Romans: Justification, Faith, and Imputed Righteousness: Who is Israel?

Learning the Righteousness of God - 1

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: New Testament Studies

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2005-08-14

Synopsis: John Weaver introduces a series on learning the righteousness of God, emphasizing that fallen man does not know God intuitively and must learn His righteousness through Scripture. Using Micah 6:5, he focuses on the events from Shittim to Gilgal, particularly Numbers 25, to show that God's law-word is the standard for righteousness, and any deviation from it is sin. He argues that the law is not abolished but fulfilled in Christ, written on believers' hearts, and essential for holy living.

[John Weaver] Micah chapter 6, and we're going to probably read at least the first eight verses. I'm going to be using one verse, but then turning around and expounding really another passage of Scripture later on. And let me tell you, this message is going to be the first of probably at least five. I don't know, I'm not through yet doing the study on the series. But the message is entitled Learning the Righteousness of God, Learning the Righteousness of God. So this is going to be the first part of probably a five part series. So let's look at Micah, chapter six, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Micah, Micah six, verse one.

[John Weaver] Hear you now what the Lord said. Arise, contend thou before the mountains and let the hills hear thy voice. Hear ye, O mountains, the Lord's controversy, and you strong foundations of the earth. For the Lord hath a controversy with his people, he will plead with Israel. O my people, what have I done unto thee, and wherein have I wearied thee? Testify against me. For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of servants. And I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, And what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the righteousness of the Lord.

[John Weaver] Wherewith shall I come before the Lord and bow myself before the high God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has showed thee, O man, what is good, and what doth the Lord require thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God." Learning the righteousness of God. It may surprise many to find out that man does not intuitively nor instinctively know God.

[John Weaver] In fact, the truth of the matter is simply this. Fallen man does not know God at all, nor does he have the capacity or the ability to know God. Now, he may know that there is a God, But he does not know who the one true of the living God really is. Evidence of this fact is found in all the pagan countries because they worship idols of every shape, form and fashion.

[John Weaver] But moreover, the scriptures are exceedingly clear. Do you remember in Acts chapter 17, when the Apostle Paul came to preach at Mars Hill? The Bible tells us that he beheld their devotions to the gods and they had altars there to every imaginary and conceivable God that there might possibly be. But just in case they had left one out, they even had an altar there to the unknown God. Well, that's exactly what God is to the average individual. He is the unknown God, because man by nature just simply does not know God.

[John Weaver] If you would hold Micah 6, we're coming back there. But look in your Bibles to the book of Ephesians, Chapter 4, and then we're going to go to 1 Corinthians, Chapter 2. So Ephesians, Chapter 4, and then we're going to go to 1 Corinthians, Chapter 2. Just showing you the fact that man does not know God by nature. In Ephesians chapter 4, look what the Bible says in verse 18. In fact, let's read verse 17. He says, This I say, therefore, in testifying the Lord, that you henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk. How?

[John Weaver] In the vanity of their mind. Now, notice the word vanity. The word vanity means uselessness, worthlessness. So he says they're walking in the worthlessness of their mind. Why is their mind worthless and useless? Here's why in verse 18. Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart. Now note the Bible says that they are alienated from God through the ignorance that is in them. That is, they simply do not know God.

[John Weaver] Now, let me spell it out for you. Fallen man does not know the one true, the living God. He does not know him intuitively. He does not know him instinctively. And if you look in First Corinthians chapter two, this passage is even more explicit. First Corinthians two, verse 14, where it teaches us that fallen man does not even have the ability to know God in and of himself. So in 1 Corinthians 2 and verse 14, the Bible says this, but the natural man, that is, the unsaved man or man by nature, but the natural man received not the things of the Spirit of God.

[John Weaver] Why does he not receive them? Here's why. For they're foolishness unto him. Well, let's ask, why are they foolishness unto him? Here's why. Neither can he know them because they're spiritually deserved. And may I remind you that can is a term of ability. Neither can he know them. In other words, fallen man in and of himself does not have the ability. He does not have the capability to know the things of God. Now, clearly, as you study through the Bible, the Bible teaches that man does not have the ability to know God.

[John Weaver] For instance, in Romans 3, verses 10 through 12, The Apostle Paul lists the four nuns there. Let me just give it to you. He says, as it is written, there is none righteous. No, not one. There is none that understand it. There is none that seek it after God. They're all going out of the way. They're together become unprofitable. There is none that do it good. No, not one. So how many by nature do good? No, not one. How many by nature seek the one true of the living God? No, not one. How many understand? No, not one. How many are righteous? No, not one. And then the Bible tells us why in Romans 8 and verses 7 and 8.

[John Weaver] You might want to look at that verse. Look at it in Romans 8 and verses 7 and 8, because here the scripture makes this statement. Because the carnal mind, that is the fleshly mind, man by nature, because the carnal mind is enmity against God. Now remember the word enmity is a strong word for hatred, because the carnal mind is enmity against God. It is not subject to the law of God. Neither indeed can be. Now watch. So then, here's the conclusion, so then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. Why is it they cannot please God? Because their carnal fleshly mind is contrary to God, and there's a strong, intense hatred of God in their mind by nature. So the scripture teaches them that fallen man does not know God, neither does he have the ability in himself to know God. There's another amazing discovery that comes to the child of God when he realizes another truth. And that is simply this, that although he is regenerated and converted by the grace of God, yet as a child, he still does not really know his heavenly father.

[John Weaver] Now, he may know that there is indeed a God, and he may know that he is the true God, and he may know that he is the one Lord and the Savior and the Redeemer and the Judge, and yes, he is saved. He understands that. But just simply because an individual is regenerated and converted does not mean that he has automatic divine truth. In fact, as you study the Bible, you'll find, like in 1 John 2, John divides believers into three categories.

[John Weaver] He says there are babes, there are young men, and there are fathers. I want you to understand that the knowledge and the understanding of each one of those groups differ drastically. You take a little two-year-old child. I was around one this past week. a beautiful little girl, and she was just as loving and kind as she could be. Now that little girl knew who her parents were, that is for certain sure. But I can assure you she could not delineate what type of work her dad did, nor anything about his character, nor anything about his attributes. The knowledge a baby has is quite different from that of a young man. And the knowledge that a father has is quite different from that of a young man. So he says, here are these three particular groups of believers.

[John Weaver] And so just because someone has been converted and regenerated by the grace of God does not mean that he automatically possesses all divine truth. Now, I want you to look in your Bibles to the book of Ephesians chapter four again. Let me show you a contrast. We read verses 17 and 18. Of Ephesians chapter 4 showing you how man is indeed alienated from God, but let's go back and read those again and then go just a little further to show you a strong contrast and Ephesians 4 verse 17 Paul writes this.

[John Weaver] I say therefore and testify the Lord that you henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk in the vanity of their mind. having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because the blindness of their heart, who being past feeling, have given themselves over to lasciviousness to work all uncleanness with greediness.

[John Weaver] Now, look at the next word, but, which is a strong word of contrast, but, he says, you have not so learned Christ. And then if you look at the next verse, If so be that you have heard him and have been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus, that you put off concerning the former conduct, the old man, which is corrupt according to the seekful lust and be renewed in the spirit of your mind and that you put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to note what he said after he shows you. what man is by nature and how he is alienated from God and totally ignorant of God. He comes with this strong contrast and he says, but you have not so learned Christ. I want to point out the fact that we must learn Christ. In other words, here is something new to us. It is a new knowledge. It is a new way.

[John Weaver] That's why he said, therefore, If you have heard Him and have been taught by Him as the truth is in Jesus, what will you do? You will put off your old habits, your old attitudes, your old conduct, and you will put in its place new habits and new attitudes and new conduct which is in line with the righteousness of God. In other words, this is known as learning Christ. And the truth is, we must learn Christ Constantly and consistently, even on a daily basis. That's why the Apostle Paul wrote in Second Timothy two and verse 15 study to show yourselves approved unto God. Workmen that needed not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. So the truth is this, folks.

[John Weaver] As God's people, as believers, as Christians, we should be forever learning and forever increasing in faith. In fact, Scripture teaches us that we're to be going from faith to faith and from glory to glory. We're to be ever increasing in the knowledge of our Heavenly Father.

[John Weaver] Now, with that introduction, I want you to go back to Micah chapter 6, and let me show you what is happening, and then let me explain to you where I'm going with this brief series. I want you to look at Micah chapter six and the first two verses tell us that God has a controversy with his people. I don't know about you. But I don't think I'm capable of arguing with God. And I really don't want him upset with me. So here's a controversy he has with his people, let me show you. Look in verse one.

[John Weaver] Hear you now what the Lord said. Arise, contend thou therefore before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice. You got something to say against God? He said, go ahead and speak it. But I'm going to tell you something. He says, Hear ye, O mountains, the Lord's controversy. You think you're upset with God? God has far more reason to be upset with you. So he says, Hear ye, O mountain, of the Lord's controversy. and you strong foundations of the earth, for the Lord hath a controversy with his people, he will plead with Israel." So God then is upset, so to speak, in Micah chapter 6. He's got a controversy. He has a grievance against his people. What did the controversy arise over? Look in verse 3. All my people, what have I done unto thee? And where have I wearied thee testify against me? Here's the controversy. The people of Israel were tired of God. They grew weary of God. God said, wherein have you grown weary with me? All I've ever done is bless you.

[John Weaver] I give you fresh air. I give you rain. I give you sunshine. I give you help. I give you family. I give you friends. I give you everything. And now you've grown weary with serving me. You've grown weary with worshiping me. Oh, he said in verse four, for I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt and redeemed thee out of the house of servants. And I sit before thee, Moses, Aaron and Miriam.

[John Weaver] He said, you better remember, if it was not for me, you would not have anything. You'd still be in the land of Egypt. You'd still be slaves. I'm the one that brought you up. I'm the one that saved you. I'm the one that gave you everything that you have. And now you are weary with me. I want to show you something. whole like the six, but turning your Bibles to the book of Hebrews chapter five. And let's look at verses 11 and 12, because in Hebrews chapter five, verses 11 and 12, the author of the book of Hebrews gives the same argument against these New Testament Hebrews. Notice in Hebrews chapter five, verse 11. Hebrews five, verse 11, in the context, he's talking about The person, the work of Jesus Christ, in fact, verse 10 says called of God and high priest after the order of Melchizedek. So we're talking about Christ, the Savior. Now, watch what he says in verse 11 of whom we have many things to say and hard to be uttered.

[John Weaver] That is, they're they're very deep. Seeing you are dull of hearing. For when the time you ought to be teachers. You have need that one teach you again, which be the first principles of the oracles of God, and become such as have need of milk and not of strong meat." What is his complaint against these people? He said, look, there's a lot of things I would really love to teach you, but you are dull.

[John Weaver] That is, you're dim-witted. You're sleepy-headed. You're drowsy. You're not listening. You're not paying attention. You're not learning. And he says, when I've taught you so long, when it comes time for you to be the teacher, you've forgotten everything, you really haven't learned everything, so that I have to turn around and teach you again. What's that mean? It means these people in Hebrews 5 had grown weary with God, just like those people in Micah chapter 6.

[John Weaver] You know, that's an amazing thought, isn't it? That we can grow weary of God. It's a scary thought.

[John Weaver] Now, go back, if you would, please, to Micah, chapter six, the point I wanted to make by incorporating Hebrews five is simply this in Micah, chapter six, and in Hebrews, chapter five, the people are regressing instead of progressing. Instead of going forward, they were going backwards. Do you know that's exactly where the average professing Christian is today? He's going backwards. He's not going forward. Yeah, we've not only forgotten that we're supposed to go forward, we've even forgotten that over him, over Christian soldiers, you see, we're regressing. We're not progressing. And we've certainly forgotten our Lord's admonition in Micah six and verse five. Now, watch this. The first two verses.

[John Weaver] God has a controversy with Israel. Verses 3 and 4, he tells you why he has a controversy. That is, they've grown weary of God. And then in verse 5, he nails it down. Look what he says. Oh my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal, that you may know the righteousness of the Lord. Underline that, that you may know the righteousness of the Lord. Look what he says. If you want to know my righteousness, if you want to learn something about me, then you've got to remember what Balak, the king of Moab, consulted and what Balaam, the son of Beor, answered from Shittimun to Gilgal, that you may know the righteousness of God. Now, look in verse 6. This further explains verse 5. Here's what the people would be saying. Wherewith shall I come before the Lord and bow down myself unto the high God? In other words, if I'm going to know his righteousness, if I'm going to worship him, How do I do that?

[John Weaver] Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with ten thousands, with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn, that is my child, for my transgression, the fruit of my body, for the sin of my soul? And of course the answer to all of that is no. Then he says in verse 8, he has showed thee, O man, what is good, and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God. In other words, he said, God has showed you, you've just forgotten it.

[John Weaver] Now, someone is going to ask, well, Brother Weaver, how does Micah 6 and verse 5 apply to me? Because I am a New Testament Christian. Well, you know the answer to that. We have one Bible, not two. And we have one God, not two. All of the Bible is the word of God, and all of the Bible is applicable to all of God's people. I didn't want you to remind you of two passages. I want you to hold the mic at six.

[John Weaver] But go in your Bibles to Romans chapter 15 and 1 Corinthians chapter 10. And let me show you how God specifically tells you that everything that happened to Israel in the Old Testament happened for our benefit. So there is a New Testament application to Old Testament incidents. In Romans 15 in verse 4, the Bible says this, Now whatsoever things were written aforetime, that's the Old Testament. were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

[John Weaver] Now look what he said. Once everything's written in foretime, why were they written? They were written for our learning. that we, through patience and comfort of the scriptures, might have hope.

[John Weaver] Now, if you look in 1 Corinthians 10, very quickly, at verse 6, and by the way, when you look in 1 Corinthians 10, the subject and the context is the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt. You can see that for yourself in verses one and two and three and dealing with all the wilderness wanderings as well. And then in verse six, he says this concerning what happened to Israel in the Old Testament. He says, but verse six, now these things were our examples. To the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted, skip down to verse 11. Now all these things happen unto them for in samples or examples, and they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come. So everything that happened to Israel out in the Old Testament, he says, is for our admonition and for our benefit.

[John Weaver] Now as you look back to Micah 6 and verse 5, God tells us that we are especially to consider what happened from Shittim to Gilgal, that we might know the righteousness of God. So this would include a great deal. Of time. That we would need to look at and study to learn all that God reveals about his righteousness. I'm not going to be able to certainly to do it all, but he talks about Shittim and I'm going to tell you more about this place a little bit later.

[John Weaver] Actually, the word is also the word Acacius for the Acacia tree. It is called Abel Shittim in Numbers 33 and verse 49. This was a plain in the land of Moab where the Israelites had encamped. After their two victories over Sihon and Og, This was at the close or the end of the wilderness wanderings. This was also where basically where Joshua sent out the twelve spies to spy out the land. In other words, Shittim is just about before they're getting ready to go in to conquer the land. Now, to Gilgal. He says from Shittim to Gilgal. Gilgal was the place in the plains of Jericho, in the east border of Jericho. It is here where the Israelites camp after they crossed Jordan in Joshua chapter four. It was here in Joshua four and five that they kept the Passover.

[John Weaver] It's here that they reinstituted circumcision. And it is here that those twelve memorial stones were set up as they crossed over the river.

[John Weaver] Now, the word Gilgal means a rolling. Because after they had the Passover, reinstituted circumcision, all it meant was now the reproach of their slavery in Egypt was certainly being rolled away. So what does God say? He says, Oh, my people, remember now what Balak, king of Moab, consulted and what Balaam, the son of Beor, answered him from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the righteousness of God. So there is something particularly revealing about the time from Shittim to Gilgal, especially those two instances that would teach us and instruct us on the righteousness of God. I want you to go back in your Bibles, if you would please, the numbers 25, because that is the passage that God has in mind when he says you better remember. What Balak consulted and what Balaam answered that you may know what is. The righteousness of the Lord.

