Two Invisible Webs From Hell (Mosaic Covenant part 2)

Today will be our last sermon in this series called Covenant Theology for this semester.

We'll take a break going into the Psalms this summer, and then in the fall we'll have probably four more sermons on Covenant Theology to wrap up that series before we go through another book of the Bible.

Last week we looked in Exodus at how the Lord gave the law to the people at Mount Sinai.

And today we're going to see now what is the role of the law in the life of a Christian and the covenant through Jesus Christ that's gracious.

What role does the law have? That's why I'm calling it Mosaic Covenant Part Two.

Let me give you a bit of context because I won't read the whole chapter this morning.

But in Galatians Chapter Two, Paul is writing to a church in this region of Galatia.

And he tells them there is a practice that has been happening that is unrighteous.

There's something very wrong going on.

You're going to pick up on what this was.

He mentioned Cephas, and that's Peter.

When we finish the series in John, remember, it's Peter who received grace from Jesus.

Peter knows grace.

It's Peter also who preached grace.

And remember, when Peter preached in Acts 2, those who heard him were cut to the heart.

Austin reminded our group in baptism, that's language of circumcision of the heart, as we read in Jeremiah 31.

So let's pick up in our reading.

I'm going to start reading at verse 11.

But our sermon text, because you've got to handle what you read in the sermon.

Our sermon text doesn't start until verse 14.

But I'm going to start reading at verse 11.

Give us an on-ramp.

Galatians 2, verse 11.

Galatians 2:11

Paul is writing to the church in this region of Galatia.

But when Cephas, that's Peter, came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.

For he regularly ate with the Gentiles before certain men came from James.

However, when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, because he feared those from the circumcision party.

Then the rest of the Jews joined his hypocrisy, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.

Now, verse 14.

When I saw that they were deviating from the truth of the gospel, I told Cephas in front of everyone,

If you who are a Jew live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you compel Gentiles to live like Jews?

We are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners.

And yet, because we know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ,

even we ourselves have believed in Christ Jesus.

This was so that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law.

Because by the works of the law, no human being will be justified.

But if we ourselves are also found to be sinners while seeking to be justified by Christ,

is Christ then a promoter of sin?

Absolutely not.

If I rebuild those things that I tore down, I show myself to be a lawbreaker.

For through the law, I died to the law so that I might live to God.

Now, here's the part we should all memorize.

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.

The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.

I do not set aside the grace of God.

For if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing.

This is God's inspired, inerrant, infallible, clear, and sufficient word.

Thanks be to God.

I know I didn't say it like we normally do.

All right, you may be seated.

The grass withers and the flower fades, but the word of the Lord endures forever.

Let's pray.

Lord, thank you for your word.

Thank you for how your word comes down like rain and it washes over us.

And by the power of your spirit, it accomplishes what you intend.

It always prospers for your purpose, by your power.

We pray that your Holy Spirit will minister your word to us by your power again today, Lord.

Pray that anything that is not of you will just fall to the ground like dust and blow away.

But I ask for your help, that every word that comes from my mouth will be pleasing in your sight.

And I pray for your Holy Spirit to help the believers to discern well, that you will illuminate your word to all of us.

And so build us up together into the body of Jesus.

Thank you for each precious soul here, Lord.

You know what each one needs.

We trust that you will minister according to your will.

Amen.

Amen.

Beloved congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ,

I want to warn you today, like Paul was warning the churches in Galatia,

of two invisible webs from hell.

Two invisible webs from hell.

Let me illustrate it this way.

Picture a dragonfly, the noblest of all the insects,

trying to make its way out of a barn.

One, it sees one web and swerves only to get caught in another.

You and I are like that dragonfly.

There are two sticky, invisible webs.

And they both appeal to our flesh and our pride.

Both are a constant threat as long as we're living in the flesh in this world.

We can call one of those webs legalism,

the other web lawlessness.

I'll show you my hand up front.

It's everything I'm going to do my best to summarize from these verses.

I'm trying to align myself with,

well, the most helpful summary to me is Sinclair Ferguson called The Whole Christ,

handling the law and gospel, the marrow controversy,

and our tincture of being united to Christ.

That's what I'm going to do my best to align with.

And from that book, he wrote that each is a web of attitudes of the heart.

It's an emphasis, a tone, a feeling about God,

a way of reading Scripture that is strongly present in a soul,

in a family, in a pulpit, and in a church.

