Sound Doctrine

Guest (Male): We're all familiar with the 10 Commandments, but do they still have a role in our lives? Here's Pastor Jeff.

Jeff Johnson: It points to our need for God's promise, for the seed. You see, the 10 Commandments kept us in our sin, kept us knowing that we've fallen short. But how many know the 10 Commandments? How many want it wiped away? How many want to take it out of our courts and how many want to take it out of the schools and get rid of that 10 Commandments? I don't want to look at it. What are they so afraid of?

Guest (Male): Have you ever tried to do something that was totally outside your ability and simply couldn't do it? Today on Sound Doctrine, we learn that no matter how hard we try, none of us can become righteous in our own effort. Simply put, it's impossible. Instead, we ought to believe in and live by the grace of Jesus. Really, the law of God has no power to prevent sin or redeem the sinner. Only grace can do that. That's our theme on today's Sound Doctrine. Let's head over to Galatians chapter 3 verse 10 and meet up with our teacher Pastor Jeff Johnson.

Jeff Johnson: I'm going to talk about the promise and the law. So, it's an interesting section here that Paul brings us to in Galatians chapter 3 and we left off in verse 15. So, we're just taking one chunk at a time trying to get everything out of that. Glean the gold, so to speak. That's within the few scriptures that we kind of take one Sunday after another. And this one is very powerful. And this is kind of part one cuz I couldn't take it all in. Uh there's got to be a part two to this one. So, Paul's been dealing with the law about works versus God's grace, God's unmerited, unearned, undeserved favor.

So, that's where the skirmish is, the fight. This is Paul's doctrinal section. In other words, this is a very important section. Why is that? Well, it's our foundation of what we believe and why we believe it. These are things that are foundational. And uh we need to get them big time. So, Paul reaches back to Moses and that's interesting. It reaches back to the Torah to the first five books of Moses and he begins to share about Abraham. Uh and he uses six scriptures to blow these law believing Judaizers away. I mean, he just is slowly but surely hitting them with the word of God.

It's a sharp two-edged sword. And he's giving them the scripture. If you can't give the scripture, then what are you what are you doing? What are you teaching? Everything is foundational and it's on the word of God, the scriptures. And so Paul is using them very wisely. And remember verses 6 through 12 we talked about the just shall live by faith. And he gave Abraham as that example. The law was not involved in God's promise, not at all. So, here Paul needs to show these Judaizers why the law was given. Why is the law important?

What is the logic of the law? Because they were all in with the law. But Paul's all in with the promise. So, then if there if it's which is it? Is it the promise or the law? And so he's going to help us here. Verse 15 is where we left off and he says first right out of the shoot brethren that cracked me up. He calls them brothers. These Judaizers that were very difficult and dangerous. Still Paul sees them as his brothers. They're troubled. Have you ever shared with a troubled brother? Instead of looking them as their your enemy, you got to look at them as their their lost one.

They they've lost the the scripture, the foundation. They run away a little bit and they need direction back. Galatians 6:1 if you see a brother in a fault in meekness, you go to that brother and you share with them from your heart humbly because that's a brother that's going astray. You Where's the love? Where's the care? So, here's Paul's heart here, brethren, still brothers. I speak after the manner of men. Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth or adds thereto. So, what is the King James saying here?

You can get messed up sometimes in the King James. This is a very very uh hard area to just go through and and decipher. But to make it really simple, uh these brothers that were astray he uses the importance of a covenant, of a contract to prove that the promise A promise is a what? A promise. That's important. You know, they used to just out there in the farmland just shake hands. That was powerful, wasn't it? You shake hands with somebody, that's it. That's a covenant. We just made an agreement. Now, would you do that today?

No one would do it today. Let's write this up. And there's small print on the back. You might want to read that. Man, whoa. They want everything. But it's important. And this is what is interesting about this. You can't add or take away once a covenant is made. You don't mess around with it. That 's why Judge Judy always always says did you sign this? Yeah. Did you sign this? Yeah. Okay, let's don't get off and let's don't get away from this. And she holds a piece of paper up and says, here is what we're talking about.

It's all here in this document. It's all we have to deal with. You signed it, you signed it. Right? Yeah. Okay, you can't add anything to it. Definitely you can't take away unless you both agree. And then if you both agree, you can make a new covenant. But make sure you date it and make sure you sign it. Right? Because that then becomes the new covenant. So, covenant. A man's covenant, a man's contract is important, Paul says. But how much more is God's covenant? It's super important wouldn't you say? When God makes a covenant or a promise So, notice verse 16.

