Introduction: The Lord as Judge, Lawgiver, and King

Isaiah 33:22 reveals God as the source of judicial, legislative, and executive authority, which inspired the three branches of U.S. government.

Isaiah 33 and verse 22 today. Isaiah 33 and verse 22. This is going to be number 22 on the promises of the law, and this should be the last one on this subject. But notice, if you would please, Isaiah 32—I'm sorry, Isaiah 33 and verse 22. The Bible says,

How does one understand the law? Truthfully, the law is a whole, that is w-h-o-l-e, it is complete. In one sense, the word cannot be abrogated. It cannot be broken. It cannot be divided. It cannot be nullified or set aside. And yet, in the book of James, chapter 2, verses 10 and 11, which we have gone over in times past, the Scripture 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, also said, Thou shalt not kill. If thou commit no adultery, even if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law." So, if you violate one point of the law, then you are guilty of violating the whole. Now, I want you to look at verse 22, chapter 33 of Isaiah: "For the Lord is our judge." That would be judicial. "The Lord is our lawgiver." That would be legislative. "The Lord is our king." That would be executive, or the one who rules over and oversees everything. History tells us that this passage is where our founding fathers got the three divisions of our government: executive, legislative, and judicial. Now James 4 and verse 12 emphasizes this reality when it says, "For there is one lawgiver who is able to save and destroy: who art thou that judgest another?"

The Oneness of God and His Law

God and His law are inseparable; rejecting God's law is rejecting God. The alternative to God's law (theonomy) is humanism or autonomy (self-law).

Now when you think of the word "law," the Hebrew word for law is the word "Torah," and it means a pointing out, direction, or an authoritative direction. So the law then is nothing less than God's authoritative direction for our lives. Where there is a rejection of God's law, there necessarily follows a rejection of God. For God and His law are one. The alternative to God's law is humanism. Usually we talk about theonomy. "Theos" is the Greek word for God. "Nomos" is the Greek word for law. So, theonomy is nothing more than God's law. There's another word that we use quite frequently, and that's the word "autonomy." "Autos" is the Greek word for self. "Nomos" is the Greek word for law. So, autonomous individuals are ones who have a law unto themselves. It is a self-law in contradistinction to God's law.

The Bible tells us in Deuteronomy 12 and verse 8, God said to the people,

I hope you remember that in the book of Judges, twice in that book we are told that there was no king in Israel in those days and every man did that which was right in his own eyes. So in reality, the alternative to God's law, the alternative to theonomy, is humanism. It may be autonomy, it may be some other form of humanism, but it is still humanism. In any culture, in any society, one's law is the god of that society. When anthropologists go in to study an ancient culture, they are interested to know the source of law for that culture. Once they discern the source of law, then they know who the god of that culture really is. So men are either going to submit to God's law, or they are going to submit to that law which emanates from the god of their imagination.

Autonomy as Rebellion and Idolatry

Choosing man's law over God's law is rebellion and idolatry, as seen in Israel's demand for a king (1 Samuel 8) and their adoption of heathen statutes (2 Kings 17).

And Lord, they will either be theonomists or they will be autonomous. This is why many leading atheistic philosophers, thinkers, and scholars view the state as God. Did you know that Hegel basically said that the state was God walking on earth? For Hegel, "The state is the highest embodiment of the divine idea on earth, and the chief means used by the absolute in manifesting itself as it unfolds towards perfect fulfillment." In other words, it is the state that is going to bring in utopia. It is the state that is going to bring in perfection. Hegel said that the state is the highest form of social existence. In other words, you cannot get any higher than the state.

Now, the alternative then for refusing God's law and rejecting God's law is either some form of humanism or what you and I would call autonomy. And autonomy is nothing less than self-law, and self-law is nothing less than rebellion against God and His law. Now, God demanded one law for His people, and one law for the stranger. Let me just give you some quotes. We're going to be looking at a number of scriptures momentarily, but listen to this. In Exodus 12 in verse 49, God said, "One law shall be to him that is homeborn and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you." One law shall be to him that is homeborn and to the stranger that sojourneth among you. Leviticus 24 in verse 22 again, God said, "You shall have one manner of law, as well for the stranger as for one of your own country: I am the Lord your God." In Numbers 15 in verse 16, "One manner of law shall be for you and for the stranger that sojourneth with you." So God says there is

to be one law, and of course that would be His law. So when you talk about autonomy, that now is an additional law that is your law being added to or being placed above the law of God. So any additional law, regardless of its source, is a denial of the one God and the one law that He has issued. It is a denial of the completeness of God, and it brings the judgment of God upon a people.

