The Law and Sin

Matthew told their Bibles to Romans chapter 7 if you don't of the Bible is one in the pew in front of you and of the passage were looking at is on page 943, and some of your say no.

Why would we read from the Bible. Well, good question. We read from the Bible. I preach from the Bible because we believe it is God's word and that while I may, in my own mind think I have interesting things to say to you, and could express many opinions about all kinds of subjects. That's not why we're here, I would hear as we have done with you to worship God and were here to hear from God of conviction on Calvary churches that we believe that the Bible is the infallible word of God.

It is as I mentioned in in prayer.

It is the living word of God that is we believe that when the Bible speaks God speaks it was sometimes a God told me it is God told me that and we wonder how do you know that while witnessing the word of God with an absolutely no doubt a tall and if you're visiting.

Let me remind you that we are going through the book of Romans and Romans as Paul's exposition of the gospel. He's telling us the good news of Jesus Christ, and he does that, perhaps, to our way of thinking we would use the instant 10 second soundbites. He does that and what we may think in our society and a lot of rather laborious way, but he doesn't know very helpful way because he wants us to understand the good news he wants us to have a understanding of God's grace that were singing about and to do that he does something that probably we as preachers wouldn't do for his life to ourselves. He begins and to basic case that we have come short of the glory of God that we have sins and then Romans is brilliantly arguing that the law that is the Mosaic law revealed in the Old Testament given to Israel, perhaps crystallizing what we would call the 10 Commandments that the law never leads to salvation, he says, for example, in chapter 3 verse 28 he says for we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law that we become in a true relationship with God. Apart from the works of the law and is remind a couple of weeks ago.

As we look to the first six verses of Romans chapter 7 we learned that we have dying to the law. Romans seven verse four Romans seven verse six we are released from the law, and as Paul is saying that I can imagine some of his readers, particularly those who are Jewish as there were Jews in the church at Rome converted from Judaism. They would think that Paul was denigrating the law. If what Paul is saying if we are saved, apart from the law, what is the point of the law and after all was in the law that you seem to be denigrating Paul did in the law come from God. And so, in the passage were dealing with verses seven through 12 of Romans chapter 7 Paul is giving the purpose of the law and in doing so also shows the inadequacy of the law. He's answering the question as we see as we begin our study in verse seven of chapter 7. He's answering the question, is the law of sin and Nancy got question he gives very valuable teaching about the nature of sin and the relationship of the law and soon that when I say the word sin is not popular word visit effect is largely deleted from our contemporary vocabulary, even churches want to get rid of cinema. He wants to come to the church and be told a lot of negative things things you can do and for some old-fashioned preacher to be putting some shame and guilt on you. We don't want that we want of an upbeat, positive message and so sin is not only being eliminated from our secular society. It's often I would argue that being deleted from many of our churches what sin son so old-fashioned. Doesn't it. It sounds so judge mental signs kind of narrowminded that it brings up images of someone who is very intolerance throwback to the Puritans Pres. Calvin Coolidge visited the church and when he was asked as he left the church. What the preacher spoke on. He said he spoke on sin and then someone asked the president what did the preacher say about same and the president said while he was against it. So we are against sin.

And I suppose all of us would agree with that. Even if we may not agree what sin is and why is it so important that Paul deals perhaps using laboriously and somewhat repetitively why does he why's it so important to Paul deals with sin.

It is very very important and something which is neglected so often in our contemporary evangelicalism because we will never have a biblical understanding of grace. Unless you have an understanding of sin. See the more you understand sin, the greater your appreciation of grace and grace is grace as we were singing, which is greater than arson.

And if you don't understand the before a holy God. You are a sinful person you will never see the need of a Savior. And may I remind you that the word Jesus means Savior. We hear a lot about Jesus, but as I listen to people talk about Jesus. It seems to me that primarily I many people seem to see Jesus just as a kind of a friend and he is a friend. Praise God for that.

But when reporting a little deeper we get the idea. Then these people see Jesus as a friend to help me fulfill my dreams Jesus is there to help me fulfill the American dream that would Jesus means that you, and we ignore the fact that Jesus is the Lord God, he is God is the King of Kings and Lord of lords, and as God.

