 The title of our sermon the law of God the law of God our primary text Matthew chapter 5 verses 17 through 20 although we'll look at several texts this morning in preparation for that text and Welcome we are in our study of the essentials and as we continue in our study of the essentials We're considering those subjects that are essential to the life health growth maturity of the Christian Those are Fundamental or foundational topics or themes that are necessary to a proper understanding and a proper apprehension of the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints now these subjects were covering are Not exhaustive. They're not Inclusive inclusive of all those things that the Bible teaches but these subjects are representative They're representative of the core or the center of all that the Bible teaches And there is little that we might consider to be more central To the teaching of the Bible then the subject that we must endeavor to understand with the Lord's help over the next two weeks Namely that of the law and the gospel That has been well said That the entirety of God's revelation to man contained in the scriptures could be categorized under two headings The law and the gospel John Cahoon and his treatise on the law and the gospel has said the law and the gospel are the principal parts of divine Revelation or rather they are the center the sum and the substance of all the other parts of it Every passage of sacred scripture is either law or gospel or is capable of being referred either to the one or to the other Now think with me for a moment about the truth of that statement God's revelation to man can be categorized under two headings the law and the gospel The history contained in the Bible. We see history throughout the Bible That history that records the actions of fallen men Is a history of fallen men acting either in obedience to the law of the moral law of God or acting in Disobedience to the moral law of God they act in ways that reflect belief in the gospel Or they act in ways that reflect deep disbelief in the gospel Nations peoples kings subjects acting in accord with the dictates of God's law, which is holy just and good or Nations peoples kings subjects acting in violation of God's law and drawing its curse They give evidence those peoples nations kings and subjects They give evidence of the grace of God at work through the gospel or they give evidence of the depravity of man In desperate need of the gospel Think with me all the blessings of the Bible are blessings given upon obedience to the law of God Or they are blessings given through the grace of God manifested in the gospel All of the threats all of the warnings all of the curses found in the Bible are threats warnings and curses Associated with disobedience to the law of God Galatians chapter 3 verse 10 Paul says Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them or Those are threats and warnings associated with living in rebellion to the gospel Second Thessalonians chapter 1 verse 7 Paul says the Lord Jesus Christ is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire Taking vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ These shall be punished with everlasting destruction From the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power the promises given in the Bible are Promises that are associated with either law or with gospel the Encouragements given in the Bible are encouragements associated with the law or with the gospel John Cahoon again There is not in the sacred volume one admonition one reproof or one exhortation But that which refers either to the law or to the gospel or both The entirety of God's revelation to man contained in the scriptures could be categorized under these two headings the law and the gospel Now obviously in thinking in categories like that and thinking in these two under these two headings We're drawing a distinction between the two. We're drawing us the distinction between the law and the gospel the law Is understood through the lot of nature Such that men are without excuse. That's Romans chapter 1 right even lost men showing the work of the law written in their hearts That's Romans chapter 2 Whereas in distinction to the law the gospel is the mystery of God Hidden from the ages and from generations only understood through the revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's Colossians chapter 1 the law views man in relation to God as his creation an Expression of the very nature the very character of a holy God the law is established to communicate The declared will of God to his creatures those made in his image and He directs those made in his image to do that which pleases him and to abstain from that which displeases him Whereas by distinction in the gospel The gospel views man in relation to God as fallen in Adam the gospel views us as we really are The gospel views us in truth as we are fallen in Adam man is a sinner unable to obey the law unable to render a full and satisfactory payment for sin The gospel has in view man as guilty The gospel has in view man as condemned hopeless helpless lost alienated from God an enemy in his mind by wicked works Both the law and the gospel Revealed to man what man should be and what man should do in relationship to God But only the gospel provides the necessary provision for that the necessary power for that Right only the gospel provides Provision for sin and the necessary power against sin in union with the Lord Jesus Christ The law exposes our sin in distinction the gospel offers the remedy the law condemns in distinction the gospel redeems There's a promise given for obedience to the law, but that promise is entirely out of our reach isn't it? There's a promise of life Given in the proclamation of the gospel and it's a part from works of the law praise God Reserved for all who believe put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ Obedience under the law is required upon penalty of death Obedience under the gospel is compelled by love Obedience under the gospel