Matthew 5:17-20

Our text today continues our study of the relationship between the law and the gospel, which we launched out on from a study of the Sermon on the Mount.

In Matthew chapter 5, verses 17 through 20, you've heard this a few times if you've been with us.

Matthew 5:17–20

Matthew records Jesus saying, do not think that I've come to abolish the law of the prophets.

I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them.

For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot will pass from the law until all is accomplished.

Therefore, whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven.

But whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

And beloved, I want us to be found as a church of people who will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Those who are keepers and teachers of the law.

Those who have a righteousness found in Christ that exceeds that of the Pharisees.

And this text has caused us to ask the very important question, what is the relationship between the Old Testament law and the gospel of Jesus Christ?

And we have answered that question in multiple ways and at multiple times over the past weeks with two answers.

First, the Old Testament law is meant to bring us to Jesus Christ.

Either in the civil and ceremonial pointing us to our need of this greater sacrifice, a greater king to rule over us.

Or in the moral to show us a great failure of keeping God's standard.

The Old Testament law serves as our tutor, fixing for us the holy requirement of God.

Being utterly incapable of keeping such a law without faltering, the law creates for us a problem to drive us to the solution in the personal work of Jesus Christ.

By believing that Jesus is the Son of God, that He perfectly kept the law.

That He died on the cross in your stead.

And that He was raised from the dead, defeating sin and death on your behalf.

You can participate in what Martin Luther called the great exchange.

Your sin and the just penalty for it, taken from you by Jesus and His perfect law keeping given to you.

The Old Testament law begs the question, have I kept God's standard?

This question is rightly answered by each and every one of us with an emphatic no.

If you have yet to recognize your moral failing before a most just God,

I pray this morning that you will see your problem in the law and fly to Christ as the remedy.

It is often asked in churches of our day, if you were to die today and stand before God in judgment and be asked,

why should I let you into my heaven?

How would you respond?

And they're looking for you to say something like, well, I've placed my faith in Jesus.

And I can tell you that we would all fall on our face before a most holy God and cry out that we are unworthy.

The law does this for us, presents us with this most holy God and shows us our failure in pleasing Him.

But praise be to God, beloved, that the gospel tells us that it is Jesus that will come to our defense.

We will not need to utter a word.

He will come beside us and He will call us His own.

He will say, this one, this one is mine.

I lived and died for his or her benefit.

It is because of the defense of Jesus Christ that we are justified before God, our sins forgiven and our righteousness declared.

Secondly, having been set free from the burden of it, from the problem of the Old Testament law,

the Old Testament law, the moral component of it, continues to serve as a guide for how our lives might please God.

So, having been accepted by God in the perfect righteousness of Jesus,

we are gratefully obedient to the commands of God for our good and for His glory.

And you do not want to mess that order up.

You do not want to think for a moment, especially as we take some time to consider God's commands to us,

that in keeping God's commands, you will be accepted.

If you think in this way, you are utterly doomed because you will not keep God's commands at God's standard.

The gospel says the very opposite.

It says you are accepted.

You are in Christ.

Therefore, now obey.

I have hoped to show you over the past weeks, which I think we will see in great clarity today,

how the Ten Commandments, which are often called the Decalogue,

serves as an outline for all of God's moral and therefore perpetual commandments.

Most of us are very familiar with the Ten Commandments,

but I fear we too readily run them as a checklist

and come out in our own estimation far better law keepers than we actually are.

So, join me in setting your mind on a careful consideration of the 5th, 6th, and 7th commandments.

If you have yet to place saving faith in Jesus Christ,

I pray that you will see your need of Him.

If you have placed saving faith in Jesus Christ,

I pray that you will be given cause to praise Him for His abounding grace to you

and that your praise will spill over into grateful obedience.

Our text for today is Exodus chapter 20, verses 12 through 14.

Exodus 20:12–14

Beloved, this is God's Word to us.

It was written for His glory and our good.

We would all do well to listen to it in order to believe its promises and obey its commands.

Honor your father and your mother,

that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

You shall not murder.

You shall not commit adultery.

Now, today I want to take the commandments out of order.