[John Weaver] Right now, I'm going to be limiting myself. To that which happened in ship and let me just tell you, without me reading all of numbers 25, I'm going to read part of it, just maybe the first three verses, because it'll take me another two weeks just to deal with these three verses. But this is the incident where the children of Moab seduce the Israelites into adultery, fornication, and idolatry.

[John Weaver] This is where God gave the death sentence against all those who participated in the worship of Baal Peor. This is where Phineas took a javelin and went in and pierced a man and a woman through who were committing fornication in the camp of Israel. So there are a number of lessons that can be learned here. Let's look at the first three verses. And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods, and the people did eat and bowed down to their gods, and Israel joined himself unto Belpheor, and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel.

[John Weaver] Now let me just stop there just for a moment. When you read the first three verses, the thing that automatically strikes your mind, or at least should strike your mind, was that the people of Israel violated, basically, four of the original Ten Commandments instantaneously. They violated the first commandment, Thou shalt have no other gods before me. They violated the second commandment which deals with making false gods and bowing down before them. They violated the seventh commandment, thou shalt not commit adultery. They violated the tenth commandment, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife or his land or anything that is thy neighbor's.

[John Weaver] But you see, in reality, what they did was this. They didn't just violate four of the ten commandments. They violated all of the ten commandments. I want you to understand this one truth. That whenever you violate one part of God's law, you are guilty of violating all of God's law. So if you want to hold numbers 25, but look in your Bibles to the book of James chapter 2 Hebrews James and let's read verses 10 and 11 and you will see exactly what I'm talking about. So hold. Numbers 25. And turn in your Bibles to James 2 and look at verses 10 and 11. Because here God specifically says what I just told you. He says, For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

[John Weaver] For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. What's he saying? If you break the law in one part, you have broken it in all. Let me put it very plainly. God's law either stands or falls together all of it. You either obey it all or you violate it all. It's just that simple.

[John Weaver] Now, let me prove one other thing before I get started today. With the very single point that I want to give I want you to understand it is impossible to sin without violating the law of God. I'm going to show you that in the scripture just for a moment. But before I give you the verses, let me go ahead and tell you the one point that I'm going to share with you today. I'm going to drive this home hopefully over and over. Here it is. God's law word is our standard for righteousness. And any deviation from his truth is sin and unrighteousness.

[John Weaver] Let me say that again. Here's what you need to learn. God's law word is our standard for righteousness. And any deviation from his truth is sin and unrighteousness. That's why he said in James 2, if you offend in one, you're guilty of all. Now, I just got it out of my mouth that it is impossible to sin without violating the law of God. I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Romans chapter 3.

[John Weaver] I'm going to show you a verse or a couple of them there. But as you turn there, I want to quote a verse for you. 1 John 3 and verse 4. I've quoted this verse here a number of times, but here it is again. Whosoever, whosoever committed sin transgresseth the law, for sin is the transgression of the law. What is sin? Sin is a transgression of the law. It's a violation of God's law. When God says thou shalt not and you say I'm going to, that's sin. When God said thou shalt and you say I'm not, that's sin. What is sin? Sin is a violation of God's law. Now, look in Romans 3 and verse 20. The law, one of the reasons God gave it was so that we would know what sin really truly is. In Romans 3 and verse 20, he says this truth. Therefore, by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in his sight. Why? For by the law is the knowledge of sin. How do I know that adultery is wrong?

[John Weaver] How do I know that thieving is wrong? How do I know that murder is wrong? How do I know that covetousness is wrong? Because God said, I've given you my law. I've given you my standard. And when I tell you what is right and what is wrong, that is my standard. And you can know based upon my law.

[John Weaver] Now, let me show you. The law has a spiritual application as well as an external application. In Romans 7, look at verses 7 through 9. Romans 7, verses 7 through 9. And I want to emphasize this because it's vitally important. The Apostle Paul says in Romans 7, verse 7, What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid that is perish the thought. Don't even let that thought enter your mind. I had not known sin, but by the law. For I have not known lust, except the Lord said, Thou shalt not covet. Now look what he says. But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, brought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law, sin was dead. Now watch. For I was alive without the law once, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. Now what in the world is Paul talking about? How can he say, I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, Sin revived and I died. You've got to remember Paul's pedigree.

[John Weaver] He listed for you in Philippians chapter three. He said he was a Hebrew of the Hebrews of the tribe of Benjamin, a Pharisee of the Pharisees. And then he says as touching the law, blameless. Blameless. Now, here's my question. Was the apostle Paul perfect? Well, of course not. Well, how could he say he was blameless? You remember, Paul was a Pharisee. What did the Pharisees do? They had the law narrowed down to all externals. Paul said, I had my own righteousness. I kept all these externals.

[John Weaver] I thought I had it made. But he said when the commandment came, that is, when I saw the spirituality of God's law, when I saw the applicability of God's law, and I saw that it meant more than externals and internals, when God said thou shalt not commit adultery, it was not just that you not commit the physical act, you're not to have a lustful or covetous heart in your life. When God says thou shalt not steal, it's not that you just do not go out and rob somebody. You don't covet. You don't become selfish. You don't become a grudging individual. The law then has a spiritual inward application as well as an external application. So Paul said, I had not even known sin but by the law. He said, therefore, when the law came in its fullness, what happened? Sin revived and I died.

[John Weaver] In other words, I found out I was a sinner. I thought I was perfect, and I was totally, perfectly lost and undone and ungodly. That's all I was. But I would have never known that, he said, without the law.

[John Weaver] Now, let me just tell you something, and please don't even let this enter into your mind. Don't even think that the law of God has been nullified, abrogated, set aside, done away with, or destroyed. It has not been. Let me tell you what our Lord said in Matthew 5 verses 17 and 18. Listen carefully. He said. Think not that I'm come to destroy the law of the prophets. I'm not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say to you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law till all be fulfilled. Now, what did our Lord say? He said, think not.

[John Weaver] That is the same thing the Apostle Paul said. Perish the thought. Don't even let that thought in your mind that he had come to set aside the law. He said, I have not come to set it aside. I have come to fulfill the law. And the word fulfill literally means to put into full force as continuous. It means to fill and to keep full.

[John Weaver] Now, there are some individuals who try to argue And say, well, the law has been done away with. Well, look at Romans 7 in verse 12, since you're right there. Look what the Apostle Paul said. Under the inspiration of the scripture and the Holy Spirit, I might add, he says, wherefore, the law is holy and the commandment holy and just and good. Now, if God's law is holy and the commandment holy, just and good, Why in the world would God do away with or set aside or abrogate anything that was holy, just, and good? Ask yourself that question. He would not. Someone objects and says, but wait a minute, Brother Weaver, I can show you a scripture that states that Christ abolished the law. Well, I want you to show me that.

[John Weaver] Inevitably, they'll turn to Ephesians chapter two, and that's where I want you to turn. They'll say, you turn to Ephesians chapter two and I'll show you. The Bible says this very plainly. Well, let's see what the Bible does say. Ephesians two, verse 14, talking about Christ. For he is our peace, who have made both one and have broken down the middle wall of partition between us. Now look what the Bible says. Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, that is the hatred, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances, for to make it himself of twain one new man, so making peace. Oh, you say there it is, Brother Weaver. He has abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments. Ah, but note this next phrase contain in ordinances. This verse does not say that Christ has abrogated or nullified the law. This passage refers to the ordinances that surrounded the tabernacle and the temple. The ordinances that related to worship. And what does the Bible say? That Christ has taken those out of the way.

[John Weaver] How did he do so? Not by destroying them. But by fulfilling them. Now, let me ask. Let's stop and think for a moment. Let's suppose that you were an Old Testament Israelite. And you wanted to worship God. What must you do? You must bring a sacrifice. You must come to the high priest. You must come to the temple. It must be put on the altar. Everything about the tabernacle and the temple was pictorial. It was emblematical.

[John Weaver] It was just simply a picture and a type. You say, ah, but Brother Weaver, under Christ, I don't do all of that. Oh, yes, you do. It is impossible to worship God without doing All of that, you say, what are you talking about? Well, the Bible tells us in first Corinthians chapter 15 and verse 28, that Christ is our all and in all. How is that? Let me just quote it. First of all, guess what?

[John Weaver] As New Testament Christians, we have an altar. You better have an altar. Hebrews 13 in verse 10 tells us that altar is none other than Jesus Christ. The author of Hebrews says we have an altar where those who serve the tabernacle have no right to come to. Jesus Christ is our altar. We still have a high priest. Hebrews 4 teaches us Jesus Christ is our high priest. We still have a temple. Revelation 21, verse 22 tells us Jesus Christ is our temple. We still have a sacrifice. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 5 and verse 7, even Christ, our sacrifice, our Passover sacrifice for us. You cannot come to God without an altar, without a sacrifice, without a temple, without a high priest.

[John Weaver] But now it's no more types and shadows and emblems. Now it is reality because we have the substance in Jesus Christ. He is our sacrifice. He is our altar. He is our high priest. He is our temple. So even the ceremonial law has not been done away with. It has just been fulfilled in reality and substance in Jesus Christ. Now, I suppose the greatest evidence that the law has never, ever been abrogated and set aside was that Jesus Christ kept the law perfectly in every detail. Do you know what Jesus Christ said in John 18 verse 29?

[John Weaver] He said this, And he that sent me is with me. The Father hath not left me alone, for I do always those things which please him. Do you realize that Jesus Christ kept the law of God personally, perfectly, and perpetually. Let me just give you another quote. You remember Galatians 4 verses 4 and 5? But when the fullness of time was come, what did God do? God sent forth his son, made of a woman, made under the law. to redeem those who are under the law that we might receive the adoption of sons. So when Jesus Christ was made under the law, that meant that Jesus Christ was obligated to keep the law of God personally, perfectly and perpetually.

[John Weaver] Turn in your Bibles to second Corinthians five and verse twenty one. Let me show you how important this is. Second Corinthians five, verse twenty one. I want you to think about this. How important was our Lord's obedience to the law of God? Let me ask you a question. Before I show you this verse, think about this. Let's suppose. That all Jesus Christ did for you. That all he did for you.

[John Weaver] Was he died just so that your sins may be forgiven? That's it. He did nothing else. Now, here's my question. If all our Lord did was die for us that our sins might be forgiven, would that be sufficient to get us into the presence of God? And the answer is no. No. It might keep you out of judgment, it might keep you out of hell, but it would not necessarily get you in the presence of God. Why? Because to be in God's presence, you need more than forgiveness. You need a positive righteousness. Jesus Christ did not just forgive us our sins. Jesus Christ did more than that.

[John Weaver] He made us righteous, how? By giving us His perfect righteousness. Here it is, 2 Corinthians 5, verse 21. Look at it. That is, God the Father hath made Him, that is, God the Son, to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. So here's what God did. This is the doctrine of imputation. God took our sins and imputed them to Jesus Christ. He then took that perfect obedience that Christ earned and merited and worked out under God's law and imputed that to us, so that we're not only forgiven of our sins, we have now been given an absolute perfect righteousness in Jesus Christ. So that our Lord's personal, perfect, and perpetual obedience now accrues to us. It is His righteousness that has been given to us. It is His righteousness that is charged to our account.

[John Weaver] But you say, well, now, wait a minute, Brother Weaver. If I have His righteousness as a perfect righteousness, boy, that means I don't have to obey at all. Oh, no. Not at all. You see, the doctrine of imputation does not negate our obedience. The doctrine of imputation necessitates and ensures our obedience. You say, what are you talking about? Well, you're in Second Corinthians. Look, if you would please, at chapter three to begin with. Second Corinthians, chapter three. And let's look at verses two and three first. The Apostle Paul writes these Corinthians and he says, you are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men.

[John Weaver] Now, watch for as much as you are manifestly declared to be the epistles of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink. How are they written? But with the spirit of a living God, not in tables of stone, but in the fleshly tables of the heart. What is he saying under the new covenant? We do not have the law engraved in stone. We have the law engraved in our hearts.

[John Weaver] Skip down to verse seven. He says, but if the ministration of death that is under Moses written and engraved in stone was glorious so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance, which glory was to be done away with. How shall not the ministration of the Spirit be more glorious? For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more does the ministration of righteousness exceeding glory. Now you think about all the glory that Moses had when he came down off that mount, how his face shone.

[John Weaver] He had to cover the greatness and the brightness that he had. What does the Bible say? That was to pass away. That was temporary. What is permanent is what Christ has done for us, writing His law in our hearts. Skip in your Bibles to Hebrews 8. Hebrews 8. And let's begin reading there with verse 8. Hebrews 8, verse 8. Look what the Scripture says. I don't see how anyone can deny this or try to get around it. It's so plainly taught. Hebrews 8, notice verse 8, talking about the difference between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant, he says in verse 8, for finding fault with them, he said, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not

[John Weaver] according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, which was written in stone, by the way, because they continued not in my covenant. And I regarded them not, said the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, said the Lord.

[John Weaver] I will put my laws into their mind and write them in their hearts. And I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a people watch and they shall not teach every man his neighbor and every man his brother, saying no, the Lord for all shall know me from the least to the greatest. What did God say he's going to do? He's going to write it in our hearts.

[John Weaver] Look in Hebrews chapter 10 and verse 16. Hebrews 10 verse 16. This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, said the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts and in their minds will I write them. Are you listening to me? Obedience should come naturally. for the child of God, since his law is written in our hearts and our minds. Now, the writing of God's law in our hearts and our minds does not mean that we cannot sin. It does not mean that we will not be tempted to sin, but it does mean this. We will know the difference between right and wrong, and we will know what sin is And we certainly will know that we should not engage in it.

[John Weaver] Now, let me ask you a question. How do we express our love, gratitude, thankfulness and honor to our Heavenly Father? Do we express it by disobeying Him or by obeying Him? If we wish to please our Heavenly Father, Do we please him by breaking his law or by keeping his law? The answer should be obvious. Now let me ask you a specific question. What is God's law? Let me tell you what the answer is. It is God's revealed will for his people. It is God's revealed will for his people. In other words, it is God's divine revelation as to how we are to live, treat each other, honor, worship, and obey him.

[John Weaver] I want you to turn in your Bibles to Deuteronomy chapter 6. Deuteronomy chapter 6. And I'm going to close with these verses a little bit, but just watch Deuteronomy 26 Deuteronomy 6 verses 24 and 25. Let me show you what God says concerning his law. Deuteronomy 6 verse 24. And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes. That is his law now, and the Lord commanded us to all these statutes to fear the Lord, our God, Why? Why should we keep these statutes? Why should we fear the Lord our God? Here's why. For our good always, that he might preserve us alive as it is at this day, and it shall be our righteousness if we observe to do all these commandments before the Lord our God as he has commanded us. Isn't that amazing? Do you realize what God gave us is law? It is for our good. And God says, I expect you to obey it.

[John Weaver] By the way, the New Testament does not teach differently. Do you remember what our Lord said in John 14 in verse 21? He that hath my commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me. Verse 24 says, he that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings. 1 John 5. Verse 3. And this is the love of God that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not grievous unto us. What is the love of God? Keeping His commandments. Do you remember what our Lord said in 1 John 2 and verse 4? He that said, I know Him and keepeth not His commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him. How can God say that? Because God has written His law in the hearts and minds of his people, and we know that we are to obey his word.

[John Weaver] Now, go back in your bias to Numbers chapter 25. I told you today I'm making one point and one point only. And I'm going to show it to you. The point that I'm making is this, that God's law word is our standard for righteousness. And any deviation from that truth is sin and unrighteousness. What happened at Shittim? What did God say? Oh, my people, you better remember what Balak consulted and what Balaam answered from Shittim to Gilgal that you may know the righteousness of the Lord. God's Law Word is our standard. Here's what happened in Numbers 25 verse 1. And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab.

[John Weaver] Now just stop and think about this. Look at what is said. And the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. Are you thinking? Let me ask you a question. I'm not trying to be too graphic, and I'm certainly not trying to be ugly. But do two people just automatically see each other and instantaneously begin committing fornication? What's the answer? No. If that was true, you would see people falling down on the streets and everywhere else. No. What's the Bible mean when it says and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. Here's what it means. It means that which preceded the actual physical act was an attitude of lust and covetousness. Listen carefully.

