The Depravity of Man.

Premise:

One cannot understand the gospel unless one understands the depravity of man.

Opening:

Good-morning again Connection church. I am so glad that you have decided to come out and worship God with us. We are blessed to be able to come and worship God publicly.

Introduction of the Text:

I say that often. I say that we are blessed to be able to gather on the Lord’s day. This is true. But it not just another true statement said empty of meaning. It is a beautiful and blessed thing to be able to gather together on the Lord’s Day. I truly mean that. Why is it blessed? Because this morning, we gather together on the day laid aside for the worship of Christ to join in the heavenly cry of “holy, holy, holy.” During this time leading up to and celebrating Easter, we are looking at three central gospel truths. These three things are necessary for understanding the gospel. You cannot understand the gospel unless you understand the holiness of God, the depravity of man, and the grace of salvation.

You cannot understand the gospel unless you understand the holiness of God. Unless you see who God it, you cannot truly understand the depth of the gospel. If you do not see how holy God is, you have no idea who you have sinned against. This is what we dove into last week. We examined the holiness of God. This is an impossible task. To attempt to dive into the study of the holiness of God is something that takes an eternity to do. Indeed, my goal in pastoring is to declare the holiness of God. If I were to preach on the holiness of God for every sermon until I die, I would not even scratch the surface. I could preach every sermon of my life on the holiness of God and I would never run out of things to say. But we saw perhaps the most brief outline of the holiness of God last week.

This morning we will see the holiness of God by studying the sinfulness of man. You cannot understand salvation unless you understand the depravity of man. That means that unless you see the radical depth of sin in your own being, you will never understand the truth of salvation. You must see your own corruption. To see this, we will be in many passages of Scripture, but primarily, we will be in Exodus 20:1-17. You ought to be very familiar with this passage. This is the passage containing the ten commandments.

So much has been made of these ten commandments in our day. One can think of the many many court cases involved in the removal of the ten commandments from schools and from court buildings. Looking at the current state of our culture, many of us would likely want to go back to such simple times of debating the usage of the ten commandments. But this in not to trivialize the issue. The usage of the ten commandments is a large issue. It is an important question. What is the usage of the law of God? This is a question many have even within the church.

As we begin, we will begin where we always should. The Word of God. I would ask the congregation to stand with me for the reading of God’s Word.

Reading of the Text:

Exodus 20:1-17.

Then God spoke all these words, saying,

2 “I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

3 “You shall have no other gods before Me.

4 “You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth.

5 You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, Yahweh your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me,

6 but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

7 “You shall not take the name of Yahweh your God in vain, for Yahweh will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.

8 “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work,

10 but the seventh day is a sabbath of Yahweh your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female slave or your cattle or your sojourner who is within your gates.

11 For in six days Yahweh made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore Yahweh blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.

12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which Yahweh your God gives you.

13 “You shall not murder.

14 “You shall not commit adultery.

15 “You shall not steal.

16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife or his male slave or his female slave or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

Behold, the Word of God. Let’s pray.

Prayer:

Our Father, may we this morning cry out “holy, holy, holy.” You alone are holy. You alone are worthy. Your name is above every other name. Build your Kingdom here. May this church grow to the glory of your name. Lord, we ask that your will would be done. We do not ask for our will, but we ask that or will would be bound to your will. May our desires be shaped into your will.

Lord, we do ask that you would meet our needs according to your great mercy. You are steadfast and filled with loving kindness. You provide for us and we thank you for it. We are fallen sinners. When we do sin, please forgive us. We are fallen and need forgiveness. We are all sinners in need of grace. Please give us grace and forgiveness. And may we forgive those who have sinned against us. Lord, you have shown us mercy beyond words. We have no right to withhold forgiveness from any.

In your mercy, keep us from temptation. Do not lead us into temptation but deliver us from sin. Sanctify us according to your Spirit. Lord, your deserve all power and praise and glory. We pray this in Jesus name, Amen.

What is Sin?

Explanation:

Our catechism question for this month poses this question. What is sin? I believe this question is one we ought to all memorize. It answers it so well. Sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God. Our corresponding verse is, 1 John 3:4 4 “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.” This is very clear. Sin is the breaking of the Law. But what law? Sin is any breaking of God’s law. But where did sin come from?