Dealing briefly with the 6th and 7th commandments

and then spending the bulk of our time on the 5th commandment.

I'm going to do this both for the sake of time

and because we'll resume our study of the Sermon on the Mount.

Jesus brings up both the 6th and 7th commandments,

brings clarity to the people, self-righteous people of His day,

what those commandments mean.

So we're going to get to consider them much more fully at that time.

But in brief, let's look first at the 6th commandment.

You shall not murder.

Now, it is very tempting to believe that none of us have transgressed this commandment.

At least I think.

I don't know each and every one of you.

But that we very quickly are apt to go,

Oh, I've never murdered anybody.

This is not a crime that I am guilty of.

But, oh, have we murdered.

The Westminster Larger Catechism,

which you're going to see some of this today.

And if you don't like it, I apologize.

I want you to see, though, as they're pulling together the moral law systematically,

these are some of the most exhaustive and succinct statements

that are out there on what these commands mean.

So if you want to look on the back of your bulletin

and follow along with me,

I would encourage you simply typing into Google,

Westminster Larger Catechism,

and you'll find all the scripture proofs for this

and wrestle with it and work it out yourself.

I affirm these statements without reservation.

Question 135 says,

What are the duties required in the 6th commandment?

And they write,

The duties required in the 6th commandment are

all careful studies and lawful endeavors

to preserve the life of ourselves and others,

resisting all thoughts and purposes,

subduing all passions and avoiding all occasions,

temptations and practices,

which tend to the unjust taking away the life of any.

By just defense thereof against violence,

patient bearing of the hand of God,

quietness of mind,

cheerfulness of spirit,

a sober use of meat,

drink,

physic,

which means medicine,

sleep,

labor,

and recreation,

by charitable thoughts,

love,

compassion,

meekness,

gentleness,

kindness,

peaceable,

mild,

and courteous speeches and behavior,

forbearing readiness to be reconciled,

patient bearing and forgiving of injuries,

and requiting good for evil,

comforting and suckering the distressed,

and protecting and defending the innocent.

Now the Westminster Divines have pulled together a multitude at each of these commas,

essentially scripture,

to say these very things to us.

And I'll admit that I'm still wrapping my mind around the sober use of meat

and the direct application to this command.

But,

if we really take a look at what the Bible requires of us from the sixth commandment,

it's not so easy to check the box,

is it?

Let's look further at what sins are forbidden in the sixth commandment.

The Westminster Divines wrote,

the sins forbidden in the sixth commandment are,

all taking away the life of ourselves or others,

except in case of public justice,

lawful war,

or necessary defense,

the neglecting or withdrawing the lawful and necessary means of preservation of life,

so withholding things that keep people alive,

sinful anger,

here it comes,

hatred,

envy,

desire of revenge,

all excessive passions,

distracting cares,

here's the meat thing again,

a moderate use of meat,

drink,

labor,

and recreations,

provoking words,

oppression,

quarreling,

striking,

wounding,

and whatsoever else tends to destruction of the life of any.

We are transgressors of this law.

Jesus drives this point in Matthew chapter 5,

Matthew 5 · chapter mention

and I think does so on the particular matter that we are most often guilty of.

Beginning in verse 21,

He says,

You have heard that it was said to those of old,

You shall not murder,

and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.

But I say to you,

that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment.

Whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council,

and whoever says,

You fool,

will be liable to the hell of fire.

You see what Jesus is doing here is He's making this direct connection.

If you harbor anger in your heart,

you are in your heart a murderer.

We are each and every one of us guilty of this.

Many of us have transgressed this law this morning.

Many of you this morning killed your roommate,

or your children,

or your spouse

in your heart.

Some of you may have killed someone who pulled out in front of you on the way here

in your heart.

And we are guilty in this way before our most holy God.

The seventh commandment.

You shall not commit adultery.

Pray for Caleb Waters,

who volunteered to preach the text for Matthew 5 on this matter.

Once again,

a commandment that one can be likely to say they've kept.

Either you may not be married,

or you're married,

and you,

by your estimation,

have been faithful to your wife or to your husband.

But this commandment means so much more than might be understood on the surface.

We must be students of our Bible,

the totality of it,

to rightly see and understand

what's both required and forbidden in this commandment.