[John Weaver] One always leaves and forsakes the law of God mentally emotionally and willfully before he ever does so physically. Let me say it to you another way. When God forbids any sin, He also forbids anything and everything that will lead up to that sin. Did you hear that? When God forbids any sin, at the same time, he forbids anything and everything that would lead up to that sin.

[John Weaver] Now, look in your Bibles to Matthew 5. Remember, if you would please, the Bible says in Numbers chapter 21 there, or Numbers 25, that the people began to commit boredom with the daughters of Moab. I'm just simply pointing out to you that people leave God's law mentally, emotionally, and willfully before they ever do so physically. I'm pointing out to you that when God forbids any sin, He also forbids any and everything that leads up to that sin. Now, look in Matthew 5, verse 27, at what our Lord says. You have heard it was said by them of old times, that is the Pharisees, thou shalt not commit adultery. In other words, no physical act of adultery. That's what they taught. They externalized God's law. But our Lord says, look, the law of God has an internal and a spiritual application as well.

[John Weaver] But I say unto you that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. When did the adultery begin? With the lusting. With the willful, mental, and emotional forsaking of the law of God. The point I'm trying to make, folks, is this. You and I just simply do not go out and start flagrantly sinning and violating the law of God.

[John Weaver] We always think about it. We always desire it. We always plan it. We always lust after it. We always covet it. And any deviation from God's law is sin, whether it is a physical act or mental or emotional, or spiritual act. So when God forbids any sin, He forbids any and everything that would lead up to that sin. And when you begin to lust and covet and desire, then you've sinned. Why? Because you have deviated from the law of God. Now what did God say?

[John Weaver] Oh my people, Remember what Balak consulted and what Balaam answered from Shittet to Gilgal, why? That you may know the righteousness of the Lord. The first thing we learn about God's righteousness is this. That his word is absolute truth. that his word is his will for our lives, and when we deviate from it in any way whatsoever, we have sinned against God. We've left and forgotten his righteousness.

[John Weaver] Now, let me make just a couple of applications. The first one is this. If you and I are to learn the righteousness of God, we must comprehend the fact that his law expresses his righteous will for each of us. You remember what God told Joshua in Joshua chapter one in verse eight. Listen. He said this book of the law shall not depart out of my mouth. But thou shalt meditate therein day and night that thou mayst observe to do according to all that is written therein for them For then shalt thou make thy way prosperous, and then shalt thou have good success. And what did God get out of his mouth? He said, Joshua, if you want to be successful, if you want to be prosperous, if you want to be righteous, if you want to be holy, you learn my law. And you don't depart from it.

[John Weaver] Now, I want to ask that you turn in your Bibles to Romans chapter three, because inevitably, invariably, someone is going to come up and say, now, Brother Weaver, we're justified by faith and not by works. I understand that. The law was never given for justification. But let me tell you something. The doctrine of justification by faith alone does not negate the law of God. Look what the Apostle Paul argued in Romans chapter 3. He says, verse 30, Romans 3 verse 30. Seeing it is one God who shall justify the circumcision by faith and the uncircumcision by faith, do we then make the law through faith? What's his answer? God forbid we establish the law. What is the apostle Paul saying that any true teaching of justification by faith alone establishes God's law? It does not negate it. It does not destroy.

[John Weaver] It does not do away with it. It establishes God's law. Because when we're saved by faith, we automatically want to know, how can I please God? How can I obey God? And the answer is, here's the law. God says, obey my word because this is my will. Therefore, anyone who preaches any gospel, so-called, that denies, despises, denigrates, and destroys the law of God is not preaching true justification by faith alone. For true justification by faith alone undergirds the law of God. And please remember this. God's law is given for our benefit and for our blessing. It was not given as a hindrance. It was not given as a burden and a curse.

[John Weaver] What did Deuteronomy 6 verse 24 say? Let me read it to you. And the Lord God commanded us to do all these statutes to fear the Lord our God always, that he might preserve us alive as it is this day. You know what was so burdensome in the New Testament and in the Old Testament, particularly, especially the 400 years between the Old Testament and the New Testament? That which was so burdensome was the pharisaical misinterpretation of the law and the pharisaical traditions. And that's what our Lord got rid of in Matthew chapter 5. That's why I said you've heard it said by them of old time. But I say unto you, let me tell you something, folks. God's law is for our good.

[John Weaver] It is for our blessing. It is not for our cursing. It is not for our hindrance. And when God says thou shalt not commit adultery, that is for our good. When God says thou shalt not steal, that is for our good. When God says thou shalt not kill, that is for our good. When God says remember your father and mother and honor them, that is for our good. God didn't give his law to to chastise us, he gave it to be a blessing for us that we might have a prosperous, successful life and to know his righteousness. Learn one thing today. Learn this. That God's law word is our standard for righteousness.

[John Weaver] And any deviation from that truth is sin and unrighteousness. If you want to live a holy, godly life, you must live by the Word of God. What did our Lord say? Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word which proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Let's pray. Father, we ask that you would speak to us and teach us and Lord, may we learn this one simple principle today, that your word is truth. And that any deviation, any shape, form or fashion, mentally, emotionally, willfully, physically is sin and unrighteousness. Make us obedient and make us holy. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.

Learning the Righteousness of God - 1

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	82205114258
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Romans: Justification, Faith, and Imputed Righteousness: Who is Israel?
Genre	Sermon
Date	2005-08-14
Dictation Name
Book	Book 165: Learning the Righteousness of God — Chapter 1
Source Timed Segments	85

Formatted Transcript

Introduction: Man Does Not Know God by Nature

Weaver establishes that fallen man lacks intuitive knowledge of God and cannot know Him apart from divine revelation, citing Ephesians 4:17-18 and 1 Corinthians 2:14.

Micah chapter 6, and we're going to probably read at least the first eight verses. I'm going to be using one verse, but then turning around and expounding really another passage of Scripture later on. And let me tell you, this message is going to be the first of probably at least five. I don't know, I'm not through yet doing the study on the series. But the message is entitled "Learning the Righteousness of God, Learning the Righteousness of God." So this is going to be the first part of probably a five-part series. So let's look at Micah, chapter six. Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Micah—Micah six, verse one.

Scripture Reading — Micah 6:1-8

"Hear you now what the Lord said. Arise, contend thou before the mountains and let the hills hear thy voice. Hear ye, O mountains, the Lord's controversy, and you strong foundations of the earth. For the Lord hath a controversy with his people, he will plead with Israel. O my people, what have I done unto thee, and wherein have I wearied thee? Testify against me. For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of servants. And I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the righteousness of the Lord." "Wherewith shall I come before the Lord and bow myself before the high God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has showed thee, O man, what is good, and what doth the Lord require thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God."

Learning the righteousness of God. It may surprise many to find out that man does not intuitively nor instinctively know God. In fact, the truth of the matter is simply this: fallen man does not know God at all, nor does he have the capacity or the ability to know God. Now, he may know that there is a God, but he does not know who the one true and living God really is. Evidence of this fact is found in all the pagan countries because they worship idols of every shape, form, and fashion.

Scripture Reading — Acts 17:23

But moreover, the Scriptures are exceedingly clear. Do you remember in Acts chapter 17, when the Apostle Paul came to preach at Mars Hill? The Bible tells us that he beheld their devotions to the gods and they had altars there to every imaginary and conceivable God that there might possibly be. But just in case they had left one out, they even had an altar there to the unknown God. Well, that's exactly what God is to the average individual. He is the unknown God, because man by nature just simply does not know God. If you would hold Micah 6, we're coming back there. But look in your Bibles to the book of Ephesians, chapter 4, and then we're going to go to 1 Corinthians, chapter 2. So Ephesians, chapter 4, and then we're going to go to 1 Corinthians, chapter 2. Just showing you the fact that man does not know God by nature. In Ephesians chapter 4, look what the Bible says in verse 18. In fact, let's read verse 17. He says, "This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk." How?

"In the vanity of their mind." Now, notice the word "vanity." The word "vanity" means uselessness, worthlessness. So he says they're walking in the worthlessness of their mind. Why is their mind worthless and useless? Here's why in verse 18: "Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart." Now note the Bible says that they are alienated from God through the ignorance that is in them. That is, they simply do not know God.

Now, let me spell it out for you. Fallen man does not know the one true and living God. He does not know Him intuitively. He does not know Him instinctively. And if you look in 1 Corinthians chapter 2, this passage is even more explicit. 1 Corinthians 2, verse 14, where it teaches us that fallen man does not even have the ability to know God in and of himself. So in 1 Corinthians 2 and verse 14, the Bible says this: "But the natural man"—that is, the unsaved man or man by nature—"but the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God."

Why does he not receive them? Here's why: "For they are foolishness unto him." Well, let's ask, why are they foolishness unto him? Here's why: "Neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned." And may I remind you that "can" is a term of ability. "Neither can he know them." In other words, fallen man in and of himself does not have the ability. He does not have the capability to know the things of God. Now, clearly, as you study through the Bible, the Bible teaches that man does not have the ability to know God.

Believers Must Learn Christ

Even regenerated believers do not automatically possess full knowledge of God; they must learn Christ and grow in understanding, as seen in Ephesians 4:20-24 and 1 John 2.

Now, he may know that there is indeed a God, and he may know that he is the true God, and he may know that he is the one Lord and the Savior and the Redeemer and the Judge, and yes, he is saved. He understands that. But just simply because an individual is regenerated and converted does not mean that he has automatic divine truth. In fact, as you study the Bible, you'll find, like in 1 John 2, John divides believers into three categories. He says there are babes, there are young men, and there are fathers. I want you to understand that the knowledge and the understanding of each one of those groups differ drastically. You take a little two-year-old child. I was around one this past week, a beautiful little girl, and she was just as loving and kind as she could be. Now that little girl knew who her parents were, that is for certain sure. But I can assure you she could not delineate what type of work her dad did, nor anything about his character, nor anything about his attributes. The knowledge a baby has is quite different from that of a young man. And the knowledge that a father has is quite different from that of a young man. So he says, here are these three particular groups of believers.

And so just because someone has been converted and regenerated by the grace of God does not mean that he automatically possesses all divine truth. Now, I want you to look in your Bibles to the book of Ephesians chapter 4 again. Let me show you a contrast. We read verses 17 and 18 of Ephesians chapter 4 showing you how man is indeed alienated from God, but let's go back and read those again and then go just a little further to show you a strong contrast. In Ephesians 4 verse 17 Paul writes this: "I say therefore and testify in the Lord, that you henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart, who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness."

Now, look at the next word, "but," which is a strong word of contrast. "But," he says, "you have not so learned Christ." And then if you look at the next verse: "If so be that you have heard him and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus, that you put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." Now, I want you to note what he said after he shows you what man is by nature and how he is alienated from God and totally ignorant of God. He comes with this strong contrast and he says, "But you have not so learned Christ." I want to point out the fact that we must learn Christ. In other words, here is something new to us. It is a new knowledge. It is a new way.

That's why he said, "Therefore, if you have heard Him and have been taught by Him as the truth is in Jesus, what will you do? You will put off your old habits, your old attitudes, your old conduct, and you will put in its place new habits and new attitudes and new conduct which is in line with the righteousness of God." In other words, this is known as learning Christ. And the truth is, we must learn Christ constantly and consistently, even on a daily basis. That's why the Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 2 and verse 15, "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." So the truth is this, folks. As God's people, as believers, as Christians, we should be forever learning and forever increasing in faith. In fact, Scripture teaches us that we're to be going from faith to faith and from glory to glory. We're to be ever increasing in the knowledge of our Heavenly Father.

God's Controversy with His People in Micah 6

God has a controversy with Israel because they grew weary of Him, paralleling the dullness of the Hebrews in Hebrews 5:11-12, and calls them to remember His works.

"Hear you now what the Lord said. Arise, contend thou therefore before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice." You got something to say against God? He said, go ahead and speak it. But I'm going to tell you something. He says, "Hear ye, O mountains, the Lord's controversy." You think you're upset with God? God has far more reason to be upset with you. So he says, "Hear ye, O mountains, the Lord's controversy, and you strong foundations of the earth, for the Lord hath a controversy with his people, he will plead with Israel." So God then is upset, so to speak, in Micah chapter 6. He's got a controversy. He has a grievance against his people. What did the controversy arise over? Look in verse 3. "O my people, what have I done unto thee? And wherein have I wearied thee? Testify against me." Here's the controversy. The people of Israel were tired of God. They grew weary of God. God said, "Wherein have you grown weary with me? All I've ever done is bless you."

"I give you fresh air. I give you rain. I give you sunshine. I give you help. I give you family. I give you friends. I give you everything. And now you've grown weary with serving me. You've grown weary with worshiping me." Oh, he said in verse 4, "For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt and redeemed thee out of the house of servants. And I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam."

He said, "You better remember, if it was not for me, you would not have anything. You'd still be in the land of Egypt. You'd still be slaves. I'm the one that brought you up. I'm the one that saved you. I'm the one that gave you everything that you have. And now you are weary with me." I want to show you something. Hold Micah 6, but turn in your Bibles to the book of Hebrews chapter 5. And let's look at verses 11 and 12, because in Hebrews chapter 5, verses 11 and 12, the author of the book of Hebrews gives the same argument against these New Testament Hebrews. Notice in Hebrews chapter 5, verse 11. Hebrews 5, verse 11, in the context, he's talking about the person and work of Jesus Christ. In fact, verse 10 says, "Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchizedek." So we're talking about Christ, the Savior. Now, watch what he says in verse 11: "Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered."

That is, they're very deep. "Seeing you are dull of hearing. For when for the time you ought to be teachers, you have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God, and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat." What is his complaint against these people? He said, "Look, there's a lot of things I would really love to teach you, but you are dull." That is, you're dim-witted. You're sleepy-headed. You're drowsy. You're not listening. You're not paying attention. You're not learning. And he says, "When I've taught you so long, when it comes time for you to be the teacher, you've forgotten everything, you really haven't learned everything, so that I have to turn around and teach you again." What's that mean? It means these people in Hebrews 5 had grown weary with God, just like those people in Micah chapter 6.

You know, that's an amazing thought, isn't it? That we can grow weary of God. It's a scary thought. Now, go back, if you would please, to Micah, chapter 6. The point I wanted to make by incorporating Hebrews 5 is simply this: in Micah, chapter 6, and in Hebrews, chapter 5, the people are regressing instead of progressing. Instead of going forward, they were going backwards. Do you know that's exactly where the average professing Christian is today? He's going backwards. He's not going forward. Yeah, we've not only forgotten that we're supposed to go forward, we've even forgotten that old hymn, "Onward, Christian Soldiers." You see, we're regressing. We're not progressing. And we've certainly forgotten our Lord's admonition in Micah 6 and verse 5. Now, watch this. The first two verses:

The Call to Remember from Shittim to Gilgal

Micah 6:5 commands remembrance of Balak and Balaam from Shittim to Gilgal to know God's righteousness, pointing to Numbers 25 and the events at Shittim.

God has a controversy with Israel. Verses 3 and 4, he tells you why he has a controversy. That is, they've grown weary of God. And then in verse 5, he nails it down. Look what he says: "O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal, that you may know the righteousness of the Lord." Underline that: "that you may know the righteousness of the Lord." Look what he says. If you want to know my righteousness, if you want to learn something about me, then you've got to remember what Balak, the king of Moab, consulted and what Balaam, the son of Beor, answered from Shittim unto Gilgal, that you may know the righteousness of God. Now, look in verse 6. This further explains verse 5. Here's what the people would be saying: "Wherewith shall I come before the Lord and bow down myself unto the high God?" In other words, if I'm going to know his righteousness, if I'm going to worship him, how do I do that?

"Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn"—that is my child—"for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?" And of course the answer to all of that is no. Then he says in verse 8, "He has showed thee, O man, what is good, and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God." In other words, he said, "God has showed you, you've just forgotten it."

