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 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.

The Old Testament Law vs the Christians Law
Review

Now we have seen the purpose of the Law change from the Old Testament Jew to a Christian in the New Testament.

Romans 13:8-10 Owe no man any thing, 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 bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

Introduction
NOW, as a Christian, we need to determine HOW the law should affect our walk with God.  Once our relationship with the Lord is settled at the moment of salvation - and as we have 'learned' about that first round of blessings - our desire grows and grows in regards to telling others about the Saviour.

In fact, look at what follows directly in verses 11-14!
And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

Too many times we tend to lose sight of our calling towards others and instead spend most of our time arguing over 'pet doctrines.'

It is time to wake up - and get busy telling AND showing folks what you have learned about and with that Book!

Can We Ever Be Overzealous?
However, in our zeal for truth, we can all too easily forget that God called each and every one of us to be a servant to others!  It is great learning about that first round of blessing - learning about that new creature ME!  But let's not keep it to ourselves!

I Corinthians 8:1 Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.
I Corinthians 8:11 And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?
I Corinthians 15:34 Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.
II Corinthians 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
II Peter 1:1-11 Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

God surely wants us to take His stuff to 'Show and Tell' with our friends and neighbours - doing so fulfills the law!

Understand the right LOVE I am talking about!
By the way, this "love" that I am talking about is not that wishy washy modern slobbery humanistic love of everyone that eminates from the gospels. It is not the "mushy-tearful-sing with me & send me money love" of the televangelists, psychiatrists, and psychologists, movie stars for Jesus, etc.;  I have no doubt that the spirit of America these days is the spirit of antichrist!

The love that I am talking about is the love of the Bible which is the fulfillment of the law - telling AND showing folks the TRUTH.
Ephesians 4:15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
I John 3:18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

We Now Have Liberty to Serve One Another, NOT to the flesh!
Galatians 5:13,14  For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

God uses Paul to directly link the law with loving our neighbor.

The way this works is rather simple: The manner in which we live our life directly affects the lives of others.

Because of our love for one another, we should do certain things and refrain from doing certain others.

Few things are more regrettable than a bad testimony that results in others' stumbling in their walk with the Lord.  Have your neighbours, friends, workers, etc. seen your testimony falter?

Our unconcern for others will be reflected in our walk and testimony. Since our walk best demonstrates our love for our friends & neighbours, our testimony serves as the best evidence of his love.

We can 'say' to them what we should say,
but we MUST back it up by what we DO FOR THEM!

Be sure to grasp these two interconnected truths.
The key to the law is to love your neighbor!
The key to fulfilling the law is not to walk after the flesh.

Romans 8:4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Only those Christians walking after the Spirit and not after the flesh can fulfill the righteousness of the law. This is true because Christians walking after the flesh cannot love their neighbor as the law requires.

(note:  walking IN the flesh refers to an unsaved person without the operation made without hands.  See Romans 7:5; 8:3,8,9.  Walking AFTER the flesh [Romans 8:1,4,5] refers to doing 'wrong' - but not sin, etc.  Be sure to read Christians Don't Sin in God's Eyes)

Walking after the flesh adversely affects so many areas of life.

A Christian walking after the flesh:

  • will not witness as he should;
  • He will not submit to God's authority;
  • His overall testimony before others will be negative.

    • One cannot simultaneously serve his flesh and serve others. During the Church Age, men are to keep the law" not so they can get to heaven, but out of love one for another.
    Please understand that the purpose of considering any application of the law to the Church is not in order to become righteous. It is not for fear of hell or punishment, but entirely out of the love we are to have for one another. The law should impact a person's relationship with others. Those who absolutely reject any application of the law generally have problems treating others according to the teachings of scripture. Simply speaking, we are to keep the law for our neighbor's sake - displaying a good testimony to a lost, hell-bound, dying world. We are also to keep the law as testimony to a saved, backslidden Body of Christ.  D. Stauffer
    The Old Testament Law and the Church Age Law

    Those people familiar with the law might wonder how to keep the law during this Church Age, especially since portions of the law are contrary to God's instructions to the Church.

    God never leaves us without explanation. The most important point to remember when considering Church Age application of the law is the following concept: thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

    The Old Testament Law was to show your love towards God!  Things have changed!

    God gives further guidance in First Timothy to help make things clear for us. We are to use the law only as it lines up with the epistles Paul has written to the Church. The clearest explanation comes from the following passage. I Timothy 1:8-11 But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind or menstealers or liars or perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine; According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.

    The middle verses (verses 9 and 10) list the persons for whom God made the law. Yet, these verses (9 and 10) are a secondary thought, occurring between the two portions of the main thought of the passage. The main theme of the passage is communicated in verses 8,11.

    To more clearly understand the concept God is conveying, the reader needs to skip over the secondary thought and read verses 8,11 together. We then read that. . . the law is good, if a man uses it lawfully... according to the gospel committed to my trust. (Remember, Paul was the author here)

    Paul tells us ... the law is good, if a man use it lawfully. . . according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.

    What About the Ordinances Under the law?

    The thirteen Church Age epistles that bear Paul's name as the first word (Romans through Philemon) must be considered first in order to know what God expects from us concerning the law.

    Keeping this in mind, let us examine a few of Paul's instructions concerning the law.

    Ephesians 2:13-15 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.  For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

    Paul says the Lord abolished something. What is it that the Lord abolished? The law? Read the passage again. Paul says God abolished the law of commandments contained in ordinances. The verse does not say that He abolished the law itself.

    No matter how hard one searches, he will not find a single place where Paul tells the Church that the law, all-inclusive, has been abolished or ended. God does say the ordinances are gone. These ordinances would include Sabbath days, holy days, special meats, drinks, circumcision, etc.

    Ordinances were first mentioned in the Old Testament... see Exodus 18:20; Leviticus 18:4; Ezekiel 11:20, etc.

    Concerning the law as preached by Paul, we establish it and we are to use it lawfully.

    Keeping the law cannot and will not save a person; however, nowhere does Paul say we can ignore the law or that it has been abolished.  We are to establish it!

    Colossians gives further instruction concerning ordinances. This passage  clearly points out the effect that the crucifixion had upon the law.

    Colossians 2:14-16 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;  And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.  Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:

    The Old Testament ordinances "died" with the Lord; therefore, God no longer allows any
    one to judge another person for eating pork or catfish, or for not observing Sabbath or holy days. Anyone who tries to put a person under the ordinances of the law is a hypocrite and is giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils.
    I Timothy 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils, Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;  Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.

    Although many "religious" organizations ignore this passage, God says it is a doctrine of a devil for someone to forbid marriage, or to command to abstain from meats for religious purposes. These groups are giving heed to seducing spirits.

    The book of First Corinthians clarifies Paul's God-given position for determining the ordinances of the Church. God leads Paul to give us particular instructions about the ordinances.

    I Corinthians 11:1 Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you.

    Ok, what ARE the ordinances that Paul has delivered to us?

    That's in the next sermon!

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