Why the Law Is Difficult #2

This passage in the teaching of Scripture comes to you and puts its finger on your lips and says should don't talk that way the law is designed to quiet you in your posting about your moral goodness teaching God's people. God's word.

This is the truth pulpit with Don green founding pastor of truth Community Church in Cincinnati, Ohio. I am Bill Wright today as Don wraps up his series called God's forgotten law will show us that although Christ came to set us free from the penalty of the law.

He did not free us from our responsibility to adhere to the moral aspect of the law. Open your Bible down to Exodus chapter 20 as we get started with Don's second half of the message called why the law is difficult on the truthful were making the point that the moral law is not what we used to earn salvation. It's not how we get our justification in the presence of God turn to the book of Galatians chapter 2 verse 16 it requires a perfect righteousness to be in the presence of God in you, and I cannot do that. We've already failed. If you live perfectly.

From now until the time of your death. It wouldn't be enough, and you can't do that and you won't do it.

The law condemns us the law breaks us.

The law exposes our sin rather than giving us a standard that that we obey in order to earn salvation. Galatians 216. Nevertheless, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law since by the works of the law no flesh will be justified. You know how you can identify if you have that spirit of self-righteousness in in your heart you know how you can realize that you have misunderstood the purpose of the moral law is that if your approach if you're thought about yourself in the presence of God is basically a pretty good person person who thinks like that a person who talks like that is a person who has not understand what the moral law is for you. The moral law convicts you of sin, it does not congratulate you on your righteousness, you have broken God's law.

Therefore, it cannot possibly be the means by which you earn righteousness look over the familiar passage in Ephesians chapter 2 verse eight for by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God not as a result of works, so that no one could boast you see God's means of salvation God's plan of salvation by definition excludes people from boasting about it. By definition salvation is a gift of grace undeserved favor from God to man because it is undeserved. Therefore, we have nothing to boast about if we have been saved. We can't boast in our righteousness because we had none that contributed to our justification. We boast instead. In Christ we boasting what he has done on our behalf. We understand that his righteousness is the basis of our standing before God, and we received that not through anything that we have done, but simply by receiving him by faith by believing in him by trusting in him.

That's not a meritorious work. That's a gift from God and one more in Romans chapter 3 verses 19 and 20 Romans chapter 3 verses 19 and 20 were making the point that the moral law is not what we used to earn salvation. It's not how we get our justification in the presence of God. Romans chapter 3 verses 19 and 20 now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God because by the works of the law no flesh will be justified in his sight, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin. For those of you that think you're good enough for those of you that have a proud estimation of your moral excellence. This passage in the teaching of Scripture comes to you and puts its finger on your lips and says don't talk that way the law is designed to quiet you in your boasting about your moral goodness is meant to take that away from you because it exposes your sin. It convicts you of guilt. It shows you that you are not worthy of the presence of God in your own righteousness and as a result of that, it brings a holy hot sauna. Saul so that were not boasting about her goodness in the presence of God because that is the case, we understand that the moral law is not used to earn our justification. We do not obey it in order to earn forgiveness.

We don't we don't obey it. Watch this. We don't own it to keep God's favor Christ has obtained the favor of God for us through his person and work God is favorably disposed to his people because he is favorably disposed to his son. And if we are in Christ God is favorably disposed to us on the basis of Christ not on the basis of our own righteousness. And this is so important because it teaches us.

I belabor the point. I know I don't apologize for the law comes to show you your unworthiness. Christ comes to deliver you from your unworthiness and clothe you in his robes of righteousness, and on that basis on the basis of Christ we boast in him and not in ourselves so that we do not claim goodness in our own being. We realize that if there is anything good about us if there is anything righteous about us is something external to us that we have been given as a gift so the moral law is not for justification now. Secondly, this is wonderful aspect of it.

Secondly, you need to understand this about the moral law. The moral law does not threaten to punish true Christians.

The moral law does not threaten to punish true Christians.

This is really important to understand and for those of you that that have grown up in legalistic homes. You know you've always been threatened by the law of God. If you disobey your parents or whatever and you just had that weight laid upon you that I understand that's really hard to to get your mind around to be relieved from the terrible burden of those kinds of illegitimate threats for those who are in Christ understand this my Christian brother, my Christian sister. We do not obey the moral law, out of fear that we will be punished if we fall short. We are not afraid of the punishment of God any longer as true Christians and you must understand this. This is central to what it means to be a believer, the whole plight of Christ being on the cross. What it did was that he was there as our substitute. The whole point was that he bore our sins, he bore the wrath of God against our sins in his body on the cross he did that so that we wouldn't have to bear that punishment ourselves we could not bear that punishment on ourselves.