So again,

let me read to you.

I hope you don't mind these big summaries.

Question 138.

What are the duties required in the seventh commandment?

The duties required in the seventh commandment are

chastity in body,

mind,

affections,

words,

and behavior,

and the presence of it in ourselves and others.

Watchfulness over the eyes and all the senses.

Temperance,

keeping of chaste company,

modesty in apparel,

marriage by those that have not the gift of continency,

which is celibacy.

Conjugal love and cohabitation,

diligent labor in our callings,

shunning all occasions of unclumeliness,

and resisting temptations thereunto,

which is a fantastic word.

Let's look at what's forbidden.

The sins forbidden in the seventh commandment,

besides the neglect of the duties required.

So,

all those things just mentioned,

the neglect of them are

adultery,

fornication,

rape,

incest,

sodomy,

and all unnatural lusts.

All unclean,

imaginations,

gentlemen,

thoughts,

purposes,

and affections.

All corrupt or filthy communications,

or listening thereunto.

Wanton looks,

impudent or light behavior,

immodest apparel,

prohibiting of lawful,

and dispensing with unlawful marriages.

Allowing,

tolerating,

keeping of stews,

which I'm pretty sure was a Puritan word for a prostitute.

I'm really still working that out,

but I think it's short for steward,

which would have been used as a slang term,

but if you can figure that out,

let me know.

They're not talking about soup,

in this case.

That I'm confident of.

I think this is what they mean,

because,

it goes on to say,

keeping of stews,

and resorting to them.

Entangling vows of single life,

making a vow and not keeping it.

Undue delay of marriage.

Having more wives or husbands than one at the same time.

Unjust divorce or desertion.

Idleness,

gluttony,

drunkenness,

unchaste company,

lascivious songs,

books,

pictures,

dancings,

stage plays.

They're not saying they're against dancing,

but this particular type of dancing and stage plays,

and we certainly could add in our day,

movies and television,

and all other provocations to,

or acts of uncleanness,

either in ourselves or others.

Once again,

here is not just a command for the men in the room,

but for men and women alike.

We have shown ourselves,

in our hearts at least,

to be adulterers.

Matthew chapter 5,

Matthew 5:27

verse 27 and 28,

Jesus says,

You have heard that it was said,

You shall not commit adultery,

but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent

has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Praise the Lord for the gospel of Jesus Christ,

for our failing in keeping such a law.

The fifth commandment,

and we'll spend a bit more time here.

Honor your father and your mother,

that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

Let's consider first,

who this command is for.

We are very quick to think that it is merely for children,

but it means much more than just the command,

which it does include,

but for children to obey their parents.

Again,

I'm going to pick up a little bit of language from the Westminster Confession,

and I want you to hear two words,

and then rightly understand them.

And those two words are,

superiors and inferiors.

And typically when we think of those words,

the way we use them is in terms of quality.

Like,

I am better than you because I'm your superior,

and it can mean that.

But the words mean a bit more,

and even their primary meaning is a bit different.

So,

the idea of a superior is one who is higher in rank,

status,

or quality,

the way we typically think of it.

And the inferior is one who is lower in rank,

status,

or quality.

So,

I am the superior to my sons who are the inferiors,

as the Westminster Divines think about this kind of thing.

Okay,

so don't get confused by those words and what they mean.

So,

question 124,

you don't have this one.

I'm going to touch these very briefly.

So,

they ask,

who are meant?

Who are meant by father and mother in the fifth commandment?

We want to go father and mother,

right?

Yes,

but.

Their answer is,

by father and mother in the fifth commandment,

are meant not only natural parents,

but all superiors in age and gifts,

especially such as,

by God's ordinance,

are over us in place of authority,

whether in family,

church,

or commonwealth,

in the governing of the place in which we live.

It has a broader meaning.

Let me just show you a few places where this father-to-son type of language is used.

I think the family is a given.

I think we can all be on board with that one and not hesitate on it.

But,

let's look at an example for the church.

1 Corinthians chapter 4,

1 Corinthians 4 · chapter mention

in verse 14 and following,

Paul writes,

I do not write these things to make you ashamed,

but to admonish you as my beloved children.