is compelled by love the love of the Savior Encouraged by the promise of eternal life found only in him Charles Bridges said this By the trumpet of the law God proclaims war with sinners But by the jubilee trumpet of the gospel he publishes peace on earth goodwill toward men The law is a sound of terror to convinced sinners Whereas the gospel is a joyful sound good tidings of great joy The former represents God as a God of wrath a God of vengeance The latter as a God of love a God of grace and a God of mercy The one presents him to sinners as a consuming fire the other exhibits the precious blood of the lamb Which quenches the fire of his righteous indignation? The former a throne of judgment the latter a throne of grace For reasons that we hope to talk about later The matter of making clear the distinction between the law and the gospel is Exceedingly important in the life of the Christian may seem clear on the surface But it has wrecked many a soul As important as it is to understand the distinction between the law and the gospel then it's also important to understand the harmony between the two these two headings law and gospel are not Contradictory they're not contrary. We're not to think of them as off opposites. They're married And what God has joined together let not man separate In a vast majority of the preaching and teaching that goes on within the professing church today You'd think that the one Absolutely has nothing to do with the other the often here none of one and all of the other don't you? But they both come from the same author They both come from the same author coming from the same author. We know they're not going to be contrary or contradictory They're not contradictory to one another. There are obvious distinctions, but we're not to think of them as opposites the gospel Which reveals the grace of God to sinners in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ meets or Satisfies the righteous demands of God's good holy and just law. Do you see how they serve one another? Paul says in Galatians chapter 3 verse 24 that the law was our tutor to point us to Jesus Christ in the gospel Condemning us in our sin pointing us to our need for him while the gospel Brings us to Jesus Christ by pointing us to him showing us that he alone is All that we need to be reconciled to God because he alone is one who has satisfied the demands of the law the law convicts us as sinners and causes us under its searing heat Causes us to see the gospel as immeasurably sweet as Immeasurably precious while the gospel Elevates us from sinners to sons the law convicts us as sinners the gospel elevates us from sinners to sons the gospel causes us to see the law as a beautiful reflection of the character of our Savior Giving us the blessed freedom then to walk just as he walked In other words, you can't properly understand the one without the other the black backdrop of our sin exposed under the law of God is The only proper setting in which we're going to appreciate the brilliance beauty the radiance of the grace of God as it is revealed in the gospel We see one in light of the other we understand one in light of the other We can't understand one without the other the two are married. Do you see now all of that? Seems almost entirely lost on the professing church today a professing church that is obsessed with the grace of God Absolutely phobic to anything that has anything to do with law It's interesting isn't it you witness to a lost person in the world preaching the law of God to point them to Christ And that lost person will tell you you're judging me. Why are you judging me? Then you witness to a professing Christian in an evangelical church Sitting under the teaching of the word of God preaching the law of God to them to point them to Christ and they say you're judging me Why are you putting me under the law? What does that tell you? Our society our country has Abandoned its moorings to the law of God you can flip on the news for about the length of time It takes to boil an egg and see that right? But the professing church What's not the only thing that is? Abandoned any mooring any attachment any connection to the law of God the modern-day professing church has Abandoned any mooring any connection any attachment to the law of God as well. It's abandoned the law It doesn't understand it the preaching of the law of God today in this phobic obsession with grace The preaching of the laws considered irrelevant unnecessary besides we're no longer under law. We're under grace There seems to be none who are more confused or deceived About the law of God the relationship of the law of God to the Christian Then Christians themselves professing Christians. I might add Spurgeon said There is no point upon which men make greater mistakes Than upon the relation which exists between the law and the gospel I hope to have time to flesh that out some this week and next week as we consider this subject a Misunderstanding listen a misunderstanding of this relationship between law and gospel can rob you of your joy in Jesus Christ can rob you of joy a misunderstanding of this relationship Can rob you of your assurance as a Christian a Misunderstanding of this relationship between law and gospel can stunt your growth as a Christian It can bring your sanctification to a screeching halt. It can render your battle with sin a frustrating difficulty it can render you impotent in your battle against sin it can leave you in a pit of despair or a Misunderstanding of this relationship between law and gospel can leave you presumptuously confident Not concerned about your sin at all Can leave you falsely assured Misunderstanding of this relationship between law and gospel can leave you blind in deception believing yourself to be saved when you aren't believing yourself to be justified in the sight of God when you are not a Misunderstanding of this relationship between law and gospel can silence What should be a guilty and accusing conscience? How do you silence a guilty conscience? Well one way you do