Now I want you to turn in your Bibles, if you would, to the book of Hosea chapter 4, and look if you would please at verse 6. Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos—look in Hosea chapter 4 and verse 6. Now, you've heard this verse before, but let me point it out in light of the context that we're talking about. Notice, if you would, Hosea 4 and verse 6. God says,

Now when He says,

He is speaking specifically of His law, the knowledge of His law. Then He says in the latter part of the verse,

This is known as the lex talionis of Scripture. The term lex talionis is just simply Latin for the law of retribution. It is where God makes the punishment fit the crime.

So let me explain it like this. When you look at Hosea 4 and verse 6, the law is an expression of God's will for our lives. Children are an expression of our wills. We wanted them. We had them. So God says, if you forget the expression of my will, that is my law, I'll forget the expression of your will, that is your children. So there you have the lex talionis. There you have absolute perfect justice. God righteously forgets our children because we have unrighteously forgotten His law.

Now that should give us a clue as to why the younger people in our land today are so corrupt, so depraved, so wicked, so rebellious, and so suicidal—because we have basically rejected God's law and He is rejecting our children. Now, God's law is the absolute moral order to which everyone must conform. One cannot admit a different law system without admitting a new or different God. Now remember, if you would, under the covenant of God with Israel, He was the one true and the living God. When they forsook God and forsook His law, they then went under another law and another God, and if you'll skip down to verse 12 of Hosea chapter 4, I want you to see what God calls it. Hosea 4 and verse 12. He says,

In other words, when they forsook God's law, when they turned to other gods, it was called spiritual adultery, or whoremongering is exactly what it is. So, here's something important for you to understand. When someone changes law, he actually changes gods. And if anyone ever changes gods, he automatically changes law. You've heard me say this repeatedly, that a king rules by his law. And it is no different when you talk about the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and God of Gods.

Now, I want you to turn in your Bibles, if you would, to 1 Samuel chapter 8. You should be familiar with this passage, but I want you to see it in light of what I'm trying to teach you, because the Bible teaches there is one God and one law. One God, one law. Notice, if you would, 1 Samuel chapter 8, and look if you would please at verse 4. 1 Samuel chapter 8, verse 4:

But the thing displeased Samuel when they said,

And Samuel prayed unto the Lord. And the Lord said unto Samuel,

Note, if you would, when they wanted a man king, God called it a rejection of Himself, a rejection of His rule. Now the interesting thing is this: look what He tells Samuel in verse 9.

And Samuel told all the words of the Lord unto the people that asked of him a king. And he said, watch carefully,

"He will take your sons and appoint them for himself and for his chariots, to be his horsemen; and some shall run before him. And he will appoint him captains over thousands, captains over fifties, and will set them to ear his ground and reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war and instruments of chariots. And he will take your daughters..." and you can read all the way down, and all the king is going to do is take, take, take, take. Now the point I'm trying to make right now is this: they changed kings, and they changed gods, and they changed law. It's just that simple. They traded God for a man, and they traded God's law for man's law.

Now, look in your Bibles to 1 Samuel chapter 12 and verse 12. Here it is stated again very plainly. 1 Samuel 12, verse 12:

So actually, they traded God for a man, and they then traded God's law for man's law. Now, I must point out how God describes that which the Israelites did to Him when they turned from following His law to following man's law. I want you to turn over just a few books to 2 Kings chapter 17. 2 Kings chapter 17. Look carefully at this passage. 2 Kings chapter 17, and notice if you would please verse 7. 2 Kings 17, verse 7: "For so it was that the children of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, which had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods."

Now, I want you to note what God says happened. The children of Israel, whom He brought up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh, they feared other gods. So here is my question: What is the proof? What is the evidence that they feared other gods? Watch the next verse, verse 8. Let's read the latter part of verse 7: "...from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, had feared other gods, and walked in the statutes of the heathen, whom the Lord cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they had made." So what were they doing to fear other gods? They were walking in the statutes or the laws of the heathen. Or they were walking in the statutes or the laws of the kings of Israel. And you must remember the kings of Israel were reprobates. There was not one good king in the northern kingdom. It was Jeroboam that made the two golden calves, put one in Dan and the other in Bethel.

