The Function of God's Law

1) To Convert the Soul - Psalm 19:7
"The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul..."

2) To Stop Every Mouth & Leave the Whole World Guilty Before God - Romans 3:19
"that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God."

3) Brings the Knowledge of Sin - Romans 3:20
"for by the law is the knowledge of sin."
"I had not known sin but by the law." Romans 7:7

4) Defines Sin - 1 John 3:4
"sin is transgression of the law."

5) Schoolmaster to Lead us to Christ - Galatians 3:24
"For the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith."

6) To Condemn Us - John 3:18
"he who believes not is condemned already."

7) Makes Sin Exceedingly Sinful - Romans 7:13
"that sin by the commandment might become exceedingly sinful."

Saints, without God's Holy Law sinners won't see their sin, or how it is exceedingly sinful, and their heart will be unprepared for the Gospel. The Law simply exposes our nature, shows us our sin, leaves us guilty before a Just and Holy God, it stops our mouth from justifying ourselves, it completely condemns us, it makes our sin exceedingly sinful, and it leads us to Christ. The Law of God leaves us hopeless and helpless showing us our desperate need for saving. When we see ourselves as God sees us, we can then be humbled to see just how much we need His righteousness. Jesus Christ bore God's wrath on our behalf for us. He perfectly satisfied the demands of the Law of God. God's righteousness was met in Christ and His punishment was poured out on His son as Jesus fulfilled the Law in our stead. It leaves us absolutely and desperately worthless before God's throne. Yet we must preach it in order to lead men to Christ. How can a man see his need for the savior and appreciate and appropriate God's Grace without a full understanding of himself in the mirror and light of God's Law?

"I do not believe that any man can preach the Gospel who does not preach the Law...Lower the Law and you dim the light by which man perceives his guilt; this is a very serious loss to the sinner rather than a gain; for it lessens the likelihood of his conviction and conversion. I say you have deprived the gospel of its ablest auxiliary [its most powerful weapon] when you have set aside the Law. You have taken away from it the schoolmaster that is to bring men to Christ...They will never accept grace till they tremble before a just and holy Law. Therefore the Law serves a most necessary purpose, and it must not be removed from its place."

-Charles Spurgeon

A Hireling or A Shepherd?

Woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel! (1 Corinthians 9:16). Using this a his backdrop Oswald Chambers tells one how to recognize whether he should enter the ministry:

To be “separated unto the gospel” means to hear the call of God; and when a man begins to overhear that call, then begins agony that is worthy of the Name. Every ambition is nipped in the bud, every desire of life quenched, every outlook completely extinguished and blotted out, saving one thing only - “separated unto the gospel.” Woe be to the soul who tries to put his foot in any other direction when once that call has come to Him. (taken from www.sliceoflaodicea.com)

-May we only heed the call God has sent out. For any other call is worthy of death and vanity. His call alone to be "separated unto the gospel" is worthy of His Name, and only by His Name comes life in these dead bones! Woe are we if we preach not!

Why Did Jesus Have to Die?

[Jesus] 25 whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; 26 for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus
Romans 3:25-26 [NASB]


Have you ever thought about the fact that God would be unjust in leaving sin unpunished? Have you ever wrestled with the problem that God might be unrighteous by letting guilty sinners like us go free? You should stop and think about it for a while. Paul thought we should contemplate it and he provides the answer in this passage of Romans. Jesus Christ’s wonderful death on the cross was necessary so that God could have a public demonstration of His righteousness. God is serious about His righteousness and so He paid the ultimate price to make this evident to everyone. He killed His perfect son!

Because of Christ’s perfect life and sacrifice on Calvary where He took on the wrath of God against sin, He “redeemed us from the curse of the law” and “reconciled us to God while we were still God’s enemies” (Galatians 3:13; Romans 5:10). This is a beautiful and ever so important aspect of the necessity of the crucifixion. This aspect serves our interests well and captivates our hearts, I pray, more and more each day. However, we cannot forget the interest of God in the death of His son. All of creation, which was subjected to bondage because of our sin (Rom. 8:19-21), could cry out against God, “Why have you not punished these offenders. This is unjust!” until they see the cross. The cross is an awesome display of God’s righteousness. In it He makes clear that He hates sin, that He does punish sin, and that in His divine love for His children He pours out the wrath that they deserve onto His perfect beautiful son.

A just but unloving God would destroy us and send us all to Hell because of our rebellion against Him. A just but impatient God would destroy us immediately instead of “passing over sins previously committed.” I thank God that He is just and not corrupt. But it is difficult to express how joyful I am that God is also patient (longsuffering) with me and also divinely loving. He is just in punishing sin. He is patient in passing over sin. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8). His wonderful love for His children AND His desire to show how serious He is about justice is the beautiful blueprint of His redemptive plan -- the cross. John Piper says it this way, “His love is willing to meet the demands of His justice” (The Passion of Jesus Christ, 20).

This is why it made God so happy to kill His son (Isaiah 53:10). It wasn’t a last resort. It wasn’t Plan B. Christ’s death was orchestrated before the foundation of the world (Acts 2:23). God takes pleasure in His plan, the only plan that could redeem lost sinners. He knows the end. He raised Christ up again and gave Him a name above every other name (Philippians 2:9). He sees the fruit of His labor. And He rejoices in it! Let’s seek understanding and rejoice with our awesome God!

Continuing with you all for your progress and joy in the faith,
Josh

(Written for Friendship Baptist Church newsletter February 2007).

Is Repentance Necessary for Salvation?

