Christ came to confirm the law.

8 Sermon Project Part Three of Eight

Christ came to confirm the law.

Mt.5:17-20

Good morning last study we took a look at Mt 5:13-16 this time we are going to continue on the sermon on the mount. In Mt 5:17-20 This portion of scripture will be the focus of our study.

Ok lets get started. Please turn in you Bible's to Mt 5: 17-20

Mt 5:17 ¶ Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Many of us work or have worked for a company that has gone through a restructure or change in management or in a line of products etc.. as a worker when the big boys of business come in and tell you we are going to make some adjustments, whats the first thing we think? Oh great more layoffs or I might lose my job. OK now granted that happens in many cases but lets take this debate up to the big boy level. Your employers all meet together and determine whether or not the company is gaining or losing money. If it is losing money they usually come up with a plan to rectify that problem. Now that they have a plan they send someone to the plant to carry out that plan and to fulfill those duties. They are not there to change everything for the worker but to make sure the new plan is put in place not changing anything but to make sure the plan is fulfilled.

OK now in Mt 5:17 Christ says Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. What exactly is He saying here? First you need to realize the preceding verses which we discussed last week were so opposed to the teachings of the scribes and Pharisees that some thought that he was a destroyer of the law that he had literially come to change and due away with the old testament law. He replies that he has not come to destroy it, but to fulfil. He does not say that he has come to perpetuate it but to fulfill it. Now as we talked about the big boys of business coming into your work not to change but to fulfill there plan right. well like so Christ took care to revise and reform the laws of men; but the law of God he established and confirmed. The Old Testament stands in all its parts, both as to “the late and the prophets.” The Lord Jesus knew nothing of “destructive criticism.” He establishes in its deepest sense all that is written in Holy Scripture, and puts

a new fullness into it. Before he proceeds to make remarks on the sayings of men of old time and the Old Testament He says He, himself is the fulfillment and substance of the types, and prophecies, and commands of the law. He was not going to change but to fulfill and to clarify. He was to To complete its purpose. He was the end of the law and the beginning of Grace. Since Christ we are no longer under the law but under grace. Does this mean we should not follow the law? Well Paul says Ro 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. 15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. See being under grace does not give us a get out of jail free card. Because we are under grace we should all the more obey the law. OK now Christ came to rightly explain the nature and to perfectly enforce the precepts of the moral law, as well as perfectly obey them in his own person as an example, bear the curse which was prefigured in the ceremonial law, and thus fulfil the predictions of the prophets concerning the Messiah. Christ came not to make void the moral law, but to establish it, and give it practical efficacy over the hearts and lives of men, by leading them to love and obey it under grace.

OK lets move to the next verse. Verse 18. Mt 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. What He is saying here is that no part of the moral law or of the obligations to obey it shall be done away; nor shall any part of the ceremonial law, till its end is accomplished. Again I feel the need to stress we are not under the law we are under grace but simply because we are under grace does not mean we shouldn't obey the law being under grace gives us so much more the reason to obey the law. Now One jot or tittle. "Jot" means the smallest letter of the Hebrew alphabet, while "tittle" refers to a simple turn by which one letter is distinguished from another. Till all be fulfilled. "Till," Dr. Schaff, say "Till implies that after the great events of Christ's life, and the establishment of Christ's kingdom, the old dispensation, as a dispensation of the letter and yoke of bondage, will pass away, and has passed away while the spirit and substance of the law, that is, love to God and man, will last forever." Even to the smallest letters, the dot of every “i”, and the crossing of every “t”, the law will outlast the creation.

The Old Testament is as sacredly guarded as the New. “The Word of the Lord endureth for ever.” Modern critics have set themselves an impossible task in their endeavor to get rid of the inspiration of the whole sacred volume, or of this book, or that chapter, or that verse. Critics even now conspire ways to change word or meanings of word in God Holy Book, but have had great difficulty in doing so lets take a quick look at Lu 16:17 Luke writes And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail. Did you get that it is easier for heaven and earth to pass. The law will not fail, it cannot fail because it is of God.

