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Well, today our study is going 
to be on the Law of God. If you would take your confessions 
and turn to chapter 19 of the Law of God in the London Baptist 
Confession of Faith, chapter 19, and if you would also take 
your Bibles and turn to Psalm, Psalm 19, Psalm 19, and we're 
going to read that Psalm, and the reason we're going to do 
so is just to frame up this glorious study on the Law of God. And 
I believe that this psalm will help us to provide context and 
give us an introduction to it. So Psalm 19, with your finger 
in Chapter 19, two of the same chapters, Chapter 19 of the Confession 
of the Law of God, And we'll start with Psalm 19, if you would 
follow with me in your copy of God's Word. Psalm 19 verses 1 
to 14. To the chief musician, a psalm 
of David, the heavens declare, the glory of God, and the firmament 
shows his handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and 
night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language 
where their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through 
all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them 
he has set a tabernacle for the sun. which is like a bridegroom 
coming out of his chamber, and rejoices like a strongman to 
run its race. Its rising is from one end of 
heaven, and its circuit to the other end, and there is nothing 
hidden from its heat. The law of the Lord is perfect, 
converting the soul. The testimony of the Lord is 
sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are 
right, rejoicing the heart. The commandment of the Lord is 
pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, 
enduring forever. The judgments of the Lord are 
true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than 
gold, yea, than much fine gold. Sweeter also than honey in the 
honeycomb. Moreover, by them your servant 
is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward. Who can 
understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults. 
Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins. Let them not 
have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless and 
I shall be innocent of great transgression. Let the words 
of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in 
your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer. God notice here in verses 1 to 
6 this is speaking of the general the general revelation of God 
the lawgiver the lawgiver Created the universe and it obeys certain 
rules doesn't it it obeys certain laws? When you think of the law 
of life for example biogenesis, that life always comes from life. When you consider the law of 
chemistry, and the law of mathematics, and the laws of planetary motion, 
the laws of logic, and all of these things, it is here because 
there is a lawgiver. And they are fixed. And they 
are those things that do not move. And they continue. Dr. Jason Lyle says this. Everything 
in the universe, every plant and animal, every rock, Every 
particle of matter or light wave is bound by laws which it has 
no choice but to obey. Thomas Boston says, God's decrees 
are unchangeable. They are unalterable laws of 
heaven. And I think when we consider 
the natural laws of the universe and some of these things that 
we see in creation, we ought to just be amazed. We ought to 
be staggered at these things. And notice here, this is the 
point I'm trying to make at this stage, is that these laws are 
fixed. They don't change. Do you notice 
that? Do you take note of that? It's 
important. They do not change, and it is because we have an 
eternal lawgiver who does not change. Again, framing up this 
of the law of God as we're about to launch into chapter 19. Notice 
from verse 7 to 14 that this speaks of special revelation. 
Verse 7, the law of the Lord. So the lawgiver here, he reveals 
himself specially to man the creature. And he does this through 
his word, and he does this by his law. R.C. Sproul says this 
concerning that. For the Christian, the greatest 
benefit of the law of God is its revelatory character. The 
law reveals to us the lawgiver. It teaches us what is pleasing 
in His sight. We need to seek the law of God, 
to pant after it, to delight in it. And so today as our focus 
is of the law of God and as we come to this chapter 19, as I've 
had the privilege of being able to go through this and have had 
some counsel from Pastor Butler and and some good notes that 
have come through by Dr. Renahan and Dr. Barcelos, his 
outline and so on and so forth. I've been staggered as I've come 
to this topic of the law of God. Perhaps you, like me, often think 
of the law of God as being this, well, here it is, the law of 
God. Here's one table, here's the other table. And yet, how 
relevant is it to us? And when we look out at the world 
around us, how vital it is for us to recognize that God is the 
God who is unchangeable in his attributes as the lawgiver. Well, let's go to paragraph one, 
then, of the law of God, the initial revelation of the law 
of God, the initial revelation. Notice here, God gave to Adam 
a law. of universal obedience written 
in his heart, and a particular precept of not eating the fruit 
of the tree of knowledge of good and evil." Notice that there 
is an author here to this law of God, and it is God. God gave. Notice that there is a recipient, 
and it is Adam. To Adam, a law is given. So the 
law of God originates with and is from God. Question 45. of 
the Catechism says this, it asks this question, what did God at 
first reveal to man for the rule of his obedience? The answer 
is the rule which God at first revealed to man for his obedience 
was the moral law. So this law was first transcribed, 
it was recorded, it was hard-coded, hard-wired into the heart of 
man, into the human conscience into his heart. And you may ask 
the question, well, why is it called moral? Well, moral has 
to do with what is right and what is wrong, and what is wrong 
and what is right. And so we call this the moral 
law. It is called the moral law. Robert 
Shaw says, it is called the moral law because it was revealed, 
it was a revelation rather, of the will of God as his moral 
governor and was a standard and rule of man's moral actions. Notice too that here there is 
a particular precept or rule that accompanies this law of 
universal obedience. Genesis 2.17 says, of the tree 
of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat." So here's 
this precept, here's this rule given. Dr. John Gill says, concerning 
this tree of the knowledge of good and evil, it was pitched 
upon as a trial of man's obedience to God, under whose government 
he was and whom it was fed. he should obey it in all things." 
