Our text today continues our study of the relationship between the law and the gospel, which we launched out on from a study of the Sermon on the Mount.
In Matthew chapter 5, verses 17 through 20, you've heard this a few times if you've been with us.
Matthew records Jesus saying, do not think that I've come to abolish the law of the prophets.
I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them.
For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot will pass from the law until all is accomplished.
Therefore, whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven.
But whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
And beloved, I want us to be found as a church of people who will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Those who are keepers and teachers of the law.
Those who have a righteousness found in Christ that exceeds that of the Pharisees.
And this text has caused us to ask the very important question, what is the relationship between the Old Testament law and the gospel of Jesus Christ?
And we have answered that question in multiple ways and at multiple times over the past weeks with two answers.
First, the Old Testament law is meant to bring us to Jesus Christ.
Either in the civil and ceremonial pointing us to our need of this greater sacrifice, a greater king to rule over us.
Or in the moral to show us a great failure of keeping God's standard.
The Old Testament law serves as our tutor, fixing for us the holy requirement of God.
Being utterly incapable of keeping such a law without faltering, the law creates for us a problem to drive us to the solution in the personal work of Jesus Christ.
By believing that Jesus is the Son of God, that He perfectly kept the law.
That He died on the cross in your stead.
And that He was raised from the dead, defeating sin and death on your behalf.
You can participate in what Martin Luther called the great exchange.
Your sin and the just penalty for it, taken from you by Jesus and His perfect law keeping given to you.
The Old Testament law begs the question, have I kept God's standard?
This question is rightly answered by each and every one of us with an emphatic no.
If you have yet to recognize your moral failing before a most just God,
I pray this morning that you will see your problem in the law and fly to Christ as the remedy.
It is often asked in churches of our day, if you were to die today and stand before God in judgment and be asked,
why should I let you into my heaven?
How would you respond?
And they're looking for you to say something like, well, I've placed my faith in Jesus.
And I can tell you that we would all fall on our face before a most holy God and cry out that we are unworthy.
The law does this for us, presents us with this most holy God and shows us our failure in pleasing Him.
But praise be to God, beloved, that the gospel tells us that it is Jesus that will come to our defense.
We will not need to utter a word.
He will come beside us and He will call us His own.
He will say, this one, this one is mine.
I lived and died for his or her benefit.
It is because of the defense of Jesus Christ that we are justified before God, our sins forgiven and our righteousness declared.
Secondly, having been set free from the burden of it, from the problem of the Old Testament law,
the Old Testament law, the moral component of it, continues to serve as a guide for how our lives might please God.
So, having been accepted by God in the perfect righteousness of Jesus,
we are gratefully obedient to the commands of God for our good and for His glory.
And you do not want to mess that order up.
You do not want to think for a moment, especially as we take some time to consider God's commands to us,
that in keeping God's commands, you will be accepted.
If you think in this way, you are utterly doomed because you will not keep God's commands at God's standard.
The gospel says the very opposite.
It says you are accepted.
You are in Christ.
Therefore, now obey.
I have hoped to show you over the past weeks, which I think we will see in great clarity today,
how the Ten Commandments, which are often called the Decalogue,
serves as an outline for all of God's moral and therefore perpetual commandments.
Most of us are very familiar with the Ten Commandments,
but I fear we too readily run them as a checklist
and come out in our own estimation far better law keepers than we actually are.
So, join me in setting your mind on a careful consideration of the 5th, 6th, and 7th commandments.
If you have yet to place saving faith in Jesus Christ,
I pray that you will see your need of Him.
If you have placed saving faith in Jesus Christ,
I pray that you will be given cause to praise Him for His abounding grace to you
and that your praise will spill over into grateful obedience.
Our text for today is Exodus chapter 20, verses 12 through 14.
Beloved, this is God's Word to us.
It was written for His glory and our good.
We would all do well to listen to it in order to believe its promises and obey its commands.
Honor your father and your mother,
that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
You shall not murder.
You shall not commit adultery.
Now, today I want to take the commandments out of order.
Dealing briefly with the 6th and 7th commandments
and then spending the bulk of our time on the 5th commandment.