So,

here he is establishing himself as the superior to the Corinthian church's inferiority.

Verse 15,

For though you have countless guides in Christ,

you do not have many fathers.

For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

I urge you then be imitators of me.

He's saying,

honor me by imitating me.

That is why I sent you Timothy,

my beloved and faithful child in the Lord.

What Paul is communicating is he's going to model for you

what it looks like to honor your father

in this particular setting.

To remind you,

it goes on to say in verse 17,

to remind you of my ways in Christ,

as I teach them everywhere in every church.

And Paul does this repeatedly in other places as well.

He calls Timothy,

his son,

in many spots,

as well as Titus.

Titus chapter 1 verse 4,

Titus 1:4

the first part of it,

to Titus,

my true child in a common faith.

And he says this of Onesimus and Philemon 10,

I appeal to you for my child,

O Nesimus,

whose father I became in my imprisonment.

And so you see how the fifth commandment can apply

in the setting of the church,

in the family of God.

Now it also applies in the commonwealth,

in our very governing.

There's been a controversy this week

about Romans chapter 13,

Romans 13 · chapter mention

you may be aware of.

Romans chapter 13,

Romans 13:1

verse 1 and 2.

Further on into the chapter,

but let me read verse 1 and 2 for you.

Paul writes,

let every person be subject

to the governing authorities.

For there is no authority except from God,

and those that exist have been instituted by God.

Therefore,

whoever resists the authorities,

resists what God has appointed,

and those who resist will incur judgment.

Do you hear the obey,

honor your father and your mother,

that it may go well with you?

We don't want to incur the judgment

of the authorities.

Now if you're not aware of the controversy

that I mentioned,

Jeff Sessions, our Attorney General,

used this text to defend dividing up

immigrant parents from their children,

and said,

you should just obey,

because we're the government.

That's the summation of what he had to say,

which I wholeheartedly reject.

Russell Moore,

who I'm just,

one of the reasons I'm so proud

to be a Southern Baptist,

is Russell Moore,

who's the president of the Ethics

and Religious Liberty Commission,

was interviewed on CNN,

and he said this to that response.

He said,

we all have moments

where we can spend a little more time

in Sunday school,

and this is one of those moments

for the Department of Justice.

He went on to talk about

what is it that Paul is really trying to say.

Paul is not just unilaterally saying

if the government says it,

it is right and it is good,

but rather,

God places governments

for the reason

to commend that which is good

and to punish that which is evil.

We have to get in a very tough spot

to say if the government says it,

then it should go, right?

Because now suddenly,

North Korea is the most righteous country

because they listen to whatever

the dear leader says.

May it never be.

God does not grant a waiver

to governing officials

simply because they are government officials.

This is not the way of things, right?

We place God's authority

and God's Word over and above.

They are subject to it.

And therefore,

there will be times, right,

when God's church

will reject the governing of our nation

in order to stay obedient to our Lord.

And this is good.

The command says that

honoring your superiors

when they are rightly living,

when they are rightly ordering

over the top of you

is a good thing

and is not just for the inferior

to the superior

because there's a promise of good,

there also is this implication

of expectations for superiors, right?

They must then lead well, right?

They must command well.

An example of this

is the command given to parents

in Deuteronomy 6,

Deuteronomy 6:5

verse 5 and following.

You shall love the Lord your God

with all your heart

and with all your soul

and with all your might.

This is this great summation

of the first four commandments.

And these words that I command you today

shall be on your heart.

You shall teach them diligently

to your children

and shall talk of them

when you sit in your house

and when you walk by the way

and when you lie down

and when you rise.

There's a great charge

given to superiors

to care very carefully

for those put under their care.

So, the Westminster Larger Catechism

asks the question,

question 125,

why are superiors styled

father and mother?

And this is their answer.

Superiors are styled

father and mother

both to teach them

in all duties

towards their inferiors

like natural parents

to express love

and tenderness

to them.

To have those

who are in positions

of superiority

to think in terms of

the love

and the tenderness

that we offer

to our very own children.

According to their

several relations

and to work inferiors

to a greater willingness

and cheerfulness

and performing their duties

to their superiors

as to their parents.

