The Law Is Good

Q: What does the Bible say about the law of God?

The Bible teaches that the law is good when used lawfully and points us to love God and others. The law of God is described as good and beneficial, provided it is used in accordance with its intended purpose. In 1 Timothy 1:8, Paul emphasizes that the law is good if one uses it lawfully, indicating that it serves to direct believers towards love for God and for one another. This includes not just the Ten Commandments, but the entirety of God's moral law, which encompasses principles of integrity, honesty, and righteousness that reflect the character of God. By understanding the moral law, believers can see their need for Christ and how the law, rather than being a means to obtain salvation, serves as a guide to express love.

Q: Why is understanding the law important for Christians?

Understanding the law helps Christians fulfill their calling to love God and others, showing the transformation through grace. Understanding the law is crucial for Christians because it lays the foundation for what it means to live righteously in response to God's grace. The law serves as a mirror that reflects our sinful nature and need for redemption, ultimately pointing us to Christ who fulfills the law on our behalf. According to Galatians 5:13 and 2 Corinthians 5:14-15, the law does not bind believers but instead becomes an expression of love. A regenerated heart desires to obey God's commandments not out of fear or obligation, but out of love and gratitude for Christ's sacrifice. Recognizing the law's purpose deepens a Christian's faith and conviction to live a life that honors God.

Q: How do we know the law is good?

We know the law is good because it leads us towards love, guiding our actions in accordance with God's will. The goodness of the law is affirmed by its role in guiding believers towards a life of love and righteousness. Paul encapsulates this in 1 Timothy 1:5, stating that the sum and substance of the commandment is love, which flows from a pure heart and sincere faith. As believers, we recognize that the moral law is not just a set of rules but an expression of God's character. The law instructs us on how to love God fully and to love our neighbors as ourselves, demonstrating that the law promotes not bondage but freedom in Christ. The inherent goodness of the law is validated by its harmony with the gospel, which calls us to live in a manner that reflects God's holiness.

Q: Why shouldn't Christians fear the law?

Christians shouldn't fear the law because it is fulfilled in Christ and guides them to live in love rather than condemnation. Christians are not to fear the law because, through Christ, the law has been fulfilled and no longer serves as a means of condemnation. In Romans 6:14, we see that believers are under grace rather than law; hence, the law does not operate as a covenant that demands perfection but rather as a guiding principle that expresses God’s expectations. The transformative work of grace equips believers with a new nature, writing the law on their hearts, enabling them to desire obedience from love instead of fear. Therefore, rather than seeing the law as a curse, Christians can appreciate it as a tool that clarifies God’s will and fosters love toward others.