I'm going to do this both for the sake of time
and because we'll resume our study of the Sermon on the Mount.
Jesus brings up both the 6th and 7th commandments,
brings clarity to the people, self-righteous people of His day,
what those commandments mean.
So we're going to get to consider them much more fully at that time.
But in brief, let's look first at the 6th commandment.
You shall not murder.
Now, it is very tempting to believe that none of us have transgressed this commandment.
At least I think.
I don't know each and every one of you.
But that we very quickly are apt to go,
Oh, I've never murdered anybody.
This is not a crime that I am guilty of.
But, oh, have we murdered.
The Westminster Larger Catechism,
which you're going to see some of this today.
And if you don't like it, I apologize.
I want you to see, though, as they're pulling together the moral law systematically,
these are some of the most exhaustive and succinct statements
that are out there on what these commands mean.
So if you want to look on the back of your bulletin
and follow along with me,
I would encourage you simply typing into Google,
Westminster Larger Catechism,
and you'll find all the scripture proofs for this
and wrestle with it and work it out yourself.
I affirm these statements without reservation.
Question 135 says,
What are the duties required in the 6th commandment?
And they write,
The duties required in the 6th commandment are
all careful studies and lawful endeavors
to preserve the life of ourselves and others,
resisting all thoughts and purposes,
subduing all passions and avoiding all occasions,
temptations and practices,
which tend to the unjust taking away the life of any.
By just defense thereof against violence,
patient bearing of the hand of God,
quietness of mind,
cheerfulness of spirit,
a sober use of meat,
drink,
physic,
which means medicine,
sleep,
labor,
and recreation,
by charitable thoughts,
love,
compassion,
meekness,
gentleness,
kindness,
peaceable,
mild,
and courteous speeches and behavior,
forbearing readiness to be reconciled,
patient bearing and forgiving of injuries,
and requiting good for evil,
comforting and suckering the distressed,
and protecting and defending the innocent.
Now the Westminster Divines have pulled together a multitude at each of these commas,
essentially scripture,
to say these very things to us.
And I'll admit that I'm still wrapping my mind around the sober use of meat
and the direct application to this command.
But,
if we really take a look at what the Bible requires of us from the sixth commandment,
it's not so easy to check the box,
is it?
Let's look further at what sins are forbidden in the sixth commandment.
The Westminster Divines wrote,
the sins forbidden in the sixth commandment are,
all taking away the life of ourselves or others,
except in case of public justice,
lawful war,
or necessary defense,
the neglecting or withdrawing the lawful and necessary means of preservation of life,
so withholding things that keep people alive,
sinful anger,
here it comes,
hatred,
envy,
desire of revenge,
all excessive passions,
distracting cares,
here's the meat thing again,
a moderate use of meat,
drink,
labor,
and recreations,
provoking words,
oppression,
quarreling,
striking,
wounding,
and whatsoever else tends to destruction of the life of any.
We are transgressors of this law.
Jesus drives this point in Matthew chapter 5,
and I think does so on the particular matter that we are most often guilty of.
Beginning in verse 21,
He says,
You have heard that it was said to those of old,
You shall not murder,
and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.
But I say to you,
that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment.
Whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council,
and whoever says,
You fool,
will be liable to the hell of fire.
You see what Jesus is doing here is He's making this direct connection.
If you harbor anger in your heart,
you are in your heart a murderer.
We are each and every one of us guilty of this.
Many of us have transgressed this law this morning.
Many of you this morning killed your roommate,
or your children,
or your spouse
in your heart.
Some of you may have killed someone who pulled out in front of you on the way here
in your heart.
And we are guilty in this way before our most holy God.
The seventh commandment.
You shall not commit adultery.
Pray for Caleb Waters,
who volunteered to preach the text for Matthew 5 on this matter.
Once again,
a commandment that one can be likely to say they've kept.
Either you may not be married,
or you're married,
and you,
by your estimation,
have been faithful to your wife or to your husband.
But this commandment means so much more than might be understood on the surface.
We must be students of our Bible,
the totality of it,
to rightly see and understand
what's both required and forbidden in this commandment.