When we consider the relationship of the law to Adam and to his 
relations, the Confession and the framers of it say this, halfway 
down, in paragraph 1, by which he bound him and all his posterity 
to personal, entire, exact, and perpetual obedience, promised 
life upon the fulfilling, and threatened death upon the breach 
of it. and endued him with power and 
ability to keep it. So here is Adam. He's the federated 
head. He is the representative. He 
is the public head here, and he is bound to the perpetual 
obedience of this law that is heart-written. and his obedience 
notice here is to be or was to be entire it was to be exact 
with the promise of life for its obedience and the promise 
of death for its disobedience or its breach thereof but we 
know what happened don't we Sadly, Adam sinned, and we in him as 
his offspring, and of his posterity, that promise or that warning, 
I should say, that was given in Genesis 2, 17a, that if you 
disobey, then dying you shall die. And at that moment, when 
Adam sinned, he died spiritually, and he would die physically. 
And that's exactly what happened. What God said would happen did. 
I think sometimes we look at God's Word, and we hear, and 
we see, and we understand what God says, and we think, but is 
God really going to follow through? Most certainly He will. We were 
talking just a moment ago about the laws of planetary motion. 
We experienced that this week, didn't we? Was it on Monday when 
the solar eclipse happened? Well, I can tell you something. 
When I was very young, Ontario in school in elementary school 
I can remember my teachers saying in 2017 there's gonna be event 
that is happening now that will happen then and I remember thinking 
as a little boy 2017 I will be an old man and that is what I 
was thinking and the point is this I is that this day came. I wasn't really waiting for that 
day. I wasn't really anticipating it. I wasn't out with, you know, 
these fancy glasses and all of that sort of stuff. Perhaps some 
of you were. But that day did come. And it struck me how that 
sometimes we look forward to, don't we? We read about the resurrection 
and we read about the things concerning God's law and we read 
in God's word about those things and events that we know most 
certainly will occur, but they're almost surreal, aren't they? 
but they will in fact happen. The resurrection will happen, 
and all the things concerning God's law, including to Adam, 
that if you disobey me, you will die. And in dying, you shall 
die. You will die spiritually, and 
you will die physically. It really did happen, didn't 
it? all of what God says is true. And we need to remember that. Well, what about Adam's ability? 
Some people may say, well, it's hardly fair to Adam. Did he even 
have the ability to keep God's law? And the confession here 
rightly says he most certainly did. God endued him with power 
and ability to keep it. And that brings up very quickly, 
A thought concerning free will. There was free will in the Garden 
of Eden. There was free will there to 
obey and to love God. But there is no free will now. 
We have lost that ability for spiritual good outside the Garden 
because we're outside of Christ. We don't have that ability. And 
for more on that, you can turn if you wish. Not right now, but 
just for further study to Chapter 4 of Creation. in the Confession, 
chapter 6, of the fall of man, of sin, and the punishment thereof, 
in chapter 9, of free will. Well, what about law after the 
fall? What happened after the fall? 
Paragraph 2 addresses this. The same law that was first written 
in the heart of man continued to be a perfect rule of righteousness 
after the fall. You may turn to Romans 2 with 
me. Romans chapter 2. Let's just flesh this out just 
a little bit. Romans chapter 2. I'm going to 
read verse 14. to verse 15. Romans chapter 2, 
again we're thinking about the law after the fall, and we're 
going to argue here as the confession does that the same law remained 
in force after the fall. Romans 2 verse 14 and 15. For when Gentiles who do not 
have the law by nature do the things in the law, these although 
not having the law are a law to themselves. who show the work 
of the law get this written in their hearts, their conscience 
also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts. accusing 
or else excusing them. So the same law remains in force 
after the fall, and this same law, this moral law, is written 
and still written on the heart of every single person. All humans 
have a consciousness of right and a consciousness of what is 
wrong, of being held accountable for actions, of morality. And John Murray says this concerning 
this truth, the law of God confronts unbelievers and registers itself 
in their consciences by reason of what they have natively and 
constitutionally are. I think he absolutely nails that 
so beautifully and succinctly here. I'll say it one more time. 
The law of God confronts unbelievers and registers itself in their 
conscience by reason of what they have natively I'm sorry, 
what they are natively and constitutionally are. Would you turn back a page 
or two in your Bibles to Romans 1, and let's read together 18 
to 22. 18 to 22. And I want us to be 
thinking as we read through this scripture here that we're, again, 
talking about the law after the fall, and how that it remains 
in force, and how that it is written on the heart of every 
single person who comes into this world. And yet something 
happens with people in the world, with us, and certainly with those 
that do not know the Lord, and that is that they suppress the 
truth. People hold down the truth. They 
push it down. It's a full-time job to do that, 
but people do it wittingly and unwittingly. Romans 1, verse 
18 to 22, speaks to this. For the wrath 
of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness 
of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. Because what 
may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it 
to them. For since the creation of the 
world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood 
by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, 
so that they are without excuse. Because although they knew God, 
they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became 
futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened, 
and professing to be wise. they became fools. What a sobering, sobering passage 
of Scripture here in this first chapter of Romans. You see, the 
atheist cannot account for the logical order and orderly state 
of the universe or morality. Cannot account for it. How did 
we start the introduction here in getting into the law of God? 