Now, someone is going to ask, "Well, Brother Weaver, how does Micah 6 and verse 5 apply to me? Because I am a New Testament Christian." Well, you know the answer to that. We have one Bible, not two. And we have one God, not two. All of the Bible is the word of God, and all of the Bible is applicable to all of God's people. I want to remind you of two passages. I want you to hold Micah 6.

But go in your Bibles to Romans chapter 15 and 1 Corinthians chapter 10. And let me show you how God specifically tells you that everything that happened to Israel in the Old Testament happened for our benefit. So there is a New Testament application to Old Testament incidents. In Romans 15 in verse 4, the Bible says this:

Scripture Reading — Romans 15:4

"Now whatsoever things were written aforetime"

—that's the Old Testament—

Scripture Reading — Romans 15:4

"were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope."

Now look what he said. "Whatsoever things were written aforetime," why were they written? They were written for our learning, that we, through patience and comfort of the scriptures, might have hope. Now, if you look in 1 Corinthians 10, very quickly, at verse 6—and by the way, when you look in 1 Corinthians 10, the subject and the context is the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt. You can see that for yourself in verses 1 and 2 and 3 and dealing with all the wilderness wanderings as well. And then in verse 6, he says this concerning what happened to Israel in the Old Testament. He says, "But"—verse 6—

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 10:6, 11

"now these things were our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted."

Skip down to verse 11: "Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples"—or examples—"and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come." So everything that happened to Israel in the Old Testament, he says, is for our admonition and for our benefit.

Now as you look back to Micah 6 and verse 5, God tells us that we are especially to consider what happened from Shittim to Gilgal, that we might know the righteousness of God. So this would include a great deal of time that we would need to look at and study to learn all that God reveals about his righteousness. I'm not going to be able to certainly to do it all, but he talks about Shittim and I'm going to tell you more about this place a little bit later. Actually, the word is also the word Acacia for the Acacia tree. It is called Abel Shittim in Numbers 33 and verse 49. This was a plain in the land of Moab where the Israelites had encamped after their two victories over Sihon and Og. This was at the close or the end of the wilderness wanderings. This was also where basically Joshua sent out the twelve spies to spy out the land. In other words, Shittim is just about before they're getting ready to go in to conquer the land. Now, to Gilgal. He says from Shittim to Gilgal. Gilgal was the place in the plains of Jericho, in the east border of Jericho. It is here where the Israelites camped after they crossed Jordan in Joshua chapter 4. It was here in Joshua 4 and 5 that they kept the Passover.

It's here that they reinstituted circumcision. And it is here that those twelve memorial stones were set up as they crossed over the river. Now, the word Gilgal means "a rolling." Because after they had the Passover, reinstituted circumcision, all it meant was now the reproach of their slavery in Egypt was certainly being rolled away. So what does God say? He says, "O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the righteousness of God." So there is something particularly revealing about the time from Shittim to Gilgal, especially those two instances that would teach us and instruct us on the righteousness of God. I want you to go back in your Bibles, if you would please, to Numbers 25, because that is the passage that God has in mind when he says you better remember what Balak consulted and what Balaam answered, that you may know what is the righteousness of the Lord.

The Sin at Shittim: Violating God's Law

Israel's whoredom and idolatry at Shittim (Numbers 25:1-3) violated the Ten Commandments, demonstrating that breaking one law makes one guilty of all (James 2:10-11).

Right now, I'm going to be limiting myself to that which happened in Shittim. And let me just tell you, without me reading all of Numbers 25, I'm going to read part of it, just maybe the first three verses, because it'll take me another two weeks just to deal with these three verses. But this is the incident where the children of Moab seduce the Israelites into adultery, fornication, and idolatry. This is where God gave the death sentence against all those who participated in the worship of Baal Peor. This is where Phinehas took a javelin and went in and pierced a man and a woman through who were committing fornication in the camp of Israel. So there are a number of lessons that can be learned here. Let's look at the first three verses.

Scripture Reading — Numbers 25:1-3

"And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods, and the people did eat and bowed down to their gods, and Israel joined himself unto Baal Peor, and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel."

Now let me just stop there just for a moment. When you read the first three verses, the thing that automatically strikes your mind, or at least should strike your mind, was that the people of Israel violated, basically, four of the original Ten Commandments instantaneously. They violated the first commandment, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." They violated the second commandment which deals with making false gods and bowing down before them. They violated the seventh commandment, "Thou shalt not commit adultery." They violated the tenth commandment, "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife or his land or anything that is thy neighbor's."

But you see, in reality, what they did was this: they didn't just violate four of the Ten Commandments. They violated all of the Ten Commandments. I want you to understand this one truth: that whenever you violate one part of God's law, you are guilty of violating all of God's law. So if you want to hold Numbers 25, but look in your Bibles to the book of James chapter 2—Hebrews, James—and let's read verses 10 and 11 and you will see exactly what I'm talking about. So hold Numbers 25 and turn in your Bibles to James 2 and look at verses 10 and 11. Because here God specifically says what I just told you. He says, "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all."

"For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law." What's he saying? If you break the law in one part, you have broken it in all. Let me put it very plainly: God's law either stands or falls together—all of it. You either obey it all or you violate it all. It's just that simple.

Now, let me prove one other thing before I get started today with the very single point that I want to give. I want you to understand it is impossible to sin without violating the law of God. I'm going to show you that in the Scripture just for a moment. But before I give you the verses, let me go ahead and tell you the one point that I'm going to share with you today. I'm going to drive this home hopefully over and over. Here it is: God's law-word is our standard for righteousness. And any deviation from his truth is sin and unrighteousness.

God's Law-Word as the Standard of Righteousness

The central point: God's law is the standard for righteousness; any deviation is sin. Sin is defined as transgression of the law (1 John 3:4), and the law reveals sin (Romans 3:20, 7:7-9).

Let me say that again. Here's what you need to learn: God's law-word is our standard for righteousness. And any deviation from his truth is sin and unrighteousness. That's why he said in James 2, if you offend in one, you're guilty of all. Now, I just got it out of my mouth that it is impossible to sin without violating the law of God. I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Romans chapter 3. I'm going to show you a verse or a couple of them there. But as you turn there, I want to quote a verse for you: 1 John 3 and verse 4. I've quoted this verse here a number of times, but here it is again:

Scripture Reading — 1 John 3:4

"Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law."

What is sin? Sin is a transgression of the law. It's a violation of God's law. When God says "Thou shalt not" and you say "I'm going to," that's sin. When God says "Thou shalt" and you say "I'm not," that's sin. What is sin? Sin is a violation of God's law. Now, look in Romans 3 and verse 20. The law, one of the reasons God gave it, was so that we would know what sin really truly is. In Romans 3 and verse 20, he says this truth: "Therefore by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in his sight." Why? "For by the law is the knowledge of sin." How do I know that adultery is wrong?

How do I know that thieving is wrong? How do I know that murder is wrong? How do I know that covetousness is wrong? Because God said, "I've given you my law. I've given you my standard. And when I tell you what is right and what is wrong, that is my standard. And you can know based upon my law."

Now, let me show you: the law has a spiritual application as well as an external application. In Romans 7, look at verses 7 through 9. Romans 7, verses 7 through 9. And I want to emphasize this because it's vitally important. The Apostle Paul says in Romans 7, verse 7, "What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid"—that is, perish the thought. Don't even let that thought enter your mind. "I had not known sin, but by the law. For I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet." Now look what he says: "But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead." Now watch: "For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died." Now what in the world is Paul talking about? How can he say, "I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died"? You've got to remember Paul's pedigree.

He listed for you in Philippians chapter 3. He said he was a Hebrew of the Hebrews, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Pharisee of the Pharisees. And then he says, "as touching the law, blameless." Blameless. Now, here's my question: Was the apostle Paul perfect? Well, of course not. Well, how could he say he was blameless? You remember, Paul was a Pharisee. What did the Pharisees do? They had the law narrowed down to all externals. Paul said, "I had my own righteousness. I kept all these externals."

"I thought I had it made." But he said, "when the commandment came"—that is, when I saw the spirituality of God's law, when I saw the applicability of God's law, and I saw that it meant more than externals and internals—when God said "Thou shalt not commit adultery," it was not just that you not commit the physical act, you're not to have a lustful or covetous heart in your life. When God says "Thou shalt not steal," it's not that you just do not go out and rob somebody. You don't covet. You don't become selfish. You don't become a grudging individual. The law then has a spiritual inward application as well as an external application. So Paul said, "I had not even known sin but by the law." He said, "Therefore, when the law came in its fullness, what happened? Sin revived and I died."

In other words, I found out I was a sinner. I thought I was perfect, and I was totally, perfectly lost and undone and ungodly. That's all I was. But I would have never known that, he said, without the law.

The Law Fulfilled, Not Abolished

Christ did not abolish the law but fulfilled it (Matthew 5:17-18). The ceremonial law is fulfilled in Christ as our altar, priest, temple, and sacrifice. The moral law remains, written on believers' hearts (Hebrews 8:10, 10:16).

Now, let me just tell you something, and please don't even let this enter into your mind. Don't even think that the law of God has been nullified, abrogated, set aside, done away with, or destroyed. It has not been. Let me tell you what our Lord said in Matthew 5 verses 17 and 18. Listen carefully. He said, "Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. 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." Now, what did our Lord say? He said, "Think not."

That is the same thing the Apostle Paul said: "Perish the thought." Don't even let that thought in your mind that he had come to set aside the law. He said, "I have not come to set it aside. I have come to fulfill the law." And the word "fulfill" literally means to put into full force as continuous. It means to fill and to keep full.

Now, there are some individuals who try to argue and say, "Well, the law has been done away with." Well, look at Romans 7 in verse 12, since you're right there. Look what the Apostle Paul said under the inspiration of the Scripture and the Holy Spirit, I might add. He says, "Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good." Now, if God's law is holy and the commandment holy, just, and good, why in the world would God do away with or set aside or abrogate anything that was holy, just, and good? Ask yourself that question. He would not. Someone objects and says, "But wait a minute, Brother Weaver, I can show you a scripture that states that Christ abolished the law." Well, I want you to show me that.

Inevitably, they'll turn to Ephesians chapter 2, and that's where I want you to turn. They'll say, "You turn to Ephesians chapter 2 and I'll show you. The Bible says this very plainly." Well, let's see what the Bible does say. Ephesians 2, verse 14, talking about Christ:

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 2:14-15

"For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us."

Now look what the Bible says:

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 2:14-15

"Having abolished in his flesh the enmity"

—that is the hatred—

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 2:14-15

"even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace."

Oh, you say,

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 2:14-15

"There it is, Brother Weaver. He has abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments."

Ah, but note this next phrase: "contained in ordinances." This verse does not say that Christ has abrogated or nullified the law. This passage refers to the ordinances that surrounded the tabernacle and the temple—the ordinances that related to worship. And what does the Bible say? That Christ has taken those out of the way.

How did he do so? Not by destroying them, but by fulfilling them. Now, let me ask—let's stop and think for a moment. Let's suppose that you were an Old Testament Israelite and you wanted to worship God. What must you do? You must bring a sacrifice. You must come to the high priest. You must come to the temple. It must be put on the altar. Everything about the tabernacle and the temple was pictorial. It was emblematic.

It was just simply a picture and a type. You say, "Ah, but Brother Weaver, under Christ, I don't do all of that." Oh, yes, you do. It is impossible to worship God without doing all of that. You say, "What are you talking about?" Well, the Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians chapter 15 and verse 28 that Christ is our all and in all. How is that? Let me just quote it. First of all, guess what?

As New Testament Christians, we have an altar. You better have an altar. Hebrews 13 in verse 10 tells us that altar is none other than Jesus Christ. The author of Hebrews says, "We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle." Jesus Christ is our altar. We still have a high priest. Hebrews 4 teaches us Jesus Christ is our high priest. We still have a temple. Revelation 21, verse 22 tells us Jesus Christ is our temple. We still have a sacrifice. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 5 and verse 7, "even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us." You cannot come to God without an altar, without a sacrifice, without a temple, without a high priest.

But now it's no more types and shadows and emblems. Now it is reality because we have the substance in Jesus Christ. He is our sacrifice. He is our altar. He is our high priest. He is our temple. So even the ceremonial law has not been done away with. It has just been fulfilled in reality and substance in Jesus Christ. Now, I suppose the greatest evidence that the law has never, ever been abrogated and set aside was that Jesus Christ kept the law perfectly in every detail. Do you know what Jesus Christ said in John 8 verse 29?

He said this: "And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him." Do you realize that Jesus Christ kept the law of God personally, perfectly, and perpetually? Let me just give you another quote. You remember Galatians 4 verses 4 and 5? "But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons." So when Jesus Christ was made under the law, that meant that Jesus Christ was obligated to keep the law of God personally, perfectly, and perpetually. Turn in your Bibles to 2 Corinthians 5 and verse 21. Let me show you how important this is. 2 Corinthians 5, verse 21. I want you to think about this. How important was our Lord's obedience to the law of God? Let me ask you a question before I show you this verse. Think about this. Let's suppose that all Jesus Christ did for you—that all he did for you—

was he died just so that your sins may be forgiven? That's it. He did nothing else. Now, here's my question: If all our Lord did was die for us that our sins might be forgiven, would that be sufficient to get us into the presence of God? And the answer is no. No. It might keep you out of judgment, it might keep you out of hell, but it would not necessarily get you in the presence of God. Why? Because to be in God's presence, you need more than forgiveness. You need a positive righteousness. Jesus Christ did not just forgive us our sins. Jesus Christ did more than that.

He made us righteous, how? By giving us His perfect righteousness. Here it is, 2 Corinthians 5, verse 21. Look at it: "For he"—that is, God the Father—"hath made him"—that is, God the Son—"to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." So here's what God did. This is the doctrine of imputation. God took our sins and imputed them to Jesus Christ. He then took that perfect obedience that Christ earned and merited and worked out under God's law and imputed that to us, so that we're not only forgiven of our sins, we have now been given an absolute perfect righteousness in Jesus Christ. So that our Lord's personal, perfect, and perpetual obedience now accrues to us. It is His righteousness that has been given to us. It is His righteousness that is charged to our account.

But you say, "Well, now, wait a minute, Brother Weaver. If I have His righteousness as a perfect righteousness, boy, that means I don't have to obey at all." Oh, no. Not at all. You see, the doctrine of imputation does not negate our obedience. The doctrine of imputation necessitates and ensures our obedience. You say, "What are you talking about?" Well, you're in 2 Corinthians. Look, if you would please, at chapter 3 to begin with. 2 Corinthians, chapter 3. And let's look at verses 2 and 3 first. The Apostle Paul writes these Corinthians and he says, "Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men."

Now, watch: "Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink"—how are they written?—"but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart." What is he saying? Under the new covenant, we do not have the law engraved in stone. We have the law engraved in our hearts. Skip down to verse 7. He says, "But if the ministration of death"—that is under Moses—"written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: how shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory." Now you think about all the glory that Moses had when he came down off that mount, how his face shone.

He had to cover the greatness and the brightness that he had. What does the Bible say? That was to pass away. That was temporary. What is permanent is what Christ has done for us, writing His law in our hearts. Skip in your Bibles to Hebrews 8. Hebrews 8. And let's begin reading there with verse 8. Hebrews 8, verse 8. Look what the Scripture says. I don't see how anyone can deny this or try to get around it. It's so plainly taught. Hebrews 8, notice verse 8, talking about the difference between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant, he says in verse 8, "For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: not

according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt"—which was written in stone, by the way—"because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people." Watch: "And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest." What did God say he's going to do? He's going to write it in our hearts.

Look in Hebrews chapter 10 and verse 16. Hebrews 10 verse 16:

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 8:10, 10:16

"This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them."

Are you listening to me? Obedience should come naturally for the child of God, since his law is written in our hearts and our minds. Now, the writing of God's law in our hearts and our minds does not mean that we cannot sin. It does not mean that we will not be tempted to sin, but it does mean this: we will know the difference between right and wrong, and we will know what sin is, and we certainly will know that we should not engage in it.

Application: Living by God's Law

Believers express love for God by keeping His commandments (John 14:21). The law is for our good (Deuteronomy 6:24-25), and justification by faith establishes the law (Romans 3:31).