If you turn to Hebrews chapter
10, you see that clearly here in verse 9 of Hebrews 10. The Lord Jesus is speaking here,
and he says, Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will. O God,
he taketh away the first, the first covenant, the first tabernacle,
the first priesthood, All of those things contained in that
Levitical law, he takes it away, he fulfills it, and then he does
away with it, that he may establish the second, Christ alone. So when we read here in 1 Timothy
1.8, we know that the law is good if a man uses it. If he
uses it lawfully, we are not talking about the ceremonial
law of Moses, we are not talking about keeping Sabbath days and
paying tithes and circumcision and the priesthood and the sacrifices,
returning to the law. Not at all. But the law that
Paul is talking about here is the moral law of God. And not just the Ten Commandments.
We're talking about the Ten Commandments. Thou shalt have no other God
before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image. I
shall not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. Remember
the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Honor thy father and thy mother.
Thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt
not steal, thou shalt not bear false witness, and thou shalt
not covet. We're talking about that law
right there. That law is good. And not only the Ten Commandments,
but we're talking about all the laws of God. all the laws of
God. For example, turn over, if you
will, to Exodus 21. I was looking at this. It talks
about men-stealers in this passage of Scripture, men-stealers. I
didn't know what men-stealers was. And it refers over here
to Exodus 21, verse 16, men-stealers. It says, and verse 15 says, if
a man smites his father and mother, he'll be put to death. He needs
to be dealt with. A man that cripples his parents
needs to be dealt with. Verse 16, he that stealeth a
man and selleth him, if that man be found in his hand, he'll
be put to death. That's slavery. He that curseth
his father and mother, put him to death. Verse 18, if men strive
together, get in an argument, one man smite another who picks
up a brick and hits him, or hits him with his fist, and he die
not, but has to go to bed, has to be treated. When he rises
again, walks abroad upon his staff, that man that smote him
shall be quit, in other words, delivered, for he didn't kill
him, but he'll pay for the loss of his wages. Those are laws
of God. That's moral law. In other words,
we talk about the law is good, we're talking about not only
the Ten Commandments, we're talking about the law of God. Laws which
refer to integrity, laws which refer to honesty, laws which
refer to purity of life, laws which refer to the home and truth
and dealing honestly in business. We're talking about all those
laws. For example, turn to Matthew 7, Matthew chapter 7. Verse 12, Matthew 7, 12. Listen to this. Matthew 7, 12. Therefore all things whatsoever
you would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them. This is the law. This is the
law of God too. This is the prophets. So over
here in our text, let's go over there and look at it. strongly
and ask God's Spirit to deal with us and help us. So when
he says we know that the law is good, we're not talking about
the ceremonial law. We're not talking about these
types and shadows and patterns that have all been fulfilled
by Christ Jesus our Lord. He is my Sabbath. He's my righteousness. He's my high priest. He's my
sin offering. He's my atonement. He's all things.
But we're talking about God's moral law. Ten commandments,
and not only those ten, but all of the moral laws of God throughout
His Word. And he says here, it's good.
Good, the law is good. Paul said, I love thy law, O
God. I delight in the law of God.
I love God's law. Love His commandments. Say amen. When I was reading those commandments
over, he said amen to them. That's what I think, too. That's
what I believe. Now, if a man used it lawfully,
how would a man use the law unlawfully? Well, this, the law, the commandments
of God, not only the Levitical law, but the moral law, was not
given to obtain life. The law wasn't given to obtain
salvation. This moral law and all the laws
of God regarding how we live and how we talk and how we conduct
ourselves and how we carry on a conversation, how we treat
others, those laws were not given to establish a righteousness
on acceptance with God. You see, that's where the Jews
missed it. The Pharisee stood in the temple
and he said, I thank you God, I'm not like other men. I keep
the law. He was trying to establish a
righteousness with God on the basis of his morality. Now that's
using the law unlawfully. I bear them record they have
a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge, for they're ignorant
of God's righteousness. What's God's righteousness? We're
not talking about his essential personal righteousness, but we're
talking about that righteousness which he purchased and purposed
and provided in Christ for believers. The righteousness of God which
is in Christ Jesus. And these people are ignorant
of that, and what were they doing? They were going about to establish
their own righteousness. How? By keeping the law. Paul said, I was blameless before
the law. They have not submitted themselves
unto the righteousness of God. So the man that uses the law
to establish a righteousness before God uses it unlawfully. And what will it serve? It will
serve only to condemn him. That very law that he's tried
to use to establish a righteousness with God arises up in judgment
against him and accuses him because he has not kept it perfectly. It's unlawfully. But if a man used it for that
purpose for which it was designed, all right, turn back now just