We brought attention to the law of God in the universe in his 
creation, the law of God in the immaterial heart of man. But 
the atheist, he can't account for any of that. And he instead, 
what does he do? What does she do? Borrows from 
the Christian worldview, takes it for granted, and then sets 
out to deny the very presuppositions that he or she opposes. absolute 
absurdity and they do this by the suppression of the truth 
and it is a full-time job to do that. I was thinking of hymn 
600 this morning and This is a Robert Murray McShane. He penned this hymn. And I'm 
just going to read stanzas two, three, and five, because what 
this should do is that it ought to humble us as believers, that 
God in his mercy has ripped the blinders off our eyes, not for 
any cause in us, but out of his mercy and grace, that we should 
see these things, that we should see the moral universe for what 
it is, and that we should see the morality of God for who he 
is. What a mercy it is, when I hear 
the wicked call, on the rocks and hills to fall, when I see 
them start and shrink on the fiery deluge brink, then, Lord, 
shall I fully know, not till then how much I owe. When I stand 
before the throne, dressed in beauty not my own, when I see 
thee as thou art, love thee with unsinning heart, then, Lord, 
shall I fully know, not till then how much I owe. When the 
praise of, actually verse 5, chosen not for good in me, wakened 
up from wrath to flee, hidden in the Savior's side by the Spirit 
sanctified, teach me, Lord, on earth to show by my love how 
much I owe. May we praise God as believers. 
What we've been saved from, I confess that we don't get it all now. 
We don't appreciate it as we ought to. But as believers, I 
think we appreciate perhaps a little bit of it. And we ought to praise 
God and thank him for his mercies. And for any here who do not know 
the Lord here today, remember that one day all of us will stand 
before the great lawgiver to give account for our lives. And 
we will either stand in our own skin or we will stand in the 
righteousness of Christ. It is only in the righteousness 
of Christ that we will be able to stand complete and be accepted 
for heaven, be accepted in the Beloved. And just as surely as 
that day so many years ago when I was told 2017 would come, just 
as surely this day will come for me. as it will come also 
for you. Well, was this law that we are 
speaking about here, was it ever codified? It most certainly was, 
and it was codified at Mount Sinai. Paragraph two, halfway 
down, was delivered by God upon Mount Sinai in Ten Commandments 
and written in two tables. The four first containing our 
duty towards God, and the other six are duty to man. So let's just make a point here, 
and that is concerning this codification of this law, it is to be identified 
with the Ten Commandments. Dr. Sam Waldron says it's the 
same law written in the heart of Adam, remember back in the 
Garden of Eden, that same law, he says, was reiterated in the 
Ten Commandments. And Pastor Butler also brought 
a good point out concerning the Ten Commandments. He says this, 
that since the Ten Commandments are the same law which was first 
written in the heart of man at creation, we infer that the Ten 
Commandments continue to be for all men everywhere, and not as 
some teach, i.e. dispensationalists, that the 
Ten Commandments were only for Israel so the Ten Commandments 
are abiding we're going to speak more about this in just a little 
bit But there is perpetuity to this moral law that was given 
and by the moral God our moral God at and codified at Sinai. Well, concerning this first table 
and the second table, the first table being the first four commandments, 
our duty to God, the second table, Commandments 5 through 10, being 
our duty to man, James Beakey says this, the first table emphasizes 
our need to love God through directly worshiping Him. The 
second table emphasizes our need to reveal love to God through 
showing love and concern for others. I really like what he 
points out there, how that love to God is the impetus behind 
why we obey God's law. And this shouldn't come as a 
surprise to us, for Jesus said, if you love me, keep my commandments. Well, if you would turn with 
me to Exodus 20, Exodus chapter 20, And we are just going to 
go through the moral law here. We're not going to read it all, 
but we are just going to touch on a few comments. And James 
Beeke really summarizes these tables, and I'm going to borrow 
from his summary here, somewhat in my own words. But you'll notice 
here in verse 3 of chapter 20. Again, the giving, the codification 
of this moral law written on the heart of man. Notice here 
in commandment number 1, verse 3, this is concerning God's person, 
whom we're to worship. Commandment number 2, verse 4, 
concerning God's worship, how we are to worship. Commandment 
number 3 in verse 7, God's excuse me, God's name, whose name we 
are to worship. Commandment number four, starting 
at verse number eight, concerning God's day, when we are to corporately 
worship. And then that concludes our duty 
to God in the first table, and now our duty to man, our love 
to man, starting in verse number 12 and consecutively through 
to verse number seven. Notice God's gift of authority 
in commandment number 5. Notice God's gift of life in 
commandment number 6. Commandment number 7, God's gift 
of marriage and purity. Commandment number 8, God's gift 
of property. Commandment number 9, God's gift 
of speech. And commandment number 10, God's 
gift of providence. Here then is the Ten Commandments. 
It is a good thing for us to rehearse it and to remember it. 
