Sermon: "The Law is Good: Romans Part 22." - Pastor Brian Fuller

Hi, and welcome to the Sermon podcast of First Baptist

Church Woodlawn in Woodlawn, Illinois. I'm Senior Pastor Brian Fuller,

and it is our desire to impact the world with

the Gospel of Jesus. We do so through small group ministry,

personal testimony, as well as corporate gatherings.

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Now as we hear from God's Word.

Is nine of Romans.

Chapter seven, And I know we go through this before

we read it home. Gives us some information that we're

really not a custom to reading about, and it's to experience.

So I'm grateful for these opportunities that we have to

unpack them and.

See what God has to say.

So Roman nine, he said, what then shall we say

that the law is sin by no means? Yet if

it had not been for the law, I would not

have known sin, for I would not have known what

it is to covet it.

And if the law had not said that I shalt

not covet but sin.

Seizing an opportunity through the commandments produced in.

Me all kinds of consciousness.

For apart from the law sin lies dead verse nine.

I was once alive apart from the law, But when

the commandment came, sin came alive, and I died, Wow,

what in the world is all that mean? Well, we're

gonna We're gonna unpack that this morning. God, thank you

that you have given us these moments to dig into

your word. And I pray Lord that you would and

enlighten us while your shirt. I pray that you would

you would impart to me clear need to be able

to speak it as you would be speaking to us

in Jesus name. Amen. Well, when we talk about the

law of God given to most of us know what

the law is, but those who might be younger in

their faith may not know that.

There is much more to the law.

Than just the ten commands in the books in the

fives that began the Bible. They are called the Books

of the Law, and contained in in the Books of

Exus and Joshua, and Levinicus.

And Numbers and Deuteronomy.

There are six hundred and thirteen laws.

That pertain to morality and social.

Issues, food laws, purey, observation of feasts, sacrifices. All these

things that are included in in the law.

Law of God. So when I talk about the law,

I'm not just talking about that.

It's because it's much more than that, and the laws.

The bad rap.

Immediately to say that any more bad rap, and quite

often references to the law are any negative light. We

were told to die to the law because we can't

live up richard requirements, which is true. Right, we were

told trying to live up to its, h to its

to that center, it's fruitless, that's true, and that our sinfulness.

Is exposed in light of the law of God.

Also, a few weeks ago, we talked about the fact

that there were twenty four hundred years of human history

before the law was given, So from Adam to Moses

there was twenty four hundred years with no law. And

then after the fall of Adam and Eve, God pronounced

all mankind guilty of sin.

Because of the sin of one man.

All men and all women are now sinful.

Romans five twelve.

Therefore, just as then came into the world through one man,

and death through sin, and then so death spread to

all men because all sin. So God pronounced all men sinful.

But compared to what pretty simple question.

But true, all men everybody was passed sinful.

But but I compared to what for twenty four hundred

years there.

Was no established standard, and against wish to judge to

the ease of man for sin indeed was in the

world before the law was given. But sin is not

counted where there is no law. Wow, listen to what

the amplified says. Sin is not charged to men's accounts

where there is no law, there was no standard, I

wish to judge to the transgression.

And an example that I gave a couple of weeks.

Ago, whatever it was, the honormobile laws, right, the honorabile

was in.

The in eighteen eighties.

For the first automobile laws. It didn't come around so

about nineteen oh four. So there was this fifteen years

or so period of time where there were no laws

about automobiles.

So people who were speeding and hitting.

People and all this kind of stuff, well they're guilty, yeah,

but compared to what.

There was not yet a law established.

Then you go back to, oh, well, if you go

that fast, that's wrong. Another example, who remembers remembers Naster

and LimeWire, Uh huh okay, Now, if you're if you're under.

Thirty or old sixty you have probably no idea of

what we're talking about.

Right Naster and LimeWire, that it might have been other

ones to do close the two may ones.

This is the late nineties, the late nineties when.

Digital music was really starting to take off. They can

called the file sharing right and it became all the rage,

and Naster and LimeWire allowed you to to upload music

to their portal to be shared with anybody freeance charge.

You're somebody, remember that, and then were good at times

before the law.

So so artists, artists received no compensation from these file

sharing and operations, and it.

Became it became a very big deal. And I think

I think the Metallica, I think.

It was the first group that actually stepped forward and right,

and so through court rulings, Uh, these companies were eventually

shut down. So the point being Naster and LimeWire, the

people who who use them, you and me.

Let'sten to be honest. Okay, we're in the wrong by.

Sealing songs without paying for them, and in doing so

we robbed the artists of the royalties that they were due.

Yet there were no laws in place to convict of wrongdoing.