Where Did Sin Come From?

I think we all recognize in general what sin is. But when did it begin? Sin began in the garden of Eden. God created all things. He spoke the universe into existence in six days. God then formed Adam from the dust of the ground. All things were good. There was no evil or sin. Then Genesis 2:16-17 says “And Yahweh God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may surely eat;17 but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat from it; for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.” This is what is commonly referred to as the covenant of works. God tells Adam, and by extension Eve, what they are to do and what they are not to do. If they obey, they have life. If they disobey, they will die. This is the covenant of works. Their life or death depend on their work.

The Covenant of Works.

Adam and Eve, after being tempted by Satan, broke this command. Genesis 3:6-8 records, “Then the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, so she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.7 And the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings.8 Then they heard the sound of Yahweh God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of Yahweh God in the midst of the trees of the garden.”

Adam and Eve broke the command of God. They had sinned and they hid from God. Sin was dire and serious. They had broken the covenant of works and now come the consequences of sin.

The Consequences of Sin.

Genesis 3:14-19 records, “And Yahweh God said to the serpent,

“Because you have done this,

Cursed are you more than any of the cattle,

And more than every beast of the field;

On your belly you will go,

And dust you will eat

All the days of your life;

15 And I will put enmity

Between you and the woman,

And between your seed and her seed;

He shall bruise you on the head,

And you shall bruise him on the heel.”

16 To the woman He said,

“I will greatly multiply

Your pain and conception,

In pain you will bear children;

Your desire will be for your husband,

And he will rule over you.”

17 Then to Adam He said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it’;

Cursed is the ground because of you;

In pain you will eat of it

All the days of your life.

18 Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you;

And you will eat the plants of the field;

19 By the sweat of your face

You will eat bread,

Till you return to the ground,

Because from it you were taken;

For you are dust,

And to dust you shall return.”

Within this passage we see the start of the consequences of sin. We see God curses the serpent. We also have the first messianic prophesy. This is the first promise of Christ’s coming. Sin has come, but a redeemer would come and destroy sin. To the woman, God curses her with pain in childbirth and strife in marriage. To the man, God curses him with strife and pain in work. We also see the cursing of the entirety of creation. Now there will be thorns and thistles. The ground will be hard. And even here there is grace. God could have rightly struck Adam and Eve down right then. But they lived on. Although, eventually, they would die. Death had now come. And this death had come to all. Things now die. Death cam from sin. And this original sin affects all mankind.

Original Sin Affects All Mankind.

This is why Paul says in Romans 5:12 “12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned—” It was not just death for Adam and Eve. Death spread to all mankind through our federal head, Adam. This is known as original sin, or the sin nature.

Paul also records in Romans 6:23 “23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gracious gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The wages due to sin are death. What does sin earn you? It earns death as it’s just payment.

This affects all of mankind. It is because of this the Psalmist says in Psalm 51:5 “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.” From conception, we are sinners. We are marred in the very womb with this curse of sin. Our federal head, Adam, passes his sin onto us. We are all sinners. But death was not the only consequence.

Separation from God.

Isaiah 59:2 says, “But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.” The relationship with God is severed. Sin has marred us. Remember last week Isaiah’s horror at seeing a holy God. He was instantly unmade in the presence of holiness. He was instantly crushed by the weight of his sin. Isaiah knew that sin cannot be in the presence of the holiness of God. We are separated from God, damned only to experience His wrath and judgement.

And we are this, not just by action, but by nature. We now have a sin nature.

A Sin Nature.

Paul records in Ephesians 2, “And you were dead in your transgressions and sins,2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience,3 among whom we all also formerly conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.” We are dead in our sin. We are by nature children of wrath. Sin is now the natural disposition of mankind. Our nature is now sinful and corrupt. We have been totally corrupted. This is what is known as the doctrine of total depravity or radical corruption.

Total Depravity/Radical Corruption.

Romans 3:10-18 quotes two psalms to make the case for corruption of mankind. “10 as it is written, “There is none righteous, not even one; 11 There is none who understands, There is none who seeks for God; 12 All have turned aside, together they have become worthless; There is none who does good, There is not even one.” 13 “Their throat is an open tomb, With their tongues they keep deceiving,” “The poison of asps is under their lips”; 14 “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness”; 15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood, 16 Destruction and misery are in their paths, 17 And the path of peace they have not known.” 18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

Some say that man is morally neutral, or that man has some island of good left in him that allows him to chose good or to chose godliness. This idea is foreign to Scripture. The apostle Paul would have condemned that idea outright. And this is the truth. Sin is serious.

