All right, go ahead and turn to the book of Exodus. We're gonna be looking at the lectionary readings for the first hour this morning. I did not even think about this until I got here. Now that we no longer have the internet, all of a sudden I panicked because I use my iPad to look things up and I have you guys using the Blue Letter Bible app and all kinds of things. So I'm gonna have to readjust. I'm glad I decided to go with this approach than what we were going to do, because the other thing, I was just going to have to be looking things up. And so I'm going to have to figure out a new plan without the internet. But I think this will work. My Kindle is working, which is good, because I need that. And do I? Oh, I do not. It's back there, but it looks like it's off. It may be thinking it's there, but it's not there. Maybe because the router is here, it's still showing. There's no service currently. Do what? Because we canceled it? Just because it hasn't been unplugged and taken back yet. It's back there, but there's no service. That will impact what we do, but I think I've got everything set this morning that I think will be okay. Just if I stop and say, hey, look this up on the Blue Letter Bible app, someone can say, okay, that's not happening today unless you got wifi. So I don't, so I can't look anything up. So I'll have to readjust, but I think we'll be okay. So today is the third Sunday of Lent. and I think we're only gonna make it through to the first reading. I know what I prefer to do is try to put all the readings together and see how they connect, but we're just gonna start with the first one, which is in the book of Exodus, and it's chapter 20, which probably immediately tells you where we are, all right? Exodus chapter 20. Exodus chapter 20 makes perfect sense that this would be during the season of Lent because Lent focuses on our spiritual growth, sin, repentance, that type of thing. So we're gonna be confronted this morning in Exodus chapter 20 verses one through seven. We're gonna be, or one through 17, I apologize. They want us to start in verse one, and here is what we find. And God spake all these words, saying, I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Verse two or verse three, thou shall have no other gods before me. Thou shall not make unto thee any graven image or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above or that is in the earth beneath or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shall not bow down thyself to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord thy God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me. and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor and do all thy work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God. In it thou shalt not do any work, thou nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them is, and rested the seventh day. Wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. Verse 12. Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. Thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor's." All right, those are the 17 verses they want us to look at. And we know immediately those 17 verses give us what we commonly call the Mosaic Law or the Ten Commandments. Okay. Now, so what we're going to do is first I want you to pay close attention to verse one and two. I want you to pay first of all to verses one and two. I want us to consider those two verses before we do anything else. And then we're going to just do a little bit of work on the whole concept of the law. which I think will be important. But looking at verse one and two, we know the commandments. The commandments are well-known. Most people have them somewhat memorized. Even if you don't have them memorized word for word, you probably can pretty much recite most of the commandments, correct? I think everyone here can probably pull that off, all right? So we know them. We know them very well. Now, knowing the commandments doesn't resolve all of the conflict and issues in church history about said commandments, because there's a lot of debate about them. We'll set that aside. Looking at verse 1 and 2, what do you think are the significant points found in verse 1 and 2 that I think are very important to understand before you read the commandments themselves? What are some of the significant things found in verse one and two? And we'll see if we can outline verse one and two to determine the significant part. Because, I mean, he could have just went straight into the commandments, right? He could have just said, here are the commandments. But there's specific things said in verse one and two that I think are somewhat important before you get to the commandments. What are some of the significant things you see? Okay, the first one is found in verse one, right? And God spake all these words. So immediately we realize the source of the commandments is whom? God, I think that's very important, right? That's significant, right? Because if these commandments come from God, then that means what? What are some basic principles that we can derive if these commandments come from God? Well, they give them authority, right? They give them authority. Number two, it gives them some sense of immutability or not changing, right? In other words, we can't go and do what? We can't go and modify them or change them. Remember, this is a significant thing, especially in 2024, but it's really been significant throughout the history of humankind, right? We always talk about this. When we think of law, we're thinking of some level, some form of morality, correct? because law tells you what is right and what is wrong, what you can or what you cannot do, okay? Now, remember, it doesn't matter where you go in society. It doesn't matter where you go. It doesn't matter if you're talking to a Christian. It doesn't matter if you're talking to an