So again,
let me read to you.
I hope you don't mind these big summaries.
Question 138.
What are the duties required in the seventh commandment?
The duties required in the seventh commandment are
chastity in body,
mind,
affections,
words,
and behavior,
and the presence of it in ourselves and others.
Watchfulness over the eyes and all the senses.
Temperance,
keeping of chaste company,
modesty in apparel,
marriage by those that have not the gift of continency,
which is celibacy.
Conjugal love and cohabitation,
diligent labor in our callings,
shunning all occasions of unclumeliness,
and resisting temptations thereunto,
which is a fantastic word.
Let's look at what's forbidden.
The sins forbidden in the seventh commandment,
besides the neglect of the duties required.
So,
all those things just mentioned,
the neglect of them are
adultery,
fornication,
rape,
incest,
sodomy,
and all unnatural lusts.
All unclean,
imaginations,
gentlemen,
thoughts,
purposes,
and affections.
All corrupt or filthy communications,
or listening thereunto.
Wanton looks,
impudent or light behavior,
immodest apparel,
prohibiting of lawful,
and dispensing with unlawful marriages.
Allowing,
tolerating,
keeping of stews,
which I'm pretty sure was a Puritan word for a prostitute.
I'm really still working that out,
but I think it's short for steward,
which would have been used as a slang term,
but if you can figure that out,
let me know.
They're not talking about soup,
in this case.
That I'm confident of.
I think this is what they mean,
because,
it goes on to say,
keeping of stews,
and resorting to them.
Entangling vows of single life,
making a vow and not keeping it.
Undue delay of marriage.
Having more wives or husbands than one at the same time.
Unjust divorce or desertion.
Idleness,
gluttony,
drunkenness,
unchaste company,
lascivious songs,
books,
pictures,
dancings,
stage plays.
They're not saying they're against dancing,
but this particular type of dancing and stage plays,
and we certainly could add in our day,
movies and television,
and all other provocations to,
or acts of uncleanness,
either in ourselves or others.
Once again,
here is not just a command for the men in the room,
but for men and women alike.
We have shown ourselves,
in our hearts at least,
to be adulterers.
Matthew chapter 5,
verse 27 and 28,
Jesus says,
You have heard that it was said,
You shall not commit adultery,
but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent
has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
Praise the Lord for the gospel of Jesus Christ,
for our failing in keeping such a law.
The fifth commandment,
and we'll spend a bit more time here.
Honor your father and your mother,
that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
Let's consider first,
who this command is for.
We are very quick to think that it is merely for children,
but it means much more than just the command,
which it does include,
but for children to obey their parents.
Again,
I'm going to pick up a little bit of language from the Westminster Confession,
and I want you to hear two words,
and then rightly understand them.
And those two words are,
superiors and inferiors.
And typically when we think of those words,
the way we use them is in terms of quality.
Like,
I am better than you because I'm your superior,
and it can mean that.
But the words mean a bit more,
and even their primary meaning is a bit different.
So,
the idea of a superior is one who is higher in rank,
status,
or quality,
the way we typically think of it.
And the inferior is one who is lower in rank,
status,
or quality.
So,
I am the superior to my sons who are the inferiors,
as the Westminster Divines think about this kind of thing.
Okay,
so don't get confused by those words and what they mean.
So,
question 124,
you don't have this one.
I'm going to touch these very briefly.
So,
they ask,
who are meant?
Who are meant by father and mother in the fifth commandment?
We want to go father and mother,
right?
Yes,
but.
Their answer is,
by father and mother in the fifth commandment,
are meant not only natural parents,
but all superiors in age and gifts,
especially such as,
by God's ordinance,
are over us in place of authority,
whether in family,
church,
or commonwealth,
in the governing of the place in which we live.
It has a broader meaning.
Let me just show you a few places where this father-to-son type of language is used.
I think the family is a given.
I think we can all be on board with that one and not hesitate on it.
But,
let's look at an example for the church.
1 Corinthians chapter 4,
in verse 14 and following,
Paul writes,
I do not write these things to make you ashamed,
but to admonish you as my beloved children.