That means he is perfect and that means is a perfect holy God. Jesus is God. It means that he hates sin. And so it is essential in our Christian life and in our Christian living that we have an understanding of biblical understanding of what sin is now in today's Scripture we will see what the law can do and what the law can do no were not saved by keeping the law we are not under the law. Romans 614 for sin will have no dominion over usage are not under law but under grace. So what's the point of the law were not under it was the value of it back in verse five that we thought of a couple of weeks ago. Romans seven verse five what why we were living in the flash meeting unconverted of sinful passions close by the law wouldn't work in our members to bear fruit for sin in Paul's going to expand on that in verse seven through the end of chapter 7 and will think of the remainder of chapter 7 next week. Lord willing, and then in verse six he deals with this wonderful subject of the new life in the spirit that we will deal with in a couple weeks in Romans chapter 8. So today we're focusing on Roman seven verses seven through 12 and I'm going to ask you to stand and read the word of God with me. Let's read the word of God together was rated thoughtfully.

This is God speaking to us today. What then shall we say that the law is sin, by no means yet. If it had not been low for the law.

I would not have known sin, for I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, you shall not covet, but sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment producing me all kinds of covetousness for apart from the law, sin lies that I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I dive the very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me for sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and threw it killed me.

So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good event. Please be seated. So what about sin on the law by a relationship to the law. First of all let me begin with verse 12, when we see that the law is holy and good Roman seven verse 12 so the Lord is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good. Whatever else you can say about the law. The problem is not with the law. It comes from God both previously said in chapter 5, verse 20 that the law increase the trespass verse five of chapter 7.

The law arose there passions so his phone claiming the law is sinful and bad is the law sin that's the question in verse seven is the law sin then that what you're saying Paul. Paul is a no no no no, let me make it very clear the law. Verse 12 is holy. The commandment is holy and righteous and good to not only does a true understanding of grace, not lead to sin as he said in chapter 6, being free from the law being released from the law also does not lead to sin. The law is God-given member who Moses got below written by the very fingers of God, the 10 Commandments is God's law, therefore, is holy of course is holy comes from God is righteous is going to come from a good God and the Lord reflects God's perfect standards. Want to know what holiness is read the law read the Old Testament read, particularly the first five books of the Old Testament.

Then we see the reflection of the perfect moral character of God, but was going to say in verse 14 of Romans seven that the law is spiritual, so the loss.

Holy is good spiritual so was a problem with the law, then the problem is you and I can keep the law is not true is not what Paul as argued earlier in Romans three all have sin needs and then walked come short falls short of the glory of God. Here is the law of God, a reflection of the very glory of God and all of us, not just oneself come short but we fall short, and we continue to fall short of the standard of God hears the law. It is inflexible. God doesn't grade on the curve. There are no exceptions.

You either keep it perfectly or you don't and the verdict is Paul has said in the opening chapters of Romans that whoever you are with your Jew or Gentile.

A pagan or a moral person, whether you go to the synagogue of the church of the mosque makes no difference. All have sin in full. Short of the glory of God. So the problem is not with the law. What is the problem you're the problem on the problem we are on able to keep the law of the defendant. See the form of the law is the law could never accomplish what the law commands. This is what you must do this is what you must not do that is right is reflection of who God is God's standard is holy is good is righteous, the problem is that not only one come short of it.

So my salvation to use Paul's word my justification and my sanctification are not through the law know the law is not a ladder leading me to God don't think that you're going to get into heaven by trying to follow the law and doing your best and going up. Yes you not perfect, but you think if you do many good things that the good things you do will I we the bad and if you keep going on that ladder trying to do the best you can and to be religious and to obey God that eventually you'll get into heaven.

Absolutely no policy, no no no you got it absolutely wrong.

The law never lead you to God and to heaven rather the law is a matter was a matter most of you looked in the mirror this morning. Some of you spent an awful lot of time looking at yourselves and the longer you lieutenants, presumably the more you realize you wanted to kinda change a few things about your appearance. Why is that important to the men hangs up. The mentor put on makeup, just kidding you look in the mirror in the morning and you think whether that pimple come from. I usually can the motor and my hair was black.