Argumentation: Sin Is Serious.

There are no small sins. There are no little white lies. Sin is an affront to a holy God. God is perfectly holy. And sin is vile and wicked. As R.C. Sproul puts it, “Sin is Cosmic Treason.” This is why Isaiah reacted with such horror at the sight of God. He was witnessing the one He had committed treason against. If we have any inkling of the holiness of God, we ought to tremble at the idea that we have sinned against Him.

Transition:

Sin has been defined as any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God. This is a good definition. So what is the Law of God?

What is The Law of God.

The Law of God is the revealed will of God. God has given us His Word. Within His word, He has given us many commands. He has told us of what He wants. Perhaps it would be helpful if we skipped ahead a bit in our catechism. We are very blessed to have wonderful summaries written by faithful men of the past.

Q. 45. What did God reveal to man for the rule of obedience?

A. The rule which God at first revealed to man for his obedience was the moral law.

That is an interesting phrase. The moral law. What is the moral law?

The Moral Law.

The Law of God can be divided in several ways. We have the ceremonial law which dictates the different ceremonies and customs that were pointing ahead to Christ. This was fulfilled in Christ and is no longer observed. This would be laws like those pertaining to the sacrifice of bulls and sheep. Christ is the perfect sacrifice given once for all. We no longer sacrifice animals because Christ is the perfect sacrifice. The ceremony is fulfilled in Christ, so the practice is done away with. However, these ceremonial laws can speak to us as to what God desires in worship.

There are also civil laws that were given to Israel on how to govern their land. There were laws given on how to obey the kings or how to pay taxes. These laws are not in direct effect because we are not in ancient Israel under a king. However, these laws can show us God’s standard for legal justice. They also should be seen as the righteous standard by which all rulers ought to abide.

Finally, we have the moral law. The moral law is the command of God for morality. The moral law is not done away with in the slightest. Every moral command is in full affect through all time. Murder has always and will always be wrong. Idolatry has always and will always be wrong. The moral law is established for all time like the laws of nature. The laws of nature are unchanging, and so is the moral law.

However, there is some overlap in these. We see, for instance there is overlap in some commands. Some commands can be civic and moral in nature. There can be some overlap. In this case, we look at the civic aspect of the laws and recognize that they show how God expects things to be handled by the civil authority. We then look at the moral aspect and we must obey it. There are others laws that are ceremonial in nature but with moral elements. In cases like these, we recognize that the ceremonial nature has been fulfilled and passed away, but the moral aspect must still be observed. We will see an example of this later.

And this brings us to the next question.

Q. 46. Where is the moral law summarily comprehended?

A. the moral law is summarily comprehended in the ten commandments.

This is saying that a summary of the moral law is dutifully given and understood in the ten commandments. And this brings us to the purpose of the law. If the moral law is summarized in the the ten commandments, what is it’s purpose? Well, the Law of God has several purposes.

The Purpose of the Law.

Obviously first, it is to be obeyed. If God has said to do something, we ought to do it. God has spoken. We should heed His command. Often this is skipped over. However, this is to be the first response to the Law of God. God has spoken. We have God’s expressed desire and will in the form of His Law. What else could we do other than obey it? We must obey it. God has told us what He commands. We must obey it. We must respond in humble submission. This is the only option. To do anything else is to commit a direct act of treason against the God of the universe. Indeed, this is what R.C. Sproul meant when he said “Sin is cosmic treason.”

Secondly, the law of God reveals His character. The Law of God shows His desires and His will. What does God want? What is God’s will? Look unto the Law. The Law shows us who God is and what He desires. So many people want to know what God’s will for their life is. Good news, He has told us. And in this way, the law of God expresses God’s character. God is perfect and does not change. He is immutable. He is without even a shadow of change. So do you want to know what God is like? Look at the law. The Law of God is the glass we can see the character of God through.

