THE THREEFOLD FUNCTION OF THE LAW OF GOD
LAW IS A PHENOMENON THAT APPLIES TO ALL DIMENSIONS OF OUR LIVES: PHYSICAL LAWS OF NATURE- POSITIVE LAWS OF SOCIETY - IMPERATIVES OF HUMAN MORALITY - AND EVEN DIVINE LAWS OF REVELATION.
THESE LAWS ALL HAVE FIXED FUNCTIONS WHICH INTERACT WITH ALL OUR LIVES – TO LOSE THE LAWS OF GRAVITY OR TO DISEMBARK FROM THE LAWS OF HUMAN MORALITY TO NEGATE THE LAWS FOUND IN DIVINE REVELATION WOULD BRING US INTO UTTER DISORDER AND ULTIMATE DESTRUCTION. THESE LAWS ARE CONSTANT THEY HAVE FUNCTION AND PURPOSE TO OUR EVERY DAY LIVING.
YOU MIGHT BE THINKING THE LAW OF GOD HAS NO JURISDICTION OVER MY LIFE, MAYBE YOUR A NON BELIEVER AND YOU THINK GODS LAW SERVES NO FUNCTION TO YOU (THINK AGAIN). MAYBE YOUR A BELIEVER AND YOU THINK THAT THE LAW HAS NO PURPOSE IN YOUR LIFE BECAUSE CHRIST FULFILLED THE LAW (THINK AGAIN) JESUS HIMSELF LAID GREAT EMPHASIS UPON THE LAW OF GOD......
• MATT 5:17-19. NOT TO ABOLISH BUT TO FULFIL THE LAW (THE WORKS OF THE LAW) CHRIST FULFILLED THE WORKS OF THE LAW – WE ARE NOT SAVED THROUGH A COVENANT OF WORKS - WE COULD NEVER DO IT – CHRIST HAS DONE IT THIS IS WHAT HE HAS FULFILLED. AS A RESULT WE ARE CALLED TO LIVE IN OBEDIENCE TO THE LAW AS IT REVEALS THE WILL OF GOD FOR US 1JHN5:3.
ROM 8:4 THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE LAW SHOULD BE FULFILLED IN OUR LIVES AS WE LIVE BY THE SPIRIT. ROM 13:9. WE ARE HELD RESPONSIBLE TO KEEP THE LAW .
JAMES .2: 8 - 11 THOSE WHO TRANSGRESS THE LAW JUST ON ONE POINT IS A TRANSGRESSOR OF ALL THE LAW .
1JHN 3:4, 5:3. JOHN DEFINES SIN AS LAWLESSNESS (BREAKING LAW) AND SAYS IF WE LOVE GOD WE WILL KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS.
THE LAWS. ARE FOUND IN THE (TORAH – 5 BOOKS OF OT ) AND CAN BE SPLIT INTO THREE AREAS:
A) CEREMONIAL LAW: PRIESTHOOD – SACRIFICAL ( CONTAINED SYMBOLIC RITES AND CEREMONIES WHICH POINTED TO SOMETHING GREATER – CHRIST THE LAMB OF GOD) WHO FULFILLED AND ABOLISHED THESE OT LAWS. COL 2:14 -17 - EPH 2:14 -16 THE CEREMONIAL LAW IS OBSELATE.
B) CIVIL/JUDICIAL LAW: THESE EXPIRED WHEN THEY CEASED TO BE A NATION - NOT BINDING UPON US TODAY AS THEY WERE PARTICULAR LAWS TO THE NATION ISRAEL AT THAT TIME. YET THE UNDERLYING VALUES OF JUSTICE AND FAIRNESS CONTINUE TO BE APPLICABLE TO ALL NATIONS AND CAN BE FOUND DEEPLY EMBEDEAD IN CIVIL LAWS OF MOST SOCIETIES. 1COR 9:8-10
C) THE MORAL LAW: GIVEN AT MOUNT SINAI IN THE FORM OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS (DEUT 10:4) THE MORAL LAW CONSISTS OF OUR DUTY TO GOD(1-4) AND OUR DUTY TO ONE ANOTHER (6-10) IT IS THIS LAW THAT EVER CALLS EVERYONE TO OBEDIENCE – IT’S A UNIVERSAL LAW FOR ALL WHETHER BELIEVER OR NOT - THIS IS THE LAW CHRIST FULFILLED AND CALLS US TO FOLLOW IN HIS FOOT STEPS – IT HAS NOT BEEN ABOLISHED – IN KEEPING WE ACTUALLY SHOW OUR LOVE FOR GOD AND OUR LOVE FOR OUR NEIGHBOR. THE TWO GREATEST COMMANDMENTS
TODAY I WANT TO UNPACK THE THREE MAIN FUNCTIONS OF THE LAW OF GOD.... HOW IT WORKS STILL TODAY IN OUR LIVES WHOEVER YOU ARE THIS IS WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT TO SEE…..