It would destroy us. It would ruin us. We could never recover from it.

So the whole reason that Christ came for your soul, my beloved Christian friend was in love. He wanted to deliver you from that punishment and deliver you from fear of that punishment.

Let me show you a few scriptures you're in Romans let's go to Romans chapter 8 were speaking now to those who are in Christ.

True believers. This is what Christ has accomplished for you. Romans chapter 8 verse one.

Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

No condemnation. No punishment. Christ bore that on our behalf were set free, were not afraid of the judgment of God because we understand based on the testimony of Scripture. The Christ took that punishment for us. He suffered it in our place. It was a penal substitutionary atonement that he made for us. Verse 29. Those whom he foreknew he also predestined to become conformed to the image of his son so they would be the firstborn among many brethren and these whom he predestined he also called these whom he called he also justified these whom he justified he also glorified. If you have been justified in Christ you will be glorified in Christ.

No one drops out.

There is no break in that golden link of salvation that golden chain of those things called justified glorified verse 31 what then shall we say to these things. If God is for us, who's against us. You did not spare his own son, but delivered him over for us all, how will he not also with him freely give us all things. Who will bring a charge against God's elect. God is the one who justifies. Who is the one who condemns and on it goes. So he says in verse 38. I'm convinced that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Because of what Christ has done. We do not fear the eternal punishment of God any longer because Christ has delivered us from that he endured it on our behalf. Look at Galatians chapter 3 Galatians chapter 3. In fact, you can see both of these points in this quick passage. The moral law is not for justification.

The moral law does not threaten to punish Christians verse 11. Now that no one is justified by the law before God is evident, for the righteous man shall live by faith. However, the law is not of faith. On the contrary, who practices them shall live by them. In other words, if you want to try to attain righteousness by obeying the law. That's what you're left with, and you're going to fail.

Verse 13. For those of us in Christ. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us, for it is written curse. It is everyone who hangs on a tree. The law of God condemns us brings a curse upon us in Christ redeems us from that cursed by the work that he is done on our behalf at the cross and as a result of the we do not fear the judgment of God. Look at Hebrews chapter 2 Hebrews chapter 2 verse 14 therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death he might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil in my free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. Fear of death, the fear of punishment, waiting for us when we come to death.

That's all been removed from us in Christ. This is how great his love how great his sacrifice. I have us on our behalf was so that the apostle John could say this in chapter 4 verse 17. You don't need to turn their first John 417.

By this, love is perfected with us so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment, because as he is, so also are we in this world there is no fear in love but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment and the one who fears is not perfected in love to see it.

The moral law does not come to us to threaten us with punishment. The punishment is been paid. There is no fear in anticipating standing before God and being alternately cast into hell. If you are in Christ all of that's been taken away.

This is blessedly liberating news for those who grew up in a legalistic environment who had ruled upon rule upon rule laid upon them, most of which in some places can be found anywhere in Scripture. What a blessed liberation. It is to be set free from that and realize that the purpose of Scripture is to point us to Christ who loves us and is saved us and keeps us that's blessed that's blessed truth. Christ paid the penalty at the cross, the law does not threaten us. If you are in Christ you have objective peace with God. He is satisfied with his son. And if you are in his son. He is satisfied with you for the sake of Christ. Now with those things said there's 1/3 use of the law that we need to understand and was the subject matter of our of our study.

The moral law is not for justification. The moral law does not threaten to punish us. If we disobey in Christ. However, the moral law of number three, the moral law is the Christians rule of life, it does instruct us on how we are to live. It instructs us on the holiness of God. It instructs us on what pleases him.

It it brings promises to us of his blessing and it threatens us in it. It shows us what his displeasure through its threatenings, the moral law teaches us the proper way to love God and to love men. It teaches us the will of God. It exposes sin in our lives. Thus, it humbles us and teaches our us, our need for Christ. And so the New Testament uses the moral law to instruct us in those ways thing about it this way. Here I am now I am in Christ. Now, how shall I live the moral law allays that before you and multifaceted splendor. So we see wise is difficult understand law well is the definition of law. There's the types of law. The three types of law that the use of the moral law makes it difficult. There's one more.

I nearly didn't include this one. I'm really glad I did. The fourth one is the most personal and in some ways the most difficult to come to grips with.

You know what makes it difficult to study the law of God for number four. It's the sinfulness of our own hearts.

