These laws of God (the Ten Commandments):- drive us to Christ and then they- direct us in the way to live in Christ.
Talks about civil and ceremonial regulations for the nation of Israel. For the nation israel. We the ch are free from the law of Mo.
Joel 3:14 says, “Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.” The “valley of decision” in Joel 3:14 is not about humans choosing whether or not to follow Christ per se (though all would do well in choosing to repent and believe in Christ today); it is God handing down His decision of judgment at the end of the tribulation. Wickedness will be dealt with decisively, swiftly and justly. Praise the Lord for His promise to make all things right one day and to be “a refuge for his people” (Joel 3:16).
There is a great emphasis today on God kindness, His forgiveness and free grace and that He empowers. Perhaps the pendulum has swung far in the opposite direction from the hell, fire and brimstone sermons?
If I turn on the radio I rarely hear a hell, fire and brimstone message these days, though there is a real hell to avoid.
Almost nothing is said about the Law of God with His judgment and wrath these days. You know about the serious heinousness of violating God's Law, or the just consequences of such violations.
The good news of Christ's gospel in a sense is stripped of what is really good, because people don’t really grasp or know what is really bad and damning, which makes the good news such good news. We can't appreciate the good news until we first know the bad news. All have sinned and there are lasting consequences in hell if we don't soon receive Christ's forgiveness.
The bad news is that all people are under the Law of God and therefore under His wrath until they are born again spiritually (John 3:3).
People are under an obligation to obey God's Law. We all are are violators of that Law of God. People feel guilty because we people are truly guilty and with such guilt comes condemnation and with condemnation comes real punishment, and that punishment is everlasting. Hell is a real place and Heaven is real place -- like with any resort (though heaven is far superior than say any St. Regus or Ritz Carlton Resort). Please make your reservations in advance. Now is good.
The gospel cannot be understood as good news if it doesn't reach lost people in time. Yes, until people grasp what it is that the gospel delivers them from, namely the bad news of eternal punishment in hell, which is clearly the just punishment for a truly guilty sinner.
Lots of us folk pray and seek to get other folks into God's Holy heaven while at the same time we tend to avoid clearly telling them they’re merely religious or irreligious, unregenerated and sadly on their way to hell. I don't want that!
Trying to get them to accept by faith Jesus Christ is what the good news is really all about -- it's WAY good for them. But without them understanding the truth about what is so bad for them i.e., their pet sins, unbelief, rebellion, pride and confusion of what God's words clearly says.. leaves them with bad news regarding their future. Lord, help us help them. Please reach them using me.. us.. somebody witn your love.
And were you to ask the question to people out there as they looked at evangelicalism and listened to the general message that Christians give, if you posed the question, “What does Jesus save you from?” They might say loneliness, depression, poverty, lack of purpose, lack of meaning, lack of fulfillment, et cetera, because they do not understand guilt, condemnation that comes because of a violation of His Law.
Scripture, however, is very clear that anyone who is to grasp the greatness of the gospel must first grasp the greatness of judgment of sin. Salvation by grace means little to those who know nothing of damnation under the Law. So the divine order is Law, then gospel. And there is a reluctance on the part of evangelical people today to talk about the Law of God, because it makes people feel bad, and they think it makes the gospel less attractive. When in fact, it is necessary to make them feel bad, really bad, because that generates the true attraction to the gospel. We understand that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone, Ephesians 2:8 and 9. We understand that salvation is never by works but always by grace through faith. All who are saved from eternal damnation at all times in redemptive history are saved by faith and grace apart from the Law. This is the repeated testimony of Scripture. In the Old Testament, Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness. Or Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Or in Habakkuk, the just shall live by faith. This is not a New Testament truth. This is a universal truth throughout all of redemptive history. Salvation – deliverance from condemnation, eternal punishment – comes by God’s grace through faith.
In the book of Romans, we read this morning in chapter 3 and verse 20, “By the works of the Law, no flesh will be justified in His sight. Through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.”
Christ fulfills the Saboth. And His kind of love fulfills the Law.
The Law is presented as an addition to reveal how sinful wrongdoings really are 19 (the people needed full disclosure which brings about accountability) and comes by insertion until the Seed shall come (that's Jesus), The Law came 430 years after Abraham to reveal how sinful sin really is (not to annul the promise of salvation by faith that was given to Abe). The Law provides a fuller revelation of the nature of the serious transgression.
"For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on a promise; but God freely granted it to Abraham through a promise. Why then was the law given? It was added because of transgressions, until the arrival of the seed to whom the promise referred. It was administered through angels by a mediator." Gal. 3:18-19
The Law brings about wrath, because of violation Lawbreakers will die. It brings death. It shuts up everyone, it ends any discussion about the means of salvation. Can't gain this by works, so sinners are living under a curse.
"Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, y“You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: z“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law." Romans 13:8–10
Love Fulfills the Law.
Sure, Paul in Romans 13:8-10 declares this: “Owe no man anything, but to love one another, for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not covet, and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Love worketh no ill to its neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.”
There is a debt of love to pay on -- yes, loving God and loving people. These relationships are what God's Top Ten List (4 laws Godward and then 6 manward) deals with.
One of the results of God's justification, one of the results of His great salvation, one of the results of being made right with God by Christ's blood shed at Calvary is a new and unique relationship to Him and to society and these are to be relationships of love.
What does the Bible says? “A new commandment I give unto you” – Jesus said in John 13:34, “that you love one another. By this will all men know that you are My disciples, if you have love one for another.”
The distinguishing mark, as we know, then, of a Christian is love. Paul said, “It is love that not only distinctively marks a Christian but that fulfills the law..”
Now, in this brief passage, I pointed out to you that there are three features of Christian love, discussed the debt of love, the discharge of love, and the design of love. We began last time by looking at the debt of love.
Verse 8 says, “Owe no man anything but to love one another.”
What? “Owe no man anything,” -- that's a bridge from the prior section. In verses 6 and 7, he’s been talking about paying your taxes, which you owe the government. And you are to pay your taxes. That is a debt. He bridges from there to the point about love by simply saying, “Owe no man anything but love.” In other words, pay all your debts, and the one debt you’ll always pay and never really have paid is the debt of love.
Ex. 20 nlt - Then God gave the people all these instructions:
“I am the LORD your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery. “You must not have any other god but me. “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands. “You must not misuse the name of the LORD your God. The LORD will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name. “Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the LORD your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. For in six days the LORD made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy. “Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the LORD your God is giving you. “You must not murder. “You must not commit adultery. “You must not steal. “You must not testify falsely against your neighbor. “You must not covet your neighbor’s house. You must not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.” When the people heard the thunder and the loud blast of the ram’s horn, and when they saw the flashes of lightning and the smoke billowing from the mountain, they stood at a distance, trembling with fear."
Love God by giving all of you to all of Him first. Yes, as a living sacrifice with your mouth offering up the sacrifices of praise!