1ST USE OF THE LAW : A NATURAL FUNCTION. GEN 2:17 - ROM 2:14-15.
• HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED WHERE HUMAN BEINGS HAVE GOT THEIR INBUILT AWARENESS OF THE DIVINE, THE DEEP SENSE OF MORALITY THE UNIVERSAL UNDERSTANDING OF JUSTICE AND RIGHTEOUSNESS BEING WORKED OUT IN THE WORLD FROM?
• IT APPEARS TO BE INTRINSIC IN ALL HUMANS…… DESPITE THE FLAWS…. IF WE HAVE JUST EVOLVED - WE ARE JUST ANOTHER ANIMAL…. HOW WOULD PEOPLE EVER MANAGE TO CO- EXIST TOGETHER IF WE HAD EVOLVED.
THE ORIGINS – A UNIVERSAL LAW
I WANT TO SAY FROM WIN THE BEGINNING GOD GAVE ADAM A UNIVERSAL LAW WHICH WAS WRITTEN IN HIS HEART , THIS LAW HAD SPECIFIC INSTRUCTION GEN:2:17 BY THIS INSTRUCTION ALL HUMANITY WAS BOUND TO TOTAL PERPETUAL OBEDIENCE ROM10:5 THE FULFILLMENT OF WHICH WAS ETERNAL LIFE THE REJECTION OF WHICH IS ETERNAL DEATH. ADAM WAS ENDUED WITH POWER TO KEEP IT – YET SADLY HE FAILED.
AFTER THE FALL THE MORAL LAW WAS DELIVERED BY GOD TO MOSES ON MOUNT SINAI UPON TWO STONE TABLETS (10 COMMANDMENTS) . THIS MORAL LAW CONSISTS OF OUR DUTY TO GOD(1-4) AND OUR DUTY TO ONE ANOTHER (6-10) (DEUT 10:4) THAT SAME LAW WHICH WAS WRITTEN UPON THE HEART OF ADAM AND THEN GIVEN TO MOSES IN THE FORM OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS IS WRITTEN ON EVERY HUMAN HEART .DESPITE OUR FALLEN NATURE AND ENABLES US TO CO-EXIST AND FUNCTION.
• ROM 2:14-15. MUST READ
• THIS 1ST USE OF THE LAW RESTRAINS SIN AND PROMOTES RIGHTEOUSNESS. (NATURAL LAW)
IT SEEN IN THE FACT THAT PEOPLE HAVE AN INBUILT AWARENESS OF GOD AND A MORAL CODE GIVEN TO ONE ANOTHER AS HUMAN BEINGS IN THE ORDER OF CREATION. EVEN WITH THOSE WHO ARE UNREGENERATE – THIS NATURAL FUNCTION CAN BE KNOWN OUTSIDE OF ANY SPECIAL WORD OF REVELATION FROM THE BIBLE.
THIS CONSTANT CORE OF MORALITY IN ALL HUMAN BEINGS IS A SIGN THAT GOD IS ACTIVE IN HUMAN SOCIETY IN THE NATURAL PURPOSES OF OUR EVERYDAY LIVES. IT IS GOD’S MORAL LAW WRITTEN UPON THEIR HEARTS IS OFTEN THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND PEOPLES LIVES AS THEY MAKE DEMANDS UPON EACH OTHER AS THEY LIVE IN COMMUNITY TOGETHER AND THOSE NEGATIVE IMMORAL UNJUST ABUSES ARE ALL PART OF OUR FALLEN NATURE.
THE DRIVING FORCE WHETHER LAWS ARE GOOD OR RIGHT IS THE IDEA OF JUSTICE – THE CORE OF WHICH IS CARE FOR OUR NEIGHBOR AND THE COMMON GOOD OF ALL. JUSTICE IS THE FORM THAT LOVE TAKES IN THE SOCIAL LIFE. THE WHOLE LAW IS SUMMARIZED IN THE COMMAND TO LOVE OUR NEIGHBOR AS WE LOVE OURSELVES…….