Right, so the copyright laws and artist royalty agreements had

to be completely revised to compensate.

For the digital whole technology revolution. It was a mess

for a while. You know, in the latter years of

when I was in.

In retail, when CDs, we're still all the rage.

With CDs being a.

Little perfectly digital and never any loss of quality.

You know, people were just buying CDs and just ripping

them for their friends. You know, come on, I did it, God,

I did it.

But without the law in place, people would continue to

do it, not knowing that it was wrong. And so

those laws are now in place and they are enforced

so that people know that it is wrong.

To illegally download music.

And without the law people would we would continue to

do so. Last week, Paul said that through the death

of Jesus, we have now died to the law and

its requirements. If if if we ourselves have died towards

sinful nature, we have, and that we identify with the death, burial,

and resrection of Jesus.

Again the negative connotation the law. But all says in

verse seven.

So he says, what then shall we say that the

law is sin No by no means, But he says, yet,

if it had not been for the law, I would

not have known sin.

Is it the law's fault that I sin?

Saying that.

The law exists? This is this is one any more

you need to hear? Is today the law?

It exists to define sin and then to reveal the sin.

So Ryan, you mean when I drive through the lawn,

I'm not supposed to drive seventy miles per hour? Well,

how do I know that that's wrong? Because it supposed it.

The north end of the town and along the south

in the town speed limit twenty five miles per hour,

and on school days when children are present, twenty miles

of a hour. The law is hosted to define what

is legally inacceptable and to reveal wrongdoing, and that it

is not obeyed.

That's the purpose of the law.

For the purpose of the Old Testament law was to

to define what was right and wrong and to reveal

it in man when.

It is broken.

So Paul, So that Paul isn't an upset about the law,

He's thankful for it.

Not our morals.

Our morals should quickly tell us that murder is wrong. Right,

so mighty even say that we don't need a law

telling us that murder is wrong.

That it is.

It is a no reigner. You don't take the life

of another born or unborn. But we live in an

American society today.

That that you can't tell what a woman is, you

can't put a.

Number on how many genders there are, and the same

sick generation things is okay to kill a baby in

the womb even up to the moment of earth.

We need laws in place that define right and wrong,

and when wrong is committed, the.

Established law reveals and convicts the offender. So it is

the law bad? Oh, the law is good. The law

is good because it causes us to see when we

have offended God. It causes us to see our failures.

We should no longer do them.

So did Paul pull thou shalt not covet out of

the air as a as an example? Or was consciousness

a struggle for him? Most of our own sins, you

might even all of our own sins origin where in

our mind where Satan.

Attacks us and he entices us west often and that's

where covering stars and in the mind to desire.

Something or to long for something in an unhealthy way,

and that desire, that longing, which is sin, gives way

to acting on that desire in a physical.

Way, sin worse.

Let's how the enticement of sin worse James one fourteen.

But each person is tempted when he is lured.

And enticed by his own desire, then desire when it

has conceived, to give his birth to sin, and sin,

when it is fully.

Grown, brings forth death.

The simple nature of man, the sinful nature.

Of you and me, is a rebellion.

Adam Eave rebelled against God by doing what.

He told them not to. Don't eat the fruit of

that one tree. Okay, what will they do?

They eat the fruit of that one tree? And man

is a little different today. When a small child is

told to not do something, what is his first inclination.

To do it? Anyway, to test.

It out, see if there are really consequences.

I know a lot of I know a lot of

parents of young kids today. They count one two. Okay,

maybe it works, maybe it worse. But if you're a counter, you're.

Not to make sure that when you get to thee

not obey that con because if there are never consequences,

they will always know that there's gonna be three, and

I'm just not donna do anything about it.

You're just gonna yell louder verse sate see yourself here

for a shate. But sin.

Seizing an opportunity through that commandment produced in me all.

Kinds of consciousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead.

Let's look at the eighth command that for a second.

You're confused.

What What does the eighth command say that shall not steal?

Sin is birth get in the mind.

The loss says I can't seal, so I better not steal.

The loss says you can't steal, so I better not steal.

The loss says I can't seal, so I better not steal.

And I better not seal, and I.

Better not seal. I better not seal.

Did my neighbor borrow something from me and never return it?

I think if he did that on purpose.

I'll remind him about that and the next time I

see him. But then he did that on purpose so

he could keep it. The losses not the seal, But

that's what he did. I don't hear what law says.

I'm gonna borrow something from him and I'll return it,

and then I'll make it. Even what was birthed and

processed in the mind has become full grown sin. If

you tell somebody to not do something enough times, they're

going to look for an opportunity to act in rebellion

against the law.

First set again, but.

