I Fought the Law and… - 3/17/2024 Sunday Sermon

The Tabernacle Today

I fought the Law and…

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. -2 Timothy 3:16-17

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from His sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. -Hebrews 4:12-13

For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. -Romans 15:4

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. -2 Timothy. 2:15

Read Matthew 5:17-20

I fought the Law and… the Law won! V. 17-19

Already in Jesus’ day there were those who abolished some or all of the O.T.. For instance, the Sadducees rejected everything after the Torah.

Every part of the Old Testament had a purpose to fulfill, and every bit of it will fulfill its purpose.

Here Jesus reinforces the verbal, plenary inspiration of the Bible. That phrase means that every WORD of the Bible (verbal) is inspired, as well as the ENTIRETY (plenary-fullness) of the Bible!

But more than anything else when referring to ‘Law’ the Old and New Testament both speak of the Law of Moses, also called the Law of the Lord and the Book of the Law, located in the first 5 books of the Bible.

After Deuteronomy the remaining Old Testament books are filled with stories, sermons, songs, and sayings illustrating Israel’s life as it did and didn’t follow the Law before the prophesied Messiah came.

For by works of the law no human being will be justified in His sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it. -Romans 3:20-21

For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach His statutes and rules in Israel. -Ezra 7:10

Careful study shows the Law of Moses had 3 components:

Moral Law (applicable for all time)

Anything repeated as sin in the New Testament is Moral Law, it is always sinful.

The moral law STILL shows us our need of Christ.

The moral law becomes the Christian’s guide to faithful living.

Priestly Law (laws about priests, sacrifices, rituals- all fulfilled in Christ)

Civil Law (rules just for Israel at that time- made obsolete in Christ, although it still teaches us much about the character of God)

So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian. -Galatians 3:24-25

I fought the Law and… Grace won! V. 20

Whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of it all. -James 2:10

God made Him who knew no sin to become sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him! -2 Corinthians. 5:21

Under the law everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin. -Hebrews. 9:22

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us – for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree,” – so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith. -Galatians. 3:13-14

Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness. -Genesis 15:6

Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to all who believe. -Romans 10:4

Run John run, the law demands,

But gives him neither feet nor hands.

Far better news the gospel brings,

It bids John fly, and gives him wings!

-John Bunyan