Now, let me ask you a question. How do we express our love, gratitude, thankfulness, and honor to our Heavenly Father? Do we express it by disobeying Him or by obeying Him? If we wish to please our Heavenly Father, do we please Him by breaking His law or by keeping His law? The answer should be obvious. Now let me ask you a specific question: What is God's law? Let me tell you what the answer is. It is God's revealed will for His people. It is God's revealed will for His people. In other words, it is God's divine revelation as to how we are to live, treat each other, honor, worship, and obey Him.

I want you to turn in your Bibles to Deuteronomy chapter 6. Deuteronomy chapter 6. And I'm going to close with these verses a little bit, but just watch Deuteronomy 6 verses 24 and 25. Let me show you what God says concerning His law. Deuteronomy 6 verse 24: "And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes"—that is His law—"and the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God." Why? Why should we keep these statutes? Why should we fear the Lord our God? Here's why: "for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day. And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the Lord our God, as he hath commanded us." Isn't that amazing? Do you realize what God gave us is law? It is for our good. And God says, "I expect you to obey it."

By the way, the New Testament does not teach differently. Do you remember what our Lord said in John 14 in verse 21? "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me." Verse 24 says, "He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings." 1 John 5, verse 3: "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous." What is the love of God? Keeping His commandments. Do you remember what our Lord said in 1 John 2 and verse 4? "He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." How can God say that? Because God has written His law in the hearts and minds of His people, and we know that we are to obey His word.

Now, go back in your Bibles to Numbers chapter 25. I told you today I'm making one point and one point only. And I'm going to show it to you. The point that I'm making is this: that God's law-word is our standard for righteousness. And any deviation from that truth is sin and unrighteousness. What happened at Shittim? What did God say? "O my people, you better remember what Balak consulted and what Balaam answered from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the righteousness of the Lord." God's law-word is our standard. Here's what happened in Numbers 25 verse 1: "And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab."

Now just stop and think about this. Look at what is said: "And the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab." Are you thinking? Let me ask you a question. I'm not trying to be too graphic, and I'm certainly not trying to be ugly. But do two people just automatically see each other and instantaneously begin committing fornication? What's the answer? No. If that was true, you would see people falling down on the streets and everywhere else. No. What's the Bible mean when it says "and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab"? Here's what it means. It means that which preceded the actual physical act was an attitude of lust and covetousness. Listen carefully.

One always leaves and forsakes the law of God mentally, emotionally, and willfully before he ever does so physically. Let me say it to you another way: When God forbids any sin, He also forbids anything and everything that will lead up to that sin. Did you hear that? When God forbids any sin, at the same time, He forbids anything and everything that would lead up to that sin.

Now, look in your Bibles to Matthew 5. Remember, if you would please, the Bible says in Numbers chapter 25 there that the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. I'm just simply pointing out to you that people leave God's law mentally, emotionally, and willfully before they ever do so physically. I'm pointing out to you that when God forbids any sin, He also forbids any and everything that leads up to that sin. Now, look in Matthew 5, verse 27, at what our Lord says: "Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time"—that is the Pharisees—"Thou shalt not commit adultery." In other words, no physical act of adultery. That's what they taught. They externalized God's law. But our Lord says, "Look, the law of God has an internal and a spiritual application as well."

"But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." When did the adultery begin? With the lusting. With the willful, mental, and emotional forsaking of the law of God. The point I'm trying to make, folks, is this: You and I just simply do not go out and start flagrantly sinning and violating the law of God. We always think about it. We always desire it. We always plan it. We always lust after it. We always covet it. And any deviation from God's law is sin, whether it is a physical act or mental or emotional or spiritual act. So when God forbids any sin, He forbids any and everything that would lead up to that sin. And when you begin to lust and covet and desire, then you've sinned. Why? Because you have deviated from the law of God. Now what did God say?

"O my people, remember what Balak consulted and what Balaam answered from Shittim to Gilgal," why? "That you may know the righteousness of the Lord." The first thing we learn about God's righteousness is this: that His word is absolute truth. That His word is His will for our lives, and when we deviate from it in any way whatsoever, we have sinned against God. We've left and forgotten His righteousness.

Now, let me make just a couple of applications. The first one is this: If you and I are to learn the righteousness of God, we must comprehend the fact that His law expresses His righteous will for each of us. You remember what God told Joshua in Joshua chapter 1 in verse 8? Listen: "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success." And what did God get out of his mouth? He said, "Joshua, if you want to be successful, if you want to be prosperous, if you want to be righteous, if you want to be holy, you learn my law. And you don't depart from it."

Now, I want to ask that you turn in your Bibles to Romans chapter 3, because inevitably, invariably, someone is going to come up and say, "Now, Brother Weaver, we're justified by faith and not by works." I understand that. The law was never given for justification. But let me tell you something: The doctrine of justification by faith alone does not negate the law of God. Look what the Apostle Paul argued in Romans chapter 3. He says, verse 30, Romans 3 verse 30: "Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith. Do we then make void the law through faith?" What's his answer? "God forbid: yea, we establish the law." What is the apostle Paul saying? That any true teaching of justification by faith alone establishes God's law. It does not negate it. It does not destroy it.

It does not do away with it. It establishes God's law. Because when we're saved by faith, we automatically want to know, "How can I please God? How can I obey God?" And the answer is, "Here's the law." God says, "Obey my word because this is my will." Therefore, anyone who preaches any gospel, so-called, that denies, despises, denigrates, and destroys the law of God is not preaching true justification by faith alone. For true justification by faith alone undergirds the law of God. And please remember this: God's law is given for our benefit and for our blessing. It was not given as a hindrance. It was not given as a burden and a curse.

What did Deuteronomy 6 verse 24 say? Let me read it to you: "And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day." You know what was so burdensome in the New Testament and in the Old Testament, particularly, especially the 400 years between the Old Testament and the New Testament? That which was so burdensome was the pharisaical misinterpretation of the law and the pharisaical traditions. And that's what our Lord got rid of in Matthew chapter 5. That's why I said, "You've heard it said by them of old time. But I say unto you." Let me tell you something, folks: God's law is for our good. It is for our blessing. It is not for our cursing. It is not for our hindrance. And when God says "Thou shalt not commit adultery," that is for our good. When God says "Thou shalt not steal," that is for our good. When God says "Thou shalt not kill," that is for our good. When God says "Remember thy father and thy mother and honor them," that is for our good. God didn't give his law to chastise us; he gave it to be a blessing for us that we might have a prosperous, successful life and to know his righteousness. Learn one thing today. Learn this: that God's law-word is our standard for righteousness.

Study Guide

Major Themes

Man's Inability to Know God Apart from Revelation

Summary: Fallen man does not know God intuitively or instinctively; he is alienated from God and cannot understand spiritual things without divine intervention.

Evidence: Ephesians 4:17-18 describes Gentiles as having darkened understanding and being alienated from God; 1 Corinthians 2:14 says the natural man cannot know the things of the Spirit.

The Necessity of Learning Christ

Summary: Even believers must learn Christ and grow in knowledge; conversion does not impart automatic divine truth, as seen in the categories of babes, young men, and fathers in 1 John 2.

Evidence: Ephesians 4:20-24 contrasts the old man with learning Christ; 2 Timothy 2:15 commands study to rightly divide the word.

God's Controversy with His People

Summary: God has a controversy with Israel because they grew weary of Him, paralleling the dullness of the Hebrews in Hebrews 5:11-12, who regressed instead of progressing.

Evidence: Micah 6:2-3 states God's controversy and His plea; Hebrews 5:11-12 rebukes dullness of hearing and need for milk instead of meat.

God's Law as the Standard of Righteousness

Summary: God's law-word is the absolute standard for righteousness; any deviation from it, whether mental, emotional, or physical, is sin and unrighteousness.

Evidence: 1 John 3:4 defines sin as transgression of the law; Romans 3:20 says by the law is the knowledge of sin; Matthew 5:27-28 shows lust as adultery in the heart.

The Law Fulfilled in Christ, Not Abolished

Summary: Christ fulfilled the law, including its ceremonial aspects, becoming our altar, priest, temple, and sacrifice. The moral law is written on believers' hearts under the new covenant.

Evidence: Matthew 5:17-18 says Christ came to fulfill the law; Hebrews 8:10 and 10:16 promise the law written on hearts; Ephesians 2:15 refers to abolishing the enmity of ordinances, not the moral law.

Obedience as the Expression of Love for God

Summary: Keeping God's commandments is the evidence of love for God and is for our good; justification by faith establishes the law rather than nullifying it.

Evidence: John 14:21 says keeping commandments shows love; Deuteronomy 6:24-25 says the law is for our good; Romans 3:31 says faith establishes the law.

Key Arguments

Fallen man cannot know God without divine revelation

Summary: Man by nature is ignorant of God and lacks the ability to know Him, as shown by the pagan worship of unknown gods and explicit Scripture.

Evidence: Acts 17:23 mentions the altar to the unknown God; Ephesians 4:18 says they are alienated through ignorance; 1 Corinthians 2:14 says the natural man cannot know spiritual things.

Believers must continually learn and grow in the knowledge of God

Summary: Regeneration does not automatically impart full knowledge; believers are called to learn Christ and progress from faith to faith, as seen in the categories of spiritual maturity.

Evidence: Ephesians 4:20-24 commands putting on the new man; 1 John 2:12-14 distinguishes babes, young men, and fathers; 2 Timothy 2:15 urges study.

God's controversy with Israel stems from their weariness and regression

Summary: Israel grew weary of God despite His blessings, and the Hebrews in the New Testament similarly became dull of hearing, needing to be taught again the basics.

Evidence: Micah 6:3 asks wherein God wearied them; Hebrews 5:11-12 says they need milk and not strong meat.

The events from Shittim to Gilgal reveal God's righteousness

Summary: Micah 6:5 specifically points to the incident at Shittim (Numbers 25) where Israel sinned with Moabite women, showing that God's law defines righteousness.

Evidence: Micah 6:5 commands remembrance of Balak and Balaam from Shittim to Gilgal; Numbers 25:1-3 describes the whoredom and idolatry.

Sin is any deviation from God's law, including internal lusts

Summary: Sin begins in the heart with lust and covetousness before the physical act; God forbids not only the act but everything leading to it.

Evidence: Matthew 5:27-28 equates lust with adultery; James 2:10-11 says breaking one law makes one guilty of all; 1 John 3:4 defines sin as lawlessness.

Christ fulfilled the law, making it internal and permanent

Summary: Christ did not destroy the law but fulfilled it, becoming the substance of the ceremonial shadows. The moral law is now written on believers' hearts, not abolished.

Evidence: Matthew 5:17-18 says not one jot or tittle will pass; Hebrews 8:10 and 10:16 promise the law in hearts; 2 Corinthians 3:3 says the law is written on fleshy tables of the heart.

Justification by faith establishes the law, not nullifies it

Summary: True faith does not make void the law; rather, it establishes it because believers desire to obey God's revealed will out of love and gratitude.

Evidence: Romans 3:31 says we establish the law through faith; John 14:21 links love with keeping commandments; Deuteronomy 6:24-25 says the law is for our good.

Scripture References

Micah 6:1-8

Context: The primary text for the series, where God has a controversy with Israel and calls them to remember from Shittim to Gilgal to know His righteousness.

Acts 17:23

Context: Paul at Mars Hill saw an altar to the unknown God, illustrating that man by nature does not know the true God.

Ephesians 4:17-18

Context: Describes Gentiles as walking in vanity of mind, having understanding darkened, and being alienated from God through ignorance.

1 Corinthians 2:14

Context: The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit and cannot know them because they are spiritually discerned.

Romans 3:10-12

Context: Lists the four 'nones': none righteous, none understanding, none seeking God, none doing good.

Romans 8:7-8

Context: The carnal mind is enmity against God and cannot be subject to His law; those in the flesh cannot please God.

1 John 2:12-14

Context: John divides believers into babes, young men, and fathers, indicating different levels of knowledge and maturity.

Ephesians 4:20-24

Context: Contrasts the old man with learning Christ, putting off the old and putting on the new man in righteousness.

2 Timothy 2:15

Context: Commands study to show oneself approved, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Hebrews 5:11-12

Context: The Hebrews are dull of hearing and need milk instead of strong meat, paralleling Israel's regression.

Romans 15:4

Context: Whatever was written in the Old Testament was written for our learning, that we might have hope.

1 Corinthians 10:6, 11

Context: Old Testament events happened as examples and were written for our admonition.

Numbers 25:1-3

Context: Israel abode in Shittim and committed whoredom with Moabite women, joining themselves to Baal Peor, provoking God's anger.

James 2:10-11

Context: Whoever keeps the whole law but offends in one point is guilty of all; the law is a unified whole.

1 John 3:4

Context: Sin is the transgression of the law; whoever commits sin transgresses the law.

Romans 3:20

Context: By the law is the knowledge of sin; no flesh is justified by the deeds of the law.

Romans 7:7-9

Context: Paul would not have known sin except through the law; when the commandment came, sin revived and he died.

Matthew 5:17-18

Context: Christ came not to destroy the law but to fulfill it; not one jot or tittle will pass until all is fulfilled.

Ephesians 2:14-15

Context: Christ abolished the enmity, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, to make peace; refers to ceremonial ordinances, not moral law.

Hebrews 8:10, 10:16

Context: God promises to put His laws into their minds and write them on their hearts under the new covenant.

Historical References

Balak and Balaam incident

Context: Micah 6:5 references Balak king of Moab consulting Balaam, which led to the seduction of Israel at Shittim (Numbers 25).

Shittim (Abel Shittim)

Context: The plain in Moab where Israel encamped after victories over Sihon and Og, near the end of wilderness wanderings; site of the sin with Moabite women.

Gilgal

Context: The place in the plains of Jericho where Israel camped after crossing Jordan, kept Passover, reinstituted circumcision, and set up memorial stones.

Phinehas's zeal

Context: Phinehas took a javelin and pierced an Israelite man and Midianite woman committing fornication, stopping the plague (Numbers 25:7-8).

Pharisaical misinterpretation of the law

Context: The Pharisees externalized the law, focusing on outward acts, while Jesus taught its internal, spiritual application (Matthew 5).

Important Quotes

Fallen man does not know the one true and living God. He does not know Him intuitively. He does not know Him instinctively.

Significance: Establishes the foundational premise that man cannot know God apart from divine revelation, setting up the need to learn God's righteousness.

But you have not so learned Christ.

Significance: Highlights the contrast between the natural man and the believer, emphasizing that learning Christ is a transformative process.

O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal, that you may know the righteousness of the Lord.

Significance: The key verse of the series, directing attention to the historical events that reveal God's righteous standard.

God's law-word is our standard for righteousness. And any deviation from his truth is sin and unrighteousness.

Significance: The central thesis of the sermon, defining righteousness and sin in relation to God's law.

When God forbids any sin, He also forbids anything and everything that will lead up to that sin.

Significance: Explains the internal, spiritual application of the law, showing that sin begins in the heart.

Discussion Questions

Why does the speaker emphasize that fallen man cannot know God intuitively or instinctively? How does this affect our understanding of evangelism and discipleship?

Context: Based on the introduction from Ephesians 4 and 1 Corinthians 2, showing man's spiritual inability.

In what ways can believers today grow weary of God, similar to Israel in Micah 6? What are the warning signs of spiritual regression?

Context: Drawing from Micah 6:3 and Hebrews 5:11-12, where God's people became dull and regressed.

How does the incident at Shittim (Numbers 25) illustrate the principle that breaking one part of God's law makes us guilty of all?

Context: Referencing James 2:10-11 and the violation of multiple commandments at Shittim.

What does it mean that God's law has a spiritual and internal application, not just an external one? How does Matthew 5:27-28 expand our understanding of sin?

Context: Discussing Jesus's teaching on lust and adultery in the heart.

How does Christ's fulfillment of the law (Matthew 5:17-18) affect the way Christians should view the Old Testament law today?

Context: Explaining that the ceremonial law is fulfilled in Christ, while the moral law is written on hearts.