Sin seizing an opportunity through the commandments, through the commandment

thou shalt not sin, th shot not sin.

Thou shalt not sin.

Sin, an opportunity through the commandment produced in the all.

Kinds of consciousness. This is the one that Paul. It's

consciousness which we all deal with.

We all we all desire ourself in an unhealthy way.

So the pounding of the law produced an opportunity, just sin,

an opportunity.

To act in rebellion. And listen to the second partiverse

E says.

He says, we're apart from the law, sin lies dead.

Apart from the law, sin lies dead. I'm sure you've

heard of the saying just let us.

Sleeping dolls lie.

Meaning he's sleeping so alone, said up with babies too, right,

sleeping alone, you wake him up, you can crazy.

So before the law there was not at a huge

and conscience. The law brought accusation of wrongdoing. Before the

law there was ignorance of any offense against God. And the

law turned ignorance of the law into knowledge of sin.

The law brought knowledge of sin. In verse nine, I

was once alive, partner of the law, but when the

commandment came, sin came alive and I died.

Let me tell you something.

Ignorance can cause a false sense of freedom.

Let's see that again. Ignorance can't cause a false sense

of freedom.

And I believe that we see that so much in

our society today. Those who reject Jesus and they are

clueless concerning the principles of the God's word would say

they would say that they are free from the contradictions

and inconsistency, when in fact they are held.

In bondage by their ignorance.

You know, anybody like that, their lack of understanding, just

like I don't feelings.

Sign coming in beginning.

Why that doesn't excuse my ignorance, doesn't excuse me from the.

Post established law. Their lack of understanding, that does not

excusing their guilt. The law exists to reveal.

Their guilts, whether they know it or not. And you

may claim ignorance concerning the.

Law of God, does it matter?

Because the law exists, the standard exists, and everyone will

be held accountable. But to reject Jesus Christ will be

held and accountable to the law. Your life will be

held up in comparison in life of the.

Law of God.

And that if you have rejected Christ and no longer

or have chosen to not live the grace of God,

your life will be judged against the Law of God.

You don't want that to happen.

Your guilt is proven and you are defined as a lawbreaker.

If you reachect Jesus.

But that's the.

Power of the law.

No one can live up to its rigid requirements.

But Jesus. Jesus lived every requirement of the law. He

lived up to them, He obeyed.

Them, and he fulfilled everyone. He dotted every eye and

he crossed everything.

So this morning hear this that the law is good

because by it we have knowledge of sin.

And because we have knowledge of sin, we can confess

our Scoming says that we can confess us our sins.

He is what, he is faithful, and he is just

to forgive us our sins. So so don't curse the

law because it reveals you as a sinner. But I say,

rather thank God for the law, because through it we

realize our need for a savior, and he he's surely

and he completely saves.

All whom we call upon his name. Jump down the

verse twelve. I'll finish with this.

So the law is holy and in the commandment is

holy and.

Rightious and good. Amen. Let's pray, Dear God. We thank you.

Again and again, dear Lord, that your word is here

for us to to dig, to dig in as as

a buried treasure, and more through through faithful study and prayer, Lord,

you will reveal the depth of.

Your word to us.

And I thank you, Thank you Lord for this word,

because so often we do look at the law with

so much uncertainty and even negativity.

But that the law is in place.

So that we know right and wrong, and the law

is in place to to show that we have sinned,

that we have fallen short of it, and that we

need a savior, that we need forgiven for all the sins,

that for our failure of the law. That if we

will confess that Jesus is Lord, that he is the

one and only son of God, that in him alone

is his salvation and forgiveness. Lord, you are faithful, you

are good. You will save the one who comes.

Humbly confessing sin.

Thank you Jesus, So Lord, I pray that this word

would have its perfect.

Way, the Lord.

That we would not attempt to live by the law,

because it is fruitless to do so, but that we

would call on the name of Jesus, the one who

fulfilled the law for us. Thank you Lord, so Lord,

for that one or that too or five a e

salvation here this morning, I prayed, Our Lord, are your kindness.

Are your goodness?

We're out of their compassionate word for the loss that

you would draw them. And Lord for the one who

has walked with you, maybe for fifty years, seventy years,

for six months, word that they would continue to grow

in their faith understanding your word. Thank you are so what.

We say, or have your way in this place.

To the glory of the name of Jesus Christ, the

name that is of every name. To his name, we

pray man he stand you would please.

Thank you for tuning in to today's broadcast. We hope

you are encouraged and challenged by the preaching of God's Word.

You can reach us by phone at six one eight

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FBC woodlawn dot org.

It's our prayer that you answer the call of God

on your life to follow him and share your faith

story with others. Goodbye for now and God bless you,

assass