To see that those

who are placed over us

when rightly exercising

their authority

love us,

care for us,

intend good for us,

so that we would see them

as we would see

our parents.

Ephesians chapter 6

Ephesians 6 · chapter mention

and verse 4.

Paul gives both

a positive

and a negative

exhortation

to fathers here.

He says,

fathers,

do not provoke

your children

to anger,

but bring them up

in the discipline

and instruction

of the Lord.

So there's a

positive exhortation,

instruction and discipline

of the Lord,

which does not

just mean

consistent with

His commands,

although it means that,

but also

consistent

with His character.

We are to lovingly

train and teach

our children

and all others

place under our

authority.

We are meant to

guide them

with great care

in the same way

that God

does with us.

Isn't He so

unceasingly

patient

in bringing about

correction

in our lives?

Fathers were meant

to parent

our children.

Our employees,

don't tell them

that you're

their father.

We're meant

to be instructing

and guiding

and leading

in this very way

in the discipline

and instruction

of the Lord.

But there's a

negative exhortation

at the beginning

of the verse as well.

Do not provoke

your children

to anger.

And it suggests

a repeated

ongoing pattern

of treatment

because certainly

fathers,

don't our children

sometimes get angry

with us

when they are

disciplined

or instructed.

They would not

be human

if they did not.

But here,

this ongoing

thing

that causes

a deep-seated

resentment

for the discipline

and the instruction

of the father.

That causes

our children

to not want

to hear anything

we have to say

because of the way

that we say it.

So we must be

careful

in this matter.

And I want to give you

just a few

guidelines

because it is

Father's Day

after all.

Some ways

in which

we provoke

our children

to anger.

And really briefly,

there's eight of them

but I'm going to run

them fast.

First,

overprotection.

Overprotection.

Boy,

do we live in a day

where parents

overprotect

their children.

We want to put guidelines.

We want to be instructive.

No one wants

their child

being run over

by a car

but our children

also need a chance

to make some mistakes

and to stretch

their wings

just a little bit.

My eight-year-old

climbs the tree

in our front yard

much higher

than I am comfortable with.

But I don't want

to keep him

on the ground.

Secondly,

favoritism.

Some of you

may have experienced

this as children.

I'm thankful

that I did not.

My parents never did

any of these things.

But showing

greater joy,

celebrating more

one child

over another.

Our children

need to know

that in their uniqueness

they are extremely

special to us.

Similarly,

number three,

comparing.

Comparing one child

to another child.

Why can't you be

more like your

brother

or like your

sister?

Or comparing them

to other

children.

Our children

are uniquely

made.

They are

wonderfully

created

and they are

vastly different

from one another.

Praise God.

And there are

some children

that are just

cooler than

other children

but we don't

want them

to know that.

They need to be

entirely unaware

of this

in their

upbringing

and we need

to foster

a great deal

of expectation

for them

but also

a great deal

of care

as we deal

with their

unique

personalities

and challenges.

Fourth,

and similarly,

pushing achievement

beyond reason.

We have done

very little

organized sports

with our boys

by design.

It is astounding

to me

how much

some five-year-olds

get yelled at

on a field.

It is just

tragic

to see

already

young boys

trying to

seek the

favor of

their father

by performing

on a field.

It is such

a shame.

Fifthly,

discouragement.

Again,

speaking in a way

that's condescending

to our children,

telling them

that they don't

measure up.

We're not talking

about God's

standard here

but our own

sinful desire

for them

that we might

look good

because our

children make

us look

good.

Six,

failure to

sacrifice.

Failure to

give our lives

for the sake

of theirs

that they would

know that

they are loved

in a sacrificial

way.

We give of

our time,

we give our

attention

to our children.

Seventh,

conditioned

love.

I think a lot

of us have

feelings of

unconditional love

toward our

children but

sometimes we

express it in

a way that's

conditioned.

I think we

are all,

each of us,

guilty of saying

to one another

and to those

of us who have

children,

to our kids,

I love you

but here's

the behavior I

need you to

correct.

And what we

are expressing

is I love

you as long

as you correct

this behavior.