It is written on our hearts. It is that which our God has 
given to us, and may the Lord help us to obey it. but there were other laws as 
well that God has given. We refer to these as supplemental 
laws, or the mosaic addenda, as some people refer to it, as 
positive laws. And this refers to laws that 
are commanded for a time. and these supplemental laws we 
refer to the ceremonial and the judicial or the civil laws of 
God. If you would look at paragraph 
3, paragraph 3 of the Confession outlines and states concerning 
the ceremonial law this, besides this law Commonly called moral, 
God was pleased to give to the people of Israel ceremonial laws. So here's the fact of supplemental 
law stated besides this law, continuing on, containing several 
typical ordinances, partly of worship, prefiguring Christ, 
His graces, actions, sufferings, and benefits, and partly holding 
forth divers instructions of moral duties. So the contents 
of the ceremonial law are here described as being containing 
several ordinances, several ordinances concerning A, worship, and B, 
these divers or many instructions of moral duties. Now concerning 
worship, notice here that it is prefiguring Christ's person, 
it's prefiguring Christ's graces, it's prefiguring Christ's actions, 
it's prefiguring Christ's sufferings, and it's prefiguring Christ's 
benefits. Let's turn to Hebrews 11. Hebrews 
11, if you would turn there. with me to Hebrews chapter 11. As we think about how these ceremonial 
laws, they weren't just a bunch of odd people in the Old Testament 
doing all of these ceremonial laws and bloodshedding. It had 
meaning, and it had purpose, and it was pointing to and prefiguring 
the Lord Jesus Christ in all of these things. Hebrews chapter 
9, Hebrews chapter 9, rather, verse 11 Hebrews chapter 9 verse 
11 to 15 but Christ came as high priest of the good things to 
come with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with 
hands that is not of this creation not with the blood of goats and 
calves but with his own blood he entered the most holy place 
once for all having obtained eternal redemption For if the 
blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling 
the unclean sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much 
more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit 
offered himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience 
from dead works to serve the living God? And for this reason 
he is the mediator of the new covenant by means of death for 
the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant that 
those who are called may receive the promise of the internal in 
heaven. John Gill says thus, and in summary 
really to this passage, concerning the prefiguring of Christ's persons 
in the ceremonial law, in which saints are directed to Christ, 
the sum and substance of all types, shadows and sacrifices, 
and in whom alone perfection is. Let's carry on here in paragraph 
3, approximately halfway down. All which ceremonial laws being 
appointed only to the time of Reformation are, by Jesus Christ 
the true Messiah and only Lawgiver, who was furnished with power 
from the Father for that end, abrogated and taken away. That is to say that these ceremonial 
laws, they were all temporary. And they were temporary due to 
the nature of the laws themselves. And that is, they all were prefiguring 
and pointing to Christ, the Christ who came. And they were also 
temporary due to the power given to the Lord Jesus Christ by the 
Father to actually abrogate these laws by the works that he did. Robert Shaw restates this. succinctly 
by saying these ceremonies were chiefly designed to prefigure 
Christ and lead them to the knowledge of the way of salvation through 
him. So such salvation was then and 
now is in Christ only. Think about Genesis 3 15 just 
for a moment. Adam has sinned in the garden. 
Death has come because of sin. And here we are in the garden, 
and as soon as that gospel is needed, the gospel, the gospel 
is given. In Genesis 3.15, right away, 
what a gracious God, right away, Genesis 3.15 anticipates Christ, 
the seed who will come, and He will crush the head of the serpent, 
and He is the one to which all these ceremonial laws pointing 
the ceremonial laws when you read about it in the Old Testament 
don't just dismiss it it is full and pregnant with meaning and 
it is pointing to the prefigurement of our Christ who would come 
and live and die for the sins of his people well what then 
of the judicial law what of the judicial law paragraph 4 to them 
also He gave sundry judicial laws which expired together with 
the state of that people, not obliging any now by virtue of 
that institution, their general equity only being of moral use." 
Well, with the dissolution of the Jewish state in A.D. 70, those judicial laws belonging 
to the Mosaic institution, they expired. Why don't we turn to 
Matthew 21, Matthew 21 verse 43, Matthew 21 verse 43. Matthew 21, 43, Therefore I say 
to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to 
a nation, bearing the fruits thereof. This is the Lord Jesus 
Christ. We believe he's speaking here of the transfer of the kingdom 
from apostate Israel to the true Israel of God, which is the church 
of the living God. So this judicial law, it did 
expire with the expiration of that Mosaic institution being 
the Jewish state. AD 70 AD 70 so the question might 
be asked well Do any of these judicial laws, do any of them 
apply today? Is there relevance to them today? Is there any kind of applicability 
to these judicial laws today? Dr. Sam Waldron, I think, nails 
it when he says, though the judicial law has expired, yet as an inspired 
application of the moral law to the civil circumstances of 
Israel, it reveals many timeless principles of general equity, 
justice, goodness and righteousness. I couldn't agree more with Dr. 
Waldron on that. An example we could take would 
be 1st Corinthians chapter 9 verse 8 to 10. We won't turn there, 
but it speaks about a workman being worthy of his hire. This is dipping into Old Testament 
law, isn't it? And applying it today. And taking 
that general equity, the justice and goodness thereof, where we 
can apply it to the fluidity of our contemporary society. 