So God says they feared other gods. How did they fear other gods? And the answer is by refusing and rejecting God's law and walking under man's law. He called it fearing other gods. So a failure then to obey and walk in God's law is indeed idolatry. When you and I reject and refuse God's law and serve man's law, we're guilty of adultery. I understand that man's law should be in conformity with God's law. But when it contradicts God's law, our position should be like the apostles in Acts 5 in verse 29 when they said,

So clearly here, when you talk about this, you are talking about idolatry. You are talking about turning from God to man, and He called it fearing other gods. Now God is one and His law is one. When an individual refuses God's law, who declares what is right and what is wrong, he is now in essence determining for himself what is right and what is wrong.

The Law as a Whole with Distinct Aspects

While God's law is one, it can be discussed in terms of ceremonial, judicial, and moral aspects, using theological terminology to convey biblical concepts.

You remember the temptation in Genesis chapter 3 in the Garden of Eden. You remember the serpent said to Eve, "You shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." The Hebrew word for "knowing" has the force of "determining." "You shall be as gods, determining good and evil." In other words, you don't need God to tell you what to do. You can become a god yourself and you can determine what is right and what is wrong, what is good and what is evil. That is autonomy. That is self-law. So I hope you are getting the idea now that God is one and His law is one. You must understand that one absolute unchanging law demands one unqualified obedience. We are required to give obedience to God's law. The wholeness or the oneness of God's law does not mean that it cannot be viewed in its separate aspects or distinct characteristics. Usually, when you think about the law of God, people say, "Well, the law is divided into three parts. It's divided into ceremonial, moral, and judicial."

Now, there are some people that say, "Well, I don't like those terms." Well, that's fine. And I've heard some say, "Well, those are man's divisions. That's man's terminology." Well, it may be. But we use an awful lot of words that originate with man. In fact, most all of them originated with man in one shape, form, or fashion. Let me just say, there are some people that adhere to the rapture theory. Do you realize the word "rapture" does not occur in Scripture? Not at all. And yet people use that word all of the time. You hear people talking about the attributes of God. And if I were to say, and use the phrase, "the attributes of God," you know automatically that I'm talking about the omniscience of God, the omnipotence of God, the omnipresence of God, the immensity of God, the infinity of God, the eternality of God. In other words, I'm describing that which God has revealed concerning Himself in the Bible. Do you realize that every major theology book in existence has a section on the attributes of God? Did you know the word "attributes" does not occur in the Bible? Well, it does—you could use the word "characteristics," but I don't even think the word "characteristics" occurs in the Bible.

I'm just simply pointing out we are using words to convey ideas, and we are using words to convey concepts. Now, the truth of the matter is we are not going to kick the attributes of God out just because someone thought of the attributes of God years ago and started using them in theological books, obviously. We confess to believe in the triune God: God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. But did you know the word "triune" is not in the Bible? Someone came up with it. Well, we say we believe in the Trinity or we're Trinitarians. The word "Trinity" and "Trinitarianism" is not in the Bible either. But those are words that convey a concept.

Now, you have to understand. We do this all the time. We use words that convey ideas. For instance, if I were to ask you, "Do you believe that man is made up of two parts?" That would be body and soul. If you said yes, I would say that means you believe in dichotomy and you're a dichotomist. If I were to ask you, "Do you believe that man is made up of three parts: body, soul, and spirit?" If you said yes, I would say, "Well, that makes you a trichotomist and you believe in trichotomy." You follow what I'm saying? Those are words that convey concepts. "Dichotomy" is not in the Bible. "Trichotomy" is not in the Bible. If I were to ask you, "Do you believe that God chose His people without a view of the fall?" And you answered, "Yes," that would make you, theologically speaking, a supralapsarian. If I were to ask you, "Do you believe that God chose His people in view of the fall?" And you said, "Yes," that would make you an infralapsarian or sublapsarian.

You follow me? Those are terms that we use theologically speaking. If I were to use two terms, "Calvinism" and "Arminianism," just those two terms convey an entire body of thought, an entire body of doctrine. If I use the term "Calvinism," you know what I'm talking about. If I use the term "Arminianism," you know what I'm talking about. I don't have to sit here and explain it. But neither "Calvinism" nor "Arminianism" is found in the Bible.