That's the end of his quote.

And you and I, we get trapped by Satan into rejecting God's grace.

This translation said,

Do not set aside the grace.

Think about that.

There's nothing that Satan wants to do more

than to keep you and me from God's grace.

That's his mission.

And that's why these webs are from hell.

So don't reject God's grace.

Beware of these two invisible webs from hell.

The first sticky web, it's invisible, but it teaches this.

Works complete salvation.

Works complete salvation.

Look at verse 14.

Paul says,

This is an invisible sticky web.

You know why?

Peter got caught in this.

This means that their church, when they would gather,

they would share a meal.

Strong biblical encouragement for the body to break bread together

and share that meal.

But did you catch what was happening in verses 11 through 13?

Peter used to eat with those who were uncircumcised.

He would sit at the table.

We are one big family.

And now there is a separate table.

Well, that's how the synagogue and the temple were arranged.

There were spheres of holiness.

The closer you get to the holy of holies,

the closer you are to God.

But if you're a woman or a Gentile,

you get pushed further and further out.

So do you see the mistake that the early church had been making?

Even Peter, an apostle, who knew grace,

he had made the mistake of patterning the church after old Jerusalem.

They were patterning their fellowship,

their community,

the way that they break bread after the synagogue and the temple.

They're failing to see how Christ has fulfilled those heavenly shadows and types.

The real pattern is what Christ brings.

There's a newness to the new covenant.

Amen.

We are all susceptible to this.

If Peter could, I can.

I do.

And you need to call me out like Paul called Peter out when we do this.

In verse 14, we see that Paul had to confront Peter publicly.

If this happened before Acts 15, I think it is,

then that means by the time we arrive with the leaders from the churches

that are scattered all in Jerusalem for the Jerusalem council,

Peter is an ally and he agrees and he's on the side of Paul.

But it took some correcting at the beginning.

They were compelling other Christians,

so they were compelling these Gentiles to be circumcised in the flesh.

They were trying to apply a law to fellow Christians that Christ had already fulfilled.

But the motivation was so that they could secure their salvation.

Complete your salvation by adding on this work.

How can legalism,

how can that get into a Christian church like these in Galatia

and like ours right here?

We look back at the beginning of chapter 2,

we see that it was false brothers who secretly brought this in.

These were wolves in sheep's clothing.

And they were coming in the recommendation of the church in Jerusalem, James.

We read in verse 12,

even James, you know, had sent them.

They seemed very credible.

But Paul warns Titus of these same false teachers,

these Judaizers in Titus 1.10,

many are insubordinate,

empty talkers, deceivers,

especially those of the circumcision party.

Well, let's check ourselves right now.

How can you and I tell?

Yes, we know that we are saved by grace alone.

Probably tired of hearing that around here.

We know that.

But are you still trying to do more to really lock it in?

I can fall into that very easily.

Here's another test for each of us.

Are you more focused on how another Christian disappoints you

than your own need for grace?

Here's a third test.

If you're like me in my flesh,

we tend to think of God's commands

separate from the person and work of God.

Here's a fourth one.

Are you laboring for assurance

instead of resting in the completed salvation

and then instead just laboring in joyful gratitude?

In this church,

they were clinging to an outward sign of assurance,

circumcision of the flesh,

rather than God's goodness as the covenant keeper.

Paul's correcting them.

Your works do not complete your salvation.

Your works are an evidence of God saving you.

The same Lord who decreed your salvation,

who accomplished it,

and who is applying it,

He completes it in you.

He gets all the glory.

Look at verse 21 once again,

the last part of chapter 2.

If righteousness is through the law,

through your works,

then Christ died for nothing.

That's what's at stake.

It's the glory of Christ in our salvation.

Do not reject the grace of God.

Second question I want to put in front of you is this.

How does legalism snag your heart?

We've seen it's invisible and it's sticky.

How does that actually trap you?

How does legalism snag your heart?

Legalism grows in our heart

because of pride

and because we have the wrong view of God.

Those are the two root causes.

We have pride in our flesh.

We'll be battling our own pride

until the last day we take a breath.

The second thing is a wrong view of God.

Well, where does that wrong view of God come from?

Even for Christians.

It's because Satan is the accuser.

Satan is trying to take Christians

and accuse God to you.

Look at verse 15.

I think we get at the heart

of how they got snagged

by the way Paul addresses them.

Remember, they're sitting in separate tables.

