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 we are blessed here by NOT having a formal Bible education to follow - just a simple faith and trust in the KJB has allowed God to continue to steer us within this little church.  Much of this information is a result of a book written by Doug Stauffer on Rightly Dividing.  Thanks to his guidance and to his writings - this has been a great eye-opening series for many of us - I hope for you too.

Then in the second sermon, we looked at the wrong way Bible Believers tend to look at the law.  Because we have learned that we are delivered from the law, and that we are dead to the law and are no longer under the law, many Bible Believers have grown to think the law is 'void' and that is has no purpose these days.  That conclusion is totally contrary to what Paul preaches & teaches thus it is a wrong conclusion for this dispensation - the Church Age!

In the third sermon, we saw why so many folks have such a hard time with rightly dividing their Bible and why they have trouble dealing with dispensations.

Yes, as a Bible Believing Christian, we know that we are no longer under the law as the law has done it's job. It showed me that I was a sinner and that I needed Christ - that my own works just couldn't cut it!   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. Galatians 3:24,25

But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.  Romans 4:5

• ...because Jesus says so in those red letter portions of your Bible?
• ...are you just following Peter's gospel...
• ...Paul's gospel...
• ...Moses
• ...James?
• How about John in I, II, III John - Revelation?
• To earn your salvation?
• To keep your salvation?
• To suffer now so that you can reign later?
• Have you been 'taught' to walk clean & right by your parents, pastor, books or brethren?
• Are you concerned about your eternal inheritance & rewards?
• Do you try to get away from the wicked culture of your family's past?
• Are you afraid that you may have a bleak future if you don't walk clean and right?
• Are you trying to prove a point to someone?  You know, in their face with your good works...?
• Are you struggling to keep a relationship - with your wife/husband - a special friend - in your family?
• Does walking right make you feel good?  Is it Peace or is it Pride?
• Do you get paid to walk right?
• Are you giving obedience to the Book...
• Are you giving obedience to the church standards and teachings?
• Do you try to walk right just because you love God?
• And... maybe as you consider those very same reasons as above, you probably see plenty of hypocrites, so that gives you an excuse that keeps you from doing right - you wouldn't want to be a hypocrite, too, eh?

We have been asking that question since we were little!  We are the rebellious generation that has led today's generation to such violent wickedness & perversion!  My generation rebelled with jeans and long hair on men, alcohol, rock music, sex and today they rebel with drugs, no clothes, short hair on liberated women, massively perverted behaviour & 'lifestyles,' outwardly Satanic music and body piercing!  We are truly living in perilous times!!!

We know that God hasn't changed and that Jesus Christ hasn't changed!  But times have changed and the way God works with our dispensation is different than the one before us.  We have seen that the purpose of the law truly has changed.

Old Testament Purpose
Under the Old Testament, the main purpose of the law was to affect the Jew's relationship with God.  It is the schoolmaster today that leads Jews and everyone to God through Christ as it showed people their true sinful condition.

Church Age Purpose
But now during this the Church Age and with Christians, the main purpose of the law affects our relationship not with God but with ...

What?  Are we now heading off into the "Love Gospel?"  Are we going to start putting people before God - are we going to claim I John 4:19 as in the NIV Bible?  No, not at all!  Not even for a second!

Paul repeatedly says that loving others as much as we love ourselves is the way we fulfill the law today.  This is the new purpose of the law.

For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Galatians 5:14

And we are to do those new GOOD WORKS because we are to love others as we love ourselves!

But regarding God Himself, He has not only given us His righteousness, He has MADE US His righteousness.  II Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.  See the chart on I Am a Wonderful Work of God!

Because of our God-given desire to fulfill the law by loving one another as stated in verses 8 & 10, we are to do verse 9.  Paul says, for this... because we love others, we are to keep the commandments of the law (Don't forget about the fact that Paul leaves one out!!!).

We must now understand that the PURPOSE of considering any application of the law to the church is NOT in order to "BECOME righteous!"  It is now because we ARE righteous in God's eyes!  It is NOT for fear of Hell or punishment, but it is ENTIRELY out of the love we are to have for one another.

As He showed us HIS love to us, we should show it to others. We love him, because he first loved us shows that they may love us because we first loved them - they will see God's love because we showed it to them first in our testimony towards them - as did Jesus Christ.

We must show the joy of being MADE HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS to others because we love them - as did HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS Jesus Christ did for us - we should do for others!

We should keep the law as Paul preaches it for "our neighbours sake" - displaying a good testimony to a lost, hell-bound, dying world and as a testimony to a saved, backslidden Body of Christ - we have done that for ourselves AND now we need to do it for others!

Here are some good verses to consider as you prayerfully meditate on thyself - these will preach to you if you let the Holy Spirit have his way with your heart!

II Corinthians 13:5  Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves.  Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

Romans 6:11  Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Galatians 6:1  Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

I Timothy 3:15  But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

I Timothy 4:7  But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.

I Timothy 4:15,16  Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.  Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.  There are the "others"!!!

I Timothy 5:22  Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men's sins: keep thyself pure.

I Timothy 6:5  Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.

II Timothy 2:15  Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Titus 2:7 (to young men)  In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,

It's even in James 2:8 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:  In fact, it is also in the Gospels - Matthew 19:19; 22:39; Mark 12:31; Luke 10:27.  Like James calls it, the royal law!  It seems to be everywhere in the dispensations, eh!  No wonder the modern Christian gets it mixed up as THEE Gospel, though!  It is how you fulfill the law AFTER you are no longer under the law, not before!  It is too bad, though, that most of their testimony towards others is better than many truly saved folks!

Jude 20,21 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

I Corinthians 9:27  But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

I Corinthians 14:19 Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.

Philippians 2:4  Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

I Thessalonians 4:9  But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.

I Thessalonians 5:11  Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.

I Timothy 5:20 Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.

II Timothy 2:2  And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.

Hebrews 13:3  Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.

I Peter 4:8  And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.

Jude 22,23  And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.

Then we have that complete set of verses on how we are to care for each other as brethren!

God says that we don't know it but we are really wretched, miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked - but He still tells us what to do about it.

Maybe we can quit thinking that we are rich and increased with goods, and have need of nothing... and we can start thinking more of others instead of ourselves as that is the real purpose of the law!