He goes on to say, now to Abraham and to his seed were the promises made. He said not and to seeds as of many, but as of one. And to thy seed which is Christ. So, in Genesis chapter 12 and when you go back there, you see that God gave a covenant promise. He told Abraham to go leave his land and I 'll give you a land and I 'm going to show you a land. I'll make of you a great nation. And this is in Genesis 12 verses 1 through 3. And I'll make a great name and you you're going to be a blessing and I will bless them that bless them and curse them that curse thee.

In thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. What a covenant. What a promise. Hmm. And then over in chapter 22 of Genesis in verse 18 just jot it down. He says in 22:18 and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed because thou hast obeyed my voice. Abraham's promise wasn't plural. He made a He made a effort to say not to seeds, but to seed. It wasn't to the Jews only, the nation. It was to the nations of the world. It's a heavy heavy promise. But seed. Now, over in Genesis chapter 3 verse 15.

Listen. Genesis 3:15. God says, but I will put enmity between you and the woman and between thy seed and her seed. It shall bruise his thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel. He was talking about that seed that was coming that would deal with Satan once and for all. Her seed. Mary. Wow. What a prophecy. A specific descendant, an individual relationship. Over in John chapter 8 if you remember in verse 56 Jesus said this, your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day. And he saw it and he was glad. In faith a seed is coming.

And he believed God for that seed not only for his son but for the seed that was coming further which Paul already added here. That seed was who? In verse 16. Look at it. Who? Christ. All right? All of the bloodline all the way through the Old Testament sees Jesus Christ. God's promise of permanent grace. It's a covenant. Abraham needed to do nothing in this covenant. Right? But believe. Not to do anything. The just shall live by faith. The Jews or these Judaizers were just all about Moses, the law of Moses. That's what we follow.

And they kept on popping off like that. Paul said, well, if you're going to talk all about Moses, then I'm going to have to start talking all about Abraham and all that took place then. That's the most important thing. God's ancient promise to Abraham. Verse 17. Let's move along now in our scripture here. He says in verse 17, and this I say that the covenant that was confirmed before of God in Christ the law which was 430 years after cannot disannul that it should make the promise of none effect. Okay, now well, what's Paul saying?

They proclaimed that the law of Moses did away with the with Abraham's promise that it's now we're looking to the law. Crazy. But the truth is this Paul is saying, it doesn't change it. It trumps it. Hey, look at the contract. Did they redo it? No. Did they make a new contract? No. And and there's all kinds of contracts that God makes throughout the Old Testament. Incredible. All the way to the New Testament, the new covenant in my name, Jesus Christ. As we have communion a new relationship that God can have with man because of his son.

So, it trumps it. The law has nothing to do with Abraham's promise, nothing. It's completely irrelevant as it relates to the blessing of God, totally. So, let's follow the thought. Verse 18. For if the inheritance be of the law, Paul says, it is no more of promise. But God gave it to Abraham by what? Promise, covenant, contract. It's it's already been signed. If blessing is from the law it's no more a promise. Right? It's got to go you got to go by the law. But God's promise, his covenant with Abraham is a permanent promise. It doesn't change.

Over in Genesis 15 verse 6. This is Genesis 15:6. He says and he he believed Abraham believed in the Lord and he counted God counted it to him for righteousness. So, the covenant here is interesting. God is saying and Abraham saying, you know, where's the seed and looking for the seed? Years passed by and and uh God says, listen Abraham, let me make a take Let's cut a covenant. Let's Let let me let me just really get serious about this. And And there in in Genesis 15 God says to Abraham, I want you to take an animal.

And this is what they used to do to make a covenant with someone. They used to take an animal and cut it in half and flay it and leave it out, you know. And so this is what God is proposing to Abraham. Um and so you know he does it and years pass. And And as the years pass um God is just trying to say I want to be dead serious with you on this covenant. So, this is animal is is taken and cut in half and and uh Abraham waited. And he waited. And as the covenant was laying there, he'd shoo the the birds away.

And but then he fell into this deep sleep. And when he woke up, the animal was totally barbecued. Everything was done. Everything was taken care of. And I think what God was trying to say to Abraham is Abraham, it's not about you. This is my covenant with you. This is my promise to you. And I'm going all the way in this. I'm not going halfway. And I'll do everything that is needed. I'll do it all. And that's what the covenant was. Your part, Abraham, maybe is to shoo the birds of unbelief away and that pick at God's promises.

Birds a lot of times are evil in the scriptures. And so these birds would pick away at the promise. What are the promises? Promises are like, Lord, you promised to meet all my needs through Christ Jesus. And we hold him to those promises. And he comes through every single time because he's God. If all we're to do is to believe and receive his promises and rest in what he's done listen to me then why was the law given, the 10 Commandments? If it's all about him doing it, then why would God give the 10 Commandments?

