The Two Laws Of Life
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Intro
Intro
Text - Deuteronomy 30.15-20
15 “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil,
16 in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess.
17 But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them,
18 I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess.
19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;
20 that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”
Title - The Two Laws Of Life
Background
Background
Definition of terms
Law
a rule of conduct or procedure established by custom, agreement, or authority
a rule, principle, or convention regarding as governing the structure or relationship of things
Life
the animate existence of an individual; living, existence,
Choice
an act in which man exercises his free will
Free Will
determinism - actions are caused by another
indeterminism - actions are uncaused and unpredictable
self-determinism - actions are caused by the self
The Main Idea
Our choices in life are governed by one of the two laws of life
These two laws determine how we live our life on earth
Man’s “free will” is not as free as it seems
Nevertheless, we are responsible for the choices we make in this life
The Two Trees in the Garden of Eden
The Two Trees in the Garden of Eden
8 The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed.
9 And out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat;
17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
Observe the following -
there were 3 trees in the garden
1 is natural - the fruit bearing trees
2 are spiritual or symbolic -
the tree of life
the tree of knowledge of good and evil
the 2 symbolic trees were already present as soon as Adam was placed in the garden
God warned the man against eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil - don’t eat this, you will die!
What these means to us -
Man was God’s creation. And by definition, man was bound to obey His creator.
Still, God did not ‘force’ man to obey His will. He gave man the capacity to choose how he will live life, with consequences of course.
To be fair, God warned him of the danger of the tree of knowledge of good and evil!
Man’s free will was put to the test in the garden.
Man practiced “self-determinism” by choosing to disobey God
6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.
7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.
What’s the point?
What’s the point?
Although man is free to determine his course of action - he is not free from its consequences!
whatever words come out of our mouth -
whatever things we decide to do, to watch, to listen -
7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.
8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.
9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
36 But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.
37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
Man’s first exercise of “self-determinism” did not end well for him.
because God has already determined how this life must be lived for maximum efficiency and enjoyment
When God you us the free will, it was only so that we will choose to obey Him.
Life and Death at Mount Sinai
Life and Death at Mount Sinai
Observe the following -
God has already given them His word, and they are not very hard to find
11 “For this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off.
12 It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’
13 Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’
14 But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.
As a nation under covenant with God, He expects Israel to abide by His law (principles)
and yet He gives them the freedom to choose Him and His law
15 “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil,
and He warns them of the consequences of doing otherwise -
16 in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess.
17 But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them,
18 I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess.
God encourages them to choose life -
19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;
20 that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”
What’s the Point?
What’s the Point?
Choosing life is choosing God’s word, and choosing God is the ultimate exercise of our free will.
there is no better way
Choosing life means choosing to love God!
and loving God means obeying His voice, clinging to Him
Notice - despite these beautiful promises,
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.
Notice the following -
God’s people today are also presented with the 2 “trees”
the law of sin and death
the law of the Spirit of life
We are encouraged to choose life
3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh,
4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
We are warned of the dangers of the laws of sin in the flesh
5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.
8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
What’s the Point?
What’s the Point?
Christians are not robots - forced to obey God’s rules!
Although we are now free from the guilt of sin - God still wants us to choose Him freely, by faith!
Although the law of sin and death still exists in the flesh, the sinful nature, we are no longer bound to obey its call!
unlike the O.T. saints
N.T. saints have the Holy Spirit - the Law of life - inside of them, to govern their thoughts and actions!
9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him.
10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.
11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.
13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.
14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
We choose “death” -
when we resist the leadership of the Holy Spirit
when we choose to exercise self-determinism
when we decide things based on our senses
We can choose life everyday -
when we walk according to the Spirit
when we mind the things of the Spirit
when we refuse to be guided by our senses
Conclusion
Conclusion
Summary - what have we learned?
Summary - what have we learned?
exercising “self-determinism” is futile - a waste of God-given gift of free will
choosing life means loving God and clinging to Him by faith
Choosing life is a conscious and mindful walk under the guidance and leadership of the Holy Spirit!
There are two laws of life
the tree of knowledge of good and evil -
is practiced by “self-determinism”, an excercise of free will outside the will of God
a.k.a. the law of sin and death
however pleasant, it always leads to destruction
the tree of life -
is practiced by trusting in the will of God for your life
however, hard at the first, always leads to life and peace
a.k.a. the law of the Spirit of life
Be governed by the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ!
this law leads us to a life free from condemnation
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
this law teaches us how to enjoy the goodness of the Lord right here, right now
12 Who is the man who desires life, And loves many days, that he may see good?
13 Keep your tongue from evil, And your lips from speaking deceit.
14 Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it.
15 The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry.
16 The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
SONG
Trust and Obey