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The Beauty of God's Law

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

God's law is a profound expression of beauty, embodying harmony, purpose, and a wonderful outcome that many fail to recognize. It possesses an inherent beauty that worldly individuals often miss, unable to perceive its attractiveness and instead viewing it as a curse rather than a blessing. Yet, in truth, God's law is good and beneficial, a tool provided by Him to guide us toward righteousness and light. The law of God is holy, just, and good, designed to lead us to life when we submit to Him and follow His instructions. When kept with the aid of His Spirit, it becomes a path toward sanctification and eternal life, transforming us into the image of Jesus Christ. It defines sin and righteousness, offering neutral guidance that does not force us to sin but reveals our choices, highlighting the goodness of God's way. Any perceived ugliness or curse in the law stems from our own carnality and sin, not from the law itself, which remains pure and spiritual. God's law fosters communal harmony, benefiting not only the individual but everyone around them. By keeping commandments such as the Sabbath, honoring parents, and refraining from actions like murder, theft, lying, and coveting, we create trust and peace within families and communities. This communal benefit extends to the nation and ultimately the world, making life easier and less stressful—a truly beautiful outcome of obedience to Him. Furthermore, adherence to God's law brings abundant blessings and His favor. Obedience spares us from the automatic curses of disobedience, which can affect generations, while His blessings endure for thousands of generations, carrying eternal consequences. Beyond avoiding negatives, He promises significant benefits, both physical and spiritual, ensuring that everything the obedient touch prospers, leading to honor, praise, and prominence, especially in the goal of His Kingdom. God's law also provides insight into ourselves and illuminates the path forward. By studying and keeping His instructions, we receive guidance that applies directly to our lives, showing us where we stumble and how to rise again, fulfilling His purposes in us. It offers revival, strength, encouragement, hope, delight, liberty, good judgment, knowledge, and understanding, edifying us in countless ways. Ultimately, the beauty of God's law is beyond compare, an expression of His very mind in words. It holds the promise of eternal life, surpassing even the most hyperbolic descriptions by the writers of Scripture. As a reflection of His nature and way, it is simultaneously attractive and sublime, pleasurably exalting the mind and spirit when approached with the right attitude, producing only good things in alignment with His perfect will.

The Covenants, Grace, and Law (Part Five)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

God's purpose from the beginning has been to restore all things, reproducing Himself and creating children in His image while restoring His government to the earth. The New Covenant fits beautifully into this purpose, not merely as a device to save people, but as a means to align humanity with His law. God's law is not nullified through faith; rather, as Romans 3:31 declares, faith establishes the law. Justification by faith does not do away with any law, whether man's, church's, or God's, but brings individuals into alignment with it. The carnal mind, as described in Romans 8:7, is enmity against God, not subject to His law, and cannot be. This anti-law attitude reveals itself in resistance to God's government, often surfacing against what is perceived as the least important law, impinging on personal desires. Yet, God's law is not harsh or cruel; Romans 7:12 affirms that the law is holy, just, and good. The just requirements of the law—to obey it, to love God with all one's being, and to love others as oneself—are fair and right, as echoed in I John 5:3, where keeping His commandments is defined as the love of God, and they are not grievous. God's law serves as a friend and guide, given by a loving Father for the well-being of His children, to protect and help them mature and prosper, not to hinder or hurt. Keeping these laws contributes to a stable society in the present and prepares individuals to be in God's image when He restores all things. Through justification, by means of faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and grace, God provides the opportunity to keep His commandments, not just some, but all, with a more complete understanding of their purpose. There is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus who walk after the Spirit, as Romans 8:1-4 states. The law's weakness is not in itself but in human flesh; Christ condemned sin, not the law, so that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us. Justification does not do away with human nature or the law but grants access to God, allowing sanctification unto holiness to take place, as purification must occur after justification to lodge God's Word in the heart, ensuring only good comes forth. The New Covenant does not eliminate laws but creates circumstances to enhance faith, leading to salvation. It obligates obedience to avoid falling back into condemnation, with works providing development toward perfection and the Kingdom of God. God's government requires a loving and serving authority, perfect laws covering all aspects of relationships, and willing submission, all of which are prepared through the New Covenant to bring His purpose to perfection.

'But I Say to You' (Part One): The Spirit of the Law

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Our righteousness must exceed the that of the Pharisees, keeping God's law in the spirit rather than in the letter, replacing the law of death with the law of life.

The Jerusalem Council's Conclusion

Sermon/Bible Study by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

God's law is presented as holy, just, and good, a spiritual guide for righteous living. As Paul declares in Romans 7:12, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, just, and good. Further, in Romans 7:14, he affirms that the law is spiritual, highlighting its divine nature despite human carnality. In Romans 7:22, Paul expresses personal delight in the law of God according to the inward man, underscoring its value and beauty. This stands in stark contrast to the burdensome customs and traditions of Judaism, often referred to as the law of Moses in Acts 15, which Peter describes as an unbearable yoke that neither their fathers nor they could bear. God's law, as given to His people, is not an impossible burden but a reflection of His love and justice, intended to be kept with a willing heart. David, in Psalm 19, exemplifies this by comparing God's law to the vastness of the universe, seeing it as wonderful and just. The New Testament reinforces the enduring relevance of God's law for all, whether Jew or Gentile. Jesus Himself, in Matthew 19:17-19, instructs the rich young ruler to keep the commandments to enter into life, listing several from the Ten Commandments, including prohibitions against murder, adultery, stealing, bearing false witness, and honoring parents, as well as loving one's neighbor as oneself. Throughout the New Testament, such as in Galatians 5:19-20, Colossians 3:5, Hebrews 4:9, and 1 Corinthians 5:7-8, there are clear instructions to adhere to God's law, addressing sins like idolatry, fornication, covetousness, and the observance of the Sabbath and feasts like Unleavened Bread. These teachings affirm that God's law remains a vital code defining sin and guiding righteousness, applicable to all members of the church. At the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15, the focus on specific prohibitions for Gentiles does not negate the broader application of God's law. James, in Acts 15:21, notes that Moses has been preached in every city and read in the synagogues every Sabbath, implying that Gentiles are already familiar with God's requirements. The four prohibitions—abstaining from things polluted by idols, sexual immorality, things strangled, and blood—are highlighted not as the only laws to follow, but as critical points to avoid offending Jewish brethren and to maintain unity within the church. These instructions address rampant Gentile sins incompatible with the holiness and purity central to the faith from the earliest times, as reiterated in 1 John 3:3, where believers are called to purify themselves just as He is pure. God's law, far from being abolished, is upheld as the standard for living in righteousness before Him.

The Christian Paradox (Part Two)

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

We have two conflicting natures: a downward-pulling carnal nature versus a divine nature imparted by God's Holy Spirit, continually at odds, seen in Romans 7.

Two Realities

Sermon by David C. Grabbe

At baptism, we begin living in two realities simultaneously, one identified by the physical senses and the other discerned by the eyes of faith.