Sermon Tone Analysis

The Law’s Importance.

No topic has been more misunderstood among Christians than the Law of Moses and its application to the NT believer today.

To confuse the covenants of God is to misinterpret the mind of God and miss the blessings of God, so the believer is wise to examine the Word to determine the place and purpose of the whole Mosaic system.

Beginning with and continuing to the cross of Christ (), the people were under the Mosaic system.

This is called “the Law of Moses,” “the Law,” and sometimes “the Law of God.”

For the sake of convenience, we often speak of “the Moral Law” (referring to the Ten Commandments), “the Ceremonial Law” (relating to the types and symbols found in the sacrificial system), and “the Civil Law” (meaning the everyday laws that governed the lives of the people).

To understand the Law, we must remember that God had already made an everlasting covenant with the Jews through their father Abraham ().

He promised them His blessing and gave them the ownership of the land of Canaan.

The Mosaic Law was “added” to the Abrahamic Covenant later, but it did not disannul it ().

The law “entered in alongside” God’s previous covenant () and was but a temporary measure () on His part.

It was given only to Israel to mark them as God’s chosen people and His holy nation (; ).

God did not give the Law to save anybody, because it is impossible to be saved by the keeping of the Law

Why did God give the Law?

To reveal His Glory and holiness (Deut 5:22-28)

To reveal man’s sinfulness (,; ; )

To mark Israel as His chosen people, and to separate them from other nations (; ; )

To give Israel a standard for godly living so that they might enjoy the blessings of God in the Land He would give them.

(; ; )

To prepare Israel for the coming of Christ.

Gal

The “guardian” or the schoolmaster, was a trained slave whose task it was to prepare the child for adult living.

When the child matured and entered adulthood, he received his inheritance and no longer needed the schoolmaster or guardian.

According to this metaphor, Israel was in her spiritual childhood under the Law, but this was to prepare her for the coming of Christ.

6.

To illustrate in type and ceremony the Person and Work of Christ.

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What the Law could not do:

Make anything perfect.

(, )

Justify from sin. (; )

Give righteousness.

()

Give peace to the heart.

()

Give life.

()

Christ and the Law

There is an obvious contrast between the legalistic system of Moses for Israel and the gracious position of the Christian in Christ.

Therefore, briefly, note these truths:

Christ was born under the Law.

()

Christ fulfilled the Law in every respect.

()

He is the end of the Law for righteousness to the believer.

()

Christ paid the penalty of the Law and bore the curse of the Law for all of us on the Cross.

(, )

Christians and the Law

Christians are not under the Law but live under Grace.

(, )

In Christ, Christians died to the Law.

()

Christians, therefore, have been delivered from the Law.

()

Christians are warned not to become entangled again in the bondage of the Law.

()

Are we free then to sin and do whatever we want?

NO! Actually, the Christian is under a more demanding way of life than was the OT believer, for the OT dealt with outward acts, while the NT law of Love and Grace deals with inward attitudes.

5. Being free from the Law does not mean being free to Sin.

The Ten Commandments

All of the OT Law is but an amplification and application of the Ten Commandments.

Nine of the Ten Commandments are repeated in the NT for believers to follow today:

Have No Other Gods Before ME.

; ; ; ; -13

2. Make No Idols or Images

; ; ; ,

3. Do Not Take His Name In Vain

Ex

; ; )

4. Remember the Sabbath Day

Ex

This is not repeated anywhere in the NT for the church to obey today.

Keeping the Sabbath is mentioned in , , , and ; but these all refer to the people of Israel and not to the church.

and teach that believers should not judge one another with reference to holy days or Sabbaths.

To say that a person is lost or unspiritual for not keeping the Sabbath is to go beyond the bounds of Scripture.

The NT does exhort the believer to assemble together with other believers in Hebrews

5. Honor father and mother

Ex 20:12

Eph 6:1-4

6. Do not murder

Ex 20:

;

7. Do not commit adultery

; ; ;

8. Do not steal

Ex

; ;

9. Do not bear false witness

;

10. Do not covet

Ex 20:

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Don’t Miss This: Christ Fulfilled The Law For In Us and For Us!

Rom 3