atheist. It doesn't matter whom you are talking to. There are only a few sources of morality, and those sources are, we've talked about this a million times, what are the sources of morality? Okay, we can go with the majority view. So the society gets together and what the majority wants, that becomes right or becomes wrong. What is the problem with that? Because if we look in history, sometimes the majority has wanted some really messed up things, right? Like the buying and selling of human beings as property, right? That's pretty messed up, okay? So we can talk, so there's been plenty of times where the majority do horrible things, and then typically what happens? A minority rises up to tell the majority that they are wrong. And sometimes the minority will fight and fight and fight, and they will ultimately win. So in that case, the minority, so either the majority is saying what is right, and we know there are plenty of times in history where the majority are told they're wrong by the minority. The minority fights and fights and fights until sometimes the minority becomes The majority, all right? But we have the majority. So that's source number one. Source number two then, since we've already mentioned them, is the minority. The minority, well, the minority telling everyone what is right and what's wrong, that can be really problematic, right? Because there's lots of minority groups out there that we don't, and when I say minority, I'm not speaking racially, I'm speaking numerically, right? There are minorities, minority groups that are small in number, but we would not wanna follow their morality, correct? All right, we can take, the KKK, right? I mean, we can go on, neo-Nazis. Right? Man-boy love association wants to lower the age where they can have relations with a young boy. Okay, there's lots of groups out there that are absolutely, we would be doing what? We'd be saying, oh, horrifying. Okay, so we don't want the minority. So if the majority doesn't, if the minority doesn't, then what's the third option? The individual. Now the individual, that's great if they're making decisions that only impact themselves, but if they make a decision that impacts you, well then that becomes a problem. So all three of these have difficulties, do they not? Now for the most part, how does society work? Society basically works on the majority view, correct? That's basically how it works. So, now what some people do is they want to fight this and they try to do it politically and it's just one of the things I get so frustrated with is sometimes Christians get caught up in this, right? They're like, hey, we've got to make the majority do what we want. Well, we're the minority trying to tell the majority what to do. But in many cases, we would get mad if another minority tried to tell us what to do. And just note that even if you pass a law to make the majority do what you want, what's the inevitable result of that? Sooner or later, the majority will rebel against that particular view, and then what will occur? Then the majority will ultimately get what they want, correct? So in other words, you can fight and win a, say, a temporary rule against, say, gay marriage, or you can win a rule against, say, abortion, but if the majority ultimately want it, what's going to ultimately happen? they're going to ultimately get their way. So it's such a ridiculous fight. It doesn't work that way. And if you have individuals running around, you end up in anarchy. Now for us, for Christians, well, not just Christians, any religion, they will argue the source of morality comes from where? their God, correct? Now for us, we believe that's the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of the Bible. And right here we have, and God spake all these words. God is the source. Now, because God is the source, many Christians will then say, since God is the source, we're going to take these rules and try to impose them upon non-believers. But that would try to create some form of a theocracy or some kind of divine monarchy, and that just does not work. It does not work. In fact, it becomes very problematic, does it not? In fact, even in this case, they're living under a theocracy, are they not? In this particular case, they're living under a theocracy. They've left Egypt. They're no longer under a monarchy. They're not under a governmental system. They're roaming about. God is literally in their midst, ruling and reigning over them. And what was the end result of a theocracy? Rebellion and sin and death, right? Because it doesn't, well because guess what? Whatever, now this is very important, whatever external rules you place upon sinful men, external rules do not do what? Does not change man's heart. Okay, that's very, very important, very important. So in our society, This is the way we should view it. We believe there is a morality. That morality is given to us by God. He is the source of it. And we, as an individual, should seek to live and follow it, irregardless of what. of what the majority says, or what the minority says, or what individuals say. And when I say we seek to live according to it, not seeking to impose it on them, but us seeking to follow it for a specific reason, and we'll get to the specific reason. So, the first thing we have is God is the source, all right? What's the second thing? Well, I think there's something before that. I am the Lord thy God. I am the Lord thy God. I think we have the source. This kind of speaks to what? What do you think when he says, I am the Lord thy God? Lord is all caps, right? I would say, I would get ready to tell you to start looking some things up, right? Okay. But the Lord thy God, what do you think that's signifying? I think this, well, you could argue it speaks of their relationship with him, but I think this kind of speaks of God's, wouldn't you say his kind of authority? His