it is just by getting rid of the law Right, you don't want to trouble your conscience any longer just dispel with the law of God altogether You don't have to worry about it a misunderstanding of the relationship between law and gospel can lead you down a primrose path straight to hell So it is critical Critical to understand the place of the law in the life of the Christian It's critical to understand the place of the law as it serves the purposes of the gospel And so in understanding this relationship, we must understand the purpose and function of both law and gospel We'll begin this week with an understanding of the law and we'll consider the application of the gospel next Lord's Day if Lord allows The word law In Scripture is used in a variety of ways when you read your Bible and you come across the word law It's used in a variety of ways in a general sense The word law was used in reference to the Pentateuch the first five books of Moses or the first five books of the Bible at other times the word law Might refer to the entirety of the Old Testament the Lord mentions it that way in Luke chapter 24 when he references the law of Moses and the prophets You'll read in the Bible of the law of God you'll read of the law of Moses you'll read of the law of Christ You'll read of the law of Liberty you'll read of the royal law that word law used in various senses But in a more specific sense in a more restricted sense You'll see the word law used in reference to the moral law of God the moral law of God Reference to the moral law of God is a distinction from the civil law of God the civil law or the ceremonial law The moral law of God is that law given by God written on the heart of Adam at creation It's woven into the very fabric of his DNA so to speak the law of God written on his heart It would have been Adam's great joy to obey that law He was made in the image of his holy and righteous creator Then later that law of God the moral law of God that was once written on the heart of Adam was delivered summarized by God on Mount Sinai and it was summarized delivered in the form of ten words the decalogue or the ten commandments Those laws the moral laws of God summarized in the ten commandments were given in two tables The first table of the law given in four commands Consisting of our duty toward God the first for our duty toward God the second table of law Given in six commands consisting of our duty to one another our duty to man now God Delivers his moral law summarized in the ten commandments to the nation of Israel at Mount Sinai turn with me to Exodus chapter 19 Exodus chapter 19 God delivers his moral law To the nation of Israel at Mount Sinai the Lord had delivered Israel out of their bondage in Egypt They follow the Lord then into the wilderness and after three months They come to Mount Sinai where God is going to establish them as a nation Give them his law and enter into covenant with them. Okay. Look at verse 3 with me Exodus chapter 19 verse 3 And Moses went up to God and the Lord called to him from the mountain saying Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob thus you shall tell the children of Israel You've seen what I did to the Egyptians and how I bore you on Eagle's wings and brought you to myself Now therefore if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant Then you shall be a special treasure to me above all people for all the earth is mine The God establishes the relationship between himself and his people By virtue of the law because God is the one who brought them out of Egypt God is the one who created them They are his people and he is their God and the way in which he governs that relationship is through the giving of the law under this Covenant God is going to make them if they obey and keep his covenant He's going to make them a special treasure to him above all people because all the earth is his Verse 6 you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel. I think with me in Leviticus chapter 18 verse 5 The Lord reminded them you shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments Which if a man does them he shall live by them. I am the Lord the Lord gives them an Obligation to obey his law now that obligation began at creation in the heart of Adam written God gave Adam his law his moral law Written upon his heart as one made in the image of God and then God gives him a positive Precept summarizing obedience if you will by not eating of the tree in the garden It came to Adam in the form of a covenant an arrangement agreement between God and the first man Adam in the garden Came to Adam in the form of a covenant of works if Adam were to keep the covenant and obey God Adam would live but in the day that Adam sinned in the day in the day that Adam would eat of that fruit Adam his posterity would Physically die and spiritually die Adam would fall into spiritual death that very day and Adam would soon follow that spiritual death with physical death and exposing himself to Eternal death the second death at the judgment So God says in Leviticus 18 5 you shall keep my statutes my judgments Which if a man does them he shall live by them. I am the Lord if you remember in Luke chapter 10 The lawyer a lawyer stands up to talk to Jesus Christ stands up to test him in Luke chapter 10 And he asks the Lord what must I do to inherit eternal life? What does the Lord say to him? What's written in the law? What's your reading of it? What's written in the law, right? In other words How does a person inherit eternal life? According to the law of Moses right what must I do to inherit eternal life? Jesus is saying well tell me what the law of Moses says So the lawyer answered you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart With all your soul with all your strength and with all your mind that's a summary of the first table of the law the first four commandments of the law and The lawyer answered you must love your neighbor as yourself That's a summary of the second table of the law the next six commands consisting of our