The Undying Law - part III

Lead In:

When we first arrived at Matt. 5:17-20, two weeks ago, we saw that when God gave us The Law, He was revealing His character and nature to us. Last week, we focused on verse 20 when Jesus used the beautiful looking righteousness of the Pharisees to expose our desires for self-justification. Cutting between our motivations and actions, we understood that acting in ways that God approves of (even if they are instructions from Him!), while refusing to repent… can bring about good to our Nation and bless our children, yes; but will never open the pearly gates of Heaven for us.

Remember; “The best way to convince yourself you don't need to repent, is by doing good things.” It smoothes over the rough edges of our sin, softening the blow to our hardened hearts, regardless of how much good it actually does in our world. 

It is nothing but the law-keeping righteousness of Jesus Christ, applied to us through no effort of our own, that atones for our law-breaking sins. Once every drop of Lamb’s blood is applied to the doorposts of our life; then and only then will every drop of our sweat carry meaning beyond the work that caused it. The art we create, the families we build, the totalling actions of our life; when they are born from a deep desire for His glory, we are “establishing the law” (Rom. 3:31) and showing that we are someone He fulfilled The Law for (Rom. 10:4).

One thing we need to understand, which, God willing we will speak on next week; is that there are different “categories” of law. From immigration to the death penalty; or fabrics to food; God organized His laws in different categories, when taken together, encompass the entirety of human history and human life.

For today, however, we need to take a step back in our thoughts to see the framework that all of the laws are built upon. As in: Did God create random laws, each one disconnected from the rest? Or do they share anything in common? Do the laws about citizenship relate to those about marriage? Do laws about paychecks relate to those about architecture? Etc etc.

Reading → Matthew 5:17 - 20 & Opening Prayer

Taking the truth from two weeks ago; in that The Law (the entirety of all laws from every category) is an expression of God that we can interact with; and then adding in the truth from last week; that the reasons why both The Law and Christ were given to humanity overlap with one another; we can rest assured that He, His words and His works, Christ Himself, is the culmination of every law. He is the final authority over “what they mean”, and the final say over their literal application or lack thereof.

What does it look like to live a moral life? Look at the Law, yes, but look at it through what Christ says about morality. What does it look like to be a good citizen? Look at the Law, of course, but do so through its perfect interpreter. Having every aspect of what is true, right, and just; Jesus Christ is the walking and breathing embodiment of the law of God. 

He is the “final say” for what any or all of the numerous Old Testament laws mean, don't mean; or how they do or don’t apply to us today. He was both the perfect student, following every instruction; and the perfect teacher, explaining all of it exactly as it needed to be taught. No other voices, if they contrast what He has long said about The Law, should ever be taken into consideration; regardless of the fervor, vehemence, kindness, or fake love with which they are presented. And let be said, brothers and sisters, humanity has been constantly trying to twist and distort His interpretation of The Law.

Before stepping back to His lifetime; we can see this twisting in the modern world, every time someone tries to make claims about what God says is lawful or not, according to their own ideas. They will interpret the law surrounding marriage to mean whatever their perverted imaginations can conjure forth, claiming through the claws they carry their Canaanite flags with, that men can marry men, women to women, or any number of either gender. All the while ignoring the perfect explanation of that law in Matt. 19:4-6.

They will interpret the law surrounding righteousness to mean that everyone, of every religion, will go to Heaven; that there is no “right” path; and that “God” can be whatever anyone wants…even though Jesus gave the final word in John 14:6.

They will interpret the laws regarding governments and immigration to mean that civic regulations should remain “neutral”, never influenced by any one faith or religion…even though Jesus gave the final word in Matt. 28:18.

All of that to say, when someone alludes to Jesus not being the final say over the governing laws of reality, it should cause a bright red flag to unfurl in our thoughts.

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Now, to step backwards to His lifetime, these experts of The Law were some of His biggest opponents.

It was the Pharisees and the teachers of The Law, in Luke 5:17-24, that were angry when He proved he could forgive sins by healing the paralytic let down through the roof; because, according to The Law…only God can forgive sins.

These experts of The Law, having spent their entire life studying it, were those who, in Luke 14:1-6, He challenged in regards to their interpretation of Sabbath laws. → “Now it happened, as He went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath, that they watched Him closely. [2] And behold, there was a certain man before Him who had dropsy. [3] And Jesus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” [4] But they kept silent. And He took him and healed him, and let him go. [5] Then He answered them, saying, “Which of you, having a donkey or an ox that has fallen into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?” [6] And they could not answer Him regarding these things.”

