"And in this corner . . . the law"
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What does the bible teach us about judgment?
Intro
Intro
Illus: The world we live in allows everyone to be a self proclaimed Judge.
Dayton and El Paso shootings show us that anyone can claim anything they want about these killers. They are the subject of gun control, mental illness, manifestos, gang affiliations . . . but very little discussion on sin and evil. Anyone with an opinion has linked these shootings to their own causes.
And, the answer to such things is law.
Michael Horton in a paper on law and gospel says:
Paul is contrasting law-logic with promise-logic. The law is not the problem, but we are, and the law simply points that out. We know the law by nature; nobody has to teach at least its rudimentary principles to us ( and 2). When we turn to our common sense, reason, experience, or what we see in order to determine our relationship to God, it is always the law that has the last word. Law-logic is entirely appropriate for those created in God’s image, designed and equipped to reflect God’s righteousness in every way, but it says nothing about how law-breakers can be saved from its judgment.
The biggest problem with the world having all of these little judges is that it misses the biblical truth that God is the judge.
We should use caution in falling into this worldly trap of law-logic.
We should avoid being like the legalists (Jewish religious Leaders) in this passage.
Paul, an apostle, appointed by Jesus himself was being judged. This is like arguing with Jesus himself.
The problem is not that there was a law, it was that it was the wrong law.
Who’s law is in sight here? God’s or man’s?
We are by nature law-logic people.
What does God reveal to us in this passage?
Principles of Faith
Principles of Faith
Let’s look at God’s law versus our own law.
God reveals to us how he is to be worshipped
God’s law concerning our worship is not conjured up from man, but given by God himself:
What is Worship?
both the appropriate inner dispositions and the proper outer expressions involved in the recognition of and response to the God who reveals Himself, in creation, providence and redemption as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. - Sinclair Ferguson, Worship, RSB.
Worship is regulated by God himself
Worship is regulated by the character of its object, both in the inner and its outward expressions. - Sinclair Ferguson, Worship, RSB.
Worship Facts for Presbyterian Churches:
1720 - “continuous singing”
1753 - “Hymns”
1787 - Open Communion
1788 - Offerings
1849 - Choirs allowed
1850’s - instruments allowed
ARP - 1946 - Hymns authorized
The elements of Worship are all found in Scripture
Singing
And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart,
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
Prayer
I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling;
but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works. Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control.
1 Tim 2:8
Context of worship
Scripture
Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not.
1 tim
Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching.
Preaching
2 tim 3:16-4
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
Congregational Participation
Evident in:
Otherwise, if you give thanks with your spirit, how can anyone in the position of an outsider say “Amen” to your thanksgiving when he does not know what you are saying?
For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.
If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed. Our Lord, come!
Sacraments
1 Cor 11
God gives us this because he knows that we will develop and create our own ways to worship him. This is what the Jewish leaders of the time had done. They created their own law on how to worship God.
God reveals to us how we are to deal with each other
Official complaint about Paul and His teaching
Direct violation of 9th commandment
“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
The Westminster Confession of Faith: Edinburgh Edition The Shorter Catechism
Q. 77. What is required in the ninth commandment?
A. The ninth commandment requireth the maintaining and promoting of truth between man and man, and of our own and our neighbour’s good name,o especially in witness bearing.
Q. 78. What is forbidden in the ninth commandment?
A. The ninth commandment forbiddeth whatsoever is prejudicial to truth, or injurious to our own or our neighbour’s good name.
Jesus
“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.
“Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.
As Christians we should be careful in making any false accusations against anyone.
We should make sure our complaining does not turn to false accusations.
We should be a people of integrity -
Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.
God reveals how the government should deal with the church
The
It is clear that Gallio knew his place
It was not for the government to decide on the things of the church
There should be a separate understanding of the civil government and the church government
Both are sovereignly controlled by God but both have different purposes
Civil government - sword/protection of religious freedom
Institutes of the Christian Religion 2. The Two “Governments” Are Not Antithetical
Yet civil government has as its appointed end, so long as we live among men, to cherish and protect the outward worship of God, to defend sound doctrine of piety and the position of the church, ato adjust our life to the society of men, to form our social behavior to civil righteousness, to reconcile us with one another, and to promote general peace and tranquillity.
Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they marveled at him.
This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah:
Yet civil government has as its appointed end, so long as we live among men, to cherish and protect the outward worship of God, to defend sound doctrine of piety and the position of the church, to adjust our life to the society of men, to form our social behavior to civil righteousness, to reconcile us with one another, and to promote general peace and tranquillity.
Calvin, J. (2011). Institutes of the Christian Religion & 2. (J. T. McNeill, Ed., F. L. Battles, Trans.) (Vol. 1, p. 1487). Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press.
Amendment I
Amendment I
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;
Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they marveled at him.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Law -logic vs. promise-logic
If we read in the light of Paul’s argument in , the contrast is even clearer: law-logic ascends to bring Christ down or up from the grave, while gospel-logic receives Christ as he descends to us in the preaching of the gospel. - Horton
Living in light of the fact that we have been saved by Grace, that Jesus is King and judgment is left to him alone.
The bible teaches us that Jesus is the judge. Those men that shot and killed were evil and their work was evil. They will face their judge. There are issues that we can learn and deal with in retrospect, but very little has to do with law. Much has to do with sin.
We need to continue to understand and act as Christians in light of the facts that 1) Jesus is King and Judge.
Jesus sets the standards for worship and I do not.
Jesus is judge and I am not.
Paul, an apostle, appointed by Jesus himself was being judged. This is like arguing with Jesus himself. Paul was an ambassador, directly sent out by Jesus to be his mouthpiece. So, arguing and judging Paul is also judging and arguing with Jesus.
We do the same today.
With this perspective we will:
Seek to worship God according to his word and not our desires.
“Spirit and Truth”
As described by His Apostles
With His instituted sacraments
ARP - Directory of Public Worship
Seek to live in peace and unity within the body of Christ
Start with forgiveness and mercy
Admonish with all gentleness and care
Matt 18:15
“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”
Seek to see the authority of church and state as two separate entities
Jesus is King of Both, yet both have separate purposes
We are not Theonimists
We do not believe that God is building a physical kingdom on earth in America
Rather, we believe that the Kingdom of God is continually being built with saints on this earth and will be consummated in HIs second coming.
States ands governments will come and go. Laws will come and God.
Yet, Jesus’ church will not and when he returns he will gather his people and He will be victorious
Folks, let us avoid this worldly law-logic. Let us see the law as showing us our need for Christ. Then, let us live in God’s grace. Let us trust in King Jesus and in his judgment to come. Let us use caution in our worship, our relationships with others, and our view of HIs Kingdom.
Let us trust and put our faith in a King who has given us his righteousness to stand innocent before him on that Great day of judgment.
AMEN
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