And hopefully this morning we're going to learn what the law was really for and what the law is really about. Let's look at verse 19. And in verse 19 now of our portion here, he says, wherefore then serves the law? I mean, what's the law for? If this promise is so, you know, right on and and it cannot change, then why would he give the law? Well, he says it was added because of the transgressions of sin till notice till the seed should come. And who's the seed? Verse 16. Christ to whom the promise was made.

When he said not seeds, but seed, he was talking about the ultimate promise through Christ. Well, he would come and he would sacrifice his son on that cross. And Jesus would go to that cross and he would lay himself down by himself. No one forced him. And lay his hands out and let them nail him to that cross. They would beat him before. And then he would die a horrible death of crucifixion on that cross for the sins of the world. And they would bury him and he would rise again. So, it was the promise was made, the seed that was coming and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.

The purpose was because of sin. It revealed God's perfect standard, the law. It was powerful. It was You might have call it God's bullseye. All right? You just hit a bullseye. You obeyed the law. But in Robin Hood days, if you went and shot an arrow and miss the bullseye, you'd have to say, oh man, I've sinned. And that's what they actually said when they missed the bullseye. I've sinned. I missed the mark. God's big 10, the commandments of God given to Moses. Powerful way. We have the 10 Commandments in our gymnasium and in every classroom.

You say, why would you do that? Well, hopefully by the end of this morning's message, you'll go, I know why you do it. I know why it's there. I understand. It actually adds to man's rebellion. If we just do the law, you can you imagine what they're saying? If you just do the law in other words, you're saying there's another way to God? There's another way to be made right with God? To make your peace with God by being good and obeying the commandments? It's ludicrous, isn't it? It's a covenant that was made. It's a done deal.

But what what's this law? Now, it points to our need for God's promise, for the seed. You see, the 10 Commandments kept us in our sin, kept us knowing that we've fallen short. But how many know the 10 10 Commandments? How many uh uh want it wiped away? How many want to take it out of our of our courts and how many want to take it out of the schools and get rid of that 10 Commandments? I don't want to look at it. What are they so afraid of? There's an interesting scripture in Romans if you want to turn there.

Romans chapter 7. In Romans 7:5 listen to what Paul says. Romans 7:5 for when we were in the flesh the motions of sins which were by the law did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. You see, if you break one of the 10 Commandments, you've broken them all. And Jesus didn't help things out when he went and added to it a little bit when he said, you know have you committed adultery? You know, no, never did. So, I obeyed that one. Have you ever lusted after a woman in your heart? Just blew that one.

See, it it got to the point where you you you knew you had broken a number of them. Death because in breaking the law brings death. But now verse 6, we are delivered from the law that being dead wherein we were held by the law that we should serve in newness of spirit and not in the oldness of the letter. The Lord has set me free. That's the the new life in the spirit of God. That's when I got born again and God's spirit quickened my dead spirit and made it alive. I was born by my parents into this world.

I was born again by my father which is in heaven when I received him. And his spirit lives in me, quickens me. I don't live by the letter of the law anymore. In fact what's interesting is that Jesus said, here's the most important thing, that you love the Lord your God with all your spirit, with all your mind, with all your strength, with all your soul. And you love your neighbor as yourself. If you've done those two, you've done them all. Bottom line. So, it's not a big deal, is it? It is if you don't have Jesus.

It's a mega deal. You can't do that. Then verse 7 he says, what shall we say then? Is the law sin? Is it bad? Oh, Paul says, God forbid. No way. Nay, I had not known sin but by the law. For I had not known lust except the law had said, thou shalt not covet. You're not to be lusting for anything or you've broken one of the laws. But sin taking an occasion by the commandment wrought in me all manner of evil. For without the law sin was dead. Interesting. So, the law because of the transgressions that we have we're in sin.

We're born in sin. David cried out and said, I was born in my mother I came out of my mother's womb. I was in sin. That's our nature, sinful nature. How do you get rid of that? Well, God's got a plan. It's a beautiful one. God so loved the world that he gave his son that you would not perish but have everlasting life.

Guest (Male): That's the bottom line. We're all sinners. Sin is not allowed in heaven. God built a bridge for us to heaven through the sacrifice of his son. This is Sound Doctrine with Pastor Jeff Johnson. And you just heard a study in Galatians. If you enjoyed today's message from Pastor Jeff Johnson from the book of Galatians, I'd like to remind you that you can hear it again on several different venues. First, you can go online to sounddoctrine radio.org where you can hear today's study and more as well as make a donation to this radio outreach. That's sounddoctrine radio.org.

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