power? Right? What do you think? Well, he is a little bit, well, at least when you have Lord, that's all caps, right? That means it's what? There's always the debate, Jehovah, Jehovah, right? Which is the self-existent, eternal one, right? Some will say that's kind of more of a covenant name, right? So, but I think it's clearly, he's the eternal one, he's the self-existent one, showing his power and authority when he says the Lord. Thy God, now he's saying, hey, there's some kind of a relationship here, but I think he's just establishing, hey, this law is coming from him. It's establishing his authority. He's the self-existing eternal one. He has the right and power to make said that, right? And I am your God. I think that could go possibly with creator, possibly with covenant, but I think the idea is we have the source and we kind of have the authority of that source. He's Lord, he's God. In other words, look, you can determine the source of something, right? Anyone who's had kids, you can walk in and tell your kids that I'm the source of the rules that are on the refrigerator. Correct? And they may do what? They may say, well, why do I have to listen to you? They may not argue that you're the source of it, but they may argue against your right or authority to impose said rule. And then typically a parent will say something like, because I'm the parent. I'm the parent, right? Which then supposedly you're trying to establish. Your authority. So I think in a roundabout way, God is the source, but he's telling them he has the authority. Now, the difference between his authority and your authority is you're just a parent. He is the eternal self-existent God. So he literally has a little bit more authority. Now you may say, well, as a parent, I have great authority, right? You can make that argument. The kids may rebel against that argument, just like we sometimes rebel. against God's authority, right? Hey, look, whenever an authority puts forth a law, what's the inevitable result of that? There's gonna be conflict, right? There's gonna be conflict. Because what's inside every person? a sinful nature. And what is a sinful nature? The very essence of the sinful nature, what do I always say? Sin is the exaltation of the I. I always say that on the podcast. Sin is the exaltation of the I, of the self, right? That's the essence of sin. So sin, the essence of a sinful nature is what? It doesn't want to be told what to do. It wants to tell everyone else what to do. It doesn't want to follow rules, it wants to make rules, right? So inevitably there's going to be a conflict. Now the thing is, we know the source, now we know the power. We know the authority based on it. So what we should be, what we should do when we're confronted with said authority, we should then do what? Realize I'm not the self-existing God. I'm the creator, or I'm the createe, right? I'm the creature, he is the creator, so then I should then surrender and submit to it. Now, we know that in what? In theory, but man, we have a hard time accepting it in practice. In fact, look, the church, and everyone argues what the world does, the church has been playing the same game the world plays, we just do it in a much more religious way. Look, here's the difference between, you wanna know the difference between the church and the world? The world says, I don't care, I don't believe in God, and I'm not following his rules. The church says, well give me a few minutes and I'll reinterpret his word so that I can do what I want and then feel justified in doing what I want. So in some ways, we're more evil than the world. Because we claim allegiance to the God that we say we believe in while we go, give me one minute. And we go and we take our Bibles and we twist and twist and twist until we say, look what, we can do that. Correct? Okay? In fact, we have strong problems with this. We can talk about the regulative principle and the normative principle. We can't even agree on what you can or can't do in church. Because we're always trying to do what? If you think about it, most of our motivations are so that we can get our way. And not only can we get our way, then we take God's word to use it so that we can bash other people. It's a whole messed up game. So I think we have the source, we have the authority. And what else do we have? What else do you think we have? We have the source, we have the authority. Okay, okay. Yeah, okay, there's definitely a reminder. I think there's a motivation for us to do what? To obey, right? We have the source, we have the authority, and I think we have the motivation. What is the motivation? I've delivered thee out of Egypt. So for the believer, now this is very important. Now, an unbeliever does not have said motivation, do they not? No, they don't. But our motivation should be, no, we were not delivered out of Egypt, but we were delivered from the kingdom of darkness and translated into the kingdom of light. God has redeemed, he redeemed them, right? We were redeemed. And when we think of redemption, we think of what? Something being bought or purchased back. God purchased us through the blood of His Son. They, in a sense, were purchased by blood being put where? on the doorpost, and then the angel of death passed over. Well, blood has been placed upon us, the angel of death passes over us in a sense, and we have been redeemed. That is our motivation. So we have the source of the morality, we have the authority of the morality, and we have the motivation in order to pursue said morality. Then we have the morality outlined, right? He outlines the morality. Okay? Does that make sense? I think that's a very good place to start. Now, here's what I want to do. We're gonna take a step back and we're just gonna look at some basic things about this law because we know the law, right? We can take each one of these segments of the law apart, okay? And