BY AND LARGE THIS WHAT SOCIETIES SEEKS TO DO - DESPITE THE BLIPS – BUT ITS ONLY BECAUSE GOD HAS WRITTEN THIS UNIVERSAL LAW IS WRITTEN UPON EVERY HUMAN HEARTS - AND THIS IS WHY THERE IS CONCERN TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND RESTRAIN SIN IN THE WORLDS TODAY.
THIS IS WHAT WE NEED TO BE ASKING OTHERS ABOUT - IF WE HAVE JUST EVOLVED - AND JUST ANOTHER ANIMAL – WHERE IS IT WE HAVE GOT OUR SENSE OF MORALITY - JUSTICE - LOVE ALL FROM THE ANSWER IS BECAUSE IT IS A A CONSTANT LAW OF GOD WRITTEN UPON ALL OUR HEARTS AND SO MEN AND WOMEN ARE WITHOUT EXCUSE……
THE 2ND USE OF THE LAW:A DIAGNOSTIC FUNCTION. GAL:3:22-24,ROM 3:20
SO WE HAVE SEEN THAT 1ST USE OF THE LAW NATURALLY WRITTEN IN ALL OUR HEARTS ITS UNIVERSAL, WHOEVER WE ARE, IT CALLS PEOPLE TO ACT JUSTLY IN OUR WORLD ENABLING US TO LIVE IN COMMUNITY TO AN EXTENT. WE NOW TURN TO THE 2ND USE OF THE LAW OF GOD - WHICH ACCUSES PEOPLE OF SIN, IT BURDENS , IT CONDEMNS THEIR CONSCIENCE AND DRIVES THEM TO DESPAIR.
• LUTHER SAID, “THE LAW ALWAYS ACCUSES.”
THE FUNCTION OF THESE ACCUSATIONS IS THAT IT MIGHT DRAW PEOPLE TO THE PROBLEM OF THEIR SIN AND THE ANTIDOTE OF CHRIST. JUST AS CHRIST IS THE FULFILLMENT OF THE OT TORAH HE IS THE FULFILLMENT OF THE LAW IN EVERY BELIEVERS LIFE.
THIS 2ND PURPOSE IS AN EVANGELICAL PURPOSE - IT CONFRONTS HUMAN BEINGS WITH THE NAKED TRUTH ABOUT THEMSELVES IN RELATION TO GOD ( WE’VE NOT LOVED GOD) TO THEIR NEIGHBORS AND TO THEMSELVES (WE HAVE ALL SINNED IN OUR LIVES).
THE FUNCTION IS PURPOSE OF THE LAW IS DIAGNOSTIC.
• I REMEMBER ONCE MY CAR WAS NOT RUNNING QUITE RIGHT - I CHOSE TO IGNORE IT THINKING IT MIGHT GO AWAY – BUT IT DIDN’T - I REMEMBER THE NEXT DAY OPENING THE BONNET FIDDLING WITH THE WIRES AND SO ON - YET THE PROBLEM STILL PERSISTED - SO I TOOK IT INTO THE GARAGE – THEY RAN A FREE DIAGNOSTIC CHECK UP. THEY CHECKED OVER 97 POINTS AND THEY FOUND THE PROBLEM SIMPLY A LITTLE SPRING VALVE WAS BLOCKED UP CAUSING THE CAR TO MALFUNCTION - IT WASN’T MUCH - BUT IT EFFECTED THE WHOLE CAR. I COULDN’T FIX THE PROBLEM MYSELF - I HAD NO IDEA BUT THE DIAGNOSTIC CHECK POINTED OUT THE FAULT AND ENABLED THE MECHANIC TO FIX IT – WHEN I HAD AGREED TO GO AHEAD WITH THE REPAIR
• IN THE SAME WAY IN OUR LIVES WE OFTEN RUN OUR LIVES WITH LITTLE FAULTS - WHICH BECOME BIG FAULTS WE IGNORE OR TRY TO FIX OURSELVES BUT ITS NOT UNTIL WE BRING OURSELVES UNDER THE LAW OF GOD WILL WE FIND THE REAL FAULT - AS IT BRINGS CONVICTION OF SIN, IT SHOWS OUR FAULTS ……
• GAL3:22-24 THE LAW LEADS US TO CHRIST.