What about Exodus 21 verse 22 to 25? Pastor Butler often preaches 
on this on Sanctity Sunday. This concerns accidental abortion. Wouldn't it be a wonderful thing 
if the leaders in our civil government, that they went back here to get 
instruction and to get the incision of wisdom on these points of 
abortion? What is there to discuss? We 
discuss some things concerning homosexuality, and what we do 
is we're really justifying things. We're really doing gymnastics 
to get around so that we can kind of fit into the culture 
and the society around about us with some of these laws. Well, 
the judicial laws of Israel, they have application today with 
regards to their general equity, and to their wisdom, and to their 
goodness, and to their righteousness. righteousness, and I think that 
it does us well as Christians not only to have our bearing 
and our frame of reference in these things, but that we would 
pray that the leaders of our land might even fear God, that 
they would even fear God to come and consider these things so 
that good laws would be enacted. Of course, we know that good 
laws don't make good people, do they? But good people make 
good laws. And so we need to pray for the 
people. of our country, of ourselves, that we would elect good people 
so that good people would fear God and enact good laws for the 
swift and free course of the gospel. in society, in the church, 
in education, in business, in the morality of our civil institutions, 
and so forth. Well, back to the moral law itself. What if it's current status? What if it's current status? 
Well, though the ceremonial and the judicial laws were temporary, 
the moral law is not temporary. It is perpetual. It is in perpetuity. Let's look at paragraph number 
five. Paragraph number five. The moral 
law doth forever bind all, as well-justified persons as others, 
to the obedience thereof, and that known only in regard to 
the matter contained in it, but also in respect of the authority 
of God the Creator, who gave it. So the universal abiding 
obligation of the moral law of God is a directed to its matter 
and what that means in the confession here when it's speaking about 
matter here it's talking about a thing that God commands, a 
thing that God commands. So with respects to this abiding 
obligation, this perpetuity, It's directed to its content, 
it's directed to its matter, and it's also directed in terms 
of its basis or its foundation to the authoritative giver who 
provides it. Did you get that? It's directed 
to its content, and it's also based on its authoritative giver. 
That is the universal obligation to the keeping thereof it. I want us to just to consider 
for a second the law of nature again, just for a moment, the 
law of nature. And we don't have any hesitation 
in making a proposition like this, 1 plus 1 equals 2. We don't question that, but that 
is a law of mathematics given by a moral God. It is, as some 
people refer to it, mathematics being the law, the law of creation. What is it doing? What is this 
transcendent truth of mathematics? Oh, it's true. It's notation. 
We might have come up with a different idea of notation. But in terms 
of its actual truth, that 1 plus 1 equals 2 is an objective truth, 
it is perpetual. It's not some sort of temporary 
commitment. It's not some sort of temporary 
obligation. And I believe there's an inalienable 
connection here for us to consider and ponder, which I think is 
very useful. There's this connection between God as perpetual lawgiver 
of the material creation of which we interact in and live in, and 
also God as perpetual lawgiver in the immaterial heart of man. 
You see that connection? We're made in God's image. And 
so here we have, and would expect to, I think, in a rational world, 
here we have the lawgiver in his material creation and the 
lawgiver in his immaterial, in the immaterial heart of man. 
So what am I getting at here? Well, I think this goes to the 
immutability of our moral God. And it provides this basis of 
the reasonable and expectant perpetuity of the moral law itself. I just find this connection staggering 
I find it an amazing truth that when we look at the world around 
us And we we see all of these perpetual laws again the law 
of biogenesis or the laws of life the laws of chemistry and 
mathematics and physics and the laws of logic and And they're 
just there. I mean they don't move around. 
They're not relative. They don't change about and And 
it's because there is a moral God and a moral universe who 
sets these things. So wouldn't it make sense that 
there would also be a moral God who gives us a moral law for 
the immaterial heart of man? And there is. And that moral 
law is the Decalogue. And so in kind to God's law-giving 
in the material creation, the moral law of God, etched by the 
finger of God on those stones, at the codification of that moral 
law, at Sinai, it is perpetual. And to use the term of Pastor 
Butler, it's trans-covenantal. trans-covenantal that's not the 
scope of our discussion or our topic here today but it is perpetual 
and it goes across covenants for it perfectly expresses and 
get this the unchangeable holy character of his being the unchangeable 
holy character of his being Oh, that this would cause us. Think 
of this, the law of God is causing us to respond and to bow our 
knee, to bow our knee to the creator of the universe. Oh, 
we do not bow our knee to the creation, but we bow our knee 
to the creator of the universe and we close our mouths. And 
when we look up at the night sky and we behold those stars 
and all of the systems of the solar system before us, it ought 
to just, Put us in the dust. God is a holy God. He's unchangeable. And He condescends to know us. 
He condescends to forgive us of sins and bring us back into 
relationship with Him so that we will be with Him in a perfect 
heaven and a perfect earth one day where there is no sin. This 
is reality. This is why we live and can go 
about our lives and do the things that we do. It's not so that 
we can get ahead in our career. It's not so that we can get more 
money or have another holiday. Get ahead in your career. Do 
well in your career. Work hard. Enjoy your holiday. But the emphasis, the thrust, 
so much bigger than that, so much greater than that. Isn't 
that why Christ said, I have come that you might have life 
more abundantly? I think this is a little bit 
perhaps where we can go and we can traffic in these wonderful 
things concerning God's moral law and see how relative, how important it is to our everyday 
lives, how related it is to our everyday lives. Well, we're really 
talking here about the abiding nature of God's moral law. Time 
is swiftly running away. Matthew 5.17, you do not need 
to turn there. But Christ says this, again concerning 
the unchangeable holy character of His being who gives us an 
unchangeable moral law. and orders his creation by these 
fixed moral attributes. Matthew 5.17, Do not think that 
I came to destroy the law or the prophets. I did not come 
to destroy but to fulfill. Romans 3.31, Do we then make 
void the law through faith? Certainly not. On the contrary, 
we establish the law. James Beakey says, God's moral 
law is the permanent, unchanging expression of His will and being, 
of His holiness and justice. God cannot change or deny His 
moral law without changing or denying Himself. The use of the 
moral law will never end, for the need for moral living shall 
continue as long as there is a moral God, and that is for 
ever. Well, Christ does not dissolve 
the obligation to keep this moral law, but he actually strengthens 
it. Look with me at the end of paragraph 5. Neither doth Christ 
in the gospel anyway dissolve, but much strengthen this obligation. But much strengthen this obligation. 