This is the table for the circumcised only.

So you can get circumcised,

then you'd be welcome over here.

And Paul's basically calling out their pride.

He says,

we being Jews by nature

and not Gentile sinners.

He's saying,

yes, I can talk as one at the cool table,

the circumcised.

We're not like the sinners over there.

And then he just destroys them

like only Paul can do.

He's basically telling them,

do you forget

you were a sinner also?

Have you not read the Bible,

the Old Testament?

It's been so clear all along.

Jeremiah 4.4

Circumcise yourselves to Yahweh

and take away the foreskins of your heart.

That's what Yahweh is after

with his people.

Jeremiah 9.25

Behold the days come,

says Yahweh,

that I will punish all those

who are circumcised only

in their flesh.

Have you not read your Bible?

Well, what happens in legalism?

In this case,

they were worshipping a visible sign

instead of the invisible Savior.

Worshipping a visible sign

instead of the invisible Savior.

It's easy to do that

or to want to do that, isn't it?

I can see this big celebration.

I can see people, you know,

wearing t-shirts

and getting baptized.

I don't know if they've been discipled,

but we're going to celebrate

what's visible

because I can do that.

Rather, the invisible Savior

because that requires faith.

That requires me having

a different view of God.

And it's only possible

if He's circumcised my heart.

In this case,

they were also emphasizing

a physical behavior for Jesus,

for God,

rather than the spiritual union

of a believer to Jesus.

They were emphasizing

a visible behavior.

You go and do this

so that we know.

Instead of emphasizing union

to the Savior.

Legalism

fell for the same thing

that Adam and Eve fell for.

Remember,

it's the lie

that God does not have

your best interests in mind,

that He is not loving and gracious,

and that He requires you to work

to complete your salvation

by your own strength.

And He's going to hold that over you

until you're done.

And that's a lie.

When Satan tempted Eve,

remember what Eve said?

We're not supposed to eat

of any of the fruits.

Oh, that's the wrong view of God.

God said,

eat from all of the fruit,

from all the trees.

This principle of legalism

was introduced,

whether Eve came up with that

from Satan,

or maybe Adam preached it wrong

to her that way.

One or the other,

they were being legalistic

with what God had told them.

Jesus attacks this

in almost every parable.

Think of the prodigal son.

There's the elder brother.

He refuses his father.

He refuses the feast

that his father's inviting him to

because of the grace

the father showed

the rebellious little brother.

Think of the workers.

They worked all day

for a day's wage,

and that was fine

until they saw those

who showed up late

got the same wage.

That's when they had major issues.

It's seeing that God is gracious

that makes a legalist mad.

That's what exposes legalism

in our pride

and in our flesh.

If we feel strongly

that I need to compel

a saved sinner

and I need to bind

their conscience

more than Jesus Christ himself does,

then I'm stuck

in this web of legalism.

Verse 21,

if righteousness

were that way,

then Christ died

for nothing.

To get trapped in that

is to reject

God's grace.

That's how legalism

snags us though.

Third question,

how does the Holy Spirit

untangle

you and me

from this web

of legalism?

We see how he gets stuck in it.

How does the Holy Spirit

set us free

and untangle us

out of that?

Well,

in a short answer,

the Holy Spirit

gospels you

out of it.

The Holy Spirit

gospels us

out of that.

That's what Peter

hears from Paul next.

Paul preaches

two things

with the gospel.

What's the same

and what changed.

First,

what's the same?

The Lord reminds us

that He is the same.

He does not change.

He has always

saved anyone

older new covenant

the same way.

Look at verse 15.

We being Jews

by nature,

Jews according

to the flesh,

circumcised

from the line

of Abraham

and not Gentile

sinners.

Verse 16,

yet knowing

that a man

is not justified

by the works

of the law

but through

faith in Jesus Christ.

Read Galatians 3.

This is how God

saved Abraham.

It's by faith.

We know this.

God has always

said this.

Take for example

Hosea 6.6.

For I desire

steadfast love

and not sacrifice

the knowledge of God

rather than burnt offerings.

That's what God

is always after.

He desires

a covenant love.

He desires

hesed,

the Hebrew word

for steadfast love,

covenant bond

with His people,

not the ceremonial law.

That's what Samuel

preached to David

in his sin.

1 Samuel 15.22.

Has the Lord

has the Lord

as great delight

in burnt offerings

and sacrifices

as in obeying

the voice of the Lord.