Now, the teachings or the concepts, you know, that we could show certain verses that would probably back up some of the points of some of them. But I'm just simply saying those two terms are not there. We use this all along. So, some have suggested that what we need to do is talk about God's law using the term "restorative law" and "moral law." Well, when you hear the term "moral law," you automatically think of the Ten Commandments. It must be pointed out that all of God's law is moral. There's no such thing as immorality in the law of God. I don't care if you're talking about the ceremonial law, it is moral. I don't care if you're talking about the judicial law, it is moral. And obviously, what you and I would refer to as the Ten Commandments would be moral as well. So we use terms to distinguish things that are different. God's law is a whole, although it's made up of distinctive parts. Man is a whole, except he's made up of parts.

The Ceremonial Law: Shadow and Fulfillment

The ceremonial law consisted of types and shadows pointing to Christ, who is the reality—our sacrifice, high priest, altar, and temple.

Body and soul, or body, soul, and spirit, regardless of your position. But the parts make up a whole. And so God's law can be divided into parts, but those parts are a whole. Now, I want you to consider with me the term "ceremonial law." Why in the world would someone come up and describe an aspect of God's law as ceremonial law? And the answer is because that is how God was publicly worshipped in the Old Testament. It was through ceremonies. I mean, let's be honest. It was those ceremonies that He ordained. And He described them. And if you do not think that His ceremonial worship was serious, then just ask Nadab and Abihu. You'll find out they abused it in Leviticus chapter 10 and God sent fire down from heaven and consumed them. So, obviously here are ceremonies. There was even a ceremony performed in Deuteronomy chapter 21 when a man was found murdered and no one knew who murdered him.

They would measure to the nearest city, and then the elders of that city would come out and take a heifer that had never been broken a yoke and cut off her head in a valley, wash their hands and say, "Our eyes have not seen, we don't know who did this." In other words, they are saying, "Lord, if we knew who did this, it would not be the heifer laying here with her head chopped off, it would be the murderer." But it was a ceremony. You look at all the sacrificial ceremonies, and rites, and rituals, all of the offerings—all of these things pictured the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, I want to point out something for you, if you would please. I want you to think with me. We are talking about something that pictures. I want you to turn in your Bibles, if you would, to the book of Hebrews chapter 9. Hebrews chapter 9, and notice if you would please what the Bible says, particularly of these Old Testament rites and rituals. We're going to look at a couple of passages. We'll look in Hebrews chapter 9, beginning there with verse 1. The Bible says, "Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances"—that would be ceremonies—"of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary. For there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the candlestick, and the table, and the showbread; which is called the sanctuary. And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all; which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant."

"And over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercy seat; of which we cannot now speak particularly. Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God. But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people: the Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing: which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect as pertaining to the conscience." So here in Hebrews chapter 9, he is saying that everything that happened in the Old Testament in the tabernacle and later on in the temple was nothing but a figure. It was a type. It was not reality.

Now, skip down to chapter 10 and look at the very first verse. Chapter 10, verse 1. Watch this.

Well, wait a minute. What part of the law is he talking about? He's talking about the ceremonial law. I'll show you. He said,

—there's the ceremonial law—

—we are talking about the ceremonial law—"but in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year." So he is saying then that everything in the Old Testament in regard to these sacrifices, in regard to the ceremonies, was nothing but a shadow. It was not reality. Now, skip back, if you would, to Hebrews chapter 9 and look at verse 22.

Here it is again. "And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission." Now watch carefully. "It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these"—the patterns of things in the heaven. What is he talking about? The tabernacle, the temple. Now Alice has made dresses for years, and she buys patterns. And she cuts out the material and she makes the dress. The material is the dress, not the pattern. The pattern is not the reality. So he says, "It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in heaven should be purified with these"—that is the blood of bulls and goats—"but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these." So there's a difference between the pattern and the reality. There's a difference between the shadow and the reality. There's a difference between the ceremony and the reality. So everything that we're talking about now in the Old Testament was nothing more than a pattern, or a type, or a shadow, or a figure.

Now, so let me try to put this thing together. Let's suppose you are alive in the Old Testament, okay? You're alive in the Old Testament period, and you want to be obedient, and you want to come and worship God, and you want to give Him the honor and glory that's due unto His name. What do you do? You bring a sacrifice. You come to the temple, to the altar, and to the priest. Now, if you don't bring the sacrifice and if you don't come to the temple, because God forbade you to offer it in the field, if you don't bring the sacrifice, if you don't come to the temple, if you don't come to the high priest, if you don't come to the altar, you don't worship God. It's just that simple.

