say, well, this word
means that, and such and such a thing is a Hebraism, and all
sorts of other funny, complicated terms to try and get around the
fact that what those few simple words say is that as believers,
you are not under law, but you are under grace. You live in
a jurisdiction of grace, not of law. Look at 1 Timothy, just
briefly with me. 1 Timothy, the first chapter
of 1 Timothy. Verse 5. where Paul writes this to Timothy,
now the end of the commandment is charity, love out of a pure
heart. The purpose of the commandment
is love out of a pure heart and of a good conscience and of faith
unfamed from which some having swerved have turned aside and
to vain jangling, desiring to be teachers of the law. Oh boy,
haven't we? In reformed Baptist circles,
don't we have those that love to be teachers of the law? Don't
they want to lay down how much you're allowed to drink, how
much you're not allowed to drink, how many miles you're allowed
to walk, how many swings you can swing on a Sunday, and all
of these other legalistic things. You know, which meats are good
to eat and which are not and... Oh, dear me. They love it. They desire to be teachers of
the law, understanding neither what they say nor whereof they
affirm. But we know that the law is good
if a man use it lawfully. What does Galatians tell us that
the law was for? The law was our schoolmaster
to bring us to Christ. Not our rule of life. Our schoolmaster
to bring us to Christ, and once there, we're not under law, but
under grace. See, knowing this, verse 9, that
the law is not made for a righteous man, for one who is made righteous
in Christ. but for the lawless and disobedient.
What's the purpose of the law? That sin might be manifest. It's
made for 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, for men-stealers,
for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing
that is contrary to sound doctrine." That's what the law's for. It's
not the believer's rule of life. It's to show up sin for what
sin actually is. You see, in Ephesians 5 and verse
9, we're told the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and
righteousness and truth. This is the fruit of grace. This
is being joined, bearing fruit. You know how you get fruit from
a vine? It's by the branches being joined to the rootstock,
because the rootstock provides the sap to the branches. And
then the fruit comes. That fruit that ripens and bears,
you know, hundredfold and many times over what was originally
put in the ground. But for the branches to bear
fruit, we must be joined to the rootstock. And so it is that
Christ said in John 15, I am the vine, he's the rootstock,
you are the branches. He that abides in me will bear
much fruit. You cannot bear fruit if you
do not abide in me. This is the key, this is the
jurisdiction, abiding in Christ and bearing that fruit, abiding
in him. John 15.4, abide in me and I
in you, as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself except it
abide in the vine, no more can ye except ye abide in me. So,
how do we apply it? How do I, I mean you can call
me your preacher, you can even call me your pastor if you like,
so long as you don't go and put me on any sort of a pedestal,
but how do I through preaching to you on Sunday mornings get
you to do that which Ephesians 5 encourages, And how do I discourage
you from doing that which Ephesians 5 discourages? How do I get you
to do the right and to shun the wrong? Do I threaten you with
law and loss? Or do I show you Christ and his
love and his fruit and his grace? Well, the answer, I don't need
to tell you, it's obvious. Let's encourage one another.
As believers walking through, I like one of the little adverts
of the fellowships in New Focus, there's one at the bottom there,
that little group in South East London, a little group limping
through this world. We're limping through this world,
but as we limp along, let's encourage one another to walk as children
of light, if indeed we have that new man of the Spirit of God
within. Have we? That's the thing. Remember
we were thinking last week, let a man examine himself. If not,
be not deceived, verse 6, let no man deceive you with vain
words, because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon
the children of disobedience. Oh, you need that man of God
inside, that man of the Spirit of God. You see, he warns, doesn't
he? Many will say to me in that day,
day of judgment, many will say, Lord, Lord, haven't we done all
of these things in your name? And he will say to them, depart
from me. I never knew you. I'll make sure
you know him. Seek him and you will find him.
Amen.