I want to talk to you tonight about The Purpose of God's Holy Law. I want to show you the proper, biblical use of the law in preaching the gospel. The person who knows the proper place of the law and the glory of God's free grace, the person who can rest in Christ alone for all that the law requires and all that justice demands, knows the gospel. But that person who mixes law and grace, in any measure whatsoever, as a matter of acceptance before God, has not yet learned the gospel aright.
There are no two things in the world more completely opposed to one another than law and grace. They are as opposite as light and darkness. They can no more agree than fire and water. Like oil and water, law and grace simply will not mix. The Scriptures are explicitly clear.
Romans 11:5-6 "Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. (6) And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work."
Yet, there is an amazingly well-established opinion in the distorted minds of men that law and grace will mix! Though law and grace are diametrically opposed to one another, the depraved human mind is so void of spiritual understanding, and so thoroughly turned away from God, that the most difficult thing in this world for man to do is to discriminate between law and grace. Man insists on mixing that which God has positively put asunder. Because of his foolish ignorance, man wants to find some legal standing before God.
This is the thing which Paul opposes throughout all of his epistles. He expends every effort to destroy every remnant of legalism among God's people. In this message, I am going to make several dogmatic statements and we are going to look at a good many passages of Scripture. I want you to get this message. It is so very, very important to your soul's eternal welfare and consolation in Christ. Here is the first thing I want you to see; and I want you to see it for yourself in the Book of God.
I. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE IN WHICH BELIEVERS ARE UNDER THE LAW.
I took the time in preparing this message to look once more at every place in the Epistles of the New Testament where the word law is used. It is used 160 times from Romans through 1 John. Not once, not even once in those 160 references is there a single hint that the believer is in some way, to some degree, for some reason motivated by, ruled by, under the dominion of, or obligated to the law. Let's look at just a few of the plain, obvious statements of Holy Scripture dealing with this, the most persistent of all heresies.
Romans 6:14-15 "For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. (15) What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid."
Romans 7:4 "Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God."
Romans 8:3-4 "For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: (4) That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."
Romans 10:4 "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth."
Galatians 3:24-25 "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. (25) But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster."
1 Timothy 1:8-10 "But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; (9) Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, (10) For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;"
Was Paul opposed to the law? Did he think the law was an evil thing? Certainly not. In Romans 7, he shows us his own and every true believer's attitude toward God's holy law. "The law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good…We know that the law is spiritual…I delight in the law of God after the inward man."
The true believer recognizes the purpose of the law; and he highly reverences the law. It is his desire to live in perfect compliance with everything revealed in the law. And recognizing the law's perfection, he refuses to seek acceptance with God on the basis of legal obedience. It is our reverence for the law that keeps us from trying to live by the law. It is the perfect holiness and strict, unbending demands of God's law and justice which drive us to Christ. This is not licentious doctrine, but holy doctrine!
Titus 3:4-8 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, (5) Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; (6) Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; (7) That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. (8) This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.
A. We don't preach sabbath keeping because God forbids it; but we keep the sabbath rest. – CHRIST IS OUR SABBATH!
B. We don't preach circumcision because our Lord forbids it; but we are the circumcised. – GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS CIRCUMCISED OUR HEARTS!
C. We don't preach tithing because God plainly forbids us taking anything from anyone by constraint of law. "God loveth a cheerful giver!" But we give. – WE GIVE OURSELVES TO CHRIST.
II. Second, EVERY GOSPEL PREACHER IS FACED WITH THREE GREAT DIFFICULTIES.
In seeking the conversion of sinners, there are three terribly difficult tasks confronting me everywhere I go.
A. The first real difficulty in conversion is TO GET A PERSON LOST – REALLY LOST.
The hardest thing in the world to find is a sinner who is really lost. In all the years I've been preaching, I've met very few people who were really lost. That is to say, people who knew that they were lost, so thoroughly and completely lost that no religious rite or ceremony, no system of works, no law, no code of morality could do them any good.
There are many people who will admit that they are weak, and need a little help. There are even some who will admit that they are sinful, and in need of some atonement. But there are few people in this world who will acknowledge that they are totally and eternally lost, in need of salvation by pure grace alone. Only the Holy Spirit can produce a lost sinner. The first thing that must be done is to get a man lost. Only real sinners seek real grace.
B. The second real difficulty in conversion is TO TEACH A PERSON THE GOSPEL OF THE GRACE OF GOD.
There are few people in this world who have ever heard the gospel, and fewer still who ever really learn it. The gospel of God's free, sovereign, saving grace in Christ comes to the lost sinner without any return on his part. It is the free gift of God, from beginning to end. Even repentance, faith, and good works are gifts of his grace. It is a very difficult thing for men to learn the gospel, because...
C. The third great difficulty in conversion is TO BRING SINNERS TO REST IN CHRIST ALONE.
We must rest entirely upon Christ. We must never grow beyond that. We are to live all the days of our lives trusting that same grace and love that first took us in. We are chosen, redeemed, called, justified, sanctified, and kept by grace alone.
Colossians 2:6 "As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:"
We place no hope whatsoever in our obedience to the law of God. We have neither salvation, nor sanctification, nor reward by our obedience to the law. We trust nothing but Christ alone. And we trust him for all things.
1 Corinthians 1:30-31 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: (31) That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
Third, I want you to see that the law of God has but one proper use. It was given for only one purpose.
III. THE ONLY PURPOSE OF GOD'S HOLY LAW IS TO IDENTIFY, EXPOSE, AND CONDEMN MAN'S SIN, SHUTTING HIM UP TO CHRIST ALONE FOR ACCEPTANCE WITH GOD.
Romans 3:19 "Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God."
Romans 5:20 "Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:"
Before any sinner is converted, he must be convinced of his sin and guilt. And so we preach the holy law of God to convince men of their sin. Before any man is given the newness of life in Christ, he must be slain by the law. The law is God's deep cutting plow, by which he breaks up the fallow ground of a man's heart and conscience, and prepares the soil for the gospel. This plowing is a difficult, but necessary process.
IV. Fourth, OUR ONLY HOPE BEFORE GOD IS GRACE. – GRACE FLOWING FREELY TO CHOSEN SINNERS UPON THE GROUND OF RIGHTEOUSNESS FULFILLED AND JUSTICE SATISFIED.
I want you to look with me now at two more text of Scripture.Romans 3:19-31 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. (20) Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. (21) But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; (22) Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: (23) For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (24) Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: (25) Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; (26) To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. (27) Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. (28) Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. (29) Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also: (30) Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith. (31) Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.
The Spirit of God inspired Paul to say exactly the same thing to the saints at Galatia. He means for us to get the message.
Galatians 2:19-21 For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. (20) I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (21) I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.
That's my message. That's my hope. May God make it good to your soul for Christ's sake.
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