in some ways I would like to do that, but we only have about 30 more minutes. So I wanna get that first part. So let's just get that first part down. We have the source. Who is the source? God. We have the authority. Why is it authoritative? Because he is the self-existent, eternal God. And what is the motivation for us to hear this morality and pursue this morality? He has brought us out. He has delivered us. So now there is our motivation. So far so good? And you think about it, our motivation isn't, I'm gonna make an argument here. Sometimes Christians put forth the argument that our motivation should be to prove we're saved or to ensure that we don't go to hell. Our motivation isn't that, we've already been redeemed. My motivation is not to prove something. How can I prove redemption? How can I prove redemption by my actions? My actions cannot prove God's action. God redeemed me by the blood of his son. I can't prove that. Correct? So the motivation is appreciation and gratefulness. So let's do this. So now let's step back. So there's the source, there's the authority, there's the motivation. Now, let's step back and just consider the law and just some basic concepts from the law, because the law is outlined in the rest. Instead of looking at that outline, let's just look at some basic general principles about the law, okay? Does that sound like a good plan? All right, here we go. I'm gonna be relying on Luther's catechism for some of this. All right, here we go. Luther asked this question. What are the two great doctrines of the Bible? What are the two great doctrines of the Bible? And if it's Luther, you should know the answer. What is Luther's answer? Come on, it's Luther. No, the two great doctrines of the Bible, it's Lutheranism, law and gospel. All right, law and gospel, law and gospel. All right, law and gospel are the two great doctrines of the Bible. All right, then he asked the next question. What is the law? The law is the doctrine of the Bible in which God tells us how we are to be and what we are to do and not do. So according to Luther, the law is what? how we are to be, what we are to do, and not do. The law tells us how we are to be, what we are to do, and not do. How we are to be focuses on which part? Internal, what to do and what not to do focuses on the external. The law speaks to both. Does that make sense? What we are to be, what we are to do, and what we are to not do. Everybody got that? Then he offers some scriptures. Look at Leviticus 19.2. Leviticus 19.2. I'm so used to live streaming, I keep coming over here going, okay, are we still connected to the internet? I'm like, wait a minute, there's no internet. I don't have to even look, okay? I guess in some ways that's a good thing. I don't have to worry about that. Leviticus 19.2, tell me what you find when you get there. All right, we are to be holy. We are to be, the Leviticus 19.2 says, you shall be holy for I the Lord your God am holy. That deals with what? What we are to be. what we are to be. Everybody see that? As soon as you read that, it's so weird to me. In some ways it makes me so angry at my entire Christian life. There's nothing so frustrating to reach a point in your Christian life and realize how stupid I was most of my Christian life. because I spent a good portion of my Christian life thinking I could be that. How many of you did the same thing? Be holy. Okay. And you thought what? You can do it. And so then you set out to do what? To be, and you thought, and how did you consider about being holy? You considered your approach to being holy was based off what? What you do or don't do seemingly to think that what you do or don't do makes you holy. No! What you do and don't do doesn't make you holy because holiness is what you are to be. And then what you are to be should produce what you do and don't do. The reality is we try to make what we do and don't do prove what we are, but we then have to convince ourselves that it's proving something it doesn't actually prove. Immediately we should know we're in trouble. I mean, just think about it logically. I aim to be as holy as who? Can you imagine that there was a time in your Christian life you literally thought you could be as holy as God? Now, I know you would say, well, I didn't think I could be as holy as God. Come on now, you thought you could do that, right? There was something, because we were taught that we could do that, were we not? We were taught. Now, we would have said, well, I mean, nobody can do it perfectly, but at the same time, there was this weird thought that I can be as holy as God. You can't be, because then we had to reduce holiness to the most basic external things. I don't watch certain movies. Dun, dun, dun! So, not watching a movie makes you holy? Yeah, I don't swear audibly. Yeah, yeah, exactly. Yeah, I don't swear audibly. Congratulations. Who knows what you're saying internally, right? It's so weird. It's like, hey, hey, I don't watch movies that do this and this and this. Yeah, and you've thought everything that's in a movie, whether you've ever watched the movie or not. The issue when you're watching a movie, you're not committing the act, right? So the, and you say, well, but I don't want to see that. Well, you may not want to see it, but I guarantee you've already thought it and felt it and desired it. So I mean, it's like, come on, we have this weird, and we thought we were holy. No, it's so, so, so not, not the case. Look at Exodus 34, 11. Exodus 34, 11, tell me what you see there. Observe what I command thee. That goes with which part? What we are to do. That goes with what we are to do. Everybody see that? So what we are to be is holy. What are we to do? Observe all that he commanded. Look at Deuteronomy chapter 6. Deuteronomy chapter 6. Deuteronomy chapter six, verses six through seven. These words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart and thou shall teach them diligently unto thy children. Now that doesn't fit perfectly with as far as speaking of it, but the point is Luther wanted us to know these three verses and he connected them to what we are to be, what we are to do, and what we are not to do. All right, everybody see that? All right, so that's Leviticus 19 to Exodus 34, 11, and Deuteronomy 6, 6 through 7. And somehow, we convinced ourselves that we could be holy, as God is holy, we could obey all that he obeyed, and we could avoid doing all that he told us to avoid doing. And I'm telling you, I don't know why we ever thought that. I don't know why we ever thought that, but we did. And there are Christians you know today who still think that. And no matter, and in some cases, you know those Christians, you know the things they've done, you know the things they're doing, and they still will try to convince yourself that they can be, and it's like, I don't, I don't know where our disconnect is, all right? So that is the law. Now what is the gospel? The gospel is the doctrine of the Bible in which God tells us the good news of our salvation in Jesus Christ. Right, and so you can think about it this way. Law tells us what we are to be, what we are to do, and what we are not to do. The gospel is the good news of who God is, who Christ is, and what Christ did for us. All right, because what do we know? We learn that God is holy, Christ, was tempted in all points, yet without sin, Christ kept the law for us and died for us. That's the good news of the gospel, all right? And I'll just give you some, you can look up some scriptures relatively fast. Look at 1 John 4, 9. 1 John 4, 9. First John 4.9, I'm just gonna read from the Catechism. In this was manifested the love of God towards us because that God sent his only begotten son into the world that we might live through him. Notice we have to live through whom. Through Him. We have to live through Him. We have to live through Him. But that tells us who He is, right? He is the only begotten. John 3.16, for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. Romans 1.16, I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation. So the law tells us who we are to be, what we are to do and not do. The gospel tells us who God is and what he did for us. Makes sense? Luther then says, what is the difference between the law and the gospel? I think I just articulated it pretty clearly to you, right? But I'll give you his points. The law teaches what we are to do and not to do. The gospel teaches what God has done and still does for our salvation. The law teaches us what we are to do and not do. The gospel teaches us what God has done and still does for our salvation. Now, I'm gonna add the law teaches us what we are to be, do and not do. And the gospel teaches us who God is and what he did for us. The law shows us our sin and the wrath of God. The gospel shows us our savior and the grace of God. The law must be preached to all men, but especially to impenitent sinners. The gospel must be preached to sinners who are troubled in their minds because of their sins. Right? So the law must be preached to all men, and the gospel is brought to whom? Those who are troubled. Those who are troubled, those who are convicted and broken, that's who you give it to. And we talked about this in our series on law and gospel, all right? Okay, now I'm going to skip a good portion of what Luther does here, because he goes through all the Ten Commandments. Now I'm gonna come to the end here. because he does, I'm going to skip right, where am I going to skip? There's a whole bunch here that we could, yeah, this is the catechism. All right, so I'm going to now jump to what Luther calls the fulfillment of the law. So there he kind of gives us some basic overview of the law and he contrasts it with the gospel. What's the main thing we need to take away from the law? The law is what? What we must be, do and not do, right? And I want to make it very clear. When we look at what the law tells us what we are to be and what we are to do and what we are not to do, I need everyone to state this. No one can keep it. No one. Let me state it clearly. No one unsaved, No one saved can keep it. And when I say keep it, I'm saying keeping it in a practical way by our actions. We cannot do so. Why can we not keep it? Because where do we fail? We fail in what we are to be. You can't keep it externally unless you are it internally. We are never it internally, even though preachers will tell you we are. We are not without a sinful nature. And as long as I have a sinful nature, can I be holy as God is holy? No, I cannot. And if I cannot keep it, then what is the inevitable logical conclusion? Let me state it. If I cannot keep it, what is the absolute conclusion that must be drawn from that fact? Well, that is true. But here's what I want you to take from it. Okay, this is so important. If I cannot be what I am called to be. That means I can't do what it calls to do. And if I cannot do what it calls to do, calls me to do, then I can never, never, under any circumstances, look to the keeping of the law as assurance or proof of salvation. Because you're telling me to look to that which I cannot do to prove with certainty what I possess. Does everyone understand that? Okay, I cannot, look, you do understand. That puts us in direct conflict with this, right? The gospel according to Jesus by MacArthur would just call, condemned us as heretics for what I just said. I mean, straight up heretics. In fact, they would say something ridiculous as what? that I somehow just proved we're antinomian, which is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard in my life, and I get so sick of hearing that word, okay? Next time someone calls me an antinomian, I'm gonna burn churches to the ground. Okay, not literally, okay? But