1. Ever wonder what you’re supposed to do with the Law?
a. Ever think about the 10 commandments?
b. Should I make them my list to follow? Should I make sure that ever ‘T’ is crossed, every ‘I’ dotted?
WORKS or FAITH, that’s the big question today.
• How is a person saved? BY WORKS OR FAITH.
• How does a Christian live? BY WORKS OR FAITH
Because of a misunderstanding of Grace and by pulling many passages out of context, some conclude that it’s WORKS!
• They’ll most likely take you to James 2:14ff…
THEN Matthew 5:17 (NKJV) 17 “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.
THEN Romans 3:31 (NKJV) 31 Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.
NOTE: SO what is it WORKS OR FAITH?! LAW OR GRACE?
• Some have answered that we live by faith, like Paul said earlier in Romans 1:17… Just shall live by faith!
• Others say, NO, it’s not that simple. You need to live by the LAWS OF GOD, The 10 Commandments.
• Look at Matthew 22:34-40, It’s the same question!
SO what do we have today? Cults & those entangled in LEGALISM say it’s the LAW, plus a few things we’ve added for good measure.
• FOR SURE There are a lot of groups today offering a false salvation apart from Jesus Christ through a package of works.
• Standard works packages may include worshipping on Saturday only, buying into their church is the ONLY church, going to a so called Temple and being baptized for dead relatives OR
• You can buy your way into heaven or knock on enough doors.
• But the bottom line is a person is plagued with guilt & fear.
• Really, in any system of religion based on works, you never really know if you’ve done enough so DO MORE!
We’ve learned already that if salvation depended upon good works, how much is enough? WE can never do enough.
• We’ve all fallen short and only Jesus can help any of us up!
• If salvation depended upon lighting candles, you can never light enough candles to get into heaven.
• If our salvation depended upon our prayers, our smiles, our church attendance… you get the picture.
• You never feel like it’s enough! And you have NO ASSURANCE that God loves you, because you’re working so hard to get something that God has already given you through Jesus.
SO the question becomes, “What about the Law? What is the purpose of the 10 Commandments?”
• Paul says at the end of CH3:31, that faith establishes the Law.
• So that must mean we have to live by the Law right? NO
• One of the most misunderstood & misquoted Scriptures!!!
• Many will come here and say, “see Christian, make sure you are keeping the Law, the festivals, the 10 commandments!”
BUT REMEMBER… we can’t be justified by keeping the law.
• Look back at what we’ve already learned: (v19ff)
• So we are not establishing the law as a method of salvation because none of us can keep it perfectly enough to be saved.
• Ahh… some would say, look at 2:13, see right here it says that the doers of the Law will be justified.
• That’s just taking a verse out of it’s context.
• Chapters 1, 2, 3 all tells us we need a righteousness that is not our own… we can work our way into God’s favor.
• But we can believe our way into God’s favor!
3:31 – This is how we are ESTABLISHING THE LAW… for the purpose for which it was created & given: It’s a standard of God to point out sin in our lives!
• That’s all the law could ever do. It’s never saved a soul, ever.
• All it could say is “do this and live”. We answer, but we can’t.
Flip back to Deut 4:9-14… This is the retelling of Exodus 20.
• Children of Israel are ready to enter into the Promised Land.
• So what’s the covenant given at Mt. Horeb (Sinai)? 10 Command.
• Jump to 5:2-3… He didn’t make this covenant with anyone before Moses. It’s the 10 commandments given on Sinai.
OK… now jump over to Jeremiah 31:31-34… This is the promise of a new covenant, different than the one that was broken.
• So that’s the prediction: God is going to make a new covenant that is NOT LIKE the old one… it will be different.
NOW… today there are many, many Christians that think they are to use the 10 Commandments as their guide.
• As we begin to talk about God’s New Covenant, it’s easy for some to say, “WAIT A MINUTE, are you voiding out the Law? Are you nullifying it? Are you just dismissing it that easily?”
• NO, we’re establishing it, just as Paul did.
• We’re establishing it for the purpose it was created.
• It was NOT INTENDED to be a covenant ALWAYS IN FORCE.
• It was a Temporary covenant, only in force until the Messiah, Jesus Christ would come. OK 3 agreements, 3 covenants.
#1 – ABRAHAM’S. (Genesis 12)
• God’s promise is Abraham that he would be justified by faith.
• The covenant God made with Abraham was based on faith, Abraham was asleep when God made it.
• God said it was all based on Him, not Abraham’s performance.
#2 – Moses. (Exodus 19-20)
• 430 years later, God makes a covenant with Moses.
• It’s a covenant of works. IT kept Israel, Israel until the Messiah would come through this great nation.
• This 2nd covenant was ADDED because of transgressions.
• Get this… it’s important. Some will try to teach you that the 10 commandments always existed. But it was ADDED.
• This covenant wasn’t made with the Patriarchs, but with Moses.
#3 – NEW COVENANT (Jesus Christ – Matthew 26.28)
• Jesus comes and says I bring a new covenant that by faith in me you will be saved!