PLEASE NOTE THE LAW OF GOD CANNOT FIX US – IT CAN ONLY DIAGNOSE OUR PROBLEM - IT CAN ONLY LEAD US TO CHRIST ONLY CHRIST CAN FIX US - BUT FIRST WE HAVE TO ACCEPT THE DIAGNOSIS THE LAW OF GOD BRINGS UPON YOUR LIFE AS SINNER AND ALLOW THE WORK OF CHRIST TO BE APPLIED TO OUR LIVES. IF THE VOICE OF THE LAW IS ACCUSATION - THE VOICE OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST IS CONSOLING.
BOTH ARE INTRINSICALLY BOUND TO ONE ANOTHER AND CANNOT COMPLETE ITS PURPOSE WITHOUT ONE ANOTHER….
• DR MARTIN LLOYD JONES WROTE - THE TROUBLE WITH PEOPLE, WHO ARE NOT SEEKING FOR A SAVIOR, AND FOR SALVATION, IS THAT THEY DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE NATURE OF SIN. IT IS A PECULIAR FUNCTION OF THE LAW TO BRING SUCH AN UNDERSTANDING TO A MANS MIND AND CONSCIENCE. THAT IS WHY GREAT EVANGELICAL PREACHERS 300 YEARS AGO IN THE TIME OF THE PURITANS, AND 200 YEARS AGO IN THE TIME OF WHITFIELD AND OTHERS, ALWAYS ENGAGED IN WHAT THEY CALLED A PRELIMINARY LAW WORK
C.H.SPURGEON SAID “THE LAW IS FOR THE SELF RIGHTEOUS TO HUMBLE THEIR PRIDE. THE GOSPEL IS FOR THE LOST TO REMOVE THEIR DESPAIR.”
BOTH ARE NEEDED: IF NOBODY WAS CONDEMNED, NOBODY WOULD NEED TO BE SAVED. IF THERE WAS NO LAW WE WOULD NOT NEED A GOSPEL. BUT THERE IS A LAW AND WE NEED A GOSPEL.
LIFE APPLICATION : OTHERS AND OURSELVES.
A) WHAT ARE WE TO SAY TO OTHERS? LET THE WORD OF GOD DO ITS WORK……… WE NEED TO LET THE DIAGNOSTIC WORK OF THE LAW BE APPLIED TO THOSE LIVES WE COME INTO CONTACT WITH OTHERWISE - PEOPLE WILL BE MERELY PROFESSORS OF FAITH AND NEVER THE GENUINE ARTICLE.
B) SELF EXAMINATION…. HAVE YOU ALLOWED THE LAW OF GOD TO DIAGNOSE YOUR CONDITION? HAVE YOU BEEN HUMBLED IN YOUR OWN HEART, COMING UNDER THE ACCUSATIONS OF THE WORD OF GOD? ITS THEN WE CAN TURN TO THE CONSOLING WORDS OF THE GOSPEL AS THE BALM TO HEAL YOUR WOUNDS OF SIN THROUGH THE BLOOD AND RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST?
3RD USE OF THE LAW. A DIDACTIC PURPOSE IN OUR LIVES. 2TIM 3:16
THIS SIMPLY RELATES TO ITS ABILITY TO TEACH AND TRAIN REGENERATE BELIEVERS IT DELIVERS AN ONGOING SANCTIFICATION IN THE SPIRIT IN THE LIFE OF A BELIEVER , IT LEADS TO HOLY LIVING A GREATER ASSURANCE AND SALVATION WHEN BELIEVERS ARE OBEDIENT TO THE LAW OF GOD.
• GOD BREATHED – STRESSES THE DIVINE ORIGIN THUS THE AUTHORITY OF SCRIPTURE - HENCE THE REASON THIS BOOK THE BIBLE UNLIKE ANY OTHER HAS THE AMAZING ABILITY TO TRANSFORM LIVES BY DIAGNOSING SIN - LEADING SINNERS TO CHRIST - AND HAS THE ONGOING ABILITY TO TEACH AND TRAIN SO THAT THE MAN/WOMAN OF GOD BECOMES THOROUGHLY EQUIPPED FOR EVERY GOOD WORK.