one page to 1 Timothy 1.5. And this verse opens a lot of
light on this subject. The law is good. The law is good. The law of God, every commandment
of God is good. Good. Perfect. Perfect if a man
use it lawfully. Listen to this verse here. Seek
this help. 1 Timothy 1 time. Now the end
of the commandment. The sum and substance of the
law is what? That's the sum and substance
of the law. That's where the law, if it's
used lawfully, if the law is used in the right manner, it
will lead us to love God and love each other. It will express
a love for God and a love for each other. That's what scripture
says. I'll show you that. And this
love is out of a pure heart. Look right here. That's a regenerated
heart. It's out of a good conscience
that is purged from dead works, a good conscience, good conscience
toward God. Sincere faith, faith unfeigned,
sincere, true faith is always accompanied by love. So the sum
and substance of the law, the sum and substance of the commandment
of all these laws of God is love, love for God. Love for one another.
Let me show you that. Turn to Matthew 22. This is what
the law will serve if it is used lawfully. Matthew 22, verse 36. We'll let our Lord speak on this
same subject. Matthew 22, 36. Listen to it. Matthew 22, 36. Someone came
to Him, a lawyer, testing Him. Master, what is the great commandment
of the law? And Jesus said unto him, what
is it? Thou shalt love the Lord thy
God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, with all thy mind.
Now what are the first four commandments? Thou shalt have no other god
before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image. Thou
shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. Remember
the Sabbath, that's worship, that's rest. That's coming to
him. That's recognizing his worthiness
and his glory. That first four commandments
have to do with our relationship with God. That's the first table,
I suppose. What's the second? All right,
read on. This is the first and great commandment. And the second
is likened to it. Thou shalt love thy neighbor
as thyself. Not many people connect law with
love. But this verse does. The end
of the commandment, Tom, the substance of the commandment
is love. Love for God. The law received with a pure
heart and a good conscience and faith unfeigned will not make
me run and hide. It will make me run to God. I
like it. I love it. That's right. The second, and on these two
verse 40, commandments hang on the law. and the prophets. Love, that's the end of the commandment. That's the goal, that's the sum
and substance of the commandment, to love God. Not to serve God
out of fear, not to serve God out of duty, not to serve God
to keep being whipped. Serve God because we love God.
Serve one another because we love one another. That's the
end, that's the sum and substance of the law. I'm going to show you in a minute,
that's the sum and substance of the gospel too. The end of
the gospel. And the law and the gospel have
no conflict. What's repugnant to one is repugnant
to the other. I'm going to show you that in
just a moment. You can't preach the gospel without preaching
God's law. Or I turn to another, Galatians
chapter 5. Galatians chapter 5. You're in
Galatians chapter 5, listen to this. Galatians 5, 13. Brethren, Galatians 5, 13. Brethren, for brethren you've
been called to liberty. Only use not liberty for an occasion
to the flesh, but by love serve one another. By love serve one
another. For all the law is fulfilled
in one word. What's that one word? Duty? No. Fear? No. Love. Thou shalt love thy neighbors
thyself. That's how the law is fulfilled.
Oh, let's look at another, 2 Corinthians chapter 5. 2 Corinthians chapter
5, verse 14 and 15. 2 Corinthians 5, 14, 15. If these things are rightly understood,
about 99% of this conflict over law will all be washed down the
drain. It really will. And people could
argue about it if they ever understand. The Levitical law is not what
we're talking about here. We all know that. I think every
grace believer in the United States, Canada, and Mexico knows
that. We're talking about the moral
law. And all this argument over rule
of life and the law enforced and this sort of thing, it'll
just melt if we see what he's saying right here. Now, in 2
Corinthians 5, verse 14. For the love of Christ constrains
us, because we thus judge, if one died for all, then we're
all dead. And that he died for all, that they which live should
not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them
and rose again. What motivates us? Love for Christ. So Paul says over here in 1 Timothy
1.5, now the sum and substance of the commandment of the law
is love. Not a feigned love, or a superficial
love, or a phony love, or a professed love, or a put-on love, or love
in words only. It is love out of a pure heart,
a regenerated heart. Love out of a good conscience.
Conscience purged from dead works. He's not serving God to establish
a righteousness. who is not serving God, trying
to find acceptance with God by his deeds. And if we ever learn
this, it will take away our fear of preaching the law, talking
about the law. if it's out of a sincere faith. Now, verse 7, 6 says, some for
which some having swerved, what's that having swerved? Not aimed
at. Isn't that what it says in your
margin? Not aimed at what? Not aimed at what it's all aimed
at, love for Christ and love for one another. And these fellows
lost the target. These fellows lost the target.
Their target is to establish a righteousness. Their target
is to lord it over someone else. Their target is to bring somebody
into bondage. Their target is to make disciples
following them. This law is aimed at love. And when you miss the target,
no telling where you are going to end up. No matter who you
are going to kill either. So they lost the aim. They lost