Not only is it gray but most of its gone and I could get angry with the matter as it is a bad matter. I don't want to look like that. No matter, is reflecting back to you how you actually are publishing with the matter. The problem is with you.

Here's the law and look in the matter the size that's you John Monroe. Here is my standard, inflexible no cover-up. Know the law is not sinful to answer Paul's question of verse seven is a law sin. No, it's not. We are in. Paul is going to clarify the relationship of the law to soon so first of all the laws holy and good back to verse seven the law as I've said reveals sin. Verse seven what then shall we say that the law is sin, by no means yet. If it had not been for the law. I would not of known sin. I would not of known what it is to cover that the law had not said, you shall not covet. You get the point with the law. There's no understanding of sin if you didn't have the matter. Ladies, you will really know what you look like the law reflects back to us nonstandard and if we didn't have the law, we would have an understanding of sin and the law makes it clear, abundantly clear, unless were deceived and Paul is going to say some of us are busy. That's one of the things that sin does. It deceives us that we've all fallen short of God's standard God's holy law reveals our sin. Chapter 3 verse 20 through the law comes knowledge of sin from the law. Also, we know this is so important that not only have we sinned. We've sinned against God, because it's not your standards than breaking it.

Start your guidelines for my life that I am falling short of its God's standards is God's law.

He's your creator. He majored in his own image and he said you know this is the law.

This is so, I want you to live.

This is what I want you to do this is what I want you to bed. I don't want you to do this I want you to do that and all of us as we come to the law of sin is revealed to us. I hope you understand is God who defines sin not you. So the culture defines sin so the president is not Congress is not some parliaments that defines what's right and what is wrong is God, the law of God gives the definition of sin, and in this way, as we know the law of sin is exposed, and to prove the point that the law reveals sin.

Paul gives an illustration. Very interesting illustration.

He chooses the last of the 10 Commandments when the we don't preach about very much to convicted the shall not covet shall not covet. How would you know that coveting was sinful unless there was a law saying you shall not covet. If you still amber from hell. The church and we we know you you supplemented this but how would you know if the person sit next to you today is coveting you don't know coveting takes place in the heart and supposes that we have known it was wrong to cover the muscles a Commandments and you shall not covet. So last night you're in the backyard grilling hamburgers is a beautiful evening you felt very excited to be there. Looking forward to sinking your teeth into these wonderful nutritious hamburgers and doing it your neighbor across the fence says hi Bob what you doing on grilling hamburgers Oreo I just got a new grill and though I'm grilling ribeye steak you smell the steak and in the distance you can see the thick ribeye steak and then you look at your own little grubby hamburgers which are getting smaller by the minutes and you've got one of these old grills and Bob who seems to have everything you buy steak would you do this, coveting that I don't like ribeye steak okay I do so when you invite me running.

I mean about the preference ribeye steak, hamburgers, you may not covet the ribeye steak but I know you covet someone's appearance, someone's money, someone's home, someone's car, someone's family, someone's personality consciousness is one of the commandments. Paul certainly said that he said I coveted the coveting deals not just with the outward behavior, but with the park with the inner desires and motives please. We wouldn't express to others when of an express to someone else that we covet their their home or their appearance or whatever or the wife with her husband were not going to say that it is in the heart. God knows our heart. This means that Paul is a sinful person when we covet something we want that more than God would not content with what we have and that's the very essence of sin is in the eye most satisfied with what you give me God I desire better than this and Bob mean he was terrible at school. My grades were much better than him, and why does he have the bigger house, and the bigger grill and the bigger ribeye steaks, covetous, covetous eye.

Most of this.

I deserve this having was Paul's point very interesting one.

Having knowledge of the commandment and still coveting increases intensifies the seriousness of the sin was going to use an expression in verse 13 about sinful beyond measure. He's establishing the sinfulness of sin.