What is lawful to do on The Sabbath?

Is it a sin to work on a Sunday? To do good? What about those things that are necessary for life? Is it a sin; is it breaking the law of God; for me to do anything on the Sabbath apart from sit and meditate?  Well, how did Jesus teach the Sabbath law to us? Did He do good on the Sabbath? He walked to get to that place; so walking is ok, right? What about running? He performed a good and Godly action on The Sabbath, so that's ok, right? What about the normal, mundane, every day actions? Can we fold our laundry on The Sabbath? Cook? Sweep our floor? Should we keep adding human-born addendums to what God has long said and subdividing His laws?

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In Luke 11:42-44, when Jesus rebuked the Scribes and Pharisee for assuming their God-instructed actions could make them holy while ignoring justice and love, we read this in v.45 → “Then one of the lawyers answered and said to Him, “Teacher, by saying these things You reproach us also.”

Did you catch that? When Jesus is pointing His righteous anger at the Scribes and Pharisees…it offended the lawyers. Those people who were experts in every jot and tittle. Those whose very livelihood was dependent upon their ability to interpret The Law, were offended when Jesus spoke in ways contrary to their understanding of it.

To which He responded, in v.46 - 48, with this → “Woe to you also, lawyers! For you load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers. [47] Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. In fact, you bear witness that you approve the deeds of your fathers; for they indeed killed them, and you build their tombs.” 

Don’t forget; The Law is the character and nature of a transcendent God able to be interacted with by fallen, sinful humans; which means then; there will always be an aspect of it that exists beyond the ability of our sin-stained will. 

And this is precisely what is on display when Jesus rebuked the Lawyers. They encountered the character of a transcendent God in The Law; and instead of admitting the sin-born limitations of their heart, soul, mind, and strength, and then crying out for mercy because of it; they added law after law after law, each one well able to be performed with enough determination and hard work, sure, but each one was nothing more than an attempt at domesticating a dangerous God. 

“How can we keep the Sabbath holy? I know! Let's add a bunch more laws to it (make sure we can actually do them of course) so that we can be the authoritative interpreter of it.

This practice of adding amendment after amendment to the unchanging law of God to try and make yourself holy; Paul speaks of in Romans 10:5-10 → “For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, “The man who does those things shall live by them.” [6] But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ down from above) [7] or, “ ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). [8] But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): [9] that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

How can we be saved? How can we be innocent of breaking The Law of God? Not by inventing laws and then following those, as if we could bring Christ down to our standards of what is or isn't lawful. But by being, and admitting, your utter helplessness to do anything about your life; owning up to every law we have broken; and confessing that Christ is the final sovereign Lord over your every action, proving His authority by His resurrection. 

Brothers and sisters, if we are going to try and discern what Old Testament laws are still required of humanity to literally perform, we can only do so through Jesus Christ. 

And in Matt. 22:34 - 40, after His triumphal entry, with prophetic palm fronds in His past, He summarizes all of them → “When the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. [35] Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” [37] Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ [38] This is the first and great commandment. [39] And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ [40] On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

According to the only perfect interpreter of the Father He is one in essence with; all of the law and all of the prophets hang upon the love of God and the love of neighbor. And that right there points us to what every law in Scripture has in common with one another.

All of the laws surrounding fabric, food, immigration, or economics. Every statute related to how crops should be harvested, who is eligible for marriage, or how governors ought govern; every prophecy uttered from the mouths of Jeremiah, Isaiah, Amos, or Obadiah; be they of impending doom or unstoppable renewal; all of the law and all of the prophets are hung like a door on the hinge of loving God and loving neighbor.  

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Furthermore, we need to understand that when this expert in The Law, this lawyer, tried to trick Christ with his oh-so-clever question; Jesus responded by quoting back to him words that he spent his entire life studying; the Old Testament.

Deuteronomy 6:4 & 5, the most sacred words for every student trying to become a Pharisee, and the central confession to their entire system says → “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” 

Leviticus 19:18, which the leader of the Sanhedrin said was the summary of the entire Torah says this → “You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.”

By combining these verses, and saying that all The Law and Prophets hang upon them; He is showing us that every law or command in the Bible is the Moral Law being applied to different areas of life. Meaning; if all of the Law and Prophets hang like a door on the hinge of loving God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength…how can we do that?