the goal. The sum and substance of the
law is love. The law summed up in one word,
love for God and love for one another. Now, go back to the
text. The law is good. The law is good
if a man use it lawfully. Those who love God love his law. They love holiness. They love
truth. They hate sin, especially in
themselves. They hate it in themselves worse
than they hate it in others. They desire to be like Christ. David said, one thing have I
desired, that I might dwell in the house of the Lord, and behold
His beauty. What beauty? His holiness, the
beauty of holiness. The commandments of Christ are
not grievous to the people of God. They're not grievous. John said that over here in 1
John. Let me just read it to you. You
don't need to turn to it. In 1 John 5, 3, he says, This is the love of God that
we keep His commandments. This is what? This is the law
of God. No, it's the love of God. Puts
a different light on it, doesn't it? This is the love of God that
we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not
grievous. They're not grievous at all. They have our full approval. They have our delight. Don't
you wish you could obey every one of them in every jot and
turtle and be like Christ? Wouldn't that be wonderful? The
commandments of Christ do not lie upon us as a curse. The commandments
of Christ do not lie upon us as a covenant. The commandments
of Christ do not lie upon us as a penalty. Christ has borne
them. We don't fear His law. We love
His law. And watch this, listen carefully.
The commandments of Christ, whatever area with which they may deal,
the commandments of Christ, the will of Christ, the way of Christ,
the law of Christ, the commandments of Christ, whatever area, doesn't
matter where it is, doesn't matter what the commandment is, the
commandments of Christ do not force a believer into a way of
life which he despises. That's wrong. No, it doesn't. The commandments of Christ do
not force me into a way of life which I despise, which I abhor. But his commandments and his
laws are the laws and commandments of a path we love. Is that right? Is that right? Sure, it's right.
I hear people say, well, if I believed in grace and election and sovereignty
and pre-grace and redemption, I'd do thus and so. Whoa, no. That's not what we want to do.
We want to do what we're doing. Obeying God. That's what we want
to do. One fellow told Brother Gruber one time, he said, if
I believed like you, I'd sin all I want to. Walter said, I
sin a whole lot more than I want to now. I don't want to sin.
That's not the path I choose. Salvation is not the old man
in jail, it's the new man in Christ. And really and truly a fellow's
missed, he's missed the gospel. If he thinks that salvation is
God putting a hedge of law around his people and rules and regulations
and standards and forcing them into a life they abhor and a
life which they despise and keeping them from having fun like other
people and keeping them from living like they really want
to live. Oh no, that's not so. Salvation is not the old man
in bondage, in jail to religion. Salvation is the liberty and
freedom of one whom Christ has set free, who wants to honor God, who wants
to grow in grace, who wants to be perfect. That's right. Now
go back to the text. So the law is good. Good. Oh, I delight to do thy will,
O God." Oh yes, I see another nature warring against the law
of my mind, bringing me into captivity, all these things,
but the new man, the new nature, the new heart loves and delights
in God's love, rejoices in it, and longs for
the day. Who's going to deliver me from
this old man? I thank God The victory is already
mine in Christ Jesus. Now look at verse 9. Knowing
this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for
the lawless, the disobedient, the ungodly, so forth. Now why
are we talking about a righteous man here? Well, the man's not
righteous in himself. Not righteous in himself. There's
none righteous, no, not one. But who is this man here? The
law is not made for a righteous man. Thou shalt not kill. That's
not written on the table for a righteous man. Who's this righteous
man? He's a man who's been made righteous in Christ. He's been
regenerated. He has a new nature. He has a
new heart. He has a new life. He walks not
in the flesh, but in the Spirit. And this righteous man, this
believer, this godly man, he does not need written laws to
tell him what he should do and shouldn't do. It's written on
his heart. Is that right? He knows. The law is written
on his heart. So do I need a law to tell me
not to worship idols? I'm a regenerated man. You're
a regenerated man. You folks out here. The Lord
has brought you to love Christ and love His gospel and believe
His word and delight in His word. Do we need to put some laws up
around here that now you can't worship idols? Why don't you
worship idols? Because you worship God. You
love God. You don't want to worship idols. You remember when Elijah told Naaman to go down and dip
in the River Jordan seven times and he'd be healed. Well, he
had a servant, Gehazi, you know that stuff.
Anyway, Naaman came back and he came in to see Elijah and
Naaman had a problem. And I wonder who taught him this. I wonder where he got hold of
this. He said to Elijah, he said, now, he said, I got a problem. He said, I am the number one
military man in my country. My king worships a false god. And my king is an old man. And
my king, when he goes in to worship this idol, he leans on my arm.
You remember this story? Naaman said, now what am I going
to do? What's Naaman talking about? He does not want to, the
true God is his God now. And he didn't have to have a
law to tell him, don't go in an idol temple. He knew not to
go in an idol temple. And he said to Elijah, what am