Verse 19 Mt 5:19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. You see the Pharisees taught that some commands were more important than others, and that it was a trivial matter to break the smallest commands. The papists still divide sin into mortal and venial. Christ shows that the spirit of obedience does not seek to make such distinction. Our King has not come to abrogate the law, but to confirm and reassert it. His commands are eternal; and if any of the teachers of it should through error break his law, and teach that its least command is nullified, they will lose rank, and subside into the lowest place. The peerage of his kingdom is ordered according to obedience. Not birth, knowledge, or success will make a man great; but humble and precise obedience, both in word and in deed. “Whosoever shall do and teach,” he is the man who “shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” Hence the Lord Jesus does not set up a milder law, nor will he allow any one of his servants to presume to do so. Our King fulfills the ancient law, and his Spirit works in us to will and to do of God’s good pleasure as set forth in the immutable statutes of righteousness.

Lets pray Lord, make me of this thy kingdom a right loyal subject, and may I both “do and teach” according to thy Word! Whether I am little or great on earth, make me great in obedience to thee.

If we break one of the least we may get into the kingdom, possibly, but such a spirit will give you a very low spiritual rank. Look at Jas 2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. To break a little commandment is the same as to being guilty of the greatest. No precept of God's law may be set aside on the ground of its comparative unimportance; for the least disobedience to any command of God is highly offensive to him, while obedience in all things is his delight. The least; of the least repute as a teacher, because both by his example and his doctrine he dishonors God's law. Great; worthy of honor as a teacher, because he honors the law by obeying it and teaching others to obey it. Hold yourselves and other responsible for all of Gods commandments not letting the least of them escape. This was the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees they listed the commandments in there hearts from great to no big deal, well it is a big deal to God. Mt 5:20 Christ says For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. Their righteousness was selfish, and consisted in externals; while the righteousness which God required is internal as well as external, and consists in conformity of heart and life to his revealed will. In Mt 3:7 there righteousness is referred to as that of vipers. They claimed to be the teachers and examples of righteousness, but they lacked the humble spirit of true obedience. Believers are not to be worse in conduct then non believer's. In heart,

and even in act, we are to be superior to the law-writers, The kingdom is not for rebels, but for the exactly obedient. It not only requires of us holiness, reverence, integrity, and purity, but it works all these things in our hearts and lives. The gospel does not give us the outward liberty to sin because we are superior in our righteousness but the rather it produces an outward sanctity through working

in our inmost part of our soul. What a glorious freedom in the law of the Lord. What a king we have in Jesus! What manner of persons we ought to be who avow ourselves to be in his holy kingdom! How conservative ought we to be of our Father’s revealed will! How determined to allow no trifling with the law and the prophets! Let me show you in Ro 10:3 Paul write what many of us find ourselves doing let read For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.

God's righteousness; that which he has provided in Jesus Christ. Their own righteousness; by their outward obedience to the law. Have not submitted themselves; not given their hearts to God, or accepted his salvation through Christ. They had no knowledge of God's plan of righteousness, righteousness by believing upon Christ, but rejecting it they sought a righteousness of their own, of works, secured by keeping the law, and by obeying the traditions of men. On the other hand, they refused to submit to God's righteousness through faith.

Quick points I want to point out. #1 Christ came to fulfill the Law in the world and in our hearts.

#2 The law has not and will not ever change as it was clearly pointed out. #3 breaking one of the least commandments makes you just as guilty as someone who broke a greater commandment. #4 your position I heaven will be determined by your obedience not your righteousness because you have no righteousness the righteousness in you is not yours but is that of Christs. And #5 it is through the Grace of Christ you will be entered into His kingdom not by your works, or your own righteousness.

In closing let me say this Let none of you suppose that Christ allows his people to trifle with any commands of God's law. No sinner partakes of Christ's justifying righteousness, till he repents of his evil deeds. The mercy revealed in the gospel leads the believer to a deeper self-abhorrence. The law is the Christian's rule of duty, and he delights therein. If a man, pretending to be Christ's disciple, encourages himself in any allowed disobedience to the holy law of God, or teaches others to do the same, whatever his station or reputation among men may be, he can not be a true disciple. Christ's righteousness, was imputed to us by faith alone, is needed by every one that enters the kingdom of grace and of glory; but the new creation of the heart to holiness, produces true change in a man's temper and conduct conforming them more to the image of Christ.