Looking For Loopholes

Looking for Loopholes

August 9, 2015 Morning Service

Immanuel Baptist Church, Wagoner, OK

Rick Boyne

Message Point: We must not look for ways to get around what God wants us to do.

Focus Passage: Luke 10:25-29

Supplemental Passage: Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin. (James 4:17 NASB)

Introduction: I attended a public hearing once where two people were competing for the same public office and one accused the other of not meeting the criteria for candidacy. Both had lawyers to represent them. The question came up as to what information was on the drivers’ license of the accused. They asked the accused to see her driver’s license, for it would prove information. The accused said her driver’s license was in her purse which was in her car. Her lawyer interrupted and said that the drivers license wasn’t a document requested therefore they wouldn’t retrieve it. While this may have been so, it was, in my opinion, skirting around the outside edges of the law so as to not incriminate the accused.

I. Knowing the Law

a. Knowing God’s Word is a very good thing

b. And a lawyer stood up and put Him to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" And He said to him, "What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?" (Luke 10:25-26 NASB)

c. Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. (Acts 17:11 NASB)

d. Knowing the Law doesn’t justify you

II. Keeping the Law

a. Keeping God’s commandments are a very good thing

b. And he said to Him, "Teacher, I have kept all these things from my youth up." (Mark 10:20 NASB)

c. Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You. (Psalms 119:11 NASB)

d. Keeping the Law doesn’t justify you

III. Skirting the Law

a. Trying to find loopholes in the Law seems to be a national pastime

b. Then some Pharisees and scribes *came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, "Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread." And He answered and said to them, "Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? "For God said, 'HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER,' and, 'HE WHO SPEAKS EVIL OF FATHER OR MOTHER IS TO BE PUT TO DEATH.' "But you say, 'Whoever says to his father or mother, "Whatever I have that would help you has been given to God," he is not to honor his father or his mother.' And by this you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition. "You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you: 'THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME. 'BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.'" (Matthew 15:1-9 NASB)

c. People try to find loopholes to get out of doing something they don’t want to do, or to do something they know they shouldn’t do

d. Finding loopholes, or trying to justify your actions, puts yourself above God, as if His Word isn’t good enough

Application/Invitation: Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. (Galatians 6:7-8 NASB)