So the law which is wholly unjust reveals my sinfulness and it reveals the depth and the seriousness and the extent of my seven. I'm asking you today before God when you acknowledge her sin. Some of your covering it up into some of you got a veneer of respectability. You come to call the church and you look pretty good but your heart is not right with God's sin and you will never receive God's grace and grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, unless before God, there is a humble acknowledgment that I have sinned, God be merciful to me, the sinner that was the man Jesus says that God justified another Pharisee was telling people how good he was.

Have you ever been in the presence of God acknowledging your sin is difficult for us to admit wrong, isn't it a rights telling us that men find it particularly difficult to admit were wrong. I don't know if men find it more difficult than women, but I would say that as a man I find it difficult to say I'm wrong, I messed up I take responsibility for that is hard for us is in the some of you who appreciate the finer things of life. Watch the World Cup soccer was magnificent. I think of it there's 2 billion people watching a game and in the heat of the game watch by 2 billion people with the big screens there with referees and all the rest of it. Some fellow as he goes in for the tackle doesn't go for the ball but takes the seats of the opponent. All of us who played soccer felt like that in the occasion have done it is wrong your men to play the ball so they will a few times they just totally take the feet of the player and he falls down in the red blows will follow you make a yellow card. It is particularly suited to make it a red card, but did you watch the reaction of the fellow who took the feet away because he puts his hands up as if not me.

Not me. I didn't do it and were thinking it's on the big screen just stop and look at it should even try to play the ball just wanted to because your bait you wanted to take him to the game, but not me until the wife says yes you follow your heart is difficult for us wasn't what you today before God, to acknowledge your sin but your heart is deceitful. In verse eight, the law not only reveals sin the most stimulate sin ever thought of that verse six verse eight. Rather, but sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment bridge used in me all kinds of covetousness apart from the law, sin lies that is interesting that the law which is holy, gives us ideas of sinning the loan not only reveals sin. It stimulate sin that provoked sin.

Verse eight. Apart from the law, sin lies dead. Chapter 5 verse 20 know the Lord came in to increase the trespass we were so fallen. The law tells us don't do that, it becomes the very thing that we want to do you find yourself in a situation forbidden fruit is very attractive to us is in the we seem to get pleasure out of doing something that we know we shouldn't be doing in Augustine was a teenager, along with some other boys. He tells a story. He stole pairs. The winter tree and they shook the tree and the parents which were right felt on his Augustine writing. He says we carried off a huge Lord of pairs theft we carried over huge load of peers pairs not to eat ourselves but to dump to the Hawks picks after barely tasting some of them ourselves doing this please that's all the more because it was forbidden to see the law which said you shall not steal pairs with the very law that pushed him and his friends to steal the pairs. He says he threw up there to the pigs for the pig sick of the pigs, but for the sake of his own desire to disobey that we see that in children, we see that teens and the truth can also be true of us as adults. But the law stimulates sin Martin Lloyd Jones comments that our passions are actually inflaming to even by the law of God, the very law that prohibits them encourages us to do them because we are in pure, he said, so morality teaching can even be a positive danger, neither Mark nor John brilliant preacher Welshman, former physician physician to her Majesty and then was called into into full-time ministry alloys of physician, he was against teaching sex because he said he just gave people ideas. It put ideas into people's head on your lap about this, but I come from the generation that was true here in the church generally with small groups with accountability groups and know what they talk about a lot talk about sex and nutrition to this, we shouldn't that and I wonder sometimes does all that talk about it make us a pewter church. I don't think so. Now I realize our contemporary culture is so sex saturated that we do need to teach children these things, but it has to be done with great wisdom member Paul says in Ephesians 5, verse 12.

It's shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secrets in our society. There are no secrets other than is no perversity out there that isn't going to be broadcast on television.

The people are going to speak about this. People speak about these things rule and deceitfulness. As such, that there is an attraction to actually do chapter 7 verse five.

Our sinful passions as follow whatever rose behind the law.

The law arouses and stimulates our sinful desires. Paul says in Romans eight verse seven that the flash is hostile to God when you told not to do something there, something within your just wants to do it. I often say that is with the Russians talk to Russia's officers and there is a very kind to do a great job in the nicely show you to particular states sit there. Are you telling me to say that I want to say here.