It's the sinfulness of our own hearts writer of Hebrews is speaking on a different issue said this set it's it's hard for you to understand what I'm writing is hard to explain. Since you have become dull of hearing your dull of hearing, and I'm not going to expound this in in detail here. I just want to lay out what the challenge for you is going to be going forward see my friend and I'm in the same sad boat as you. Your heart is not naturally receptive to the law of God, there are still remnants of sin which resists the law of God, God is written it on your heart but there is a conflict between the flesh and the spirit and there are still remnants of our flesh that are resistant to these things.

Let's look at it from the perspective of an unsaved man to simplify the point know it's true centers know it's true of unregenerate men.

They love the world more than they love Christ, so the law is not appealing to them. Sinners love their sin more than they love obedience to laws a threat to them. I don't want to come to the light because I don't want to give up their sin.

Sinners do not want anyone to tell them what to do.

They want to be their own boss.

That's why children rebel against their parents, while workers rebel against authority why people resist legitimate government authority is expressed in legitimate police actions. People are ribose sinners rebel. They do not want anyone to tell them to do the Jew said we will not have this man reign over us. That's a problem when God comes.

We in his law and says this you shall do, and this you shall not do. There is a natural rebellion against it sinners when it comes to spiritual teaching want their ears tickled for more than they want to be truly instructed out of Scripture and you know what else sinners are often just downright lazy just downright lazy. That was the condition of all of us before God saved us, and when he saved us he gave us a perfect standing, but the new life in Christ is not yet made us perfect and there's a hangover. There is there are remnants of that kind of sin. NRS that we have to overcome that we have to subdue that we have to ask for the help of the Holy Spirit to overcome into to put away so the were in a position to receive the word of God about his moral law with obedience and receptivity because my friends, if you have allowed those kinds of sins to grow up in your Christian life.

If those kinds of weeds have taken root. Let me tell you the word of God is not going to take root in you in that kind of rocky soil. Unspiritual men will not understand the spiritual law. Pride and rebellion will quench the word so our study of the 10 Commandments as a potential throttle on it based on the condition of your own heart or study of the 10 Commandments requires us to come in the spirit of repentance, spirit of teachability of receptivity of a tender heart of the prayer of the psalmist in Psalm 119. Lord, give me understanding that I may know the testimonies give me understanding that I may keep your law condition of the heart that is exposed.

As we come to this and this. This lays its umbrella over all of this. This is the surgical scalpel of the word of God coming and exposing what's in our hearts as we see these things. So what are we to do will turn to the book of James. With this close.

We need to take on a stock of our spiritual lives. We need to humble ourselves before a holy God and his holy Word and then rely on his promises to help us his Spirit indwells us in order to help us. James chapter 4 verse six but he gives a greater grace. Therefore it says God as opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble submit therefore to God.

Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.

Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double minded. Be miserable and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord and he will exalt you. 11. Look at that last verse again as we approach these things. Law of God is going to humble us, it humbles our intellect by showing us her so much that we don't understand, and it humbles us in our souls by realizing that even now, our obedience is imperfect's flawed, it humbles us even more by recognizing how much we were dependent upon Christ to save us, and how he gets all of the glory. And we get none of it so we hello ourselves in light of all of these things, and yet we look at the promise in verse six that God gives grace to the humble. So it's all laid out here before us, my friends, it's all laid out before us. There is a promise of the blessing of God as we embark on this study is a promise of the blessing of God if we will simply humble ourselves in his presence before his word.

The ones who will do that will be greatly blessed by the spirit of God in their lives ones who don't.

Those of you who are resistant inside even if you're outwardly compliant since God supposed to you. The God of heaven supposed to proud but gives grace to the humble.

My prayers we set off from shore set off on this journey. Is this is that the Lord would help us turn to Christ as we come under the authority of his matchless word and with that done. Green brings our series called God's forgotten law to a powerful close were glad you were with us today and for the entire series and we hope you been blessed and encouraged in your walk with God.

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Pulpit.com will don the magnitude of what Christ accomplished on Calvary's cross is impossible to fully comprehend is that in fact he quite literally turned the definition of the term freedom on its head. Will my friend Jesus Christ has set his people free from so much. In Christ, you are free from condemnation in Christ. You are free from the domination of the devil and in Christ. You are free to love God with a sincere heart. Those are wonderful spiritual blessings that the Lord has attained for us at the cross of Calvary. I trust that you know him and if you have any doubts about the state of your soul turn to God's word read through the gospel of John and ask Christ to make himself known to you through the pages of his written word. Thanks God and friend join us next time. As Don Greene continues teaching God's people. God is truthful