the reason why is like they heard, they learned a philological term, and they're like, look at me, I can say antinomian. Well, congratulations, I can say the same word as well, okay? Let me make it very clear. If you're going to say that I'm an antinomian because I'm against the law and proving that I'm saved, then accuse me of being an antinomian! And I'm going to accuse you of being biblically illiterate. Because let me take it clearly once again. Can I be what I am called to be? No. Because if I can be what I'm called to be, then what should be the inevitable proof of that? Perfection, because God doesn't just do okay, He is perfect. And to be holy as He is holy means that I would be perfect internally. And if I'm perfect internally, then I would be perfect externally. Because if I'm not perfect externally, that would prove that I'm not perfect internally. internally. So therefore, if I cannot be what I'm called to be, then I cannot do what I am called to do, because to do what I'm called to do would require that I be what I'm called to be. Now, the minute we establish that as a fact, and guess what I can do? I can prove that's a fact. Every lordship person that steps to me, I can prove it in five seconds that they're a liar because they're not as holy as God is holy. And if they even claim that, then they need mental help because they're living in complete denial. So I can prove within five seconds that they are not holy as God is holy. Now, if I'm not holy as God is holy, that means then what? I cannot do what I'm supposed to do. Therefore, if I cannot do this, if I cannot be this, and if I cannot do this, then why would I look to the doing and the being as proof of my salvation? Because I could never find the proof. Because if I'm looking to the law to prove salvation, then I would have to be, and do, and not do everything the law tells me to do. And I can't do it. And where do I fail? Not in the doing and not doing. In the being. Okay, someone should go, ooh, okay, that's deep stuff. But that's, listen, that is not only being very theological, that is also being what? Extremely logical. Okay, we're being very logical there, okay? And anyone who denies that, it's just ridiculous that anyone would deny that. I cannot stress how important this is. We fail at being, so we're going to fail at doing and not doing. And even if I'm doing and not doing, I still fail at the being. Isn't that the whole point Jesus tries to make to the rich young ruler who said that he kept all of the commandments? And he's like, oh really? You've kept all the commandments? Let's see. Well, go sell everything you have and give to the poor because you're supposed to love Others, you're supposed to have no other gods before you. And what did he do? All of a sudden, all the doing and not doing, he realized that he was not being. And once he realized he was not being, he knew he had failed. Well, all the lordship people who talk a big game, typically if you just get into an argument with them, you can provoke enough anger and frustration and they'll show you disrespect and they'll show you everything in five seconds. They'll show you their sinful nature while they're claiming that their actions prove their salvation. And you're like, you cannot see your disrespect? backstabbing, gossip, slander, and all the stuff that you're doing, they can't even see it. And if you can't see it, that is even more dangerous, is it not? I can't, I get very frustrated with this. All right, so, all right, how much time do we have? Oh man, I gotta move quickly, I gotta move quickly, I gotta move quickly, I gotta move quickly. All right, okay, here we go. And I do hope all the people showing up for the next hour brings physical Bibles because they won't be able to use the electronic Bibles, okay? All right, that's gonna turn out ugly. Okay, we definitely, everyone needs their Bible for the next hour. Okay, here we go. So then, what's the question then? All right, so we've already demonstrated based on what we are to be, do, and not do, that we cannot look to that to prove anything, right? So that means we can't do it. Now, if we can't do it, then what's the question? Well, then how is it going to be fulfilled? All right, so this is what Luther says, the fulfillment of the law. How does God want us to keep his commandments? God wants us to keep his commandments, you ready? Perfectly, and thought, Desire, word, and deed. All right, did you hear that? How does God want you to keep his commandments? Perfectly in thought, desire, word, and deed. Now, what should you do? If you're even remotely honest, you should just be like, you know what? I'm going home, see ya. I'm leaving church. There's no point. There's no point. You're never going to do that. And guess what Luther quotes to prove his point. Are you ready for this? He quotes from the Sermon on the Mount, which, oh my goodness, if there's one sermon that drives me crazy with lordship salvation, it's the Sermon on the Mount. Because they believe the Sermon on the Mount is a test to prove what? your salvation, which is the most ridiculous reading of that sermon I have ever read in my entire life. I feel so stupid that I used to think that. You know why? Matthew 5, 48. Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. If that doesn't give you the hermeneutical key, I don't know what does. You know what I would do? I read my Bible more than anybody else. I study my Bible more than anyone else. I know theology better than anyone else. I can argue theology. I read. I listen to more sermons. I read more Christian books. I read more systematic theology. I know more church history. Come on! Argue with me! Guess what, did that prove that I was perfect as my heavenly father in heaven? No, it didn't. You know what it proved? That I could feel superior to everyone else because I know more than everyone else. Guess what that didn't change? My sinful nature. I covered up my sinful nature, my robe of self-righteousness, my fig leaves, was I know more than everyone else. Come on, argue with me. Whoa, wow, look at me. I'm so much better than you. Other people use other things to prove it, right? Oh, well, I'm more loving than you are because I want to have fellowships and potlucks and I want to get together and I want to hold hands and sing kumbaya. Look how godly I am. Oh, shut up. Hey, just shut up. Oh, I pray more than everyone else. In every way, what are we? I thank thee God that I'm not like all these other people. It's all lying self-righteousness. The fact that he says be perfect, I should immediately know what? I'm done. Not that I go find the one thing I'm good at. The one thing you're good at doesn't prove anything. It proves that you found some fig leaves. It proved that you found a robe of self-righteousness. What's the next scripture you think Luther's gonna quote? Whoever shall keep the whole law and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of it all. James chapter two, verse 10. Just that right there tells me God wants perfection. And guess what? I cannot give him perfection. And guess where? I cannot give him perfection. and who I am, meaning that I can never be perfect in what I do or don't do. And even if I can be perfect in what I do or don't do, I already fail. I remember when I was becoming a Lutheran and we were told that, that we're guilty even if we do everything right. And I remember going, and it still didn't register in my stupid brain. I should have went like, well, wait a minute. I kind of viewed it like, okay, so even if I do all the right things as a lost person, but once I become saved, then I can do it. I can't believe I ever thought anything like that. Can man keep his commandments as he wants us to keep them? That's what Luther asks. Can man keep his commandments as he wants us to keep them? Since the fall into sin, now he says natural man cannot keep the law of God. Let me make it very clear. Practically, no one can. All right? Everybody got that? Luther goes on to say, even Christians can keep it only imperfectly. So Luther says we can't even, if you say a Christian can keep it, it's imperfectly. Now I think Luther contradicts himself there, right? You can't say I'm keeping it imperfectly because what is it to keep it imperfectly? not keeping it. So Luther's a little bit contradicting himself there. I can't keep it imperfectly, because to keep it imperfectly is not to keep it, because to keep it demands perfect. He even said perfectly, right? So Luther contradicts himself there. I don't know why he does that. You know why he does that? In fact, I don't blame him. Well, first of all, he had all of the years of Catholicism, you know, driven into him. Augustinian monk, so he clearly had that driven into him. But I'm gonna say, here's the reason we struggle with this, because what are we by nature? By nature, are we gospel people or law people? Law people, why? Because we live our entire lives based off law, right? Do this, don't do this, do this, don't do this, do this, don't do this, do this. We do everything by law. And the gospel feels what to us, if we're being honest? It feels cheap or it feels just, that can't be the way, it just can't be that I just believe in Jesus and he did it all for me. I mean, and even if we say that, what do we almost inevitably say? Well, I know you believe in Jesus and he did it all for you. But, which we negate everything, we gotta do this, and we gotta do this, we gotta do this, we gotta do, oh, just stop it. That's your ego. You know what destroys your ego and pride more than anything? You are never what you should be, you'll never do what you should do, and you'll always do what you shouldn't do. You cannot do it, you're incapable of doing it, and your only hope is someone doing it 1,000% for you, and even after they do it for you, your actions can't even prove that they did it for you, because your actions will still be so contrary to what the law demands. That is humiliating, that is embarrassing, and that will destroy your ego. Right? What do we always want to feel like? That we can do something. That we can do something. We cannot do it. All right, so then what is our only hope? Someone has to do it all for us. And who did it all for us? Christ. All right? First of all, he came, lived his life on earth, And he kept the law perfectly. Then he died to pay for all of those of us who cannot keep it perfectly for our sin. And then what's the great transaction that happens? My sin is imputed to his account. He suffers, he pays for all my sin. I cannot stress this enough. If Christ paid for all your sin, then how can your sin be used to prove that you're not saved? Because whatever sin you say proves you're not saved is sin that He... paid for, that is so fundamentally an error right there. That's like a, I'm just gonna be blunt, that's a false gospel. And I know to tell people the whole lordship is a false gospel, people get mad, but that's a false gospel to point to sin that Jesus paid for as proof that Jesus didn't pay for it. You can't use my sin to prove Jesus didn't pay for it because it's paid for. Does that make sense? I mean, that's a logical fallacy of epic proportions. But not only did he do that, all of that obedience is now imputed to where? To me. So if I run up to Sarah and go, Sarah, I know you claim to be a Christian, but you gotta prove it to me. There's gotta be a change. What should she say? Oh, you want proof? Here's the perfect obedience to Christ. Leave me alone. No, no, no, no, it can't work that way. Well, then tell God it didn't work that way. Because Jesus paid for all of my wrong, and all of his obedience is imputed to me. Unless you want to go back to where? Catholicism. And if you want to go back to Catholicism, stop