I going to do? When my master says, take me
to my temple, Elijah said, the Lord go with you. Take him. But
Naaman knew not to bother. He didn't need a law. Do I need
a law to tell me not to curse God? Do I need a law to tell
me not to rest in Christ? Do I need a law to tell me to
love my parents? There's a natural law that tells
me to love my parents and a spiritual law written on my heart that
makes me love them more. Huh? Do I need a law to tell
me not to kill you? Do I need a law to tell me not
to leave my wife and take somebody else's? Do I need a law to tell
me not to steal? Not to lie? Not to covet? Do I need this? The law wasn't
made for you, to keep you in line. God's Spirit and that law
written on your heart makes you delight to do the will of God. And you know these things. But
who was the law made for? Listen. The law was made for
the unrighteous, for the lawless. Listen. Listen to this. Listen
to this roll call here. The law was made for the lawless,
disobedient, the ungodly, sinners, unholy, unholy people, and profane,
filthy mouth, murderers of fathers murderers of mothers, haters
of parents, manslayers, whoremongers, homosexuals, men stealers, slave
traders, liars, perjured persons. That's who the law speaks to. In other words, locks are not
put on doors to prevent you from entering. We have to have locks
on the doors of this church. Isn't that something? We even
have to have burglar alarms. We had about three or four break-ins
here, one right after the other. Vandalism. And so we put burglar
alarms. Those locks and that burglar
alarm is not for anybody here. Nobody here. If everybody was
like you, we wouldn't lock our cars. We leave our lawn mowers out
in the front yard. The kids could ride their bicycles
up and just drop them by the steps like they do a lot of times,
you know, and nobody would steal them. That's right. But I tell
you who laws are made for. Laws are made for the disobedient
and the ungodly. Now watch what he says here.
This is interesting. I want you to stay with me here. And the
last line, verse 10. And if there be any other thing,
if I haven't listed something here that's contrary to sound
doctrine, according, verse 11, to the glorious gospel of the
blessed God which was committed to my trust. What's Paul saying
here? He's saying this, there is such harmony between
the commandments of God all the commandments of God. Now get
this, there's such harmony between the commandments of God and the
gospel that what is contrary to one is contrary to the other. You know what he's saying there?
He said the law is good. Man use it right, lawfully. Lead
him to love God and love other people. The law wasn't made as
a standard and a rule and a preventative for godly people. It was made
for ungodly people to hold them in check. And it is against anything
that's contrary to the gospel. Because the gospel no more excuses
sin than the law does. Our gospel does not excuse sin. We're accused of that. But the
gospel, there's such harmony between the commandments of God
and the gospel of God. It's the same God. It's the same God who gave the
law, the moral law, the same God who gave the commandment,
who said the same Christ, who went to that cross and died
for our sins, is the one that said, as you would that I do
to you, you do to me. The same Christ said that. So
there's a harmony between the law and the gospel, and what's
contrary to one is contrary to the other. And the gospel no
more excuses sin than the law does. The gospel forgives sin,
which the law can't do, but the gospel does not excuse sin. And
a man who takes a refuge in the gospel so he can violate God's
law is a man who's missed the gospel. That's just true. That's true. What's repugnant
to God's law is repugnant to God's gospel. And listen to this. A man is foolish. He's foolish
to think that the gospel of the glory of God would lead to sin. That's against the very glory
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now let me tell you this. If
you preach the law, it'll lead to sin. Unfortunately, that's
so. Unfortunately, because stolen
fruits are sweet. Things which are forbidden become
more attractive if a man doesn't have the right motive and the
right incentive. Preaching the law. One old Puritan
I read along this line on this subject. He said, I preach the
law. I preach the law. so often in
my church, in my village, till there wasn't a godly man left
in town. A man is foolish who thinks that
the gospel of the glory of God would lead to sin. But secondly,
a man is just as foolish who thinks that the gospel of the
glory of God excuses sin and justifies sin. It does not. Paul
said, shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid. Shall we sin because we are not
under law but under grace? We're not under law, we're under
grace. Then does that give me a license to sin? God forbid! You see what it's saying? We're
not under law. I don't cry that loud and clear.
I'm not under law as a covenant. I'm not under law as a curse.
I'm not under law as a rule. I'm not under law as a penalty.
I'm not under law as a power. I'm not under law as a dominion.
I'm not under law. I'm under the grace of God. Aren't
you? Motivated by His grace and His
love. But I'm not going to sin because
I'm under grace and not under law. Now watch this. We say we're
not under law. Let's turn to that scripture. Where is that? In the book of
Romans, isn't it? Chapter 6. Romans chapter 6. Let's see if we can find it.
I want to show you something here, very interesting. Romans
chapter 6, isn't it? Romans chapter 6, verse 15. Let's look at this a minute.
What then? Shall we sin because we're not
under law, but under grace? God forbid. Now when I hear this
preached on, the emphasis is over and over again, we're not
