Peter, Paul or Mary

This is one of a few sermons that has turned into a short series of sermons - showing more of our direction here at Touchet.  Once again, I believe I am blessed by NOT having a formal Bible education - just faith and trust in the Book has allowed God to continue to steer us here in this little church.

Establishing the Law
Do we then make void the law through faith?
God forbid: yea, we establish the law.
Romans 3:31
Review:
Now that we have seen over and over that we are dead to the law and delivered from the law...
Romans 7:4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.  Romans 7:6 But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter... does the law fit anywhere in our lives, and if so, where?

Remember:
Our sin has been taken away!
Our sins are not imputed to us!
The body of sin is destroyed!
We are freed from sin!
Sin cannot revive!
We are free from the law of sin and death!
We are cleansed from sins!
Our sins are washed away!
We are freed from sin!
Sin can not have dominion over us!
We are not servants to sin!
We have an advocate!
Christ became sin for us!
We are born of God!
We are alive unto God!
We now are to live unto God!
Our life is hid with Christ in God!
We are not under the law!

We truly have been made free!
(That is the big difference being set free and being made free! - We are not set free, yet!)

See the entire sermon in that regard at Sin No Longer an Issue if you have not come to that conclusion yet.

So Then, What About 'the Law?'

There appears to be three common ways of looking at "the law."

The first group is a carnal group of Christians who says there is no law  are folks who tend to over-emphasize the difficulties with their flesh (constantly quoting Romans 7 as an excuse - you know, it is the sin that dwelleth within so I can't do anything about it).  It becomes increasingly easier for these Christians to justify the sins of the flesh because the old nature is still alive, etc.  You have heard them and maybe even said it to yourself - It is the sin that dwelleth within and so because I can't do anything about it, there is no point in trying to be concerned about the law!  This is a carnal group of Christians - just living the world as it pleases them!

The second group is the religious bunch who look to the law for their daily walk as preached to them by their minister, etc. - but they have folks who 'fall away' from God once the man doing the preaching and the function of the Holy Spirit in that person's life no longer influences his life. Their life is a 'do-don't do' life.

This life of bondage is a result of following a man!  This person always needed somebody or somebody's book to tell them 'what to do!'  This group preaches and teaches the law in a form of legalism as it produces very weak followers who always need someone telling them where to go, what to look at, what to wear, how to talk, how to train their kids, etc. etc.

The third group of folks are ones who I call the "Beatitudinal Christians" - these folks tend to follow Peter and get really caught up in the Old Testament & Gospel Law regarding their daily walk.  The Sermon on the Mount is the Gospel of today's modern ecumenical Christian!  This group has become the holiness group of today's Christianity.  Some are saved, but if it is a doctrine that they have believed in their heart, it is a deceiving doctrine and their salvation could very well be an imitation one.

These folks walk a confused testimony because the sermon on the mount can not be walked 'as written' today.  They walk a walk of humanistic love, not a true Biblical love.  These are the ecumenical wishy washy judgmental KJV Bible hating physical kingdom-building God-loves-all type of people.  They are tolerant of everyone EXCEPT the KJV Bible Believer!

We need to see that all THREE groups are wrong
in their regard to the law!

Because the law was originally given to the children of Israel, it is understandable that many would believe it has very little or no application to the church today.  But as is everything that is confusing to people, it is because they err not knowing the Scriptures - especially the "rightly divided" Scriptures.
The Law is Not Void

Consider this:  As the Book says, God did end the law, but did He make it "void?"  To consider the law 'void' would contradict Paul's writing in Romans 3:31. Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.

Paul doesn't say the law has become void, he says we establish the law.  By definition, establish means "to make firm; to confirm; to ratify that which has been previously set or made."

To make the law void, it would mean that the law "has no legal or binding force."

Most people, including Christians, don't want to have the 'law' around.  They don't want rules for living.  They will even ignore & reject this sermon in my attempt to present the truth concerning application of the law to their personal daily walk with God.  Most folks consider the law to be outdated and obsolete and not necessary since Jesus Christ died and rose again - thus making the law void in their eyes.  (This is also how they 'raise' their children.  "Train up a child" means there must be some 'rules' in training, etc.)