going to your little fake Protestant church that's not Protestant. Look, I have more respect for people who leave Protestantism and goes to Catholicism than claiming that they're Protestant when they're teaching Catholicism. I have no respect for that, none. In fact, that makes, like if someone was here and said, you know what? I think your entire understanding of the gospel is wrong, and I'm going back to Rome. I would put them in the car, drive them to Sacred Heart Catholic Church, or Our Holy Family Catholic Church, or I can't remember the one on the north side. There's three, okay. I would take them and I would be like, hey, let's go to mass together. I got nothing but mad respect for you. You're going back to Rome. I've got respect for that. But if they go to some little fake Protestant church claiming to be teaching the gospel, I don't have respect for that, because you're not teaching the gospel. You're teaching Catholicism. Look, Luther should have been the one who helped me see this, but it wasn't Luther. It was Catholicism who helped me see that I wasn't following the Protestant Reformation. I was actually going against the Protestant Reformation. And when it's Catholics who point it out, that's kind of embarrassing. Because who should know that we're not following the Protestant Reformation? I think it should be the Catholics who should be like, that's us. You're teaching what we teach. Does that make sense? So Christ took care of it all for us. Now, I wanted to get into the purpose of the law, but I cannot. But let me just state this. The purpose of the law, Luther gives three. I'm just going to simplify it. The law's purpose for a Christian or a non-Christian is to always do one thing. And it says this 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You know what it says? You can't keep it, you're guilty. It's like one of those flashing road signs. You can't keep it, you're guilty. You can't keep it, you're guilty. You can be saved for 50 years, what is the law going to keep telling you? You can't keep it, you're guilty. You can't keep it, you're guilty. Which then should do what? make you get off the highway and find the first exit straight to the cross and straight to Christ because that is your only hope. You can keep driving that highway and you can keep trying and trying and trying and you can convince yourself all day long. You can quote to me John MacArthur 957 minutes a day. It's not going to matter because you can take everything MacArthur has ever said. You can take all of his tests and they're all going to lead you to failure, failure, failure, failure, or it's going to lead to a pharisaical self-righteousness where you think you're better. better than everyone else. While you gossip and slander and stab in the back and are a complete and utter jerk. While you claim to be the righteous one. And you can't even see it. The law is there to do what? Destroy your pride, destroy your ego, destroy your self-reliance, and to drive you only to the cross, where all you can do is just lay there going, I'm a mess, I'm an absolute... Remember the famous thing, I don't know if it's true, that supposedly when Luther died, they found something in his pocket or something that says, I'm just a beggar, I have nothing to offer. something along those lines. I don't know if that's true. It's probably more legend than true. But the point is, that is true of us. We have nothing. I got nothing. I got no righteousness to bring before God. I have literally nothing of my own. Now, when I stand before God, in one way, I'm rich, because I am covered in, I am, to my account, is the full righteousness of Christ and his obedience. When I stand before God, I am not gonna ask God to look to my actions to prove that I'm saved. You know that's what lordship teaches? That your works, you know why we're gonna be judged according to our works? Because our works is going to prove whether we're saved or not saved. Can you believe that I ever taught that nonsense? Because if your works can prove that you're saved, then it would require what kind of works to stand before God? Perfect. You know what my works will prove to God over and over and over and over? That I deserve to go to hell. But guess what works will prove to God that I get into heaven? The works of his son, which are accredited to me. So therefore his works become my works. Therefore God will say, Well done, thy good and faithful servant. And preachers preach that. Hey, when you stand before God, don't you want him to say, well done, thy good and faithful servant? And almost like, you better go home and read your Bible. You better stop watching Netflix. You better do this. You better do that. Stop your nonsense. I can do all of that. And he's still not going to say, well done, thy good and faithful servant. You know how he's going to say, well done, thy good and faithful servant? Because His Son was that good and faithful servant. And His perfect perfection is mine. So I get to enter heaven, well done, that good and faithful servant, because of what I am in Christ. Not because of what I do or don't do, compared to your rules that you've given. You don't play cards, you don't go to the movie theater, you don't listen to rock and roll. Okay, whatever. God still would say, you're pathetic. because I'm never going to be what I should be, therefore I will never do what I should do, and I will always end up doing what I shouldn't do. Who does that sound like? The Apostle Paul in Romans chapter seven. All right, let's stop there. Lord God, we come before you this morning. Lord, we thank you for the reading in Exodus. We thank you for being confronted by your law. And hopefully, we are all broken over your law and realize our only hope is in your son's keeping of the law for us. And we thank you for that. And it's in his precious name we pray. And God's people said.