Sermon
for the Sullivan SDA Church; July 11th, 2003
Sermon
for the Bourbon SDA Church; September 27th, 2003
It's Still the LAW
I
Conversation
heard at Redwood Manor:
A.
An
elderly lady, frail, hair not combed, dressed in the manner of nursing home
residents. Handicapped. Not the
sharpest knife in the drawer (I think you understand my meaning.)
B.
A
visiting pastor coming to the residence manor to provide for the spiritual
needs of the elderly members of his congregation. A late middle age pastor, a
bit on the heavy side, his suite not fitting well.
C.
Pastor
Jim said I was saved. Am I saved?
1.
Implied situation: I can
see that I’m going to be dying soon. What will happen to me? Am I Saved?
D.
The
pastor said “You're Saved by grace”
E.
The
elderly resident said “Oh!”
F.
What a pathetic situation
1.
Maybe
the pastor understood and could explain what it meant to be “Saved by Grace”
but he made no explanation to the old lady.
2.
It’s
for sure the old lady had not the slightest idea what the pastor was talking
about.
Ephesians
2:8-10
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that
not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,9 not of works, lest anyone should
boast.10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works,
which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. [1]
II
Let
us consider the Sinless life of Jesus Christ
A.
He
did no sin.
1.
What
does that mean?
2.
He
was a complete doer of the Law
III
"It's the Law"
IV
The
Law of God as the basis for the government of God throughout the universe.
A.
The
Law is the character of God
B.
It
is the standard against which all things are tested.
C.
V
Let’s
consider the elements of Grace. What is Grace?
A.
Justification
1.
The
problem of Sin
a
God
has to take care of the judicial problem of keeping people alive when the
punishment of sin is death.
b There is nothing
we can add to this process except accept the provisions provided.
2.
Sanctification
a
The
rebuilding of the Image of God in Man.
i
God
must change the nature of man so he will be able to live in the culture of
heaven.
ii
In this we can only ALLOW the spirit of God to work in us.
B.
How
does the Law fit into all this?
1.
It
is a description of the Image of God.
a
The
Ten Commandments are not just a list of the things a person is restrained from
doing,
b
It
is a description of a Man.
i
This
Man loves God with all his heart.
(a)
He
has no other Gods before the Heavenly Father,
(b)
He
does not erect other images which he worships
(c)
He
takes God's name as his own name, Not in vain, but in the Strength of God to
properly represent the Lord,
(d)
He
honors time spent with God according to the provisions that God made with man
to meet with him in a special way once each week on the Sabbath.
ii
The
man loves his fellow men as he loves himself.
(a)
This
man honors his mother and father.
(b)
He
doesn't take what do not belong to him.
(c)
He
is concerned about his brother's life, not only it's persistence, but also its
value.
(d)
He
tells the truth, a man without guile.
(e)
He
has a pure mind.
(i)
Objectionable
matter does not taint that which is pure. It is not adulterated. Has not the knowledge of sin. Is washed
white.
(ii)
Not
diluted (full strength)
(f)
He
doesn’t desire to take away from his neighbor the things that his neighbor has,
or to possess that which belongs only to his neighbor.
2.
Ephesians 4:11-13 And He Himself gave some to be apostles,
some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,12 for the
equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body
of Christ,13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of
the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the
fullness of Christ; [2]
3.
As
we are molded into the likeness of Christ we become doers of the law. Because
that's what He was!
VI
The
story of the house of God "A parable"
A.
My
wife's dream of the House of God (Which is Me and You)
1.
It
was made thus and so, with wall of a certain color, clean, without any spots or
tears.
2.
so
God started working on His house (ME)
a
He
painted the house.
b
The
paint
i
Justification: Made the wall clean and beautiful, without any blemish.
ii
Sanctification: Repaired the damage, and protected the wall from deterioration
iii
What
part of the paint job did which?
(a)
You
cannot separate the work of Justification in your experience from the work of
Sanctification. They work together and are both simultaneously a manifestation
of the act of the GRACE of God working in us.
iv
When
God was all done, the house was like a House God could live in, because it was
like Him, Clean, Pure, Free from Rebellion.
B.
Ephesians 4:11-13 And He Himself gave some to be apostles,
some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,12 for the
equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body
of Christ,13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of
the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the
fullness of Christ; [3]