Behold,

to obey

is better

than sacrifice

and to listen

than the fat

of rams.

The Lord

is always after

the covenant love,

the covenant bond,

the covenant

obedience

of His people.

So what's not changed

is God.

What's not changed

is how God

measures

and requires

obedience

and that's the

moral law of God.

The moral law of God

is the same law.

Adam and Eve

had it.

Every person

that's made

in the image of God

has the moral

transcendent

law of God.

We saw last week

in the Mosaic covenant

the Lord

writes this law,

the moral law,

the Ten Commandments

with His own finger

on tablets

of stone.

And then He gives

the ceremonial law

as a resource

to make that right

or to understand now

how you can be

in communion with God

knowing that you're a sinner.

Why did God require

bulls and goats

of the Israelites?

It's because they had

broken His moral law.

Why did the Israelites

need priests

that would mediate

a blood ceremony

for the forgiveness

that God would

attribute to them

because those animals

don't forgive anything?

It's because they knew

the moral law of God

and it was given

as clearly

as anyone could ask.

The moral law

reflects the nature

of the holy God.

God does not change.

So that's how

He first gospels

Him through it

is clarifying

God does not change,

the moral law

does not change.

But now what does change?

The Lord reveals to us

that Christ's incarnation

and work

changes everything

for His people

in the best way.

What do we mean?

Well, Paul says next

in verse 16,

he says,

even we,

meaning ethnic

national Jews

in the same way

as the Gentiles,

we believe

in Christ Jesus

that we might be

justified by faith

in Christ.

We are justified

in Christ.

if you are in Christ,

being united

not by any works

but by faith alone,

you are in Him

and God declares you

justified.

You are righteous.

You are holy.

You can enter

the holy of holies

if you are in Christ.

He tore the veil.

This is why

it changes everything.

But it changes it

for everyone

who is in Christ.

The same.

Not by works of the law

because no flesh,

no flesh,

no matter what

people group you're from,

will be justified

by the works

of the law.

He explains

this same point

to the church

in Rome,

Romans 2.29.

Paul says,

He is a Jew

who is one inwardly.

Circumcision

is that of the heart

by the Spirit.

So you're saying

circumcision has no

relationship to baptism?

No, we're saying

that the church

patterns itself

off of New Jerusalem,

the heavenly Jerusalem.

Those who have been

circumcised in the heart

receive the sign

of the new covenant.

Moses didn't only

give the Ten Commandments

written by God's finger

to the people of Israel.

That's the moral law.

He also received

from the Lord

a ceremonial law

and a civil law.

The ceremonial law

was fulfilled

by the person

and work of Jesus.

Ephesians 2.15.

He abolished

the law

and commandments

expressed

in the ordinances

that he might

create in himself

one new man

in the place of two

and so making peace.

What about

the civil laws?

Well, the civil laws

were given

for national Israel

as their rule

under God

as their king

for life

in that land.

How does the New Testament

command the church?

Well, the New Testament,

the church,

is an international

people of God

spread throughout

a lot of different

nations and cities

and rules

by those people

and we are told

to submit ourselves

to those worldly rulers

that God has ordained,

Romans 13,

as long as their laws

don't contradict

the higher law

of God.

So now for the church,

what's the role

of the law?

What's the role

of the law?

Well, we can be feeling

at this point,

I hate legalism.

I don't want to be that.

I want to be like

that dragon flying

swerve as far away

from legalism

as I can.

But that's only

the first invisible web.

The second sticky

web from hell

is this.

You are saved,

but you're not

united to Christ.

You're saved somehow,

you're declared righteous,

but you're not

united to Christ.

Verse 17,

we read,

If while we sought

to be justified

in Christ,

we ourselves

were found sinners,

is Christ a servant,

a promoter,

a minister of sin?

Certainly not.

Absolutely.

not.

Verse 18,

For if I build up again

those things

which I destroyed,

I prove myself

a lawbreaker.

This is a,

these verses are

difficult to interpret.

I'm going to save you

my exercises

trying to figure it out.

I think the best clarity

I got was from

Calvin's commentary.

When Paul says

in verse 18,

If I build up again

those things,

Calvin's interpretation

is that

Paul is using language

in general,

like,

I wouldn't even do this.

I wouldn't tear something down

just to build that same thing

back up.

If I wouldn't do it,

Jesus Christ definitely

doesn't work that way either.

That's the argument.

