Eighth Chapter of KLI Brave Heart Project 101711

8/3/2019 Eighth Chapter of KLI Brave Heart Project 101711

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Eighth Chapter of KLI Braveheart Project

The Brilliance of Gods Law

But this shall be the covenant that I will makewith the house of Israel; After those days, saiththe Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts,

and write it in their hearts; and will be their God,and they shall be my people

~ Jeremiah 31:33
http://www.sermonspice.com/product/8716/gods-character-and-ten-commandments


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1. A biblical worldview is impossible without anunderstanding of and appreciation for the law ofGod:

A. Personal confession concerning Gods Law. Like KingDavid, O how I love thy law.

B. As a leader in training, it is imperative that youdevelop a healthy love for the law of God as well. It willbe your wisdom and enable you to negotiatesuccessfully through lifes challenges.

C. Do not use the New Testament as an escape clausefrom obeying the law of God. Yes, grace is a beautiful

thing, but we still must reverence the place, position,and role of Gods commandments in his kingdom. Inshort, we must honor the brilliance ofGods law.


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2. Dismissing Gods Law:A. Testimony of Houston Christian couplewho killed their baby at an abortion mill.

B. It is clear from the opening Scripture,

Gods will for the New Covenant is to placehis law in our inwardparts and to write itin our hearts.

1. How does this square with the NewTestament teaching that plainly states we arenot under the law, but under grace (Romans6:14)?

2. Antinomian view of the law


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2. Dismissing Gods Law (Cont.):3. A person who is antinomian is someone who rejects the validity ofmoral laws, someone who opposes or dismisses Gods law. There is adistinction between strict and implicit antinomians. Strict antinomiansare the unconverted, unsaved souls who show contempt by brazenlydisregarding Gods law. The Apostle Paul affirms this truth, Because thecarnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God,neither indeed can be (Romans 8:7). Implicit antinomians are professing

Christians who hold that Gods law is not relevant in the present era.They typically substitute subjective, arbitrary standards for Gods clearcommands. Both views are wrong biblically.

4. When the Apostle Paul wrote we are not under the law, but undergrace, he was revealing two important revelations every kingdom leadershould grasp. They are profound and full of unspeakable glory. First, weare not under law as a means of securing Gods salvation. We are saved

by Gods amazing grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. Salvation isthe gift of God (Ephesians 2:8).

5. In other words, we do not keep the law as a means to obtain Godssalvation; we keep Gods law because we are saved. We are notperforming good works to earn Gods redemption. Good works are simplyevidence that we have partaken ofGods redemption.


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2. Dismissing Gods Law (Cont.):

6. In fact, love is the fulfillment of Gods law (Romans13:8-10).

7. Secondly, we are no longer subject to the curse of thelaw and its deadly penalty. Christ indeed redeemed usfrom the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us that

the blessing of Abraham might be ours in Jesus holyname (Galatians 3:10-14).

8. What then should be the response of the church inlight of these truths? Should we dismiss and break Godslaw because we are not under the law but under grace?

Paul declares, God forbid. In fact, in an earlier passagein the book of Romans, Paul settles the relationshipbetween law and grace, once and for all, by maintaining,Do we then make void the law through faith? Godforbid: yea, we establish the law (Romans 3:31). Clearly,Paul was not antinomian in his view of the law of God.


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3. The Threefold Purpose: The Law as Tutor

A. There is a three-fold purpose for the law ofGod. To advance the cause of Christ as akingdom leader, it is important to value eachone.

B. First, Paul tells us plainly in Galatians 3:24,Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster tobring us unto Christ, that we might be justifiedby faith.

1. This truth confirms Psalm 19:7, which reads,

The law of the Lord is perfect, converting thesoul. In Romans, Paul tells us where there is nolaw; there is no sin. Where there is no sin, who inhis right mind would perceive his need for a Savior?


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3. The Threefold Purpose: The Law as Tutor (Cont.)2. The law of God is like a mirror, designed to reveal mans sinful state. Of course,

once the law serves its purpose to show man his dreadful condition apart fromGod, it would be foolish to try to use the mirror to wash away sins. The law atthat point will only lacerate the souls of men and further condemn them bymisusing the ministration of death (2 Corinthians 3:7). We need something else tocleanse and purify us.

3. The first call of a good evangelist is to get people lost, not found. Sinners mustfully comprehend the bad news before they will be able to treasure the goodnews.