Third, the Law of God is a mirror to show us our sinfulness. When we look at the law of God, we see the depth of our sin. Remember Paul’s quoting of the Psalms in Romans 3. Those very dark words about the nature of man are followed by this. “Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are in the Law, so that every mouth may be shut and all the world may become accountable to God;20 because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.” Romans 3:19-20. The law brings knowledge of sin. And beyond this, the law of God serves to shut the mouth of every sinful man and bring them to account before God.

It is rare, but I have met people who claim to be perfect. They claim to be without sin. Even among these, I have met two types of people. There are those who claim to have never sinned. They claim to have never once done anything wrong. Others will claim to have achieved perfection. They may have sinned in the past, but now they are completely good and righteous. Both of these are arrogant. And the law of God will shut their mouth.

The Law of God also serves to shut the mouths of those who are of the opinion that their sin is not serious. Many of us are guilty of viewing sin as not that big of a deal. The Law of God serves as the ultimate evidence against this horrifying idea.

Transition:

Obviously the law of God is important.

The Law of God.

So let us look again at the summary of the moral law of God.

Exodus 20:1-17.

Then God spoke all these words, saying,

2 “I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

3 “You shall have no other gods before Me.

4 “You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth.

5 You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, Yahweh your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me,

6 but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

7 “You shall not take the name of Yahweh your God in vain, for Yahweh will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.

8 “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work,

10 but the seventh day is a sabbath of Yahweh your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female slave or your cattle or your sojourner who is within your gates.

11 For in six days Yahweh made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore Yahweh blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.

12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which Yahweh your God gives you.

13 “You shall not murder.

14 “You shall not commit adultery.

15 “You shall not steal.

16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife or his male slave or his female slave or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

These are the Ten Commandments. These are the sacred rules and laws of God. These are to be obeyed, they showing the heart of God, and they reveal our sinfulness. They ought to be kept and obeyed. They ought to be viewed with sacred reverence. And they ought to shut every mouth and bring us to account before the thrice Holy God. Ten commands, given by God, to be obeyed. How have we done? Let’s go down the list.

1. No Other God’s before Yahweh.

Explanation:

The Ten Commandments start with a commands against having an other gods. The people of God are to be solely committed to the one true God. We are not to be polytheists. One God alone. We bow the knee to Yahweh alone. This seems very straight forward in concept, but it is very broad in application.

Argumentation:

Have you always been fully committed to the one true God? Have you ever truly done this? Has anything ever ranked above God in devotion, commitment, honor, time, or any other aspect? Could you honestly say that you have always been perfectly committed to the one true God? Have you worshipped Him alone? Obviously, if we are even slightly honest, we must admit we all have failed this one.

Transition:

The second is like it. No graven images.

2. No Graven Images.

Explanation:

This is a direct command against idolatry. And perhaps we have a sense of relief. We have never broken this one. We are not to make for ourselves, or purchase by extension, an image or likeness that we worship. This command then ends with a statement about the jealousy of God. God will not stand for any form of idolatry. God even says that He will punish your children and grandchildren and great grandchildren for your idolatry. That is a serious statement.

Argumentation:

And even so, I fear we have broken this command. The practice of worshipping images is alive and well. The roman catholic church is built upon this idolatrous practice. They venerate images all the time. This is a breaking of the second command. They are idolators. But perhaps we think we are better than that. We have never prayed to any statue or picture. But to that I ask you this, have you ever honored or reverenced any object more than the one true God? Has any object taken honor due to God? Again, if we have even a sliver of honesty within us, we must hang our heads in failure here too. We are according to these first two commands idolators.

Transition:

But perhaps we shall find peace in the next command. Do not take the name of God in vain.

3. Do Not Take the Name of God in Vain.

Explanation:

This means that God’s name and title is never to be used flippantly or in an empty way. God says that He will not leave those unpunished who use Him name in vain. This includes using the name or title of God as an expletive. It also means applying God’s name or title to something He has not done or said. It is making the name of God empty or meaningless.

Argumentation:

Here again we all hang our head. How many of us have said, “Oh my God” in response to something. This is using the name of God in vain. God will not hold you guiltless if you do this. To say “Oh my God,” is to make the title of empty. It is to use the divine title as a mere expletive to express surprise or shock. What an empty usage. It is blasphemy. It ought never to exit any of our mouths.