So,

Jesus Christ is no

lawbreaker.

His work does not

contradict

himself.

1 John 3,

1 John 3:8

verse 8 says

that Jesus came

to destroy

the works

of the devil.

And Christ

does not

build

sin

in his people.

Because that would be

a foundation

of destroying

the works of the devil,

destroying sin

in the life

of his people.

Why would Jesus

now be a minister

of sin?

Why would Jesus

be ruling over

his people

like saving them

but not

freeing them

of that bondage

to sin anymore?

That's the argument.

It might be better

understood by this

paraphrase by Matthew Henry.

To live in sin

because you are

justified by faith

alone

is to try to make

Christ

the minister of sin

at any thought

of which

all Christian hearts

would shudder.

Matthew Henry

is pointing out

that same thing.

If you are truly

in Christ,

the thought

of Christ

now building

a life of sin

in you

would make you shudder.

Anyone who's

truly in Christ

would never view sin

that way.

But why can we

get tangled up

in this other

invisible web?

Why is it,

why does it work

on us?

Sinclair Ferguson

calls these two

unidentical twins,

like non-identical twins

from the same womb.

They both come from hell

and they both appeal

to the same thing.

They appeal to

our pride,

again,

and a wrong view

of God.

when we become

frustrated

by our weakness

to obey

God's law,

we all have,

that's Romans 7,

we don't do it well,

we don't love God

and obey Him

as much as we wish

we did.

Then what our pride

wants to do

is to blame

God's law.

Doesn't it?

Well,

surely I can't be

the problem,

it must be

the law of God

that's the problem.

in Christ,

you are justified

and you are no longer

under the dominion

of sin.

If you are in Christ,

He will rule

over your life

as your covenant Lord.

You are truly

in covenant

with God

through Jesus Christ.

Sin no longer

has dominion

over you

if you are in Christ.

1 Corinthians 7,

19 says,

for neither

circumcision counts

for anything

nor uncircumcision

but keeping

the commands

of God.

So it's the Christian

who can read

Psalm 119

and agree

how I love

your law.

It slays me,

it makes me humble,

it teaches me

I am weak

on my own

but it brings me

back to my union

in Christ,

the only mediator.

That's why I love

your law.

I don't hate

the law,

I don't blame

the law.

Your works

do not

complete your salvation

but your works

are evidence

of your salvation.

And just like

legalism

is to reject

the grace of God,

lawlessness

is the same.

You reject grace

if you detach

the way you live

from the person

and work

of Christ.

You have a wrong

view of God

if you get trapped

in this

because it means

you don't believe

that Christ

has any real power.

You don't believe

that He loves you

even more than

you love yourself

because He does.

Satan wants you

to have that wrong view.

Satan wants to

accuse God to you.

Satan wants you

to not believe

God could possibly

want you

to have assurance.

And there's nothing

that God wants more

than for you

to be assured

of your union

and you're standing

before Him

in Christ.

That's the gospel.

When you get

stuck in this web,

you accuse God's law,

you believe that

God is not love

or good,

Satan stirs up

that pride

into even more

disobedience.

And what this does

is your disobedience

and mine,

it robs us

of ever truly

enjoying assurance,

of ever truly

trusting God

and trusting

that His grace

sanctifies you

because you truly

are in Christ.

When we get stuck

in one,

we want to overreact

and we're like

that pendulum

on an old

grandfather clock.

We want to

overcorrect,

don't we?

Satan wants us

to think that

lawlessness

does not

free you.

I'm going to

say that a different

way.

I'm so sorry.

When I'm stuck

in legalism,

I think,

in my flesh,

with Satan accusing,

I think the way

to get out of

legalism

is to go to

lawlessness.

When I'm in

lawlessness,

I think the way

to correct that

is to go back

over to legalism.

Look at what

Paul says next

in verse 19.

He says,

For I,

through the law,

died to the law,

that I might live

to God.

For I,

through the law,

died to the law,

that I might live

to God.

Paul is saying

lawlessness is not

what frees you

out of legalism.

It's the law

that kills

legalism in you.

The problem

was never

God's law.

Satan wants

to use God's

commands to

deceive you

about the nature

of God

who gave the

command.

But the problem

all along

has been my

own sin.

Would you turn

with me to

Romans 7?

Look at

Romans 7,

Romans 7:8

verse 8.

Romans is laid

out as a

systematic

theology.

It's laid

out sequentially

in a very

purposeful

order.