duty to our fellow man Well, Jesus didn't disagree with him Did he? Jesus said you've answered rightly do this and you will Live do this and you'll live there was a promise of life Upon keeping the law of God if you kept the law of God you would live if you violated the law of God Transgress the law of God you will die the soul that sins it shall surely die So now according to the covenant then that the Lord made with Moses and Made with the people at Sinai Life was dependent upon perfect Obedience to the law of God was the same arrangement with Adam in the garden under a covenant of works in order to live You must obey your creator the one in whose image you are made You must obey God. They had to be righteous according to the law They had to conform Themselves to God's holy Perfect character and nature which is revealed in the law They had to be holy as he is holy perfect as their father in heaven is perfect Well, what was that law turned to Exodus chapter 20? This law is not exactly the same as the covenant of works that God made with Adam in the garden But it's based upon the same principle. It's a covenant of works It's requiring obedience to the law in Exodus chapter 20 beginning in verse 1 We see the moral law of God then summarized in the 10 commandments verse 1 God spoke all these words saying I Am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt out of the house of bondage Commandment number one you shall have no other gods before me Commandment number two you shall not make for yourself a carved image any likeness of anything that is in heaven above or That is in the earth beneath or that is in the water under the earth You shall not bow down to them nor serve them for I the Lord your God am a jealous God Visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate me But showing mercy to thousands to those who love me and keep my commandments Commandment number three verse seven you shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain For the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain You can take the Lord's name By blaspheming his name Using the name of God in a way that is not fitting for the worship and praise of our God You can also take his name in vain by professing to be called in his name and not living Like you're called in his name make sense Fourth commandment verse eight remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. It is the Lord's day all day long That includes evening service Six days verse nine you shall labor and do all your work But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God in it You shall do no work nor you nor your son nor your daughter nor your male servant nor your female servant nor your cattle Nor your stranger who's within your gates For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth a sea and all that is in them and rested on the seventh day Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it Is that command specific specifically mentions Saturday is the seventh day Notice it mentions a pattern six days you shall work on the seventh you shall rest There's a positive preset God takes us by the hand takes them by the hand in Exodus 16 to show them what day is the seventh day Just as God takes us by the hand in the new covenant and by positive Precept shows us what day is the seventh day in that pattern for us the Christian make sense Fifth commandment verse 12 honor your father and your mother that your days may be long upon the land Which the Lord your God is giving you Sixth commandment you shall not murder Seventh commandment you shall not commit adultery Eighth commandment you shall not steal ninth commandment. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor Tenth commandment you shall not covet your neighbor's house You shall not covet your neighbor's wife nor his male servant nor his female servant nor his ox nor his donkey Nor anything that is your neighbors in other words anything that does not belong to you Verse 18 now all the people witness the thunderings the lightnings the flashes the sound of the trumpet and the mountain is smoking When the people saw it they trembled and stood afar off They were dreadfully afraid and then they said to Moses verse 19. We need a mediator That's what they needed. Do you see you speak with us Moses and we will hear but let not God speak with us Let's we die. Why because God is holy God will exact perfect obedience to his law upon penalty of death and they were dreadfully afraid Well, Moses said to the people verse 20 do not fear God has come to test you that his fear may be before you so that you may not sin So the people stood afar off. Moses drew near the thick darkness where God was Moses the mediator, do you see? well when the moral law Exodus chapter 20 When the moral law was given to Israel from Mount Sinai The Bible says that the moral law was given to Israel in the form of a covenant The law was given in a form of a covenant. This is what we would call the old covenant It's representative of your old testament right that word testament meaning covenant Exodus chapter 19 verse 5 refers to it as a covenant Deuteronomy chapter 4 verse 23 refers to it as the covenant of the Lord Deuteronomy chapter 5 verse 2 refers to it as the covenant of the Lord made with them at Horeb, which is another Location there for Sinai The Lord writes the law on two stone tablets Referred to as the tables of the covenant The form that the covenant at Sinai took is the form of a covenant of works Do this and live Disobeying me and you die There would be promised blessings even eternal life conditional upon perfect Obedience therefore it is a covenant of works. Do you see? There were also Curses associated for disobedience. There was a penal sanction attached to the law. It is a covenant of works in Galatians chapter 3 verse 10 Quoting Deuteronomy 27 Paul says For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse Hear what Paul says as Many as are of the works of the law born under the law are under the curse for it is written Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them You don't perfectly obey your cursed Jeremiah reminded them chapter 11 verse 3 Thus says the Lord God of Israel Cursed is the man who does not obey the words of this covenant Which I commanded your fathers in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt out of the iron furnace saying Obey my voice and do according to all that I command you. So shall you be my people and I will be your God The soul that sins it shall surely die the wages of sin is death Well, if you understand the law then and Man's condition under the law Then you understand why this covenant the old covenant Was described by Paul in 2nd Corinthians chapter 3 verse 7 as the ministry of death Written and engraved on stones It's a ministry of death. Do you see? What hope is there for us in keeping the law of God? What hope that we could obey that you have obeyed and certainly you haven't and that you could even now begin to obey perfectly the law of God not possible for sinful and fallen men the law requires perfect righteousness and promises life and blessing upon perfect righteousness, but that Promises outside of our rich Obedience to the law of God outside of our reach the law can't give righteousness and the law can't give life then Because all of us are in a state of sin man has fallen in the sin This covenant could only bring death therefore Paul refers to it as the ministry of death written on tablets of stone Now the law was given to Moses For various reason the law given to Israel for various reasons The Lord followed his moral law by giving Israel judicial laws to govern them as a nation to govern to establish and govern the theocracy God gave them ceremonial laws under the mosaic covenant To separate them from all the nations that were around them to keep Israel from being absorbed into all those evil and wicked nations That surrounded them the laws are meant to hedge in or protect the physical seed of Abraham The covenant people of God preventing them from intermarrying right and being absorbed into those nations for what end? protecting the lineage of The seed as being descended from Abraham. Why because God had made a promise to Abraham, right? So there were various Laws given and the law was given for various reasons Those laws given until the seed would come The ceremonial law which would ultimately be fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ pointed to his ultimate work in the place of sinners It pointed them to Jesus Christ to the coming Messiah many reasons that the law was given But one of the primary functions of the law Was to expose the sin of the sinner to show sinners how feudal it is To attempt to establish your own righteousness through works of the law how foolish how feudal how vain and effort it is To attempt to establish the righteousness that you need to be justified before a holy God to attempt to do that in your Own strength according to the works of the law impossible Is to show sinners how feudal that attempt is and to point them to faith in God's only provision for sin the coming Messiah The promised Messiah turn with me to Romans chapter 3 Romans chapter 3 We're considering now the purpose for the law The purpose that the law was given Romans chapter 3 You notice that purpose serves the gospel Romans chapter 3 Look at verse 19 Now we know Paul says we know That whatever the law says It says to those who are under the law Well, who among us are under the law? When you're born, we're all under the law When you're born every person born is under the law So whatever the law says it says to those who are under the law so that with the purpose that Every mouth may be stopped zip it and All the world may become guilty before God Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in his sight Why because by the law is the knowledge of sin the law points to your sin The law exposes your depravity the law exposes the wickedness and eight within your own heart The law Exposes you as you really are in the sight of God When you were born you were born under the law Born under the law as a covenant of works the law stands over you as one born under the law It stands over you as a covenant of works saying to you do this and live Do it not and you die In other words You were born under obligation to obey this law You're born under obligation every man woman and child is born under obligation to obey the moral law of God The curse applies to you if you do not You are under a curse the soul that sins it shall surely die Now be honest with yourself and acknowledge before God From your birth you have failed to obey it from your birth Every jot and tittle you have failed to obey from the heart That good law which God has prescribed for those who are made in his image. You failed to obey it You've transgressed his holy law. You have transgressed the very character the very nature of the God who made you You've violated the purpose for which God created you and Now as you look into the law of God The law can't make you righteous The law can't solve that dilemma for you It can only declare you unrighteous. The law can't declare you innocent The law can only condemn you as guilty Your mouth is stopped. You have no case before God. What would you say to him? What would you say to what would you presume to bring to him as Anything that would satisfy the demands of his law or satisfy the justice of his wrath You have nothing in your hands to bring do you see? Your mouth is stopped. There's no case that you can make in your favor No argument that is going to pass the bar of his justice Unless you are Righteous you will perish in your sin and you will eternally die in hell Our confession of faith The London Babs confession of faith of 1689 chapter 19 of the law of God Article 5 says this the moral law does forever bind all as well justified persons as others to the obedience of the law and That not only in regard of the matter contained in it But also in respect of the authority of God not just because God said so but because God is