Well, the question is asked, well, how so? How is this done? Well, paragraph 6 addresses this 
use and the various duties and uses of the law. First, The law 
must, the law must, I'm going to say it one more time, the 
law must be understood correctly in relation to the believer. Did you get that? The law must 
be understood correctly in relation to the believer. Note 6, paragraph 
6, although true believers be not under the law as a covenant 
of works to be thereby justified or condemned. It is not a covenant 
of works when we keep God's law Now we have favor with God unto 
salvation? Absolutely not. No, having been 
saved, we're able to keep God's law for His glory, for our good 
and the good of others in which we have life with. Galatians 
2.16 says, knowing that a man is not justified by the works 
of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ. Even we have 
believed in Jesus Christ. We might be justified by the 
faith of Christ and not by the works of the law, for by the 
works of the law shall no flesh be justified." Well, quite some 
years ago now, when I was introduced to Reformed theology, I was introduced 
to these things called the five solas of the Reformation. I know that you all know them 
very well. But I love the five solas of the Reformation because 
it's the gospel. And if you ever get stuck and 
maybe you're talking to somebody and you have an opportunity to 
relate to them the gospel, just give them the five solas. Here 
it is, we're saved by grace, through faith, by Christ, on 
the authority of Scripture for the glory of God. That's it. 
That's the five solas and there is the gospel. Notice it is not 
a covenant of works. We're created in Christ Jesus 
for good works, Ephesians 2.10a, not unto or by good works. Well, let's go and let's carry 
on here in paragraph 6. Yet, so we don't jettison law, 
do we? We don't jettison it. We don't 
do away with it. But it does have context to the 
believer and to the unbeliever. Yet, rather, it is of great use 
to them as well as to others in that as a rule of life informing 
them of the will of God and their duty, it directs and binds them 
to walk Well, now we are at what may be familiar to you concerning 
the threefold use of the law, the threefold use of the law. 
Here, this is speaking concerning the civil use of the law. I've 
actually kind of touched on that a little bit earlier, so I won't 
elaborate any more, but it informs us how we are to live. It's what 
the will of God is in society, and it binds and directs us. 
accordingly, and it's a force to restrain sin in society. Have you ever noticed something? 
That there's a connection between when man deviates from God, he 
does so because he lacks wisdom. We might admire his technical 
ability to think. How can you not help but admire 
some of these university professors with great letters behind? Admire 
them, admire their technical ability, admire their brain power, 
admire their reading and all of those things, but they don't 
have wisdom. They don't have the Lord. They 
do not have wisdom. While the civil use of the law 
restrains sin in society, and when men and women, brilliant 
as they may be from a technical point of view, if they lack wisdom, 
we'll see that they'll be turning away from what God says in his 
law concerning what is good and what is evil. And the definition 
there too, and the jettisoning of that, we begin to see that 
sin is not restrained. We see that now, don't we, in 
our society. And we see that this is what happens. Well, the 
civil use of the law is one aspect of its use. And this is a common 
use to believers and to unbelievers. What else? Carrying on here. 
Discovering also the sinful pollutions of their nature's hearts and 
lives, so as examining themselves, thereby they may come to further 
conviction of humiliation for and hatred against sin, together 
with a clearer sight of the need they have of Christ and the perfection 
of his obedience. This speaks now to the pedagogical 
or the teaching use of the law of God. It's a tool for self-examination. It's a tool for the conviction 
of sin and to produce humility and to promote a hatred of defined 
sin and what it is. And that is one of the uses, 
to show our need of Christ, to point us to mercy and grace, 
get this outside ourselves outside of ourselves outside of ourselves 
and looking to our God carrying on then in paragraph six about 
three-quarters of the way down it is likewise of use to the 
regenerate to restrain their corruptions that it forbids sin 
and the threatenings of it serve to show what even their sins 
deserve and what afflictions in this life they may expect 
for them Although freed from the curse and unalloyed rigor 
thereof, the promises of it likewise show them God's approbation of 
obedience and what blessings they may expect upon the performance 
thereof, though not as due to them by the law as a covenant 
of works." Remember here we're talking just by way of context 
so we don't get lost here in the woods. We're talking about 
the various duties and uses of the law of God. And we're now 
talking about the three-fold use of the law of God. We've 
talked about the civil use, talked about its pedagogical or its 
teaching use. Now we're looking here at the 
normative use. This now is only for believers. And we might say this, having 
been saved, so live having been saved so lived oh we need grace 
for that we need utter dependence upon the Lord but this is a norm 
of conduct for the believer and it is in accord to his his law 
and this is designed to restrain our remaining corruptions by 
forbidding sin Notice two, it warns of afflictions by not heeding 
versus the blessings he bestows for obedience, though not again 
as a covenant of works. Isn't it true, and I think we've 
heard it said from our pulpit, or from the pulpit here in this 
church, that we will receive blessings when we obey God's 
word. In other words, think of it like this, if you don't steal, 
you're probably not going to end up in jail. If you don't 
murder, you're not going to end up on the execution block or 
in jail. And so here we can see that we 
are warned of the afflictions of not heeding God's law, and 
we are told of the blessings. But this begs a question that 
we must be very honest with, and many very honest about. What 
about those who are persecuted? Can we honestly say that they're 
blessed? A couple of weeks ago, I think 
it was Steve, was reading one of the brothers here concerning 
that Vietnamese pastor who was persecuted and they were putting 
shards of glass into his food. Remember reading that? You're 
blessed, brother. You've obeyed God. You've stood 
up for God's word. You are blessed. Can we say that? Well, let's see what Christ says. 