In what sense does justification by faith 'establish the law' (Romans 3:31) rather than nullify it? How should this shape our obedience?

Context: Addressing the relationship between faith, grace, and the law.

Applications

Recognize that God's law is for our good and blessing

Summary: Believers should view God's commandments not as burdensome but as given for their benefit, leading to a prosperous and successful life.

Evidence: Deuteronomy 6:24-25 says the law is for our good always; 1 John 5:3 says His commandments are not grievous.

Guard against internal sins of lust and covetousness

Summary: Since sin begins in the heart, believers must be vigilant over their thoughts and desires, not just outward actions, to avoid deviating from God's law.

Evidence: Matthew 5:27-28 teaches that lust is adultery in the heart; Numbers 25 shows that whoredom began with lust.

Commit to continual learning and growth in Christ

Summary: Christians should not be content with spiritual infancy but strive to progress from faith to faith, studying Scripture to know God's righteousness more deeply.

Evidence: Ephesians 4:20-24 commands learning Christ; 2 Timothy 2:15 urges study; Hebrews 5:11-12 warns against dullness.

Express love for God through obedience to His commandments

Summary: Obedience is the tangible evidence of love for God; keeping His word demonstrates genuine relationship and gratitude.

Evidence: John 14:21 says keeping commandments shows love; 1 John 2:4 says those who claim to know Him but disobey are liars.

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-06T02:19:43Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T15:49:38Z