EVERY COVENANT HAD A SIGN… even today as we see couples get married, the rings become a sign of their covenant together.
• Abraham’s sign was circumcision (Genesis 17).
• Moses’ sign was the 7th day Sabbath.
• New Covenant comes with 2 signs. (What are they?)
• Water Baptism & communion.
SO THEN WHY THE LAW? Turn over to Galatians 3:15-19
• It was ADDED because of transgression, until the seed should come. I like the NLT here…
Galatians 3:19 (NLT) Well then, why was the law given? It was given to show people how guilty they are. But this system of law was to last only until the coming of the child to whom God’s promise was made. And there is this further difference. God gave his laws to angels to give to Moses, who was the mediator between God and the people.
• SO until Messiah came, this law was to be in effect.
• But after Messiah came, there was to be a new covenant.
• So it’s clear the 10 Commandments had a definite beginning and a definite end at the cross as a covenant with man.
SO ARE YOU SAYING ED THAT THE 10 COMMANDMENTS ARE NO LONGER IN EFFECT TODAY?
• As a covenant in relationship with God? YES.
• As a mirror point out our sin? As a guide to show our sinfulness.
• NO, they are still powerful today in showing us we need Jesus!
• Read on in Galatians 3:20-22!
NOTE: The LAW paints you into a corner to the point where you see the holiness of God reflected in the Law.
• But unfortunately, there are some who grasp out at the Law and ask it to save them.
• It can’t. It can’t cleanse you or empower you or change you.
• All the law can do is point out the flaws & sin in your life.
1. (21-22) The promise is given to those who believe.
a. (21) If the Law could’ve made anyone righteous, it would have. BUT LIFE DOESN’T COME THROUGH THE LAW.
b. Death, condemnation, sorrow… that’s legalism.
c. (22) The Bible confines everyone under sin.
NOTE: A few years ago, a man by the name of Thomas Harris wrote an incredibly popular book entitled, “I’m OK, You’re OK”. MANY VARIATIONS SINCE THEN:
• “I’m not OK, You’re not Ok, and That’s OK!”
• “God’s OK – You’re OK?”
• “OK, So you’re different” AND THEN THERE’S
• “I’m OK, even if you’re NOT!”
• But the Bible says that we are NOT OK… We need Jesus.
APP: That’s why I believe it’s important to use the Law when sharing the Gospel. To provide the righteous standard of God’s rule which reveals just how far we’ve fallen short.
• Folks understand that’s it’s hopeless without Jesus… who weep because their sin has broken God’s heart…
2. GALATIANS (3:23-25) The Law was our tutor until Jesus came.
a. (23-24) Law served a purpose. It kept us and schooled us.
NOTE: In Greek & Roman homes, a child was given over to the full authority of a tutor, or a teacher until he/she grew up.
This tutor was a slave employed by Greek or Roman families whose duty was to supervise young boys on behalf of their parents. They took their young charges to and from school, made sure they studied their lessons, and trained them in obedience. They were strict disciplinarians, scolding and whipping when needed.
The role of the tutor was never permanent and it was a great day of deliverance when the boy finally gained their adult freedoms.
• There came a time though when the child grew up & the tutor was no longer needed.
• That’s what the Law does… I’ve shown you your need, now you have to go to the cross.
• That’s all the Law can do… show me my need for Jesus so that I might be justified by faith!
• (25) But after faith has come… no more need for the tutor.
THE LAW & LEGALISM doesn’t save… ONLY Faith in Jesus does.
• Flip over to Matthew 5:17 as we close…
• Many come here and say look, Jesus didn’t come to end the Law.
• This is so twisted today… it’s used to defend keeping the Sabbath, to all sorts of rules, rituals, etc.
• Jesus came under the Law, living in the Law, fulfilling the Law!
• He is the LAW KEEPER & The RIGHTEOUSNESS GIVER!
• 2 Corinthians 3:5-8, Hebrews 8:7-8, 8:13
This helps us greatly to understand Romans 3:31.
• The purpose of the Law is to point out sin, to get your attention and show you how much you need the righteousness of God apart from the Law!
• The purpose of the Law is that every mouth be shut so that man might look to Jesus Christ for help.
By proclaiming the wonderful gospel of Grace, we don’t lead anyone to live loose lives. We’re not giving people permission to sin.
• Grace is not a cloak for sin like Peter said.
• What I know and see and understand is how powerful the love and grace of Jesus Christ really is. It melts a person. It softens.
• The unmerited favor of God breaks down your heart!
And so we live… the same way were saved… by grace, thru faith.
Ephesians 2:8-10 (NKJV) 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
SO it makes sense doesn’t it when Paul says we establish the Law by our faith… it did what God wanted it to do… show us how important the cross is because of our inability to do anything to but believe in Jesus to please Him!
• By faith we establish the Law because it shows us just how much we need Jesus Christ.
• And when we love God w/ our heart, soul, and mind, our lives reflect His holiness and His morality… He alone gets the glory!