authoritative He is the creator who gave it and neither does Christ in the gospel in any way Dissolve the law but much strengthen our obligation That's a reference among other places the Matthew chapter 5 Where the Lord Jesus Christ says I did not come to abolish the law But to fulfill it to establish the law didn't come to destroy but to establish to fulfill And then the Lord begins to exposit the law at a heart level the law says you shall not murder But have you been angry in your heart without a cause? It's the seed of murder within your heart the law says you've heard do not commit adultery But have you looked upon another person with lust in your heart? You've committed adultery in your heart You see every thought every word every deed every imagination every desire deserves Punishment according to the law of God outside of a work of his spirit outside of faith Our best attempts to keep the law our sin The Bible teaches that God intends his law to function in three ways You can see the first of those three ways right the law of God is a mirror Pointing us to our sin and pointing us to a savior The Bible teaches that God intends his law to function in three ways the first function of the law is to act as a mirror It's the function of the law under the old covenant is to act as a mirror The law represents the perfect character the perfect nature of God when we peer when we gaze upon that mirror We are to see our own sin our own guilt our own shame Oftentimes sinners are described as blind Because peering into that law they can't see their own guilt their own shame They don't see God is that mad and I'm not that bad Right they have difficulty. They can't see there's no sense of conviction over their sin They're blind to the truth of God as it is in Christ By the law is the knowledge of sin and you can see can't you how? Showing us our sin how showing us our guilt under the law the law acts as our tutor to drive us to Christ Look a few pages of the right at Galatians chapter 3 Galatians chapter 3 1st Corinthians 2nd Corinthians Galatians and look at Galatians chapter 3 verse 19 Where Paul addresses this the first of a three-fold use of the law Galatians chapter 3 look at verse 19 What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions in other words the law was given to demonstrate to man to show to man his depravity That's a reason that the law was given It's given to show or to demonstrate his honor his utter inability to please God through his own works It was added Paul says to show him his Transgressions to show him his guilt when he looks into the mirror of the law. He sees that his actions aren't merely wrong He sees that his actions are offenses against the God who created him right the one before whom he must give an account and In the mirror of the law. He is condemned under God's judgment deserving of God's wrath Ultimately is to show him his need for grace Ultimately is to show him the sinner his need for mercy his need for salvation his need for the Lord Jesus Christ Now it was added because of transgressions verse 19 till the seed should come To whom the promise was made the promise seed of Abraham and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator Now a mediator does not mediate for one only but God is one in other words a Mediator comes to mediate between two parties or more parties in this case the covenant that God made with Abraham God swears by himself none greater that he'll keep the promises that he's made to Abraham and A mediator in that sense isn't necessary a mediator. Moses would come later Verse 21 is the law then Against the promises of God because it condemns us because it finds us guilty Because it shows us the shame of our sin. Is it against the promises of God certainly not For if there had been a law given which could have given life Then truly righteousness would have been by the law But the scripture through the means of the law has confined all Under sin So that the promise could be given by faith. Do you see how beautifully the two fit together, right? The scriptures confined all under sin so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe Not through works of the law, but to those who believe in Jesus Christ First the law imprisons us under sin look at verse 23 Before faith came we were kept under guard by the law imprisoned by the law as it were Kept for the faith, which would afterward be revealed The first function of the law is to act as a mirror. Do you see? It exposes every thought exposes every imagination exposes every desire reward every deed exposes them to the law's demands an uncompromising demand of absolute uncompromising obedience and That under promise of an everlasting penalty for any disobedience It convinces the heart of the sinner of all its guilt all of its depravity all of its defilement In order to leave the sinner without excuse and without help in himself Under the searing and searching eye of a holy and an angry God God is angry with the wicked every day It should humble every single person born into the law shouldn't it? It's a wonder considering that God made us That men and women boys and girls would harden their heart in their sin against God Against this judgment of his righteous law It causes the sinner to see himself through the eyes of God as it were as a wretched miserable poor blind naked With the promise of a savior with the promise of God's one provision for sin With God's provision for forgiveness of our sins and the righteousness that we need to stand before him The law should lead the sinner to cry out to God God be merciful to me the sinner I need mercy. I need grace. I need salvation. I need my sins forgiven I need the righteousness of Jesus Christ. I have no righteousness of my own It should cause us to cry out to God for mercy and for grace. Do you see? It's only a hard-hearted wicked foolish sinner who wouldn't see the truth of that and the need for that and the joy in Christ for that and that wicked sinner who looks upon Jesus Christ for grace Looks upon Jesus Christ for the mercy that is offered freely as a gift of his grace in the gospel Trusts in Christ for his righteousness alone not his own righteousness. He has none Then he entrusts himself to Christ for Christ's saving work The function of the law is to act as a mirror It's through that imprisonment then Under the law that the law then points us to Jesus Christ. Do you see look at verse 24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ that we might be Justified by faith not by works of the law But by faith After faith has come then we are no longer under a tutor For you are all sons of God through faith in Jesus Christ to the praise of his glory We're no longer under the law as a covenant of works when you come to Jesus Christ in faith You're no longer under the law as a covenant of works You're not under law any longer as a covenant of works. You're under grace Grace you're under not the old covenant The law as a covenant of works. You're under the new covenant Through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ who gave himself for us the first function of the law is to act as a mirror The second function of the law is the civil use of the law hang in there with me the civil use of the law The law is intended by God to restrain evil To restrain evil the law can't change the heart But the law can restrain lawlessness The law restrains lawlessness by its threats The civil use of the law is intended to protect the righteous from the unrighteous It's to establish order in society The civil use of the law listen to Romans chapter 13 verse 1 listen Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities the civil law For there is no authority except from God and the authorities that exist are appointed by God therefore whoever resists the authority Resists the law of God you see the ordinance of God and those who resist will bring Judgment on themselves Rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil Do you want to be unafraid of the authority and do what is good and you'll have praise from the same? For he is God's minister to you for good But if you do evil be afraid for he does not bear the sword in vain For he is God's minister an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil the third function of the law is The use of the law as a rule of life for believers When you come to the Lord Jesus Christ, you're no longer under the law as a covenant of works The Lord Jesus Christ has perfectly fulfilled the law in your behalf in your stead The function of the law for believers under the new covenant is as a rule of life The law still applies. Do you see the law still applies under the new covenant the law still applies But who has obeyed it perfectly? Jesus Christ has obeyed it perfectly and we are in Christ through faith in him and Declared righteous as if we had obeyed the law perfectly. You see the law still applies But Jesus Christ has kept it perfectly The function of the law for believers under the new covenant is as a rule of life That rule of life is to lead the children of God in those good works that God has prepared beforehand that we should walk in them Ephesians chapter 2 verse 10 The great commission Commands us to go therefore and to make disciples We're to baptize those disciples in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and we're to teach those disciples to Observe or to obey all things that I have commanded you. It's a rule of life for the believer The law is our family code so to speak The law written anew on the heart of the believer who's been born again in the Lord Jesus Christ Created anew after the image of him who created him and Being born again in his image created anew The law of God becomes his delight Paul says I delight In the law of God according to the inward man that new heart that new nature that renewed mind Delights in God's law. Why because it's a reflection of who God is who Jesus Christ is our Savior And we now in Christ having been set free from the penal sanctions of the law Set free out from under the law as the covenant of works now have the blessed Freedom to obey the law freedom the strength the power to live according to the law a life that is pleasing in his sight To fulfill that good Holy just pure law of God Laws a rule of life for believers provides for consistency The law provides for steadfastness it provides for endurance perseverance. It is the means by which we express our love to him a Love that is the fruit of God's spirit within us It is a means by which we are to examine ourselves It continues daily to expose our sin that we might continue to clean to Christ our all in all and live more fully for him Now someone would object wouldn't they? Well, if I believe in Jesus Christ Then through faith. I'm no longer under the law, but I'm under grace Paul says so in Ephesians or in Romans chapter 6 I'm not in a wrong under grace listen Flip back to Romans chapter 6 Romans chapter 6 And what does Paul say? Romans chapter 6 verse 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you for you are not under law, but under grace. That's a promise Sin is not going to have dominion over you. Why because you're under grace You're not under the law as the covenant of works any longer You're under the operations of the grace of God within you Justifying grace grace at work in you such that the law the sin shall not have dominion over you Back up to verse 12 What are the implications of this grace in which we stand verse 12? Therefore do not let sin reign in your moral body that you should obey it in its lusts in other words obey God not your sin Do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin But present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead your members as instruments of righteousness to God For sin shall not have dominion over you for you are not under law, but under grace. Do you see? It's not this foolish caricature of this verse that's peddled in much of the professing church today It's freedom Freedom to obey the law from your heart and the power of the spirit in a