I believe

Romans 6

is about

justification.

I believe

Romans 7

is about

a Christian

being sanctified.

Romans 8

is about

assurance.

Romans 7,

starting at

verse 8.

Paul,

writing in the

first person,

it's his own

testimony in

this battle.

He says,

sin,

seizing an

opportunity,

how?

Through the

commandment,

through the

moral law,

stirred up

all kinds

of covetousness

that was

inside of me.

The law of

God exposed

the sin

in me.

Is the

problem the

law or

my sin?

Paul's giving

his testimony.

The problem

is my sin.

Look at

verse 10.

Paul writes,

the very

commandment

that promised

life proved

to be death

to me.

Under the

Mosaic

covenant,

the arrangement

was do this

and live.

If you can

obey it all

perfectly,

personally,

and perpetually,

the promise

of life.

So it

promised life,

but it

proved to be

death to me

because I

can't do

that.

Verse 11,

for sin,

seizing an

opportunity

through the

commandment

deceived me

and through

it killed

me.

Verse 12,

so the law

is holy

and the

commandment

is holy

and righteous

and good.

The law

of God

is holy,

the moral

law of God

is righteous

and it's

good.

The moral

law is holy,

it's from

God,

from the

creator,

two creatures.

It is righteous,

it is still

pleasing to

God,

it has not

been abrogated

and it is

good,

it is a

blessing from

God for

me.

That's how we

ought to view

the law.

You can turn

back to Galatians

Galatians 2 · chapter mention

chapter 2.

Paul says,

through the

law,

I died

to the

law.

God's

law

killed me

in the

best way.

God's law

is what

killed my

pride.

God's law

killed

legalism

inside me.

When we

use God's

law,

when we

use the

Ten

Commandments

as a

mirror,

like we

read in

James,

it does

this.

It helps

us to

die to

legalism.

It shows

us,

if I'm

not in

Christ,

I am

utterly

hopeless

because I

can produce

no good

works on

my own.

When God

exposes sin

in you

and me,

it makes

us want to

praise Him

for one

reason.

It shows

me that

I am

united to

Christ on

the point

of my

sin first

because it

was my

sin that

Christ paid

for on

the cross.

And

therefore,

I'm united

to Christ

in His

paying for

my sin.

And

because my

sin unites

me to

Christ's

crucifixion

in my

place,

look at

what Paul

writes in

verse 20.

That's how

I,

my pride,

my sin,

my flesh,

have been

crucified

with

Christ.

The law

is not

what dies.

The law

kills our

pride and

it kills

legalism

inside of

us.

We are

dead to

legalism,

we are

dead to

sin's

dominion,

but the

law does

not die

because the

law is a

reflection of

the eternal

transcendent

God.

And Christ

rules over

His people

as He

always has

with a

good,

holy,

and righteous

law.

But we

don't take

the law

as we had

to at

Mount Sinai,

the people

of God

with trembling

knowing they'll

come short.

We take it

from the

hand of

Christ,

our Savior.

We take

it with

gratitude.

If you

are in

Christ,

when you

break God's

moral law,

it has no

power to

condemn you

any longer.

You are

free from

that curse,

and instead

you receive

only blessings

because it

draws you

back to

your need

to be

united to

Him again.

Well,

there's still

one problem

we've got to

resolve,

at least in

my own

mind.

we are

no better

as Gentiles

than the

Jews.

That's

Paul's

whole

argument.

Jews,

you are

no better

than the

Gentiles.

Gentiles,

you are

no better

than the

Jews either.

If the

Jews,

the Israelites,

lacked the

power,

the love

inside of

them like

Hosea

exposed to

keep the

law and

obey God,

what's our

hope?

We lack

that same

power if

we're under

that same

covenant.

I believe

that's what

is handled

in verse

20 and

21.

the power

that you

and I

lack on

our own.

Look at

verse 20.

Paul says,

now that I've

been crucified

with Christ,

it is no

longer I

who live,

but it's

Christ who

lives in

me.

That life

which I

now live

in the

flesh,

I live

by faith

in the

Son of

God who

loved me

and gave

himself up

for me.

What is

the secret

to walking

in Christ?

What is

the secret

to having

the power

we would

lack?

Well,

on Mount

Sinai,

the Lord

called this

mediator up

the mountain

and the

Lord wrote

on these

stone tablets

the moral

law and

he sent

them back

down with

Moses

mediating,

ruling over

the people

with God

as their

king.