I understand feel the same way like going into building a be told where to sit.

I want to sit my own way. I don't want someone telling me what to do at the point we resent the restriction of the freedom and so we rebel against God, the law stimulates us to send him establish as a springboard is a kind of base of operations for Paul says in verse nine. Then sin came alive and I died. Sin uses the law to bring condemnation and death know the problems with the law where the problem with unable to obey the law so the law is holy law reveals sin, the loss stimulate sin sin. However, not the law brings death. The wages of sin is death, so that the end of chapter 6, verse nine. I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died. The very commandment that promise. Life proved to be death to me for sin seen as a seizing opportunity through the commandment this evening and threw it. It killed me. Without the conviction of sin. What I'm concerned, and we enjoy person was a time when Israel didn't have the law and commandments.

But sin was still present was a time in Paul's experience, and hours when we didn't know the conviction of sin. Paul thought it was a good person, very religious, very pious, well-educated, good parents standing member of the Jewish race until he's confronted with his own covetousness so you shall not covet. Once we know the law and were convicted by the Holy Spirit that we have broken the law. The seriousness of our sin becomes more evident at becomes alive and knowledge of the law brings conviction of a person. I hope it does you realize your hopeless position before God is true. If you perfectly obey the law, you get to heaven. The law promises life here it is, you will bear perfectly and you get to heaven.

Problem all of us disagree below. Not one of us here is able to be the law I could pick any one of you at random, and get you up here and if you're honest and give your truth serum. The must be such a thing right to medical guys here who could help me with it. If I give your truth serum, I'm sure.

In every case we have a sinful person appear when we don't all commit the same sentence.

Some of us are worse than others. That's true, some of us are kinder than others, but even the kind person can be very mean and very nasty kind we all have sins.

Notice what Paul says, verse nine. Through this I died verse 10.

It proved to be death to me.

Verse 11. Though it killed me sin all the law staff and if we continue in our physician as those who know the law and have disobeyed the law and have broken the law. The ultimates results is that less requested Pierce talked about the two ways when it goes to life and the way the ghost of destruction. All of us by nature on the road to destruction, and we will end and ultimate destruction apart from the intervening grace of God to tell your story to tell your story, but sin to tell your story about the law.

Some of you know the story.

If you haven't like you to read about it here is Christian in the Pilgrim's progress by John Bunyan read the story of Pilgrim's progress by John Bunyan wonderful story and then his noxious impression of this mental Christian. He lives in the city of destruction, but he's tired of celestial city picture of heaven, and he wants to leave the city of destruction, but notice what is gone is back to the big board on his back and that burden is a picture of sin. There is these costs down. He's depressed because of the burden of the sin so he leaves the city of destruction is called the Pilgrim's progress and is a lot of interesting characters throughout the story as many of you know, and he needs one told Mr. legality, Mr. legality is he represents the law and description goes to meet Mr. legality because he's told that salvation is found in the law that if he does what Mr. legality tells him he'll get rid of the burden of sin, but that doesn't happen as it was to meet Mr. legality Bunyan has Christian going up a terrible hi Bill. Picturing the terrible demands of the law. The higher he goes up, the bigger the burden of the sin. In fact, Christian is afraid that he's going to topple off the hill because he is way done so much by his sin as he's confronted with the law. Mr. legality and he realizes that the law is not the way to get rid of this policy, you will get rid of your sin by trying to follow the 10 Commandments you will get rid of your sin by being a member of Calvary church.

You will get rid of your sin by observing the ordinances of the church of the sacraments of the church.

That's not the way and then Christian meets a man called evangelist evangelist gives him certain instructions and finally Christian comes to the place where their student across this and this. He comes from across the burden of the sin is loosed loose from his shoulders and as he kneels at the cross. Can you see the burden of the sin rolling away money and says it came to the mouth of the sample code when it fell in and he saw it no more wonderful picture of salvation that this burden of sin which overwhelms us which causes us such despair. Such frustration which impacts our relationships with one another with her family and their friends and of course impacts our relationship with God.