So,
here he is establishing himself as the superior to the Corinthian church's inferiority.
Verse 15,
For though you have countless guides in Christ,
you do not have many fathers.
For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
I urge you then be imitators of me.
He's saying,
honor me by imitating me.
That is why I sent you Timothy,
my beloved and faithful child in the Lord.
What Paul is communicating is he's going to model for you
what it looks like to honor your father
in this particular setting.
To remind you,
it goes on to say in verse 17,
to remind you of my ways in Christ,
as I teach them everywhere in every church.
And Paul does this repeatedly in other places as well.
He calls Timothy,
his son,
in many spots,
as well as Titus.
Titus chapter 1 verse 4,
the first part of it,
to Titus,
my true child in a common faith.
And he says this of Onesimus and Philemon 10,
I appeal to you for my child,
O Nesimus,
whose father I became in my imprisonment.
And so you see how the fifth commandment can apply
in the setting of the church,
in the family of God.
Now it also applies in the commonwealth,
in our very governing.
There's been a controversy this week
about Romans chapter 13,
you may be aware of.
Romans chapter 13,
verse 1 and 2.
Further on into the chapter,
but let me read verse 1 and 2 for you.
Paul writes,
let every person be subject
to the governing authorities.
For there is no authority except from God,
and those that exist have been instituted by God.
Therefore,
whoever resists the authorities,
resists what God has appointed,
and those who resist will incur judgment.
Do you hear the obey,
honor your father and your mother,
that it may go well with you?
We don't want to incur the judgment
of the authorities.
Now if you're not aware of the controversy
that I mentioned,
Jeff Sessions, our Attorney General,
used this text to defend dividing up
immigrant parents from their children,
and said,
you should just obey,
because we're the government.
That's the summation of what he had to say,
which I wholeheartedly reject.
Russell Moore,
who I'm just,
one of the reasons I'm so proud
to be a Southern Baptist,
is Russell Moore,
who's the president of the Ethics
and Religious Liberty Commission,
was interviewed on CNN,
and he said this to that response.
He said,
we all have moments
where we can spend a little more time
in Sunday school,
and this is one of those moments
for the Department of Justice.
He went on to talk about
what is it that Paul is really trying to say.
Paul is not just unilaterally saying
if the government says it,
it is right and it is good,
but rather,
God places governments
for the reason
to commend that which is good
and to punish that which is evil.
We have to get in a very tough spot
to say if the government says it,
then it should go, right?
Because now suddenly,
North Korea is the most righteous country
because they listen to whatever
the dear leader says.
May it never be.
God does not grant a waiver
to governing officials
simply because they are government officials.
This is not the way of things, right?
We place God's authority
and God's Word over and above.
They are subject to it.
And therefore,
there will be times, right,
when God's church
will reject the governing of our nation
in order to stay obedient to our Lord.
And this is good.
The command says that
honoring your superiors
when they are rightly living,
when they are rightly ordering
over the top of you
is a good thing
and is not just for the inferior
to the superior
because there's a promise of good,
there also is this implication
of expectations for superiors, right?
They must then lead well, right?
They must command well.
An example of this
is the command given to parents
in Deuteronomy 6,
verse 5 and following.
You shall love the Lord your God
with all your heart
and with all your soul
and with all your might.
This is this great summation
of the first four commandments.
And these words that I command you today
shall be on your heart.
You shall teach them diligently
to your children
and shall talk of them
when you sit in your house
and when you walk by the way
and when you lie down
and when you rise.
There's a great charge
given to superiors
to care very carefully
for those put under their care.
So, the Westminster Larger Catechism
asks the question,
question 125,
why are superiors styled
father and mother?
And this is their answer.
Superiors are styled
father and mother
both to teach them
in all duties
towards their inferiors
like natural parents
to express love
and tenderness
to them.
To have those
who are in positions
of superiority
to think in terms of
the love
and the tenderness
that we offer
to our very own children.
According to their
several relations
and to work inferiors
to a greater willingness
and cheerfulness
and performing their duties
to their superiors
as to their parents.