under the law. We're not under the law. We want
to emphasize and we want to Make sure our people understand that
we're not under law. We want this enforced. I think
we understand that by now. We're not under law. But wait
a minute. Let's don't miss this second phrase. We are under grace. We are under a rule. We are under
a reign. Isn't that right? It's a reign
of what? Grace. We're under the love of
Christ. Sin shall not have dominion over
you, but what shall have dominion? Christ shall have dominion. Christ
shall reign. Grace reigns through righteousness. That's what I'm talking about.
Now back to the text. 1 Timothy chapter 1. I'll move
along a little more quickly now. The gospel, what I'm saying is
this, the gospel does not need commandments and laws to produce
holiness. The gospel is its own motivator. The gospel is its own incentive.
The gospel is its own reward. The gospel is all sufficient
in this regard. The gospel will make men holy. The gospel will sanctify. The
gospel will make righteous. The gospel will save. And if
we'll preach it, As it ought to be preached, it'll produce
the results it ought to produce. The gospel. And it doesn't need
any laws and rules and regulations. It's been ordained to produce
what? A new creature in Christ. One old hymn writer wrote this.
Listen. How long, how long beneath the law I lay in bondage and
distress I labored the law to obey, but I labored without success. Then all my outward works were
done a righteousness to raise. Now, freely chosen in his Son,
I freely choose his ways. To see that law by Christ fulfilled
and hear his pardoning voice has changed a slave into a child
and duty into choice. Is that it? Is that it? Oh, that's it. To see the law
by Christ fulfilled in life and in death and hear His pardoning
voice has changed a slave into a child and duty into choice. Now, verse chapter 1 again, verse
12. Now Paul comes into something
here, and this is the impression I got. He may have thought this. He may have
written these next words because he felt maybe there's some person
reading these words, or hearing these words, who will despire
of the grace of God because they feel they're such great sinners.
My past, my life has been so lawless, so disobedient, so godless,
so ungodly. So Paul comes along here and
uses himself as an example. And he says this in verse 12,
I thank Christ Jesus, our Lord, who hath enabled me, me, for
that he counted me one of his faithful, putting me into the
ministry, who was before or what? A blasphemer. No greater sin to a Jew than
a blasphemer. And he said that's what I was,
a blasphemer. And a persecutor. And injurious. Now if you think
you're such a great sinner, look at me. And Almighty God even
put me in the ministry. I was before a blasphemer. I
was injurious. I was a persecutor. I obtained
mercy. I didn't obtain mercy because
I lived in ignorance and unbelief. I obtained mercy although I lived
in ignorance and unbelief. Paul
didn't say, not at all here, that God showed mercy to me because
I was ignorant. Ignorance is no excuse, especially
for a man who is raised in the scriptures. But he said, I obtained
mercy, and the grace, listen to this, and the grace of our
Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ
Jesus, even to the greatest of sinners, even to the chief of
sinners, even to the most lawless. He said, when the law came to
me, it killed me. It devoured me. That law which
now I love killed me. And this is a faithful saying.
Not up for debate or argument. It's a true saying. And it's
worthy of acceptation by all that Christ Jesus came into this
world to save sinners of whom He said, you're looking at the
chief. If God can do this for me, He can do it for you. He uses that phrase, I obtain
mercy, I obtain mercy, I obtain mercy. Here, listen. How be it
for this cause, I obtain mercy. The chief of sinners, the blasphemer,
the injurious, the persecutor, the ignorant, unbeliever, I obtain
mercy that in me first, Jesus Christ might show forth, what?
Patience and longsuffering. or a pattern to them which should
have to believe on him to life everlasting. Maybe someone sitting
here and saying, well, I don't know, it's been a long time and
I still haven't bowed to Christ. Well, our Lord is patient. He's
long-suffering. Paul is a picture of that patience. Paul is a picture of that long-suffering. Paul is a pattern. He said, that's
what I am. I'm a pattern. 40 years old when
God met him on the road to Damascus and brought him to know Christ.
He had lived a long life of rebellion and blasphemy. He had witnessed
and held the coats of men who killed one of God's own children. Now if you do that for me, I'll
do that for you. And that's what he's saying there.
I'm the chief, and for this cause I obtain mercy, that in me first. Jesus Christ might show. What
an object lesson. Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou
me? We think of Saul persecuting
believers. Christ said you're persecuting
me. And as much as you've done it unto the least of these, you've
done it to me. Yet he saved that man. And he's able to save you. Now
let's close with this. Verse 17, Now unto the King eternal,
immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory
forever and ever. Amen.

The Law Is Good

What does the Bible say about the law of God?

Why is understanding the law important for Christians?

How do we know the law is good?

Why shouldn't Christians fear the law?

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The Law Is Good

What does the Bible say about the law of God?

Why is understanding the law important for Christians?

How do we know the law is good?

Why shouldn't Christians fear the law?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

Comments

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