Sermon Tone Analysis

John 5:10-16

/Part One/

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Legalism—Lets Understand It

       Legalists measure spiritual growth against a yardstick notched incrementally by good works.

These human standards may conveniently size people up, but in the end, they stunt growth instead of foster it.

The Pharisees are the grandfathers of legalism; Jesus meets them in a head-to-head confrontation that turns the tide of official opinion against Him.

When we lift the veil of legalism, we find hypocrisy instead of holiness.

A.

What Is It?

 

1.

A Code of Behavior for the Purpose of Exalting Self.

Legalists make a list of do’s and don’ts based not on Scripture but on tradition or personal preference—then they judge themselves and others on their performance.

In a nutshell, its “checklist Christianity.”

B.

How Does It Happen?

 

1.

Legalism Slips Unnoticed Into the Church.

Legalists prey upon young, biblically naïve believers.

Paul describes legalists in Galatians 2:4 as /“false brethren who has sneaked in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, in order to bring us into bondage.”/

C.

Why Is It Wrong?

 

1.

First and Foremost—Legalism is Unbiblical.

/a)        //Grace and Freedom are the Hallmarks of the Christian Life./

1)    John 8:32 /“the truth shall make you free”/

2)    Romans 8:1-4 /“//For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law”/

                      3)    Galatians 5:1 /“//Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free”/

                      4)    Ephesians 2:4-9 /“saved by grace”/

 

2.

It Promotes the Flesh which cannot please God /Romans 8:8/

3.       It is Based on Pride /Luke 18:9-14/

/a)    //The error of self-righteousness and legalism./

1)        It causes a person to stress that he is saved and acceptable to God because he does good.

He works, behaves morally, keeps certain rules and regulations, does the things a Christian should do, and obeys the main laws of God.

2)        But he neglects the basic law: /the law of love and acceptance/—/that God loves him and accepts him not because he does good, but because he loves and trusts the righteousness of Christ /(Matthew 5:6).

/b)        //When Did It Start & the Error of It?//  /Legalism is an ancient art, perfected by the Pharisees and implemented by subsequent generations of apprentices who have been narrow, rigid, and often intolerably religious.

Legalists have refused to accept the doctrine of sheer grace.

!! D.     Law and Grace—What Is It?

!! If a person is going to understand NT theology, they must understand the difference between Law and Grace.

!! 1.       Having A Balanced Perspective

/a)        //Law and Grace are Opposite Living Standards.

/

1)        Law and grace are opposite living standards.

But this does not mean that there was no grace for those who lived under the law (Psalm 51; 103)

2)        Nor does it mean that there are no laws for us, who live under grace (Romans 13:8-10; Gal.6:2; James 1:25; 2:8)

3)        Grace never promotes a do-as-you-please philosophy or a loose life of selfishness, sinfulness, and licentiousness.

Romans 6:12-18 confirms this fact (see also Galatians 5:13-14).

4)        John 1:17 /For the Law was given through Moses but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ/

5)        Romans 11:6 /Law and Grace are mutually exclusive.

/

 

/b)        //The Law Was Given to Israel not the Church.

/

1)        /The Ten Commandments/

/(a)      /Exodus 20:2 /Is spoken to those God brought out of Egypt out of the house of bondage/

/(b)      /Ephesians 2:11-12

/(c)      /Romans 9:3-5

/(d)      /Deuteronomy 4:8, 44, 45 given to Israel

/(e)      /Yet, Titus 2:11 grace appeared to all men

 

/c)        //Righteousness Does Not Come by the Law./

1)        Romans 8:3 /Deliver sinners from its penalty (Acts 13:38, 39; Gal.

3:10) or make them righteous (Gal.

3:21).//

The law cannot make us holy, yet the problem is us since the law is holy and pure (Rom 7:7)./

2)        Romans 10:4-10 /Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who /believes

/(a)      /Paul means that belief in Christ as Lord and Savior ends the sinner’s futile quest for righteousness through his imperfect attempts to save himself by efforts to obey the law (cf.

3:20–22; Is. 64:6; Col. 2:13, 14).

3)        Romans 10:5 /says if you live by them and break one and guilty (Jms) vs. divine empowerment in/ (Philippians 2:13 and Romans 8:3-4).

4)        Hebrews 7:19 made nobody perfect even though it is perfect and holy (Rom 7:12)

/(a)      /Hebrews 7:11 – the term refers to complete reconciliation with and access to God—salvation.

The Levitical system and its priesthood could not save anyone from their sins.

/(b)      /The law saved no one (cf.

Rom.

3:19,20); rather it cursed everyone (cf.

Gal.

3:10–13).

2.

The Purpose of the Law.

/a)        //Phillips trans: “It is the straight-edge of the law which shows us how crooked we are.”/

1)        Romans 3:20 it brings the knowledge of sin (Ex: Paul discovered that coveting was wrong when he read the law Rom.7:7)

2)        Romans 4:15 The Law brings wrath because we violate it

3)        Romans 5:20 It causes sin to abound.

Although the Mosaic law is not flawed (7:12), its presence caused man’s sin to increase (cf.

7:8–11).

Thus it made men more aware of their own sinfulness and inability to keep God’s perfect standard (7:7; Gal.

3:21, 22), and it served as a tutor to drive them to Christ (Gal.

3:24).

4)        Romans 7:13 The Law shows how exceedingly sinful, sin is in God’s eyes

/(a)      /Sin is the cause of spiritual death, not the good law.

An awareness of the true nature of sin and its deadly character, which brings the sinner to see his need of salvation—the very purpose God intended the law to serve (Gal.

3:19–22).

5)        Galatians 3:10-13 The law brings a curse upon us because we break it, yet Christ became cursed for us by paying the penalty of our breaking the law.

/b)        //Gal 3:19-25 Reveals the Clear Purpose of the Law:/

1)        It was added because of transgression – /stepping over the boundary /(3:19 /cf.

/John 15:22)

/(a)      /The law reveals man’s utter sinfulness, inability to save himself, and desperate need of a Savior—it was never intended to be the way of salvation.

1.

God was the Author and Giver of the covenant of law, and He was present with Moses on Mt.

Sinai when it was given (Ex.

19:18–24) but in a way not fully explained, the law was given by God to Moses through angels (cf.

Acts 7:53; Heb.

2:2).

2.         /The covenant of law is long past, but the moral demands of the law have not diminished.

/That is why preaching the moral, ethical standards of the law today is still imperative in driving men to Christ.

a.         Unless men realize they are living in violation of God’s law and therefore stand under His divine judgment, they will see no reason to be saved.

b.         Grace is meaningless to a person who feels no inadequacy or need of help.

He sees no purpose in being saved if he does not realize he is lost.

c.

He sees no need of forgiveness by God if he does not know he has offended God.

d.

He sees no need to seek God’s mercy if he is unaware he is under God’s wrath.

The law merely points to what only grace can produce.

2)        It was given until the seed should come (vs.

19) which is Christ as seen in 3:16

/(a)      /When Jesus Christ came, the law was to be set aside—it was temporary (John 1:17).

1.         /The law was meant to have only a temporary purpose and life span./