But how would those folks then explain I Timothy 1:8?  But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully.  It is GOOD if used lawfully?

We need to always remember Paul states that
the law still has binding force (it is not void) and
that we are to establish (confirm) the law.

Yes, some folks have even accused my preaching on the law as being merely an attempt by me to take away their liberty and put them in bondage.  They use Galatians 5:17 in their claim. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

But let's go on ... Paul is every clear about the law in regards to a Bible Believer!

Purpose of the Law

So, what does Paul mean when he says that we are not under the law, but that we are to establish the law?

Could the answer lie in the fact that the purpose of the law has changed and that we are not under the law in the same sense as Israel was?

Before Christ died on the cross, if a man could keep every part of the law, he would be considered righteous.  If he did not keep the law, then he could be and would be punished. When they were under the law, a person's own righteousness could have been established by keeping the whole law.  James 2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

However, the only one ever able to fulfill the whole law was the Lord Jesus Christ.  The scripture reveals in Philippians 3:9 that the Lord Jesus Christ eliminated any possibility of a person being made righteous 'by the law.' And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

So now in the church age (today), anyone seeking to establish "his own righteousness" by keeping the law is lost and will remain lost forever.  To be saved, one must receive the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ.

When the sinner receives God's righteousness (Jesus Christ), he becomes righteous in God's eyes, having all sins washed away, his flesh cut away, etc. etc.

Now let's consider Romans 11:6  And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace.  But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. 

If something is 'no more,' it once was, but is no longer.

So, the first half of that verse refers to the transition from the law to the current church age.  During this age, salvation is no more of works.  Salvation once included works (under the law) but is no more of works during this Church age.

The second half of that verse will pertain to the Tribulation period still yet to come.  During this time, it will be "no more of grace."  In other words, it was once of absolute grace (Church age) but will be no more of grace (Tribulation)!

Simply put for us, we are NOT under the law.  Even IF a person could keep all of the law today, those works would have no part in his salvation. Galatians 2:16,21 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified...  I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

Paul clearly teaches that a person cannot become righteous by keeping the law - that is the Old Testament purpose of the law.  We know the law cannot justify.

Unfortunately, more and more Christians are becoming convinced that because God will not send a Christian to Hell for breaking the law, there is then no need to be concerned about the law at all even when saved!

The end of the law... - Apply This to Our Lives Today!

So now how about the part where it does say that Christ is the END of the law?  Considering what effect the death of the Lord Jesus Christ had on the law will help us better understand the application of the law in our lives today.

Romans 10 clearly reveals how the law was affected by the death of Jesus Christ.  Yes, He ended the law, however, the scripture does not stop there.

To what extent did Christ end the law?  The answer: He ended the law for righteousness.  Romans 10:4  For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

More and more Christians believe that Jesus just simply ended the law - no!  Christ ended the law for righteousness.  For the Old Testament, the persons own righteousness was extremely important; but for the Church Age, the law has absolutely nothing to do with a person's righteousness!  Christ ended the law for righteousness, but the law is not ENDED!

Today, if anyone attempts to keep every part of the law for his righteousness, he will still be damned to hell without the Lord Jesus Christ, no matter how righteous the person is while attempting to keep the law.  Read the whole context of the first four verses - 10:1-4  Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
Following the death of Jesus Christ, the nation of Israel continued trying to establish its own righteousness through the law.  Peter didn't help the cause at first, either.  Paul plainly indicates that neither they nor anyone else could establish their own righteousness.

Righteousness today ONLY comes through Jesus Christ - exactly as how Paul preaches is, not as early Peter did.  Romans 4:5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.  It is no more of works.  The Lord Jesus Christ ended the law for righteousness.

Attempting to keep the works of the law in order to be righteous and acceptable does NOTHING for a person today.  NOTHING!

Ephesians 2:8-10 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

So it DOES look like there is a new purpose for the law to a Christian today, eh!

So, if you are saved, the Law has done it's job...
...and now you are no longer under the law!
Galatians 3:24,25 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

But now, as a Christian, we must establish the law!

And how do we do that?

That's in the next sermon.

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