way that is pleasing to God Freedom to obey the law verse 15. What then shall we sin because we're not under law, but under grace certainly not We can't sin Do you not know that to whom you present yourself slaves to obey you are that one's slaves whom you obey Whether you're a sin a slave of sin leading to death or you're a slave of obedience leading to righteousness You see verse 17 but God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin yet you Obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered and having been set free from sin you became Joyful rejoicing praising worshiping slaves of righteousness Verse 19 I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh for just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness and of Lawlessness leading to more lawlessness So now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness Be holy as he is holy Holiness without which no one will see the Lord Verse 20 for when you were slaves of sin you were free in regard to righteousness You're in your sin. You gave no regard for holy living. They gave no regard for righteousness But what fruit verse 21 what fruit did you have then in the things of which you now are ashamed? Why would you be ashamed of those things now because your heart's been changed your mind's been changed? God has shown you his holy law open your eyes to the righteousness alone in Jesus Christ has made you anew in him Conformed renewed your mind to his glorious mind and now you see things a little differently. Don't you now? You're ashamed of those things that you once relished in reveled in The end of those things is death Verse 22 but now Having been set free from sin and having become slaves of God. You see there's freedom to be a slave That's a beautiful beautiful truth the heart of the Christian the heart of the Christian is To be a slave of righteousness a slave of the Lord Jesus Christ to be pleasing What what was the Lord's joy as he walked on this earth to do the will of him who sent me? What is our joy born again in him to do the will of the father who sent him? The will of the father who saved me who caused me to be born again Having been set free from sin having become slaves of God you have your fruit To holiness praise God and the end ever everlasting life For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord We can't misunderstand This relationship of the law to the Christian life Can't misunderstand this harmony between the law and the gospel This is something that's critical to our Christian life or critical to our Understanding of the gospel and how tragic it is that in a vast majority of churches today. This is nowhere taught And what happens when it's nowhere taught is not only do misunderstand not know Misapply mishandle misuse the law of God if not neglected or rejected altogether You fail to apprehend the gospel and souls perish The law brothers and sisters Does not go away in the life of a believer the law is the joy is joy in the life of a believer I mean it reflects Jesus Christ To keep the law becomes our delight Not just a begrudging duty Becomes the delight of the Christian and that brothers and sisters is not going away Praise God that it's been written now anew in the fabric of the heart of those who've been born again in the Lord Jesus Christ and It will be just woven into the fabric of our very DNA For all eternity in him and it will be our great delight to obey him Matthew chapter 5 verse 17 that text originally read in your hearing The Lord Jesus Christ himself says do not think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets I didn't come to destroy the law or the prophets but to fulfill For assuredly I say to you till heaven and earth pass away one jot it's the Smallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet looks like an apostrophe a yod one shot or one tittle the smallest piece of One letter in the Hebrew alphabet little tail at the bottom of a little you almost can't see it so small not one Jot not one tittle Will pass away from the law till all is fulfilled the Lord did not come to destroy but to fulfill all Praise honor glory blessing might Dominion be to the one who has delivered us to this great salvation And it set us free from the laws the covenant of works in Jesus Christ that we might obey him and his law of liberty We'll talk more about the gospel next week in relation to this. I pray it'll be a blessing to you let's go before the Lord now in prayer and thank the Lord for Showing us our sin through the law if You've not come to see that for yourself Cry out to now to the Lord to show you your sin That you might have your eyes opened to the glories of the Savior Let's pray together father in heaven We Lord your people delight in the law of God according to the inward man It is in our sight holy and just and good And we praise you Lord that now having been Justified by your grace Standing in this grace we have in the power of the Spirit the freedom the power to Live a life that is pleasing in your sight to obey the law and the power of the Spirit and those laws are not burdensome to us It's the one who loves you that keeps your commandments. I pray Lord that we would love you more devoted Lee Love you more fervently, and then we would rejoice in delight You know bang those good Commandments that you've set forth for our good And help us Lord give us the strength to do that. We can't do it in and of ourselves. We have no power in and of ourselves But we are grateful for the work of your spirit all of that the blessed purchase of our Savior in his Sacrifice at Calvary for sin Thank you Lord for the cross and thank you for the cross and how it displays the awful reality of law and preciousness of grace Preciousness of the gospel help us to see these things clearly Lord, so we might not be ensnared in the Traps of the wicked one or in the traps of deception Help us Lord as we seek to understand how you've revealed these things to us in your word for your glory God we pray these things for our good in Jesus name. Amen