And the

law gave

him a

direction,

live this

way,

this is

pleasing to

me.

But it

simply

exposed

their own

flesh,

their own

inability to

keep it

by their

strength.

See the

similarities.

Moses himself

prophesied,

there will be

a prophet

like me,

one of your

brothers who

will come

and he will

give you

God's law.

And Jesus

in the same

way,

having completed

his work,

he ascended

to the highest

heaven.

He ascended

and from

there he

gives that

same law,

but he

gives it by

the power

of the

Holy Spirit

not written

on stone

tablets,

but written

in the

hearts of

his people.

The Holy

Spirit not

only writes

the law

in our

hearts,

but he

also

indwells

the believer

and he

gives us

the power

that we

lack

to walk

with him.

2 John

1.6

says,

this is

love,

that we

walk

according

to his

commands.

Love

and the

commands

working

together.

Sinclair

Ferguson

commented,

love for

Jesus is

expressed

by commandment

keeping.

Love is

the fulfillment

of the

law.

Love is

never said

to be a

replacement

for law.

It was

not legalism

for Jesus

to do

everything

his father

commanded,

nor is

it for

us.

The

difference

between

you and

I as

Gentiles

with the

Israelites

is that

Jesus has

kept the

law savingly

for us

already.

And on

top of

that,

he has

sent his

Holy Spirit,

what the

New Testament

calls the

Spirit of

Christ,

to live

in and

through his

people.

Hebrews 8

says,

everyone in

the covenant

with Christ

will know

him.

And he

will put

his law

in our

minds

and in

our

hearts.

We're

told as

Christians

to work

out your

salvation

with

trembling.

We're

told to

run the

race.

This is

language of

forward

movement

as a

Christian.

If you're

in Christ,

you are

marching

behind him,

you are

following

him.

And

forward

movement,

Sinclair

Ferguson

again

pointed out,

requires

two things,

a direction

and a

power.

He gave

the example

of a

train,

an engine

on the

railway

tracks.

The Ten

Commandments

are the

tracks.

It gives

us a

direction

of where

we go.

But there's

this massive

iron horse,

this engine

that needs

to be moved.

Where does

that power

come from?

Well,

the engine's

power is

the Holy

Spirit in

the believer.

It's the

love of

God poured

into our

hearts

continuously,

filling us

back up,

jet engine

to propel

us on

the tracks.

So in

the new

covenant,

we have

both.

We have

what the

Israelites

lacked.

We have

the direction

that we

share,

that doesn't

change,

but now

we have

the power.

We have

folks who

have been

preparing for

baptism,

and this

is what is

pictured in

baptism,

buried with

Christ,

and then

raised to

newness of

life.

You have

been crucified

with Christ,

united to

Him on

the point

of your

sin,

and now

you're

raised to

newness of

life with

the Holy

Spirit living

inside of

you.

That life

which I

now live

in the

flesh,

I live

by faith

in the

Son of

God who

loved me

and gave

Himself

up for

me.

You

notice how

this is

really the

refrain of

every one

of your

favorite hymns

and songs.

I pulled

a couple

examples.

John Bunyan

who wrote

Pilgrim's

Progress,

he put this

in first

person,

how this

was true

for him

in a

poem.

Run,

John,

run,

the law

commands,

but gives

neither feet

nor hands.

Better

news the

gospel brings,

it bids me

fly and

gives me

wings.

William

Cooper,

in a hymn

he wrote,

to see the

law by

Christ

fulfilled

and hear

His

pardoning

voice

changes

a slave

into a

child

and duty

into choice.

My

encouragement

for us

today,

don't

reject

God's

grace.

Don't

let your

pride

get you

entangled

in either

one of

these

webs.

Don't

let the

lies of

Satan

accuse

God

to you.

Believe

who

He

is.

As

we'll

sing in

a moment,

arise,

poor,

wretched

sinner,

and go

to Jesus.

He

will

embrace

you

in His

arms.

Rest

in His

grace

again.

Let's

pray.

Lord,

thank You

for this

glorious

gospel

that we

do have

life

in Jesus

Christ.

We have

been

crucified

with

Christ

for our

sin,

but we

have

life

in

Christ

by Your

power

so that

it is

no longer

I who

live,

but it's

Christ who

lives in

me.

Please work

this out,

Lord,

in every

aspect of

our lives

for Your

glory we

ask.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.