By having no other gods (Ex. 20:3); and by refusing images of the true God (Ex. 20:4-6).

By not misusing His name (Ex. 20:7); and by keeping The Sabbath (Ex. 20:8-11).

If all of The Law and Prophets hang like a door on the hinge of loving our neighbor as ourselves…how can we do that?

By honoring our father and mother (Ex. 20:12).

By not murdering (Ex. 20:13) and by not committing adultery (Ex. 20:14).

By not stealing (Ex. 20:15); lying (Ex. 20:16); or coveting (Ex. 20:17).

The Moral Law of God, given to Moses on Mt. Sinai, is now being explained by Christ as He gives the Sermon on the different mount. Because all of The Law and The Prophets hang upon the two “Tables” of the Moral Law, we can understand that every command, instruction, direction, law, or teaching; in the entire Bible, is the logical application of the Moral Law applied in different contexts.

To just look at a few examples of this, and hopefully spark some conversation for Sunday School later this morning:

Why did God tell the Israelites not to practice witchcraft in Deut. 18? Because it is the logical application of the First Commandment (no other gods), when applied to the context false religions being practiced inside of a Nation. 

Why does God give the law about not planting crops every seventh year in Levi. 25:24? Because that is how the Fourth Commandment (Sabbath) applies in the context of agriculture.

Why is there a law in Deut. 22:8 to build a railing around the edge of your roof? Because protecting the physical lives of the people in our homes is how the Sixth Commandment (Murder) applies to the buildings we live in.

Why does Deut. 24:14 & 15 instruct a fair wage for employees? Because that is how the Eighth Commandment (Do not Steal) applies in an economic context.

Why does Deut. 19:16-21 outline the laws surrounding legislative testimonies? Because that is how the Ninth Commandment (False Witness) applies in the context of a Court Case.

On and on we can work our way through all of the laws in the Old Testament and see that The Moral Law is not simply some codex of disconnected rules, each one a random lightning bolt of instruction stretching down from above. No.

Each one is an individual thread, pulled from the spool of His character and nature, and then woven together to form the veil that separates us from God.

Now, to go a step deeper (are you still with me?); it must be said that all of the laws are not a one-to-one application of one of the Ten Commandments, but teach how several of them are applied, all in one law.

For example, in Deut. 13:6-10 we see a Law that says if a family member entices you to worship a different god, they should be punished. Which is the logical application of the First Commandment (no other gods), and the limits of the Fifth Commandment (honoring parents).

In Deut. 19:14 we see a law regarding moving the boundary markers of your neighbors property, which is the logical application of the Eighth, Ninth, and Tenth Commandment; because it’s stealing your neighbor’s land and lying about it, all because you were coveting what wasn't yours.

In the example I used from Deut. 19:16-21 about being a faithful witness in a court case, it is also connected to the Sixth Commandment as well; because (to quote the Westminster Larger Catechism) “Where a duty is commanded, the contrary sin is forbidden; and where a sin is forbidden, the contrary duty is commanded.” and if your lying testimony leads to the death penalty, then you have violated the Sixth Commandment.

When the Moral Law is understood in this way; and the inter-connectedness of every law and command is seen to stretch into every area and aspect of our life, leaving no action, word, or behavior beyond His jurisdiction; it should bring about a sense of abject helplessness and despair…

When your heart sings its final song upon this earth, you will be brought, naked and alone, into the court room of heaven. And there, atop a bench of bursting stars, will be the all-seeing Judge of the universe, and He will set His unmoving eyes upon you as the evidence of your life piles high before Him.

Piece by piece. Word by word. Thought by thought, the entirety of every action or inaction of your life will each raise their voices and join together in the dark harmony of your guilt. When the final piece of evidence against you does indeed sing her part, and the court room grows quiet again, it is then, with His robe of many stars swirling in arcs above you and gavel in hand, His mouth will open, and a voice like that of many rushing waters will demand an account for all of it.

Why did you break His law?

Will you claim that there was part of your life that it didn't apply to?

When your voting record is examined, and He sees that you wanted someone who endorses abortion to have legal authority over a Nation; will you point your finger at a political party you disagree with? 

When your bank account testifies of your mistrust in Him who owns every penny; and the pile of dirty laundry that even now collects mold in the corner of your bedroom is evidence of your sloth and laziness, what will you say?