We don't want

to say these

kinds of things

to our

children.

Sam and I

labor,

and we don't

always do this

perfectly,

but labor to

say to our

kids,

I love you

and that's

why.

I love you

and therefore

you need to

be obedient.

I love you

so stop

sticking that

thing in a

light socket.

I love you

so you need

to eat the

green beans.

Not I love

you but you

need to eat

your green

beans.

And eighth

and finally,

and I

think this

goes without

saying,

but we do

want to be

careful as

parents that

we avoid

all forms of

physical or

verbal abuse.

These are

things,

dads,

that are going

to prompt

our children

to anger.

We want to

pick up the

qualities of

Christ in

disciplining our

children and

they need to

be,

they need to

be corrected

but we do so

with a great

deal of grace

and understanding

as those who

get that we're

the greatest of

sinners and

trying to

help our

children see

their need

for Christ.

This is on

the front of

your bulletin,

John Flavel,

17th century

English pastor

wrote,

if you neglect

to instruct

your children

in the way

of holiness,

will the devil

neglect to

instruct them

in the way

of wickedness?

No.

If you will

not teach

them to pray,

he will to

curse,

swear,

and lie.

If ground

be uncultivated,

weeds will

spring.

So,

superiors

are styled

father and

mother because

superiors are

commanded to

seek the

good of

their inferiors

and inferiors

are commanded

to obey

their superiors

for their

good.

For their

good.

At the end

of the fifth

commandment,

God etched

in stone

that your

days may

be long

in the

land

that the

Lord your

God

is giving

you.

And in the

restating of

the law

in Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 5 · chapter mention

chapter 5

before the

next generation

goes into

the promised

land,

there is added

and that it

may go

well with

you.

That your

days will

be long

and that

it may

go well

with you.

And Paul

draws our

attention to

this in

Ephesians

Ephesians 6:1–3

chapter 6

verses 1

through 3

where he

says,

Children,

obey your

parents in

the Lord

for this

is right.

Honor your

father and

mother.

And then in

parentheses,

this parenthetical,

Paul adds,

this is the

first commandment

with a

promise that

it may go

well with

you and

that you

may live

long in

the land.

And so

you see,

children in

the room

and those

of us,

I think all

of us have

some degree

of superior

over and

above us.

This is a

commandment

with a

promise that

God will

work good

as we

honor,

as we

seek to

replicate

and obey

those things

that are

admirable

in our

superiors.

One more

question and

answer from

the Westminster

Larger

Catechism and

then I'll

close us

with one

more text.

Question 127,

what is the

honor that

inferiors owe

to their

superiors?

The honor

which inferiors

owe to their

superiors is

all due

reverence in

heart,

word,

and behavior.

prayer and

thanksgiving

for them,

imitation of

their virtues

and graces,

not those

things that

are vices,

but those

things that

are virtues,

willing obedience

to their lawful

commands and

counsels,

due submission

to their

corrections,

fidelity to

defense and

maintenance of

their persons

and authority

according to

their several

ranks and the

nature of

their places,

bearing with

their infirmities

and covering

them in love

so they may

be an honor

to them and

to their

government.

Let me close

in reading from

Psalm 119.

This was,

and this was so

very good for

me that it

timed out that

our scripture

reading as a

church has been

working through

Psalm 119

across the past

couple of

weeks as I've

thought much

about the law

and the gospel

and its place

in our life.

So much

repetition of

God's goodness

to us in

His command.

And so I want

to read to you

from Psalm 119

beginning in

verse 153

and to the end

of the stanza.

The psalmist

writes,

Look on my

affliction and

deliver me,

for I do not

forget your

law.

Plead my cause

and redeem me.

Give me life

according to

your promise.

Salvation is

far from the

wicked, for

they do not

seek your

statutes.

Great is your

mercy, O Lord.

Give me life

according to

your rules.

Many are my

persecutors

and my

adversaries,

but I do not

swerve from

your testimonies.

I look at the

faithless with

disgust because

they do not

keep your

commands.

Consider how I

love your

precepts.

Give me life

according to

your steadfast

love.

The sum of

your word is

truth, and

every one of

your righteous

rules endures

forever.

Let's pray

together.