This terrible burden of sin. The answer to it is the cross of Christ because when our Savior came the Lord Jesus.

One of the wonderful descriptions given to him is the Lamb of God who does wants takes away the sin of the world. How does the Lamb of God, take away the sin of the world.

How is it possible for your sin in my sin to be taken away in my sinful from my back and roll away so that I see it, never, ever again. Think of all of the sins that you've committed in your life. Some of your friends like to remind you of them. Some of you have forgotten much of them but some of them stand out in your mind.

On June and then the wonder of the cross of Christ and the precious blood that flowed from our Savior, that through his dad's burial in his resurrection your sins and my sins can be forgiven so that God says I will remember them no more talk about a new beginning. Talk about a new life. Talk about being born again by the spirit of God, so that once like Christian was on the broad road heading to the destruction of eternal destruction that come to the cross.

I could three crosses a boy of 12. Note the as it would with it. What does that mean John. It means to look to Christ as the only Savior is to realize that although I was brought up in a good home and went to church more times and I probably wanted to is a boy.

While all of that was good and while my parents love garden while I memorize much of the Bible, even as a boy, that I could never save me that it was Christ and Christ alone and I look to Christ and the burden of your sin. You see, you'd sin is a 12-year-old. Absolutely I can remember the conviction of my sin on those days before my conversion and that burden of my sin rolled away. You will find no relief from your sin, you will find no relief from the burden of your sin by self-help by the law by trying to do your own thing by looking within for your own enlightenment or anything else. The only remedy is Christ and Christ alone.

We come to the cross. Paul says here in verse 11. The sender seems us never that was true in Genesis 3. How many times as a pastor, but I have someone saying pastor I don't know what came over me. I can't believe I did that withholding can't believe I said to the person I can't believe I did that is the deception of sin wasn't that comes in the contest strangles us because our enemy present sin is very attractive, though, to live life to the triads and tells us that Christ is going to restrict us on that true freedom is doing what we wants in our enemy tells us and tells you you can stop that sin anytime you want know you can't tell that to the alcoholic.

Tell that to the drug Idec tell that to any person that you can change your life just by self-discipline. Yes, you can clean up your life a little bit you perhaps could be kinder. You might even stop drinking. But that will never, ever, the lumen and eliminate the burden of your sin. All you'll do is exchange one sin for another only one who can save you is Christ were going to stand and sitting in old song is written in 1952. That's ancient for some of you isn't it was written by man John Moore in 1952.

I know John Moore is is a Scottish pastor is a no still alive, still still preaching and he wrote the song burdens are lifted at Calvary. We stand with me. Burdens are lifted at Calvary and he tells us to conserve tears on Jesus.

Some of you have never yet come to Christ, you need to cast that burden of your sin you can to that sourcing to look to Christ, who came to safety the qualitative to see Lord Jesus I send the belief that you paid the price of my sins, and save my tool to change others of you are followers of Christ, but sin has come into your life wasn't in this guilt is the tyranny of unconfessed sin. Do you your consciences and clear your honor on the road as a believer that you need to confess that sin burdens are lifted at Calvary. Some of you here today very very anxious very very troubled about life and about your future and wondering what you're going to do.

You cast your cares on the Lord.

We are fresh come to the cross and see the great burden and magnificent Lord Jesus Christ no sin is too deep. No care is too heavy. No simulation is too impossible. No one is so far away from God that the grace of God can't reach you the grace of God will reach her knowledge of sin.

To save I'm gonna pray and then to him and others are going to come and lead us in this beautiful hymn as we make a responsible father and God, we thank you for the Lord Jesus, the great burden better and that burdens are lifted at Calvary.

I pray for each person here. You know us.

We were very different, but in this way would all the same it with all send will need a button of arson to be gone. Many believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved from young man some young woman professing Christ father, but the volute 70 to come in to almost kill them. Maybe confess that sin and know the joy of being washed and glanced some of us feel anxious or worried or fretting renew our faith.

Father is because the cares on Christ. We ask in his name