Would you turn with me to Matthew 5? Matthew 5. Matthew chapter 
5 verse 10 and verse 11 and verse 12. Matthew chapter 5. Blessed are 
those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake. There it 
is. It says Christ speaking now, blessed. Blessed are those who 
are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom 
of heaven. Blessed are you, and they will 
revile you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil against 
you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad, 
for great is your reward in heaven. For so they persecuted the prophets 
who were before you." So yes, we can say that it is always 
right to obey God's law and that there are always blessings with 
obeying God, even if it means persecution. Now, I want to be 
really careful here. It's very easy for me in an air-conditioned 
church with a suit and tie on, having 
a full stomach, and having the peace of this land to sit here 
and say what I just said. But on the authority of God's 
Word, and we don't know what's coming, do we? That's not to 
scare us, but we don't know. There was a church burnt down, 
wasn't there, a couple of weeks ago, and was it Burlington, Ontario? 
What is that all about? Would we ever have thought such 
a thing? I don't know if they've discovered if it was arson or 
not, but we don't know what's coming. But this here, the Lord 
tells us, blessed are you, blessed are you when these things happen. 
And here is the crux of it. Because great is your reward. 
in heaven. I think this must be why Jonathan 
Edwards said, have eternity stamped on your eyeballs. Aren't we so 
temporary minded? I am. So temporary, so worked 
up about the things of this life, and yes, we're supposed to be 
diligent and all of those sorts of things, but we are going on 
a journey. We are on a journey. And that 
journey has a terminus, and that terminus is a celestial city, 
and that celestial city is heaven, just as surely as the solar eclipse 
happened this past Monday. Well, may the Lord help us to 
truly live by faith. Hebrews 10, 38, the just shall 
live by faith. Well, as usual, I'm swiftly running 
out of time. The law and the gospel. Notice the end of paragraph six. So as man's doing good and refraining 
from evil, for the law encourages to the one and deters from the 
other is no evidence of his being under the law and not under the 
law. What are we saying here? We're 
saying that obedience does not mean, obedience to the law of 
God does not mean the believer is under a law and not under 
grace. Titus 3, 5 and 8, we don't have 
time to read it now, but I love that scripture, not by works 
of righteousness, which we have done. It's not by works of righteousness, 
but it's through Christ. And then later on in that passage, 
in that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain 
good works, Titus 3, verse 5 to 8. Created in Christ Jesus, again, 
for good works, Ephesians 2, verse number 10. Well, the spirit accompanies 
the law, enabling the believer to obey it. And we wind up our 
discussion, our study here now, and it's so very, very applicable. This is the response time. All 
of this, we don't want it just to go into our heads. and to 
get stuffed in there, and there it is. We want to elicit a response, 
don't we, by His grace? Well, the Spirit accompanies 
the law, enabling the believer to obey it. Neither are the aforementioned 
uses. This is paragraph 7. the law 
contrary to the grace of the gospel, but do sweetly comply 
with it, the Spirit of Christ subduing and enabling the will 
of man to do that freely and cheerfully which the will of 
God revealed in the law requireth to be done." So how then does 
the Spirit who accompanies the law, how does he enable the believer 
to actually obey? Well, first of all, it is on 
the basis of something. It is on the basis of the fact 
that when we are converted, when we are justified, when we are 
adopted, that we are constituted holy. that Christ comes, forgives 
us our sins, and the Holy Spirit dwells within us, we are united 
to Him. So that's the basis. That's how 
we are actually able to obey and, I dare say, love the law 
of God, on the basis of being constituted holy. Waldron says, 
we are set apart from common use to God, we are God's special 
possession, God's special possession. Dr. Robert Raymond echoes that 
and says every Christian, the moment he becomes a Christian, 
by virtue of his union with Christ, is instantly constituted a saint 
and enters into a new relationship with respect to the former. excuse 
me, reign of sin in his life and with God himself in which 
new relationship he ceases to be a slave to sin and becomes 
a servant of Christ and of God. I had a couple of other verses 
here but time is out. I'll just say in Romans 6 verse 
11 it says, likewise you also reckon or consider yourselves 
to be dead to sin and alive unto to righteousness. As much could 
be said on this, the topic on sanctification, we dealt with 
that. But in regards to enabling the believer to obey it, what 
about the means? What are the means? We've talked 
about the basis, now what about the means by which we can actually 
obey the law of God? Well, the means are by the means. 
The means are those which are the means of grace. Scripture 
reading and prayer and those things concerning church and 
the ordinances and so forth. These are the means by which 
we are able to be strengthened, encouraged, edified, instructed 
and so forth. But let us not forget it's through 
the same virtue of Christ. It's through the virtue of Christ. 
The London Baptist Confession speaks of this in 13.1, the same 
virtue which is in Christ. By His Word and Spirit dwelling 
in us, enabling us to actually obey Him. This is why His Bridges 
says we are to depend on the Lord to do the things that we 
must. So may the Lord help us to walk 
in the Spirit. and so to please and honor him, 
not unto salvation, but because we have been saved. Galatians 
5.16, This I say then, walk in the Spirit, and you shall not 
fulfill the lusts of the flesh. Well, this is where we need to 
respond, isn't it? We need to respond. And for the 
believer to respond, we have that pedagogical use, that teaching 
use, that tool for self-examination to not only show us our constant 
need for the Lord Jesus Christ and grace and mercy outside of 
ourselves, but this sense that Waldron says, yes, we have duty. 
People sometimes don't like that. We have duty to obey God's law, 
but we have this duty and gratitude towards God. In the new covenant, 
there's been an addition. Duty, yes, but now in gratitude 
to God, we undertake the duty that we are to perform. We've 
been saved, we've been redeemed, and it is a good law. It is good, 
God's law and God's word and God's things, and those things 
which are righteous are not only pleasing in his sight, but are 
indeed a blessed Well, what about if there are anyone here today 
who does not know the law does not know the Lord well If you 
do not know the Lord this means that you have not come to the 
Lord and you've not trusted in him and this is This is the point 
of contact with response. This is the point of contact 
which is so vital and so important. It is most certainly a work of 
the Holy Spirit that gets into our hearts and makes us willing 
and able to obey Him. But let me just focus for a minute 
on that other side of the track, if I could use that. In a layman's 
term, that other side of the track where we are called to 
come, where we are called To come to the Lord Jesus Christ 
to be saved. It's a call to action, isn't 
it? We are to strive to enter into that narrow gate. We're 
to strive. It's a call to action. We're 
to come. Praise God that all that come 
will in no manner be Cast out. This is the call to action. How 
are you gonna respond? How am I gonna respond as a believer 
or an unbeliever? Make no mistake about it. You 
will respond to this study here today you will respond, and may 
the Lord help us to respond in kind to the truth with which 
he reveals in his word. Well, I'm going to close with 
a brief statement from the Valley of Vision. Perhaps you have this 
book or know of it. It's a collection of Puritan 
prayers and devotionals, and I think it so wonderfully just 
lassoes and ties together what we've been speaking about here 
today. God, the source of all good, 
O Lord God, who inhabits eternity, the heavens declare Thy glory, 
the earth Thy riches, the universe is Thy temple, Thy presence fills 
immensity, yet Thou hast of Thy pleasure created life and communicated 
happiness. Thou hast made me what I am and 
given me what I have. In Thee I live and move and have 
my being. Thy providence has set the bounds 
of my habitation and wisely administers all my affairs. I thank Thee 
for Thy riches to me in Jesus, for the unclouded revelation 
of Him in Thy Word, where I behold His person, character, grace, 
glory, humiliation, sufferings, death, and resurrection. Oh, 
give me to feel a need of His continual Saviorhood, and cry 
with Job, I am vile, and with Peter I perish. Would the publican 
be merciful to me, a sinner? O Lord, subdue in me the love 
of sin. Let me know the need of renovation 
as well as forgiveness in order to serve and enjoy Thee forever. I come to Thee in the all-prevailing 
name of Jesus with nothing of my own to plead, no works, no 
worthiness, no promises. I am often strained, often knowingly, 
often opposing Thy authority, often abusing Thy goodness. Much 
of my guilt arises from my religious privileges, my low estimation 
of them, my failures to use them to my advantage. But I am not 
careless of Thy favor or regardless of Thy glory. Impress me deeply 
with a sense of Thine omnipresence, that Thou art about my path, 
my ways, my lying down, and my end. Well, let's pray. O God 
in heaven, we most certainly do bow our knees this day in 
our hearts to you, O Lord God, you who inhabit eternity. We 
thank you, O Lord, that most certainly the heavens do declare 
your glory, the earth your riches. You are that perpetual lawgiver 
in your material creation, and O Lord, you are the perpetual 
lawgiver in the immaterial heart of man. We thank you, Lord, that 
though we have nothing to plead, no works, no worthiness, no promises 
in and of ourselves, yet we do plead Christ's word, we do plead 
Christ's worthiness, we do plead those promises that are in your 
word, that all that come unto me I will in no wise cast out. O Lord, thank you for these truths. 
Thank you for these realities. Help us, O Lord, to look upon 
the law of God as a beautiful thing, as a wonderful thing, 
as complementary to, as coordinated in with the very gospel itself. 
And Lord, as Jude, under the inspiration of God, wrote to 
us so long ago, now to Him, who is able to keep you from falling, 
from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence 
of His glory with exceeding joy. To God, our Saviour, who alone 
is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now 
and ever. We pray these things in the name 
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.