DIDACTIC PURPOSES IN OUR LIVES
• IT INFORMS - US UPON THE WILL OF GOD AS INDIVIDUALS AND AS A CHURCH. 2TIM 3:16 ALL SCRIPTURE IS BREATHED OUT BY GOD AND PROFITABLE FOR TERACHING, FOR REPROOF, FOR CORRECTION AND FOR TRAINING IN RIGHTEOUSNESS
• IT RESTRAINS US FROM SINFUL TENDENCIES PSALM119:11 I HAVE HIDDEN YOUR WORD IN MY HEART THAT I MIGHT NOT SIN AGAINST YOU
• IT CALLS US TO WORSHIP AND SERVE GOD - RATHER THAN ANYTHING ELSE . MATT4:10 IT IS WRITTEN YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD AND HIM ONLY SHALL YOU SERVE.
• IT ENABLES US TO TEACH – TRAIN AND DISCIPLE – WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THE CHURCH ACTS 2:42 AND THEY DEVOTED THEMSELVES TO THE APOSTLES TEACHING
• IT ENCOURAGES US WITH PRECIOUS PROMISES TO THOSE WHO ARE IN CHRIST. JHN 3:18 WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM IS NOT CONDEMNED
• IT WARNS US OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF THOSE NOT IN CHRIST . BUT WHOEVER DOES NOT BELIEVE IS CONDEMNED ALREADY BECAUSE HE HAS NOT BELIEVED IN THE NAME OF THE ONLY SON OF GOD..
HERESEY - ANTINOMIANISM – AGAINST THE LAW – BORN AGAIN - BUT THIS IS UNTRUE TO SCRIPTURE AND CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE.
SOME MAY CHARGE US WITH LEGALISM IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE - BUT AS BELIEVERS WE ARE CALLED TO A NEW OBEDIENCE - THROUGH THE PREACHING OF THE WHOLE COUNSEL OF GOD LAW AND GOSPEL . THE NEW OBEDIENCE IS NOT CONFORMITY TO AN EXTERNAL CODE OF PRINCIPLES - BUT TO CHRIST - WHO IS AN EXAMPLE TO US… WHO FULFILLED THE LAW OF WORKS FOR US … WE CANNOT BUT WE CAN FOLLOW HIM.
• IMAGINE A ROPE JUNGLE BRIDGE (LAW) WE MUST CROSS – WE COULD NEVER DO IT OURSELVES – BUT WE HAVE A GUIDE WHO GOES BEFORE US (CHRIST) HE HAS CROSSED THE BRIDGE BEFORE - ALTHOUGH WE COULD NEVER MANAGE OURSELVES – BUT WITH THE GUIDE – HE FILLS US WITH CONFIDENCE IN HIM NOT OUR OWN ABILITIES TO DO IT – HE’S STEPPED OVER BEFORE – SO WE FIX OUR EYES UPON HIM NOT THE BRIDGE AND WE CROSS OVER FOLLOWING IN HIS STEPS. 1PETER 2:”21 HE LEFT US AN EXAMPLE TO FOLLOW IN HIS STEPS. 1JHN 5:1-3 : IF YOU LOVE GOD YOU WILL OBEY MY COMMANDMENTS….
IN SUMMING UP THE MORAL LAW OF GOD HAS A NATURAL FUNCTION IN THE HEART OF EVERY HUMAN BEING ON THE FACE OF THIS PLANET RESTRAINING SIN AND SEEKING JUSTICE IN COMMUNITY - WHETHER THEY KNOW IT OR NOT - IT HAS A DIAGNOSTIC FUNCTION IN HIGHLIGHTING SIN AND ACCUSING THE SINNER AND IT HAS A DIDACTIC FUNCTION FOR THE BELIEVER IN TEACHING AND TRAINING AND EQUIPPING THE SAINTS FOR A CLOSER WALK WITH GOD AND ONE ANOTHER TILL WE ARE COMPLETE AND GLORIFIED IN CHRIST.
AS OUR SOCIETY FURTHER REJECTS GODS MORAL LAW WRITTEN UPON THEIR HEARTS, LET US PRAY THAT GODS WORD WILL BE BROUGHT BY CHRISTIANS WITH GREATER EMPHASIS UPON THE MORAL LAW OF GOD APPLIED TO SOCIETY - BRINGING CONVICTION OF SIN - LEADING TO THE BALM OF THE GOSPEL, MAY WE SEE TRUE CONVERSION FROM SIN AND NEW LIFE INTO CHRIST . AND MAY WE BE MEN AND WOMEN FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT - OBEYING THE WORD BECOMING MORE LIKE JESUS DAY BY DAY FOLLOWING IN HIS FOOTSTEPS
AMEN