4. The law of God is therefore an essential ally in evangelism. The law of God is tobe an unyielding, immutable, and hard taskmaster that drives men to the mercyseat of God. The law of God diagnoses our sick, sinful nature, while the grace ofGod is presented as the cure.

5. We see law and grace working in conjunction throughout the Gospels as Jesusdealt with the spectrum of lost humanity. When dealing with arrogant Pharisees,smug lawyers, and those who trusted in their own righteousness, our Lord

would always refer them back to the law of God, even when they were enquiringabout salvation. To the Pharisees, his message was go and learn the law of God,instead ofcome to me. Why is that?

6. Law to the hard hearted sinner and grace to the broken hearted sinner.

7. Jude states, And of some have compassion, making a difference: And otherssave with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted bythe flesh (Jude 2223).


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4. The Threefold Purpose: Measure of Obedience

A. Secondly, the law of God is to be the divine pattern bywhich the converted soul reorients his life. Once the savinggrace of God has done its eternal work in the heart of man,the law of God serves as a measure of our obedience inChrist. Again, it is not the means of justification. Obedienceto the law for the believer provides evidence that our

confession of faith and love toward God is authentic.1. In fact, it is the lawless Christian Jesus denounces inMatthew. He warns:

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter intothe kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of myFather which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day,

Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thyname have cast out devils? And in thy name done manywonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I neverknew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. -Matthew7:2123


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4. The Threefold Purpose: Measure of Obedience (Cont.):

2. Iniquity, in this case, means lawlessness. Obviously,lawless Christian is an oxymoron. According to Jesus,anyone who confesses him and practices lawlessness willnot enter the kingdom of heaven.

3. Jesus further stated, He that hath my commandments,and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me (John 14:21). The

Apostle John reiterated this standard and provided us witha test to prove whether we truly know God, And hereby wedo know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not hiscommandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him (1John 2:34). Additionally, the Apostle Paul taught that true

love, which does no harm to a neighbor, is the fulfillment ofthe law of God (Romans 13:10). It is clear from the Biblethat apart from Gods law, man cannot know how to loveGod or others.


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The Brilliance of Gods Law5. The Threefold Purpose: Binding Upon All People and AllNations:

A. Finally, the third purpose of the law of God concerns all earthlygovernments. The law of God is the eternal standard earthly governmentsmust uphold to maintain their legitimacy. Without the law of God, there isno objective basis for good and evil. If governments refuse to uphold Godslaw, they will end up calling good evil and evil good (Isaiah 5:20). This is awretched betrayal of their sacred trust. It will end with civil governmentcodifying evil into law, which inevitably leads to tyranny.

B. Civil government is a delegated authority, which is subject to Godssupreme authority. The Apostle Paul declares that they are Gods ministersassigned to be a terror against evildoers and protect those who are good inGods sight (Romans 13:14). If they refuse to uphold and enforce Gods law,the scriptures reveal the severe consequence. Proverbs 17:15 warns, Hethat justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they bothare abomination to the LORD.

1. Isaiah 10:1, 2 declares:Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that writegrievousness which they have prescribed; to turn aside the needy from

judgment, and to take away the right from the poor of my people, thatwidows may be their prey, and that they may rob the fatherless!


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The Brilliance of Gods Law5. The Threefold Purpose: Binding Upon All People and AllNations (Cont.):

2. America is learning this lesson the hard way as governmental leadersreject Gods law in favor of humanistic law.

3. The law of God is binding upon all people, at all times, and in everynation. As Christians, we must understand neutrality is a myth; someone isalways legislating morality. The question is whose premise of right andwrong, ethics, morality, and philosophy of law undergird our laws. As Godalone is the lawgiver, the choice before men and nations is either to uphold

or to break Gods universal laws.4. In 1787, James Madison proposed a three-way division of Americangovernment, a separation of powers, at the Constitutional Convention. Hedesired to establish a proper check and balance to hold governmentaccountable to their proper jurisdictions and curb their tendency towardstyranny. He came to this innovation through his biblical worldview, thefallen nature of men, and scripture. Madison read Isaiah 33:22, For the

Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; he will saveus.Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless anddisobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderersof fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, For whoremongers, for themthat defile themselves with mankind (homosexuals), for menstealers, for liars, forperjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my

trust. ~ 1 Timothy 1:911


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The Brilliance of Gods Law6. Quotes by Sir William Blackstone and Martin Luther KingJr. :

A. Sir William Blackstone was the English jurist who wasthe inspiration behind the Declaration of Independencesstatement, The law of nature and natures God.