To see that those
who are placed over us
when rightly exercising
their authority
love us,
care for us,
intend good for us,
so that we would see them
as we would see
our parents.
Ephesians chapter 6
and verse 4.
Paul gives both
a positive
and a negative
exhortation
to fathers here.
He says,
fathers,
do not provoke
your children
to anger,
but bring them up
in the discipline
and instruction
of the Lord.
So there's a
positive exhortation,
instruction and discipline
of the Lord,
which does not
just mean
consistent with
His commands,
although it means that,
but also
consistent
with His character.
We are to lovingly
train and teach
our children
and all others
place under our
authority.
We are meant to
guide them
with great care
in the same way
that God
does with us.
Isn't He so
unceasingly
patient
in bringing about
correction
in our lives?
Fathers were meant
to parent
our children.
Our employees,
don't tell them
that you're
their father.
We're meant
to be instructing
and guiding
and leading
in this very way
in the discipline
and instruction
of the Lord.
But there's a
negative exhortation
at the beginning
of the verse as well.
Do not provoke
your children
to anger.
And it suggests
a repeated
ongoing pattern
of treatment
because certainly
fathers,
don't our children
sometimes get angry
with us
when they are
disciplined
or instructed.
They would not
be human
if they did not.
But here,
this ongoing
thing
that causes
a deep-seated
resentment
for the discipline
and the instruction
of the father.
That causes
our children
to not want
to hear anything
we have to say
because of the way
that we say it.
So we must be
careful
in this matter.
And I want to give you
just a few
guidelines
because it is
Father's Day
after all.
Some ways
in which
we provoke
our children
to anger.
And really briefly,
there's eight of them
but I'm going to run
them fast.
First,
overprotection.
Overprotection.
Boy,
do we live in a day
where parents
overprotect
their children.
We want to put guidelines.
We want to be instructive.
No one wants
their child
being run over
by a car
but our children
also need a chance
to make some mistakes
and to stretch
their wings
just a little bit.
My eight-year-old
climbs the tree
in our front yard
much higher
than I am comfortable with.
But I don't want
to keep him
on the ground.
Secondly,
favoritism.
Some of you
may have experienced
this as children.
I'm thankful
that I did not.
My parents never did
any of these things.
But showing
greater joy,
celebrating more
one child
over another.
Our children
need to know
that in their uniqueness
they are extremely
special to us.
Similarly,
number three,
comparing.
Comparing one child
to another child.
Why can't you be
more like your
brother
or like your
sister?
Or comparing them
to other
children.
Our children
are uniquely
made.
They are
wonderfully
created
and they are
vastly different
from one another.
Praise God.
And there are
some children
that are just
cooler than
other children
but we don't
want them
to know that.
They need to be
entirely unaware
of this
in their
upbringing
and we need
to foster
a great deal
of expectation
for them
but also
a great deal
of care
as we deal
with their
unique
personalities
and challenges.
Fourth,
and similarly,
pushing achievement
beyond reason.
We have done
very little
organized sports
with our boys
by design.
It is astounding
to me
how much
some five-year-olds
get yelled at
on a field.
It is just
tragic
to see
already
young boys
trying to
seek the
favor of
their father
by performing
on a field.
It is such
a shame.
Fifthly,
discouragement.
Again,
speaking in a way
that's condescending
to our children,
telling them
that they don't
measure up.
We're not talking
about God's
standard here
but our own
sinful desire
for them
that we might
look good
because our
children make
us look
good.
Six,
failure to
sacrifice.
Failure to
give our lives
for the sake
of theirs
that they would
know that
they are loved
in a sacrificial
way.
We give of
our time,
we give our
attention
to our children.
Seventh,
conditioned
love.
I think a lot
of us have
feelings of
unconditional love
toward our
children but
sometimes we
express it in
a way that's
conditioned.
I think we
are all,
each of us,
guilty of saying
to one another
and to those
of us who have
children,
to our kids,
I love you
but here's
the behavior I
need you to
correct.
And what we
are expressing
is I love
you as long
as you correct
this behavior.
We don't want
to say these
kinds of things
to our
children.