It is true that numerous Bible verses speak of the promise of salvation with no mention of repentance. These verses merely say to "believe" on Jesus Christ and you shall be saved (Acts 16:31; Romans 10:9). However, the Bible makes it clear that God is holy and man is sinful and that sin makes a separation between the two (Isaiah 59:1,2). Without repentance from sin, wicked men cannot have fellowship with a holy God. We are dead in our trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1)and until we forsake them through repentance, we cannot be made alive in Christ. The Scriptures speak of "repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ" (Acts 20:21).

The first public word Jesus preached was "repent" (Matthew 4:17). John the Baptist began his ministry the same way (Matthew 3:2). Jesus told His hearers that without repentance, they would perish (Luke 13:3). If belief is all that is necessary for salvation, then the logical conclusion is that one need never repent. However, the Bible tells us that a false convert "believes" and yet is not saved (Luke 8:13); he remains a "worker of iniquity." Look at the warning of Scripture: "If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth" (1 John 1:6). The Scriptures also say, "He that covers his sins shall not prosper, but whoso confesses and forsakes them [repentance] shall have mercy" (Proverbs 28:13). Jesus said that there was joy in heaven over one sinner who "repents" (Luke 15:10). If there is no repentance, there is no joy because there is no salvation.

As Peter preached on the Day of Pentecost, he commanded his hearers to repent "for the remission of sins" (Acts 2:38). Without repentance, there is no remission of sins; we are still under God's wrath. Peter further said, "Repent ... and be converted that your sins may be blotted out" (Acts 3:19). We cannot be "converted" unless we repent. God himself "commands all men everywhere [leaving no exceptions] to repent" (Acts 17:30). Peter said a similar thing at Pentecost: "Repent, and be baptized every one of you" (Acts 2:38).

If repentance wasn't necessary for salvation, why then did Jesus command that repentance be preached to all nations (Luke 24:47)? With so many Scriptures speaking of the necessity of repentance for salvation, one can only suspect that those who preach salvation without repentance are strangers to repentance themselves, and thus strangers to true conversion.

From the Evidence Bible [Ray Comfort]



So, is repentance necessary for salvation? If Jesus preached it, shouldn't we? If his apostles, who knew Jesus and his message better than anyone who lived, preached it to the Jews and the Gentiles, shouldn't we? Shouldn't we stick to the Biblical message of salvation which was established by Jesus, the basis for the foundation of the church in the first place, and confirmed by the apostles as the gospel? Why do we often (with good intentions) try to change the message as if to say that we know better.

Sure, times change. But what takes people to Hell hasn't changed -- SIN. That is what must be adressed. Sin can only be dealt with through repentace toward God (whom are sins are against) and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ (who died to pay the price for those crimes against God and who is "the only name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved").

So, I implore you brothers and sisters to preach repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

To the glory of God,
--Josh

How to Confront Sinners

When David sinned with Bathsheba, he broke all of the Ten Commandments. He coveted his neighbor's wife, lived a lie, stole her, committed adultery, murdered her husband, dishonored his parents, and thus broke the remaining four Commandments by dishonoring God. Therefore, the Lord sent Nathan the prophet to reprove him (2 Samuel 12:1-14).

There is great significance in the order in which the reproof came. Nathan gave David (the shepherd of Isreal) a parable about something David could understand -- sheep. He began with the natural realm, rather than immediately exposing the king's sin. He told a story about a rich man who, instead of taking a sheep from his own flock, killed a poor man's pet lamb to feed a stranger.

David was indignant and sat up on his high throne of self-righteousness. He revealed his knowledge of the Law by declaring that the guilty party must restore fourfold and must die for his crime. Nathan then exposed the king's sin of taking another man's "lamb," saying, "You are the man . . . Why have you despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in his sight?" When David cried, "I have sinned against the Lord," the prophet then gave him grace and said, "The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die."

Imagine if Nathan, fearful of rejection, changed things around a little and instead told David, "God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. However, there is something that is keeping you from enjoying this wonderful plan; it is called 'sin.'"

Imagine if he had glossed over the personal nature of David's sin with a general reference to all men having sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. David's reaction may have been, "What sin are you talking about?" rather than to admit his terrible transgression. Think of it -- why should he cry, "I have sinned against the Lord" at the sound of that message? Instead, he may have, in a sincere desire to experience this "wonderful plan," admitted that he, like all men, had sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

If David had not been made to tremble under the wrath of the Law, the prophet would have removed the very means of producing godly sorrow, which was so necessary for David's repentance. It is "godly sorrow" that produces repentance (2 Corinthians 7:10). It was the weight of David's guilt that caused him to cry out, "I have sinned against the Lord." The Law caused him to labor and become heavy laden; it made him hunger and thirst for righteousness. It enlightened him as to the serious nature of sin as far as God was concerned.



The Function of the Law in Evangelism

Do we remove words that might offend, such as "repentance" and "hell" to make the message more acceptable, or to make ourselves acceptable to a God-hating world? God forbid that our concern should be for our own comfort, rather than for the eternal welfare of the world.

The 18th century British evangelist who founded Methodism, John Wesley, said of God's Law, "It drives us by force, rather than draws us by love. And yet love is the spring of all. It is the spirit of love which, by this painful means, tears away our confidence in the flesh, which leaves us no broken reed whereon to trust, and so constrains the sinner, stripped of all to cry out in the bitterness of his soul or groan in the depth of his heart, 'I give up every plea beside, Lord, I am damned; but thou hast died.' "




(From the Evidence Bible. go to http://www.evidencebible.com)