And there is another way that the name of God is blasphemed within the church almost every day. How many of us or others have used the phrase, “God told me...” It is utterly common. We are so quick to say, “In my quiet time, God told me to ‘Keep moving.’” Think of what is being said there. In that statement, the person is claiming God spoke directly to them. Did God speak to them? Did God actually say what is being claimed? Did the holy God of the universe speak directly to you and tell you something.

Often when that claim is being made, the person is not actually claiming to be a prophet. They are not actually trying to say that God spoke to them. They mean that they feel God brought a verse to mind, or a thought to mind that encouraged them. So what is the big deal? Why does it matter? Who cares if they said that God spoke to them. It matters because God did not speak. Our words matter. Remember, God will judge us for EVERY EMPTY WORD we speak. How much more so for speaking about Him in an incorrect way. We must be accurate in how we refer to God. When we claim God did something, it is vital that our statement be accurate. Using the name of God in vain means to use it in an empty way. What is more empty than to say God did something He did not do.

Transition:

We ought never use the name of God in any way that is not fitting for it to be used in. Again, if we are even slightly honest, we must admit that we are all guilty. How about the fourth command?

4. Honor the Sabbath Day and Keep it Holy.

Explanation:

Honor the Sabbath Day and Keep it holy. Ah, here at last, we can squeak by. Here we modern Christians get off on a technicality. The sabbath command is gone. Done away with. We can wipe our brows and thank God that His law changed for us. But wait, that doesn’t sound right when we put it like that. And here is the rub. Is the Sabbath command gone?

Well, what does the Scripture say? ““Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath of Yahweh your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female slave or your cattle or your sojourner who is within your gates. 11 For in six days Yahweh made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore Yahweh blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.”

Argumentation:

Here we have another one of those times where the moral and ceremonial laws overlap. The observance of the Sabbath had a ceremonial element to it, namely the day that was commanded to be gathered upon. But it would be foolish and wrong to claim that this command was only ceremonial. After all, God points not back to the mosaic law for justification, but to creation. This command was rooted in the very creation of the world. Obviously there is a moral element to it. Obviously it is a moral command to take one day for rest and worship unto the Lord.

In the New Covenant, is God no longer worthy of this? In the New Covenant, are we not longer blessed by a day set aside to worship God? We could do an entire series on any one of these commands, but especially on this one command. But we do not have the time. Suffice it to say that the ceremonial part of the law of gathering on the seventh day. We now gather on the first day of the week. Sunday is to be the Christian Sabbath. We are to refrain from work and worship God together.

Now, how many of us have obeyed this command? How many of us have kept this command? How many of us reverence the Sabbath? How many of us have even attempted? We all ought to hang our heads in shame.

Transition:

We aren’t doing so well. Four for four and we all guilty. Five, honor your father and mother.

5. Honor Your Father and Mother.

Argumentation:

How many of you have honored your parents? Maybe sometimes, but again we must mark this off as a failure. We know we have failed here as well.

Transition:

Six, you shall not murder.

6. You Shall Not Murder.

Argumentation:

Hallelujah! At lease we haven’t done this. And yet, Jesus in Matthew 5:21-22 says ““You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not murder’ and ‘Whoever murders shall be guilty before the court.’22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ shall be guilty before the Sanhedrin; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.” Or, 1 John 3:15 “Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.” It’s not looking so great now, is it? Have you ever been wrongfully angry or desired someone’s harm? You are guilty.

Transition:

Seven. You shall not commit adultery.

7. You Shall Not Commit Adultery.

Argumentation:

Again Jesus says, ““You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’;28 but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

Again, we must admit we are all guilty.

Transition:

Eight, you shall not steal.

8. You Shall Not Steal.

Argumentation:

Perhaps here there may be some who claim to have never wrongfully acquired anything. And yet, I fear, if we examine our lives must say that in some fashion, we are guilty of this too. In fact, often in the Old Testament, God speaks through the prophets that refraining to give what God commands is stealing from God. I think all of us must admit we are guilty of this.

Transition:

Nine, you shall not bear false witness.

9. You Shall Not Bear False Witness.

Argumentation:

Even if this were merely about lying, all of us must say we are guilty. But it is beyond this. This means any false witness. Embellishing a story. Painting someone in an unfair light. It means any form of misrepresentation. Have you ever been truly honest? We all must claim guilt upon our heads.