Sam and I
labor,
and we don't
always do this
perfectly,
but labor to
say to our
kids,
I love you
and that's
why.
I love you
and therefore
you need to
be obedient.
I love you
so stop
sticking that
thing in a
light socket.
I love you
so you need
to eat the
green beans.
Not I love
you but you
need to eat
your green
beans.
And eighth
and finally,
and I
think this
goes without
saying,
but we do
want to be
careful as
parents that
we avoid
all forms of
physical or
verbal abuse.
These are
things,
dads,
that are going
to prompt
our children
to anger.
We want to
pick up the
qualities of
Christ in
disciplining our
children and
they need to
be,
they need to
be corrected
but we do so
with a great
deal of grace
and understanding
as those who
get that we're
the greatest of
sinners and
trying to
help our
children see
their need
for Christ.
This is on
the front of
your bulletin,
John Flavel,
17th century
English pastor
wrote,
if you neglect
to instruct
your children
in the way
of holiness,
will the devil
neglect to
instruct them
in the way
of wickedness?
No.
If you will
not teach
them to pray,
he will to
curse,
swear,
and lie.
If ground
be uncultivated,
weeds will
spring.
So,
superiors
are styled
father and
mother because
superiors are
commanded to
seek the
good of
their inferiors
and inferiors
are commanded
to obey
their superiors
for their
good.
For their
good.
At the end
of the fifth
commandment,
God etched
in stone
that your
days may
be long
in the
land
that the
Lord your
God
is giving
you.
And in the
restating of
the law
in Deuteronomy
chapter 5
before the
next generation
goes into
the promised
land,
there is added
and that it
may go
well with
you.
That your
days will
be long
and that
it may
go well
with you.
And Paul
draws our
attention to
this in
Ephesians
chapter 6
verses 1
through 3
where he
says,
Children,
obey your
parents in
the Lord
for this
is right.
Honor your
father and
mother.
And then in
parentheses,
this parenthetical,
Paul adds,
this is the
first commandment
with a
promise that
it may go
well with
you and
that you
may live
long in
the land.
And so
you see,
children in
the room
and those
of us,
I think all
of us have
some degree
of superior
over and
above us.
This is a
commandment
with a
promise that
God will
work good
as we
honor,
as we
seek to
replicate
and obey
those things
that are
admirable
in our
superiors.
One more
question and
answer from
the Westminster
Larger
Catechism and
then I'll
close us
with one
more text.
Question 127,
what is the
honor that
inferiors owe
to their
superiors?
The honor
which inferiors
owe to their
superiors is
all due
reverence in
heart,
word,
and behavior.
prayer and
thanksgiving
for them,
imitation of
their virtues
and graces,
not those
things that
are vices,
but those
things that
are virtues,
willing obedience
to their lawful
commands and
counsels,
due submission
to their
corrections,
fidelity to
defense and
maintenance of
their persons
and authority
according to
their several
ranks and the
nature of
their places,
bearing with
their infirmities
and covering
them in love
so they may
be an honor
to them and
to their
government.
Let me close
in reading from
Psalm 119.
This was,
and this was so
very good for
me that it
timed out that
our scripture
reading as a
church has been
working through
Psalm 119
across the past
couple of
weeks as I've
thought much
about the law
and the gospel
and its place
in our life.
So much
repetition of
God's goodness
to us in
His command.
And so I want
to read to you
from Psalm 119
beginning in
verse 153
and to the end
of the stanza.
The psalmist
writes,
Look on my
affliction and
deliver me,
for I do not
forget your
law.
Plead my cause
and redeem me.
Give me life
according to
your promise.
Salvation is
far from the
wicked, for
they do not
seek your
statutes.
Great is your
mercy, O Lord.
Give me life
according to
your rules.
Many are my
persecutors
and my
adversaries,
but I do not
swerve from
your testimonies.
I look at the
faithless with
disgust because
they do not
keep your
commands.
Consider how I
love your
precepts.
Give me life
according to
your steadfast
love.
The sum of
your word is
truth, and
every one of
your righteous
rules endures
forever.
Let's pray
together.