When you, intentionally or otherwise, let your eyes linger upon someone who isn't your spouse, and every time you gave your body to them; will be answered for. What will your answer be?

When your hobbies took time away from your Bible; or you outright refused to dedicate specific time to prayer because “you can't just stand around and think”; is nothing but proof of your guilt…will you have anything to say in response?

Brothers and sisters, every aspect of life is governed by the undying law of God, regardless of the context or circumstances. He left no area of human existence free of instruction, expecting us to figure it out as we go.

It is His law, and no other, that governs how Nations are built and how they ought wage war when it is unavoidable. His laws, not ours, are the final say over our architecture, and economies. Our farms and taxes. How we structure our families, carry out our hobbies, or go on vacations; every word that has passed between our teeth, or those we never gave voice to; everything in our life is under His authority.

Now, lest we think this only applies to the external, or the physical; His jurisdiction does not end at the border of our mind. Your thoughts, Children of Clyde-Savannah, will be judged as they are televised before Him in painstaking detail, and there will be no scenes skipped over and no unused footage as the film plays.

And all of it, because every law is an external expression of the character and nature of God; each one an application of the Moral Law; it means that actions, thoughts, ideas, words, behaviors, choices, and lifestyles, are sinful when they stand in contrast to who God is. 

Do your actions, words, or thoughts find commonality with the character and nature of God? If not, they are sinful, and have earned you the eternal conscious torment of  Hell.

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Now, to repeat myself, and then add to it as we come to a close; when the Moral Law is understood in this way; and the inter-connectedness of every law and command is seen to stretch into every area and aspect of our life; it should bring about a sense of abject helplessness and despair…because that is the entire purpose.

To point out our inability and insufficiency. To expose our sin. To make it plain that we can never be righteous of our own accord; and thereby prompt us to cry out for mercy.

When David was forced to reckon with his violation of the Sixth Commandment in the killing of the husband of the woman he violated the Seventh Commandment with, he said this in Psalm 51:1 → “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the multitude of Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.”

Children of Clyde-Savannah…

are you guilty of breaking any of the

Ten Commandments?

Then admit your fault and cry out for mercy.

Willfully and wholeheartedly acknowledge your guilt, with no explanations, as you ask God to forgive you according to His lovingkindness and the multitude of His mercies. Offer up no extenuating circumstances trying to explain away why you sinned in this or that way. Lay your raw, unfiltered guilt before Him, asking Him to cleanse you from it all.

And when we do this, brothers and sisters, when we cry out for mercy because of every single time we have broken The Law of God…we are given mercy. Not because we earned it, deserve it, or because God will turn a blind eye to you law-breaking; but because Jesus Christ, being fully human (Heb. 2:17), was born under The Law (Gal. 4:4), and therefore had the same law-keeping obligation upon His life that we do…followed it perfectly.

We are given mercy despite our law breaking, because Jesus followed every law, all of them, through to completion (1 Pet. 2:22; 1 Jn. 3:5) and though He was sinless, having never broken a single one, “God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ” (Eph. 2:4&5) by laying the full consequence of our breaking them, upon Him. (2 Cor. 5:21)

It was perfect justice that nailed Him to the tree that dark day, and it was perfect love that held Him unmoving as He drank dry the cup of His Father’s wrath.

It was the just judgment of a perfect God that pierced His hands as the gavel of Heaven fell down from the clouds above, crushing His thorn-marked brow, and declaring us innocent in the process.

And when that happened; when Christ called out “It is finished” so loud that the very angels heard Him, the veil that separated us from Him was torn asunder. No longer do rules we could have never kept to begin with keep us away from Him, because He and He alone, perfectly followed every thread back to its source, placed His nail-marked hands upon them, and in one united act of justice and mercy, ripped it open by fulfilling it.

Therefore, brother and sisters, because Jesus Christ was born under The Law, and then died under it in our place; “...you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.” (Col. 2:13 &14)

What was nailed to the Cross?

The Law.

Rev. Jacob Marchitell

March 15th 2026

Article 19 of the 1689 London Baptist Confession outlines 3 uses of The Law:

Teaching:

It shows us

our sin

Civil:

Restraining evil in a society

Normative:

It shows us how we should live

Use these to prompt your thoughts for the discussion after Service.

• Do you see your own sins as violations of the Ten Commandments? Why/why not?

• What are some areas modern Christians say: “God’s law doesn’t apply here”?

• The Pharisees tried to add man-made laws; do modern Christians do the same thing?