Transition:

Finally, ten, you shall not covet.

10. You Shall Not Covet.

Argumentation:

Have you ever been jealous of what someone else has? We all must hang our heads in guilt. We are all guilty.

Transition:

I would argue that in some fashion, every person is guilty of every one of these commands. But if there is any doubt whatsoever, Christ summarizes the law in Matthew.

Christ Summarizes the Law.

Explanation:

In Matthew 22, Jesus is approached by a scholar of the Law seeking the greatest command. Here, Jesus gives an even more succinct summary of the law of God. And should any mouth be open, this should suffice to shut it tight. Matthew 22:36-40 ““Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”37 And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’38 This is the great and foremost commandment.39 And the second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’40 On these two commandments hang the whole Law and the Prophets.”

Argumentation:

What option is there for us? What can we say? If this were a courtroom, every single person must declare themselves to be guilty. Every one of us must echo the woe that Isaiah presented upon himself in Isaiah 6. What more can be said? What is left to say? What could we hope to even utter in our defense? Paul is right. “Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are in the Law, so that every mouth may be shut and all the world may become accountable to God; Our mouths are shut. We are, all of us, guilty.

Transition:

And what are we to do? We are all guilty.

Application:

Worse still is the reality of God. Truly God is holy, holy, holy.

God is Holy, Holy, Holy.

What else is there to say? What kind of God could this law represent? Only a holy God could have this law. The law is clearly just and right. We know this. But what hope is there? God is righteous and holy. And man is totally depraved.

Man is Totally Depraved.

We are totally sinful. We are wicked and filled with sin. We have broken all of God’s law. And beyond this, we all must agree that we are by nature sinful. Our very desires are sinful. We are lost and broken.

What else could we say other than to echo the words of Isaiah “Woe is me, I am undone.” Our sin sits upon our backs like a burden dragging us into the very fires of hell and our only cry must be, “I justly deserve this!”

What hope is there? What hope do we have? Who will stand in the gap for us, we who deserve the hell fires? Who would stand in our place? Jonathan Edwards was right. We dangle over hell by a thread. Our shoes ought to melt to the floor because of the flames of hell licking at our feet. And here our hearts cry out of our chests, “Hope! Hope! Only for some kind of hope!”

Here is the good news wretched sinner. God is holy, you are sinful, but salvation is by grace alone.

Salvation is by Grace Alone.

Were it up to our works, we all would be justly damned. Were it up to what we earn, we all would be in hell! But hear or sinner, pick up your ears! Hear the good news! Though the law shut our mouths they will be opened again! Our mouths will be opened again! They will be opened to sing the praise of the grace of salvation!

You heard from Paul how wretched we are. There is none righteous, no not one! You heard the blessed Apostle describe the purpose of the law. But now, oh sinner, hear the Apostle break forth in the glorious good news!

“21 But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction;23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;25 whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith, for a demonstration of His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed;26 for the demonstration of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.27 Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith.28 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also,30 since indeed God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that faith, is one.31 Do we then abolish the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law.

Praise God! Our works are evil, but Christ has come and He has paid the debt we owe! We are saved by grace through faith! This is not of works! By faith in Christ we are saved!

Dear lost soul, are you broken over your sin? Rejoice! You may be freed! Look to Christ for forgiveness! Repent, turn away from your sin that has held you as a captive! Turn to Christ! surrender to Him and be freed! There is hope my beloved sinner! You can be free! Run from your sin! Stop trusting in your own works and be saved by trusting in what Christ did!

Dear stubborn saved soul, are you stuck in your self righteous ways? Repent! Confess your sins, you stubborn stiff necked people! You are sinners who have been saved by grace! Enough with pride and boasting. Boast in Christ! And do not through away the Law. Boast in Christ and keep the law in thanks to what He has done. Honor God! Honor the Sabbath! Love one another! Live like free men.

Beloved, we can be free from our sin. Beloved, we are free through Christ. Let us never, ever, for one moment forget that. Let us live our lives as free men and women. And let us come back together to celebrate the freedom we have in Christ next Lord’s Day as we celebrate the blessed hope we have in the resurrection.

Let’s pray.

Prayer:

Closing Doxology:

Closing Benediction:

Ephesians 2:8-10 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;9 not of works, so that no one may boast.10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.