Clean Transcript

Learning the Righteousness of God - 1

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

Micah chapter 6, and we're going to probably read at least the first eight verses. I'm going to be using one verse, but then turning around and expounding really another passage of Scripture later on. And let me tell you, this message is going to be the first of probably at least five. I don't know, I'm not through yet doing the study on the series. But the message is entitled "Learning the Righteousness of God, Learning the Righteousness of God." So this is going to be the first part of probably a five-part series. So let's look at Micah, chapter six. Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Micah—Micah six, verse one.
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"Hear you now what the Lord said. Arise, contend thou before the mountains and let the hills hear thy voice. Hear ye, O mountains, the Lord's controversy, and you strong foundations of the earth. For the Lord hath a controversy with his people, he will plead with Israel. O my people, what have I done unto thee, and wherein have I wearied thee? Testify against me. For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of servants. And I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the righteousness of the Lord."
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"Wherewith shall I come before the Lord and bow myself before the high God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has showed thee, O man, what is good, and what doth the Lord require thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God." Learning the righteousness of God. It may surprise many to find out that man does not intuitively nor instinctively know God.
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In fact, the truth of the matter is simply this: fallen man does not know God at all, nor does he have the capacity or the ability to know God. Now, he may know that there is a God, but he does not know who the one true and living God really is. Evidence of this fact is found in all the pagan countries because they worship idols of every shape, form, and fashion.
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But moreover, the Scriptures are exceedingly clear. Do you remember in Acts chapter 17, when the Apostle Paul came to preach at Mars Hill? The Bible tells us that he beheld their devotions to the gods and they had altars there to every imaginary and conceivable God that there might possibly be. But just in case they had left one out, they even had an altar there to the unknown God. Well, that's exactly what God is to the average individual. He is the unknown God, because man by nature just simply does not know God.
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If you would hold Micah 6, we're coming back there. But look in your Bibles to the book of Ephesians, chapter 4, and then we're going to go to 1 Corinthians, chapter 2. So Ephesians, chapter 4, and then we're going to go to 1 Corinthians, chapter 2. Just showing you the fact that man does not know God by nature. In Ephesians chapter 4, look what the Bible says in verse 18. In fact, let's read verse 17. He says, "This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk." How?
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"In the vanity of their mind." Now, notice the word "vanity." The word "vanity" means uselessness, worthlessness. So he says they're walking in the worthlessness of their mind. Why is their mind worthless and useless? Here's why in verse 18: "Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart." Now note the Bible says that they are alienated from God through the ignorance that is in them. That is, they simply do not know God.
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Now, let me spell it out for you. Fallen man does not know the one true and living God. He does not know Him intuitively. He does not know Him instinctively. And if you look in 1 Corinthians chapter 2, this passage is even more explicit. 1 Corinthians 2, verse 14, where it teaches us that fallen man does not even have the ability to know God in and of himself. So in 1 Corinthians 2 and verse 14, the Bible says this: "But the natural man"—that is, the unsaved man or man by nature—"but the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God."
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Why does he not receive them? Here's why: "For they are foolishness unto him." Well, let's ask, why are they foolishness unto him? Here's why: "Neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned." And may I remind you that "can" is a term of ability. "Neither can he know them." In other words, fallen man in and of himself does not have the ability. He does not have the capability to know the things of God. Now, clearly, as you study through the Bible, the Bible teaches that man does not have the ability to know God.
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For instance, in Romans 3, verses 10 through 12, the Apostle Paul lists the four "nones" there. Let me just give it to you. He says, "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one. There is none that understandeth. There is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way. They are together become unprofitable. There is none that doeth good, no, not one." So how many by nature do good? No, not one. How many by nature seek the one true and living God? No, not one. How many understand? No, not one. How many are righteous? No, not one. And then the Bible tells us why in Romans 8 and verses 7 and 8.
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You might want to look at that verse. Look at it in Romans 8 and verses 7 and 8, because here the Scripture makes this statement: "Because the carnal mind"—that is the fleshly mind, man by nature—"because the carnal mind is enmity against God." Now remember the word "enmity" is a strong word for hatred. "Because the carnal mind is enmity against God. It is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." Now watch. "So then"—here's the conclusion—"so then they that are in the flesh cannot please God." Why is it they cannot please God? Because their carnal, fleshly mind is contrary to God, and there's a strong, intense hatred of God in their mind by nature. So the Scripture teaches us that fallen man does not know God, neither does he have the ability in himself to know God. There's another amazing discovery that comes to the child of God when he realizes another truth. And that is simply this: that although he is regenerated and converted by the grace of God, yet as a child, he still does not really know his heavenly Father.
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Now, he may know that there is indeed a God, and he may know that he is the true God, and he may know that he is the one Lord and the Savior and the Redeemer and the Judge, and yes, he is saved. He understands that. But just simply because an individual is regenerated and converted does not mean that he has automatic divine truth. In fact, as you study the Bible, you'll find, like in 1 John 2, John divides believers into three categories.
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He says there are babes, there are young men, and there are fathers. I want you to understand that the knowledge and the understanding of each one of those groups differ drastically. You take a little two-year-old child. I was around one this past week, a beautiful little girl, and she was just as loving and kind as she could be. Now that little girl knew who her parents were, that is for certain sure. But I can assure you she could not delineate what type of work her dad did, nor anything about his character, nor anything about his attributes. The knowledge a baby has is quite different from that of a young man. And the knowledge that a father has is quite different from that of a young man. So he says, here are these three particular groups of believers.
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And so just because someone has been converted and regenerated by the grace of God does not mean that he automatically possesses all divine truth. Now, I want you to look in your Bibles to the book of Ephesians chapter 4 again. Let me show you a contrast. We read verses 17 and 18 of Ephesians chapter 4 showing you how man is indeed alienated from God, but let's go back and read those again and then go just a little further to show you a strong contrast. In Ephesians 4 verse 17 Paul writes this:
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"I say therefore and testify in the Lord, that you henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart, who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness."
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Now, look at the next word, "but," which is a strong word of contrast. "But," he says, "you have not so learned Christ." And then if you look at the next verse: "If so be that you have heard him and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus, that you put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness."
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Now, I want you to note what he said after he shows you what man is by nature and how he is alienated from God and totally ignorant of God. He comes with this strong contrast and he says, "But you have not so learned Christ." I want to point out the fact that we must learn Christ. In other words, here is something new to us. It is a new knowledge. It is a new way.
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That's why he said, "Therefore, if you have heard Him and have been taught by Him as the truth is in Jesus, what will you do? You will put off your old habits, your old attitudes, your old conduct, and you will put in its place new habits and new attitudes and new conduct which is in line with the righteousness of God." In other words, this is known as learning Christ. And the truth is, we must learn Christ constantly and consistently, even on a daily basis. That's why the Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 2 and verse 15, "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." So the truth is this, folks.
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As God's people, as believers, as Christians, we should be forever learning and forever increasing in faith. In fact, Scripture teaches us that we're to be going from faith to faith and from glory to glory. We're to be ever increasing in the knowledge of our Heavenly Father.
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Now, with that introduction, I want you to go back to Micah chapter 6, and let me show you what is happening, and then let me explain to you where I'm going with this brief series. I want you to look at Micah chapter 6 and the first two verses tell us that God has a controversy with his people. I don't know about you, but I don't think I'm capable of arguing with God. And I really don't want him upset with me. So here's a controversy he has with his people, let me show you. Look in verse 1.
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"Hear you now what the Lord said. Arise, contend thou therefore before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice." You got something to say against God? He said, go ahead and speak it. But I'm going to tell you something. He says, "Hear ye, O mountains, the Lord's controversy." You think you're upset with God? God has far more reason to be upset with you. So he says, "Hear ye, O mountains, the Lord's controversy, and you strong foundations of the earth, for the Lord hath a controversy with his people, he will plead with Israel." So God then is upset, so to speak, in Micah chapter 6. He's got a controversy. He has a grievance against his people. What did the controversy arise over? Look in verse 3. "O my people, what have I done unto thee? And wherein have I wearied thee? Testify against me." Here's the controversy. The people of Israel were tired of God. They grew weary of God. God said, "Wherein have you grown weary with me? All I've ever done is bless you."
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"I give you fresh air. I give you rain. I give you sunshine. I give you help. I give you family. I give you friends. I give you everything. And now you've grown weary with serving me. You've grown weary with worshiping me." Oh, he said in verse 4, "For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt and redeemed thee out of the house of servants. And I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam."
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He said, "You better remember, if it was not for me, you would not have anything. You'd still be in the land of Egypt. You'd still be slaves. I'm the one that brought you up. I'm the one that saved you. I'm the one that gave you everything that you have. And now you are weary with me." I want to show you something. Hold Micah 6, but turn in your Bibles to the book of Hebrews chapter 5. And let's look at verses 11 and 12, because in Hebrews chapter 5, verses 11 and 12, the author of the book of Hebrews gives the same argument against these New Testament Hebrews. Notice in Hebrews chapter 5, verse 11. Hebrews 5, verse 11, in the context, he's talking about the person and work of Jesus Christ. In fact, verse 10 says, "Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchizedek." So we're talking about Christ, the Savior. Now, watch what he says in verse 11: "Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered."
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That is, they're very deep. "Seeing you are dull of hearing. For when for the time you ought to be teachers, you have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God, and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat." What is his complaint against these people? He said, "Look, there's a lot of things I would really love to teach you, but you are dull."
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That is, you're dim-witted. You're sleepy-headed. You're drowsy. You're not listening. You're not paying attention. You're not learning. And he says, "When I've taught you so long, when it comes time for you to be the teacher, you've forgotten everything, you really haven't learned everything, so that I have to turn around and teach you again." What's that mean? It means these people in Hebrews 5 had grown weary with God, just like those people in Micah chapter 6.
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You know, that's an amazing thought, isn't it? That we can grow weary of God. It's a scary thought.
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Now, go back, if you would please, to Micah, chapter 6. The point I wanted to make by incorporating Hebrews 5 is simply this: in Micah, chapter 6, and in Hebrews, chapter 5, the people are regressing instead of progressing. Instead of going forward, they were going backwards. Do you know that's exactly where the average professing Christian is today? He's going backwards. He's not going forward. Yeah, we've not only forgotten that we're supposed to go forward, we've even forgotten that old hymn, "Onward, Christian Soldiers." You see, we're regressing. We're not progressing. And we've certainly forgotten our Lord's admonition in Micah 6 and verse 5. Now, watch this. The first two verses:
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God has a controversy with Israel. Verses 3 and 4, he tells you why he has a controversy. That is, they've grown weary of God. And then in verse 5, he nails it down. Look what he says: "O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal, that you may know the righteousness of the Lord." Underline that: "that you may know the righteousness of the Lord." Look what he says. If you want to know my righteousness, if you want to learn something about me, then you've got to remember what Balak, the king of Moab, consulted and what Balaam, the son of Beor, answered from Shittim unto Gilgal, that you may know the righteousness of God. Now, look in verse 6. This further explains verse 5. Here's what the people would be saying: "Wherewith shall I come before the Lord and bow down myself unto the high God?" In other words, if I'm going to know his righteousness, if I'm going to worship him, how do I do that?
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"Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn"—that is my child—"for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?" And of course the answer to all of that is no. Then he says in verse 8, "He has showed thee, O man, what is good, and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God." In other words, he said, "God has showed you, you've just forgotten it."
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Now, someone is going to ask, "Well, Brother Weaver, how does Micah 6 and verse 5 apply to me? Because I am a New Testament Christian." Well, you know the answer to that. We have one Bible, not two. And we have one God, not two. All of the Bible is the word of God, and all of the Bible is applicable to all of God's people. I want to remind you of two passages. I want you to hold Micah 6.
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But go in your Bibles to Romans chapter 15 and 1 Corinthians chapter 10. And let me show you how God specifically tells you that everything that happened to Israel in the Old Testament happened for our benefit. So there is a New Testament application to Old Testament incidents. In Romans 15 in verse 4, the Bible says this: "Now whatsoever things were written aforetime"—that's the Old Testament—"were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope."
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Now look what he said. "Whatsoever things were written aforetime," why were they written? They were written for our learning, that we, through patience and comfort of the scriptures, might have hope.
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Now, if you look in 1 Corinthians 10, very quickly, at verse 6—and by the way, when you look in 1 Corinthians 10, the subject and the context is the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt. You can see that for yourself in verses 1 and 2 and 3 and dealing with all the wilderness wanderings as well. And then in verse 6, he says this concerning what happened to Israel in the Old Testament. He says, "But"—verse 6—"now these things were our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted." Skip down to verse 11: "Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples"—or examples—"and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come." So everything that happened to Israel in the Old Testament, he says, is for our admonition and for our benefit.
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Now as you look back to Micah 6 and verse 5, God tells us that we are especially to consider what happened from Shittim to Gilgal, that we might know the righteousness of God. So this would include a great deal of time that we would need to look at and study to learn all that God reveals about his righteousness. I'm not going to be able to certainly to do it all, but he talks about Shittim and I'm going to tell you more about this place a little bit later.
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Actually, the word is also the word Acacia for the Acacia tree. It is called Abel Shittim in Numbers 33 and verse 49. This was a plain in the land of Moab where the Israelites had encamped after their two victories over Sihon and Og. This was at the close or the end of the wilderness wanderings. This was also where basically Joshua sent out the twelve spies to spy out the land. In other words, Shittim is just about before they're getting ready to go in to conquer the land. Now, to Gilgal. He says from Shittim to Gilgal. Gilgal was the place in the plains of Jericho, in the east border of Jericho. It is here where the Israelites camped after they crossed Jordan in Joshua chapter 4. It was here in Joshua 4 and 5 that they kept the Passover.
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It's here that they reinstituted circumcision. And it is here that those twelve memorial stones were set up as they crossed over the river.
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Now, the word Gilgal means "a rolling." Because after they had the Passover, reinstituted circumcision, all it meant was now the reproach of their slavery in Egypt was certainly being rolled away. So what does God say? He says, "O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the righteousness of God." So there is something particularly revealing about the time from Shittim to Gilgal, especially those two instances that would teach us and instruct us on the righteousness of God. I want you to go back in your Bibles, if you would please, to Numbers 25, because that is the passage that God has in mind when he says you better remember what Balak consulted and what Balaam answered, that you may know what is the righteousness of the Lord.
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Right now, I'm going to be limiting myself to that which happened in Shittim. And let me just tell you, without me reading all of Numbers 25, I'm going to read part of it, just maybe the first three verses, because it'll take me another two weeks just to deal with these three verses. But this is the incident where the children of Moab seduce the Israelites into adultery, fornication, and idolatry.
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This is where God gave the death sentence against all those who participated in the worship of Baal Peor. This is where Phinehas took a javelin and went in and pierced a man and a woman through who were committing fornication in the camp of Israel. So there are a number of lessons that can be learned here. Let's look at the first three verses. "And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods, and the people did eat and bowed down to their gods, and Israel joined himself unto Baal Peor, and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel."
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Now let me just stop there just for a moment. When you read the first three verses, the thing that automatically strikes your mind, or at least should strike your mind, was that the people of Israel violated, basically, four of the original Ten Commandments instantaneously. They violated the first commandment, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." They violated the second commandment which deals with making false gods and bowing down before them. They violated the seventh commandment, "Thou shalt not commit adultery." They violated the tenth commandment, "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife or his land or anything that is thy neighbor's."
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But you see, in reality, what they did was this: they didn't just violate four of the Ten Commandments. They violated all of the Ten Commandments. I want you to understand this one truth: that whenever you violate one part of God's law, you are guilty of violating all of God's law. So if you want to hold Numbers 25, but look in your Bibles to the book of James chapter 2—Hebrews, James—and let's read verses 10 and 11 and you will see exactly what I'm talking about. So hold Numbers 25 and turn in your Bibles to James 2 and look at verses 10 and 11. Because here God specifically says what I just told you. He says, "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all."
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"For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law." What's he saying? If you break the law in one part, you have broken it in all. Let me put it very plainly: God's law either stands or falls together—all of it. You either obey it all or you violate it all. It's just that simple.
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Now, let me prove one other thing before I get started today with the very single point that I want to give. I want you to understand it is impossible to sin without violating the law of God. I'm going to show you that in the Scripture just for a moment. But before I give you the verses, let me go ahead and tell you the one point that I'm going to share with you today. I'm going to drive this home hopefully over and over. Here it is: God's law-word is our standard for righteousness. And any deviation from his truth is sin and unrighteousness.
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Let me say that again. Here's what you need to learn: God's law-word is our standard for righteousness. And any deviation from his truth is sin and unrighteousness. That's why he said in James 2, if you offend in one, you're guilty of all. Now, I just got it out of my mouth that it is impossible to sin without violating the law of God. I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Romans chapter 3.
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I'm going to show you a verse or a couple of them there. But as you turn there, I want to quote a verse for you: 1 John 3 and verse 4. I've quoted this verse here a number of times, but here it is again: "Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law." What is sin? Sin is a transgression of the law. It's a violation of God's law. When God says "Thou shalt not" and you say "I'm going to," that's sin. When God says "Thou shalt" and you say "I'm not," that's sin. What is sin? Sin is a violation of God's law. Now, look in Romans 3 and verse 20. The law, one of the reasons God gave it, was so that we would know what sin really truly is. In Romans 3 and verse 20, he says this truth: "Therefore by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in his sight." Why? "For by the law is the knowledge of sin." How do I know that adultery is wrong?
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How do I know that thieving is wrong? How do I know that murder is wrong? How do I know that covetousness is wrong? Because God said, "I've given you my law. I've given you my standard. And when I tell you what is right and what is wrong, that is my standard. And you can know based upon my law."
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Now, let me show you: the law has a spiritual application as well as an external application. In Romans 7, look at verses 7 through 9. Romans 7, verses 7 through 9. And I want to emphasize this because it's vitally important. The Apostle Paul says in Romans 7, verse 7, "What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid"—that is, perish the thought. Don't even let that thought enter your mind. "I had not known sin, but by the law. For I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet." Now look what he says: "But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead." Now watch: "For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died." Now what in the world is Paul talking about? How can he say, "I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died"? You've got to remember Paul's pedigree.
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He listed for you in Philippians chapter 3. He said he was a Hebrew of the Hebrews, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Pharisee of the Pharisees. And then he says, "as touching the law, blameless." Blameless. Now, here's my question: Was the apostle Paul perfect? Well, of course not. Well, how could he say he was blameless? You remember, Paul was a Pharisee. What did the Pharisees do? They had the law narrowed down to all externals. Paul said, "I had my own righteousness. I kept all these externals."
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"I thought I had it made." But he said, "when the commandment came"—that is, when I saw the spirituality of God's law, when I saw the applicability of God's law, and I saw that it meant more than externals and internals—when God said "Thou shalt not commit adultery," it was not just that you not commit the physical act, you're not to have a lustful or covetous heart in your life. When God says "Thou shalt not steal," it's not that you just do not go out and rob somebody. You don't covet. You don't become selfish. You don't become a grudging individual. The law then has a spiritual inward application as well as an external application. So Paul said, "I had not even known sin but by the law." He said, "Therefore, when the law came in its fullness, what happened? Sin revived and I died."
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In other words, I found out I was a sinner. I thought I was perfect, and I was totally, perfectly lost and undone and ungodly. That's all I was. But I would have never known that, he said, without the law.
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Now, let me just tell you something, and please don't even let this enter into your mind. Don't even think that the law of God has been nullified, abrogated, set aside, done away with, or destroyed. It has not been. Let me tell you what our Lord said in Matthew 5 verses 17 and 18. Listen carefully. He said, "Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. 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." Now, what did our Lord say? He said, "Think not."
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That is the same thing the Apostle Paul said: "Perish the thought." Don't even let that thought in your mind that he had come to set aside the law. He said, "I have not come to set it aside. I have come to fulfill the law." And the word "fulfill" literally means to put into full force as continuous. It means to fill and to keep full.
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Now, there are some individuals who try to argue and say, "Well, the law has been done away with." Well, look at Romans 7 in verse 12, since you're right there. Look what the Apostle Paul said under the inspiration of the Scripture and the Holy Spirit, I might add. He says, "Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good." Now, if God's law is holy and the commandment holy, just, and good, why in the world would God do away with or set aside or abrogate anything that was holy, just, and good? Ask yourself that question. He would not. Someone objects and says, "But wait a minute, Brother Weaver, I can show you a scripture that states that Christ abolished the law." Well, I want you to show me that.
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Inevitably, they'll turn to Ephesians chapter 2, and that's where I want you to turn. They'll say, "You turn to Ephesians chapter 2 and I'll show you. The Bible says this very plainly." Well, let's see what the Bible does say. Ephesians 2, verse 14, talking about Christ: "For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us." Now look what the Bible says: "Having abolished in his flesh the enmity"—that is the hatred—"even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace." Oh, you say, "There it is, Brother Weaver. He has abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments." Ah, but note this next phrase: "contained in ordinances." This verse does not say that Christ has abrogated or nullified the law. This passage refers to the ordinances that surrounded the tabernacle and the temple—the ordinances that related to worship. And what does the Bible say? That Christ has taken those out of the way.
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How did he do so? Not by destroying them, but by fulfilling them. Now, let me ask—let's stop and think for a moment. Let's suppose that you were an Old Testament Israelite and you wanted to worship God. What must you do? You must bring a sacrifice. You must come to the high priest. You must come to the temple. It must be put on the altar. Everything about the tabernacle and the temple was pictorial. It was emblematic.
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It was just simply a picture and a type. You say, "Ah, but Brother Weaver, under Christ, I don't do all of that." Oh, yes, you do. It is impossible to worship God without doing all of that. You say, "What are you talking about?" Well, the Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians chapter 15 and verse 28 that Christ is our all and in all. How is that? Let me just quote it. First of all, guess what?
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As New Testament Christians, we have an altar. You better have an altar. Hebrews 13 in verse 10 tells us that altar is none other than Jesus Christ. The author of Hebrews says, "We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle." Jesus Christ is our altar. We still have a high priest. Hebrews 4 teaches us Jesus Christ is our high priest. We still have a temple. Revelation 21, verse 22 tells us Jesus Christ is our temple. We still have a sacrifice. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 5 and verse 7, "even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us." You cannot come to God without an altar, without a sacrifice, without a temple, without a high priest.
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But now it's no more types and shadows and emblems. Now it is reality because we have the substance in Jesus Christ. He is our sacrifice. He is our altar. He is our high priest. He is our temple. So even the ceremonial law has not been done away with. It has just been fulfilled in reality and substance in Jesus Christ. Now, I suppose the greatest evidence that the law has never, ever been abrogated and set aside was that Jesus Christ kept the law perfectly in every detail. Do you know what Jesus Christ said in John 8 verse 29?
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He said this: "And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him." Do you realize that Jesus Christ kept the law of God personally, perfectly, and perpetually? Let me just give you another quote. You remember Galatians 4 verses 4 and 5? "But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons." So when Jesus Christ was made under the law, that meant that Jesus Christ was obligated to keep the law of God personally, perfectly, and perpetually.
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Turn in your Bibles to 2 Corinthians 5 and verse 21. Let me show you how important this is. 2 Corinthians 5, verse 21. I want you to think about this. How important was our Lord's obedience to the law of God? Let me ask you a question before I show you this verse. Think about this. Let's suppose that all Jesus Christ did for you—that all he did for you—
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was he died just so that your sins may be forgiven? That's it. He did nothing else. Now, here's my question: If all our Lord did was die for us that our sins might be forgiven, would that be sufficient to get us into the presence of God? And the answer is no. No. It might keep you out of judgment, it might keep you out of hell, but it would not necessarily get you in the presence of God. Why? Because to be in God's presence, you need more than forgiveness. You need a positive righteousness. Jesus Christ did not just forgive us our sins. Jesus Christ did more than that.
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He made us righteous, how? By giving us His perfect righteousness. Here it is, 2 Corinthians 5, verse 21. Look at it: "For he"—that is, God the Father—"hath made him"—that is, God the Son—"to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." So here's what God did. This is the doctrine of imputation. God took our sins and imputed them to Jesus Christ. He then took that perfect obedience that Christ earned and merited and worked out under God's law and imputed that to us, so that we're not only forgiven of our sins, we have now been given an absolute perfect righteousness in Jesus Christ. So that our Lord's personal, perfect, and perpetual obedience now accrues to us. It is His righteousness that has been given to us. It is His righteousness that is charged to our account.
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But you say, "Well, now, wait a minute, Brother Weaver. If I have His righteousness as a perfect righteousness, boy, that means I don't have to obey at all." Oh, no. Not at all. You see, the doctrine of imputation does not negate our obedience. The doctrine of imputation necessitates and ensures our obedience. You say, "What are you talking about?" Well, you're in 2 Corinthians. Look, if you would please, at chapter 3 to begin with. 2 Corinthians, chapter 3. And let's look at verses 2 and 3 first. The Apostle Paul writes these Corinthians and he says, "Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men."
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Now, watch: "Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink"—how are they written?—"but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart." What is he saying? Under the new covenant, we do not have the law engraved in stone. We have the law engraved in our hearts.
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Skip down to verse 7. He says, "But if the ministration of death"—that is under Moses—"written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: how shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory." Now you think about all the glory that Moses had when he came down off that mount, how his face shone.
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He had to cover the greatness and the brightness that he had. What does the Bible say? That was to pass away. That was temporary. What is permanent is what Christ has done for us, writing His law in our hearts. Skip in your Bibles to Hebrews 8. Hebrews 8. And let's begin reading there with verse 8. Hebrews 8, verse 8. Look what the Scripture says. I don't see how anyone can deny this or try to get around it. It's so plainly taught. Hebrews 8, notice verse 8, talking about the difference between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant, he says in verse 8, "For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: not
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according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt"—which was written in stone, by the way—"because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord;
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I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people." Watch: "And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest." What did God say he's going to do? He's going to write it in our hearts.
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Look in Hebrews chapter 10 and verse 16. Hebrews 10 verse 16: "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them." Are you listening to me? Obedience should come naturally for the child of God, since his law is written in our hearts and our minds. Now, the writing of God's law in our hearts and our minds does not mean that we cannot sin. It does not mean that we will not be tempted to sin, but it does mean this: we will know the difference between right and wrong, and we will know what sin is, and we certainly will know that we should not engage in it.
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Now, let me ask you a question. How do we express our love, gratitude, thankfulness, and honor to our Heavenly Father? Do we express it by disobeying Him or by obeying Him? If we wish to please our Heavenly Father, do we please Him by breaking His law or by keeping His law? The answer should be obvious. Now let me ask you a specific question: What is God's law? Let me tell you what the answer is. It is God's revealed will for His people. It is God's revealed will for His people. In other words, it is God's divine revelation as to how we are to live, treat each other, honor, worship, and obey Him.
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I want you to turn in your Bibles to Deuteronomy chapter 6. Deuteronomy chapter 6. And I'm going to close with these verses a little bit, but just watch Deuteronomy 6 verses 24 and 25. Let me show you what God says concerning His law. Deuteronomy 6 verse 24: "And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes"—that is His law—"and the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God." Why? Why should we keep these statutes? Why should we fear the Lord our God? Here's why: "for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day. And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the Lord our God, as he hath commanded us." Isn't that amazing? Do you realize what God gave us is law? It is for our good. And God says, "I expect you to obey it."
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By the way, the New Testament does not teach differently. Do you remember what our Lord said in John 14 in verse 21? "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me." Verse 24 says, "He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings." 1 John 5, verse 3: "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous." What is the love of God? Keeping His commandments. Do you remember what our Lord said in 1 John 2 and verse 4? "He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." How can God say that? Because God has written His law in the hearts and minds of His people, and we know that we are to obey His word.
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Now, go back in your Bibles to Numbers chapter 25. I told you today I'm making one point and one point only. And I'm going to show it to you. The point that I'm making is this: that God's law-word is our standard for righteousness. And any deviation from that truth is sin and unrighteousness. What happened at Shittim? What did God say? "O my people, you better remember what Balak consulted and what Balaam answered from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the righteousness of the Lord." God's law-word is our standard. Here's what happened in Numbers 25 verse 1: "And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab."
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Now just stop and think about this. Look at what is said: "And the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab." Are you thinking? Let me ask you a question. I'm not trying to be too graphic, and I'm certainly not trying to be ugly. But do two people just automatically see each other and instantaneously begin committing fornication? What's the answer? No. If that was true, you would see people falling down on the streets and everywhere else. No. What's the Bible mean when it says "and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab"? Here's what it means. It means that which preceded the actual physical act was an attitude of lust and covetousness. Listen carefully.
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One always leaves and forsakes the law of God mentally, emotionally, and willfully before he ever does so physically. Let me say it to you another way: When God forbids any sin, He also forbids anything and everything that will lead up to that sin. Did you hear that? When God forbids any sin, at the same time, He forbids anything and everything that would lead up to that sin.
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Now, look in your Bibles to Matthew 5. Remember, if you would please, the Bible says in Numbers chapter 25 there that the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. I'm just simply pointing out to you that people leave God's law mentally, emotionally, and willfully before they ever do so physically. I'm pointing out to you that when God forbids any sin, He also forbids any and everything that leads up to that sin. Now, look in Matthew 5, verse 27, at what our Lord says: "Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time"—that is the Pharisees—"Thou shalt not commit adultery." In other words, no physical act of adultery. That's what they taught. They externalized God's law. But our Lord says, "Look, the law of God has an internal and a spiritual application as well."
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"But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." When did the adultery begin? With the lusting. With the willful, mental, and emotional forsaking of the law of God. The point I'm trying to make, folks, is this: You and I just simply do not go out and start flagrantly sinning and violating the law of God.
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We always think about it. We always desire it. We always plan it. We always lust after it. We always covet it. And any deviation from God's law is sin, whether it is a physical act or mental or emotional or spiritual act. So when God forbids any sin, He forbids any and everything that would lead up to that sin. And when you begin to lust and covet and desire, then you've sinned. Why? Because you have deviated from the law of God. Now what did God say?
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"O my people, remember what Balak consulted and what Balaam answered from Shittim to Gilgal," why? "That you may know the righteousness of the Lord." The first thing we learn about God's righteousness is this: that His word is absolute truth. That His word is His will for our lives, and when we deviate from it in any way whatsoever, we have sinned against God. We've left and forgotten His righteousness.
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Now, let me make just a couple of applications. The first one is this: If you and I are to learn the righteousness of God, we must comprehend the fact that His law expresses His righteous will for each of us. You remember what God told Joshua in Joshua chapter 1 in verse 8? Listen: "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success." And what did God get out of his mouth? He said, "Joshua, if you want to be successful, if you want to be prosperous, if you want to be righteous, if you want to be holy, you learn my law. And you don't depart from it."
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Now, I want to ask that you turn in your Bibles to Romans chapter 3, because inevitably, invariably, someone is going to come up and say, "Now, Brother Weaver, we're justified by faith and not by works." I understand that. The law was never given for justification. But let me tell you something: The doctrine of justification by faith alone does not negate the law of God. Look what the Apostle Paul argued in Romans chapter 3. He says, verse 30, Romans 3 verse 30: "Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith. Do we then make void the law through faith?" What's his answer? "God forbid: yea, we establish the law." What is the apostle Paul saying? That any true teaching of justification by faith alone establishes God's law. It does not negate it. It does not destroy it.
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It does not do away with it. It establishes God's law. Because when we're saved by faith, we automatically want to know, "How can I please God? How can I obey God?" And the answer is, "Here's the law." God says, "Obey my word because this is my will." Therefore, anyone who preaches any gospel, so-called, that denies, despises, denigrates, and destroys the law of God is not preaching true justification by faith alone. For true justification by faith alone undergirds the law of God. And please remember this: God's law is given for our benefit and for our blessing. It was not given as a hindrance. It was not given as a burden and a curse.
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What did Deuteronomy 6 verse 24 say? Let me read it to you: "And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day." You know what was so burdensome in the New Testament and in the Old Testament, particularly, especially the 400 years between the Old Testament and the New Testament? That which was so burdensome was the pharisaical misinterpretation of the law and the pharisaical traditions. And that's what our Lord got rid of in Matthew chapter 5. That's why I said, "You've heard it said by them of old time. But I say unto you." Let me tell you something, folks: God's law is for our good.
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It is for our blessing. It is not for our cursing. It is not for our hindrance. And when God says "Thou shalt not commit adultery," that is for our good. When God says "Thou shalt not steal," that is for our good. When God says "Thou shalt not kill," that is for our good. When God says "Remember thy father and thy mother and honor them," that is for our good. God didn't give his law to chastise us; he gave it to be a blessing for us that we might have a prosperous, successful life and to know his righteousness. Learn one thing today. Learn this: that God's law-word is our standard for righteousness.
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And any deviation from that truth is sin and unrighteousness. If you want to live a holy, godly life, you must live by the Word of God. What did our Lord say? "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." Let's pray. Father, we ask that you would speak to us and teach us and Lord, may we learn this one simple principle today, that your word is truth. And that any deviation, any shape, form, or fashion, mentally, emotionally, willfully, physically is sin and unrighteousness. Make us obedient and make us holy. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.
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Learning the Righteousness of God - 1