1. For most of American history, one could not be alawyer without studying Blackstone.

2. Charles Finney, the great 2nd Awakening Revivalist, gotsaved in law school studying Blackstone, which led him tostudy the law of God.

B. Blackstone stated:

Upon these two foundations, the law of nature (theeternal laws of good and evil) and the law of revelation

(found only in the scriptures), depend all human laws. Thatis to say, no human laws should be allowed to contradictthese. In other words, any human law that is not rooted inthese two underlying premises for law is no law at all.


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The Brilliance of Gods Law6. Quotes by Sir William Blackstone and Martin Luther KingJr. (Cont.):

C. Martin Luther King Jr. affirmed this truth. He gave thisapologetic on law:

There are two types of law: just and unjust. I would bethe first advocate obeying just laws. One has not only alegal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws.Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobeyunjust laws. I would agree with St. Augustine that anunjust law is no law at all. Now what is the differencebetween the two? How does one determine whether a lawis just or unjust? A just law is a man made code thatsquares with the moral law or the law of God. An unjust

law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law. Toput it in the terms of St. Thomas Aquinas: An unjust law isa human law that is not rooted in eternal law and naturallaw.[i]


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The Brilliance of Gods Law7. The Law is our Wisdom:

A. Where there is Gods Word, there is wisdom. The Apostle Paul

declares that Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, is our wisdom, Butof him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom,and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption (1Corinthians 1:30). The book of Proverbs is the book of Godswisdom. It was written from the perspective of a kingly fatherdetermined to pass a righteous scepter of leadership to his children.It is a multi-generational vision of passing the wisdom, knowledge,

and understanding of God from one generation to the next.B. The New Testament reveals Jesus is King of kings and Lord oflords. He is the rightful ruler of the universe. His decrees,commands, and statutes proceed from his lawful authority. Everyking, in their capacity as ruler, issues decrees for his domain.Typically, these commands are binding upon its citizens, unless, of

course, they are tyrannical in nature. All earthly kings, regardless ofhow large or small their domains, must reign in such a way thattheir governments fall within the parameters of Gods law. KingDavid lived by this standard and was considered a man after Godsown heart.


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The Brilliance of Gods Law7. The Law is our Wisdom (Cont.):

1. Psalm 119 is Davids tribute to the law of God. As partiallyrecorded in the beginning of this chapter, David declared:

O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day. Thou throughthy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: forthey are ever with me. I have more understanding than all myteachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation. I understandmore than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts ~ Psalm119:97100.

David understood more than his teachers and the ancientsbecause he treasured Gods law. Would to God, Christians todaywould have that same longing for the law of God. Would to God,

Christians today were wiser than the world. Would to God,kingdom leaders would arise to become wiser than the enemies ofthe cross.

~ Luke 16:1-12


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The Brilliance of Gods Law7. The Law is our Wisdom (Cont.):

C. Moses wrote that the law of God is our wisdom before thenations:

Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the Lordmy God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whitherye go to possess it. Keep therefore and do them; for this is your

wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, whichshall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is awise and understanding people (Deuteronomy 4:59).

1. In reading these verses, we learn that keeping the law of Godwill cause other nations to praise us. At one time, America was theenvy of the world. How do the nations view us today? As the greateighteenth century Bible commentator, Matthew Henry, stated,Those that magnify the law will be magnified by it.


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The Brilliance of Gods Law8. One final note on the law of God:

A. Jesus stated:Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am notcome to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven andearth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till allbe fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these leastcommandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least inthe kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, thesame shall be called great in the kingdom ofheaven (Matthew 5:1719).

B. Jesus taught there is another way to be great in Gods kingdombesides servanthood (Mark 10:44). It is by keeping the commandmentsof God and instructing others to keep them as well. Jesus promised,The same shall be called great in the kingdom ofheaven (Matthew

5:19). America desperately needs the church to restore the value,significance, and purpose of Gods law if we are to thrive again as apeople. To be a great leader, honor the law of God and teach othersentrusted to your care to do the same. Like Moses, King David, and ourLord, great leaders of men love, obey, and teach Gods law!

To become a kingdom leader, you should do no less!

Eighth Chapter of KLI Brave Heart Project 101711

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