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

John Weaver introduces a series on learning the righteousness of God, emphasizing that fallen man does not know God intuitively and must learn His righteousness through Scripture. Using Micah 6:5, he focuses on the events from Shittim to Gilgal, particularly Numbers 25, to show that God's law-word is the standard for righteousness, and any deviation from it is sin. He argues that the law is not abolished but fulfilled in Christ, written on believers' hearts, and essential for holy living.

Introduction: Man Does Not Know God by Nature

Weaver establishes that fallen man lacks intuitive knowledge of God and cannot know Him apart from divine revelation, citing Ephesians 4:17-18 and 1 Corinthians 2:14.

Scripture Reading — Micah 6:1-8

"Hear you now what the Lord said. Arise, contend thou before the mountains and let the hills hear thy voice. Hear ye, O mountains, the Lord's controversy, and you strong foundations of the earth. For the Lord hath a controversy with his people, he will plead with Israel. O my people, what have I done unto thee, and wherein have I wearied thee? Testify against me. For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of servants. And I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the righteousness of the Lord." "Wherewith shall I come before the Lord and bow myself before the high God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has showed thee, O man, what is good, and what doth the Lord require thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God."

Scripture Reading — Acts 17:23

But moreover, the Scriptures are exceedingly clear. Do you remember in Acts chapter 17, when the Apostle Paul came to preach at Mars Hill? The Bible tells us that he beheld their devotions to the gods and they had altars there to every imaginary and conceivable God that there might possibly be. But just in case they had left one out, they even had an altar there to the unknown God. Well, that's exactly what God is to the average individual. He is the unknown God, because man by nature just simply does not know God. If you would hold Micah 6, we're coming back there. But look in your Bibles to the book of Ephesians, chapter 4, and then we're going to go to 1 Corinthians, chapter 2. So Ephesians, chapter 4, and then we're going to go to 1 Corinthians, chapter 2. Just showing you the fact that man does not know God by nature. In Ephesians chapter 4, look what the Bible says in verse 18. In fact, let's read verse 17. He says, "This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk." How?

Believers Must Learn Christ

Even regenerated believers do not automatically possess full knowledge of God; they must learn Christ and grow in understanding, as seen in Ephesians 4:20-24 and 1 John 2.

God's Controversy with His People in Micah 6

God has a controversy with Israel because they grew weary of Him, paralleling the dullness of the Hebrews in Hebrews 5:11-12, and calls them to remember His works.

The Call to Remember from Shittim to Gilgal

Micah 6:5 commands remembrance of Balak and Balaam from Shittim to Gilgal to know God's righteousness, pointing to Numbers 25 and the events at Shittim.

Scripture Reading — Romans 15:4

"Now whatsoever things were written aforetime"

—that's the Old Testament—

Scripture Reading — Romans 15:4

"were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope."

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 10:6, 11

"now these things were our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted."

The Sin at Shittim: Violating God's Law

Israel's whoredom and idolatry at Shittim (Numbers 25:1-3) violated the Ten Commandments, demonstrating that breaking one law makes one guilty of all (James 2:10-11).

Scripture Reading — Numbers 25:1-3

"And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods, and the people did eat and bowed down to their gods, and Israel joined himself unto Baal Peor, and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel."

God's Law-Word as the Standard of Righteousness

The central point: God's law is the standard for righteousness; any deviation is sin. Sin is defined as transgression of the law (1 John 3:4), and the law reveals sin (Romans 3:20, 7:7-9).

Scripture Reading — 1 John 3:4

"Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law."

The Law Fulfilled, Not Abolished

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 2:14-15

"For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us."

Now look what the Bible says:

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 2:14-15

"Having abolished in his flesh the enmity"

—that is the hatred—

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 2:14-15

"even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace."

Oh, you say,

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 2:14-15

"There it is, Brother Weaver. He has abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments."

Look in Hebrews chapter 10 and verse 16. Hebrews 10 verse 16:

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 8:10, 10:16

"This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them."

Application: Living by God's Law

Believers express love for God by keeping His commandments (John 14:21). The law is for our good (Deuteronomy 6:24-25), and justification by faith establishes the law (Romans 3:31).

Learning the Righteousness of God - 1

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	82205114258
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Romans: Justification, Faith, and Imputed Righteousness: Who is Israel?
Genre	Sermon
Date	2005-08-14
Dictation Name
Book	Book 165: Learning the Righteousness of God — Chapter 1
Source Timed Segments	85

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction: Man Does Not Know God by Nature: Weaver establishes that fallen man lacks intuitive knowledge of God and cannot know Him apart from divine revelation, citing Ephesians 4:17-18 and 1 Corinthians 2:14.
Believers Must Learn Christ: Even regenerated believers do not automatically possess full knowledge of God; they must learn Christ and grow in understanding, as seen in Ephesians 4:20-24 and 1 John 2.
God's Controversy with His People in Micah 6: God has a controversy with Israel because they grew weary of Him, paralleling the dullness of the Hebrews in Hebrews 5:11-12, and calls them to remember His works.
The Call to Remember from Shittim to Gilgal: Micah 6:5 commands remembrance of Balak and Balaam from Shittim to Gilgal to know God's righteousness, pointing to Numbers 25 and the events at Shittim.
The Sin at Shittim: Violating God's Law: Israel's whoredom and idolatry at Shittim (Numbers 25:1-3) violated the Ten Commandments, demonstrating that breaking one law makes one guilty of all (James 2:10-11).
God's Law-Word as the Standard of Righteousness: The central point: God's law is the standard for righteousness; any deviation is sin. Sin is defined as transgression of the law (1 John 3:4), and the law reveals sin (Romans 3:20, 7:7-9).
The Law Fulfilled, Not Abolished: Christ did not abolish the law but fulfilled it (Matthew 5:17-18). The ceremonial law is fulfilled in Christ as our altar, priest, temple, and sacrifice. The moral law remains, written on believers' hearts (Hebrews 8:10, 10:16).
Application: Living by God's Law: Believers express love for God by keeping His commandments (John 14:21). The law is for our good (Deuteronomy 6:24-25), and justification by faith establishes the law (Romans 3:31).

Major Themes

Key Arguments

Fallen man cannot know God without divine revelation

Man by nature is ignorant of God and lacks the ability to know Him, as shown by the pagan worship of unknown gods and explicit Scripture.

Acts 17:23 mentions the altar to the unknown God; Ephesians 4:18 says they are alienated through ignorance; 1 Corinthians 2:14 says the natural man cannot know spiritual things.

Believers must continually learn and grow in the knowledge of God

Regeneration does not automatically impart full knowledge; believers are called to learn Christ and progress from faith to faith, as seen in the categories of spiritual maturity.

Ephesians 4:20-24 commands putting on the new man; 1 John 2:12-14 distinguishes babes, young men, and fathers; 2 Timothy 2:15 urges study.

God's controversy with Israel stems from their weariness and regression

Israel grew weary of God despite His blessings, and the Hebrews in the New Testament similarly became dull of hearing, needing to be taught again the basics.

Micah 6:3 asks wherein God wearied them; Hebrews 5:11-12 says they need milk and not strong meat.

The events from Shittim to Gilgal reveal God's righteousness

Micah 6:5 specifically points to the incident at Shittim (Numbers 25) where Israel sinned with Moabite women, showing that God's law defines righteousness.

Micah 6:5 commands remembrance of Balak and Balaam from Shittim to Gilgal; Numbers 25:1-3 describes the whoredom and idolatry.

Sin is any deviation from God's law, including internal lusts

Sin begins in the heart with lust and covetousness before the physical act; God forbids not only the act but everything leading to it.

Matthew 5:27-28 equates lust with adultery; James 2:10-11 says breaking one law makes one guilty of all; 1 John 3:4 defines sin as lawlessness.

Christ fulfilled the law, making it internal and permanent

Christ did not destroy the law but fulfilled it, becoming the substance of the ceremonial shadows. The moral law is now written on believers' hearts, not abolished.

Matthew 5:17-18 says not one jot or tittle will pass; Hebrews 8:10 and 10:16 promise the law in hearts; 2 Corinthians 3:3 says the law is written on fleshy tables of the heart.

Justification by faith establishes the law, not nullifies it

True faith does not make void the law; rather, it establishes it because believers desire to obey God's revealed will out of love and gratitude.

Romans 3:31 says we establish the law through faith; John 14:21 links love with keeping commandments; Deuteronomy 6:24-25 says the law is for our good.

Scripture References

Micah 6:1-8: The primary text for the series, where God has a controversy with Israel and calls them to remember from Shittim to Gilgal to know His righteousness.
Acts 17:23: Paul at Mars Hill saw an altar to the unknown God, illustrating that man by nature does not know the true God.
Ephesians 4:17-18: Describes Gentiles as walking in vanity of mind, having understanding darkened, and being alienated from God through ignorance.
1 Corinthians 2:14: The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit and cannot know them because they are spiritually discerned.
Romans 3:10-12: Lists the four 'nones': none righteous, none understanding, none seeking God, none doing good.
Romans 8:7-8: The carnal mind is enmity against God and cannot be subject to His law; those in the flesh cannot please God.
1 John 2:12-14: John divides believers into babes, young men, and fathers, indicating different levels of knowledge and maturity.
Ephesians 4:20-24: Contrasts the old man with learning Christ, putting off the old and putting on the new man in righteousness.
2 Timothy 2:15: Commands study to show oneself approved, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Hebrews 5:11-12: The Hebrews are dull of hearing and need milk instead of strong meat, paralleling Israel's regression.
Romans 15:4: Whatever was written in the Old Testament was written for our learning, that we might have hope.
1 Corinthians 10:6, 11: Old Testament events happened as examples and were written for our admonition.
Numbers 25:1-3: Israel abode in Shittim and committed whoredom with Moabite women, joining themselves to Baal Peor, provoking God's anger.
James 2:10-11: Whoever keeps the whole law but offends in one point is guilty of all; the law is a unified whole.
1 John 3:4: Sin is the transgression of the law; whoever commits sin transgresses the law.
Romans 3:20: By the law is the knowledge of sin; no flesh is justified by the deeds of the law.
Romans 7:7-9: Paul would not have known sin except through the law; when the commandment came, sin revived and he died.
Matthew 5:17-18: Christ came not to destroy the law but to fulfill it; not one jot or tittle will pass until all is fulfilled.
Ephesians 2:14-15: Christ abolished the enmity, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, to make peace; refers to ceremonial ordinances, not moral law.
Hebrews 8:10, 10:16: God promises to put His laws into their minds and write them on their hearts under the new covenant.

Historical References

Balak and Balaam incident: Micah 6:5 references Balak king of Moab consulting Balaam, which led to the seduction of Israel at Shittim (Numbers 25).
Shittim (Abel Shittim): The plain in Moab where Israel encamped after victories over Sihon and Og, near the end of wilderness wanderings; site of the sin with Moabite women.
Gilgal: The place in the plains of Jericho where Israel camped after crossing Jordan, kept Passover, reinstituted circumcision, and set up memorial stones.
Phinehas's zeal: Phinehas took a javelin and pierced an Israelite man and Midianite woman committing fornication, stopping the plague (Numbers 25:7-8).
Pharisaical misinterpretation of the law: The Pharisees externalized the law, focusing on outward acts, while Jesus taught its internal, spiritual application (Matthew 5).

Important Quotes

Fallen man does not know the one true and living God. He does not know Him intuitively. He does not know Him instinctively.

Establishes the foundational premise that man cannot know God apart from divine revelation, setting up the need to learn God's righteousness.

But you have not so learned Christ.

Highlights the contrast between the natural man and the believer, emphasizing that learning Christ is a transformative process.

O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal, that you may know the righteousness of the Lord.

The key verse of the series, directing attention to the historical events that reveal God's righteous standard.

God's law-word is our standard for righteousness. And any deviation from his truth is sin and unrighteousness.

The central thesis of the sermon, defining righteousness and sin in relation to God's law.

When God forbids any sin, He also forbids anything and everything that will lead up to that sin.

Explains the internal, spiritual application of the law, showing that sin begins in the heart.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

Why does the speaker emphasize that fallen man cannot know God intuitively or instinctively? How does this affect our understanding of evangelism and discipleship?

[Context]

Based on the introduction from Ephesians 4 and 1 Corinthians 2, showing man's spiritual inability.

[Question]

In what ways can believers today grow weary of God, similar to Israel in Micah 6? What are the warning signs of spiritual regression?

[Context]

Drawing from Micah 6:3 and Hebrews 5:11-12, where God's people became dull and regressed.

[Question]

How does the incident at Shittim (Numbers 25) illustrate the principle that breaking one part of God's law makes us guilty of all?

[Context]

Referencing James 2:10-11 and the violation of multiple commandments at Shittim.

[Question]

What does it mean that God's law has a spiritual and internal application, not just an external one? How does Matthew 5:27-28 expand our understanding of sin?

[Context]

Discussing Jesus's teaching on lust and adultery in the heart.

[Question]

How does Christ's fulfillment of the law (Matthew 5:17-18) affect the way Christians should view the Old Testament law today?

[Context]

Explaining that the ceremonial law is fulfilled in Christ, while the moral law is written on hearts.

[Question]

In what sense does justification by faith 'establish the law' (Romans 3:31) rather than nullify it? How should this shape our obedience?

[Context]

Addressing the relationship between faith, grace, and the law.

Applications

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