Now, the ceremonial law has not been nullified. It has not been abrogated. It has not been set aside. I have people say, "Well, I don't come with an offering and I don't come to an altar and I don't come to a priest and I don't come to a temple." Well, let me tell you this. If you do not, then you're not worshiping the one true and the living God. How can I say that? Well, 1 Corinthians 5, verse 7:

He's our offering. When you get to Hebrews 13, verse 10: "We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle"—that is the types and the shadows. Jesus Christ is our altar. When you get to Hebrews chapter 4: "We have a great high priest that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession of faith." And then when you get to Revelation 21, verse 22, John said, "And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple thereof."

Do you understand that when we worship God today, we come with a sacrifice—the person and work of Jesus Christ. We come to the high priest—Jesus Christ. We come to the altar—Jesus Christ. We come to the temple—Jesus Christ. We no longer have types. We no longer have shadows. We no longer have emblems. We no longer have the pattern. We have the reality. That's why Jesus Christ said in John 14 in verse 6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

So the ceremonial law still stands in the sense that we have the perfect fulfillment of it in Jesus Christ, and everything in the Old Testament foreshadowed the Son of God who is the completion of all of those Old Testament sacrifices. Now, what about the judicial law? I want you to turn in your Bibles, if you would, to the book of Exodus chapter 22. Exodus chapter 22. You understand that when we talk about the word "judicial," it is in reference to judges and to law courts. We even refer to our law courts today as the judicial system. Well, the same thing is true in the Old Testament. When you look at Exodus chapter 22, there's a lot of things here that involve the judges.

The Judicial Law: Sanctions and God's Justice

The judicial law involves God-ordained sanctions applied by judges; though human courts may fail, God's justice remains in effect.

For instance, verse 1: "If a man shall steal an ox or a sheep, and kill it or sell it; he shall restore five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep." That's restitution. "If a thief be found breaking up, and be smitten that he die, there shall no blood be shed for him." Watch verse 4: "If the theft be certainly found in his hand alive, whether it be ox, or ass, or sheep; he shall restore double." Verse 5: "If a man shall cause a field or vineyard to be eaten, and shall put in his beast, and shall feed in another man's field; of the best of his own field, and of the best of his own vineyard, shall he make restitution." Then he goes on to verse 6 and talks about fire. Look in verse 7: "If a man shall deliver unto his neighbor money or stuff to keep, and it be stolen out of the man's house; if the thief be found, let him pay double. If the thief be not found, then the master of the house shall be brought unto the judges, to see whether he have put his hand unto his neighbor's goods."

"For all manner of trespass, whether it be for ox, for ass, for sheep, for raiment, or for any manner of lost thing, which another challengeth to be his, the cause of both parties shall come before the judges; and whom the judges shall condemn, he shall pay double unto his neighbor." So we're talking about a judicial aspect of God's law. God has sanctions against those who violate His law. Look in your Bibles to Deuteronomy chapter 17. Deuteronomy 17. Notice if you would please verse 12. Here's an interesting thing. In fact, let's read verse 11. Here's someone that has been before God's judges, and he doesn't want to abide by the decision of the judges. Verse 11, Deuteronomy 17: "According to the sentence of the law which they shall teach thee, and according to the judgment which they shall tell thee, thou shalt do"—we're talking about the judges—"thou shalt not decline from the sentence which they shall show thee, to the right hand, nor to the left. And the man that will do presumptuously"—that is, he will not obey the decision of a biblical court of law—"and will not hearken unto the priest that standeth to minister there before the Lord thy God, or unto the judge, even that man shall die: and thou shalt put away the evil from Israel." So it was a capital punishment to refuse to abide by the decision of a biblical court of law. That's judicial. Okay, look if you would to Deuteronomy 25. Deuteronomy 25 at verses 1 and 2. There is a judicial aspect of God's law. "If there be a controversy between men, and they come unto judgment, that the judges may judge them; then shall they"—the judges—"justify the righteous, and condemn

the wicked. And it shall be, if the wicked man be worthy to be beaten, that the judge shall cause him to lie down, and to be beaten before his face, according to his fault, by a certain number." So this is purely judicial. The judicial aspect of God's law involves the application of sanctions. The law was applied, and judges were involved in the judicial process, and the judges were to rule for God and in accordance to God's law. Let me give you a verse: 2 Chronicles chapter 19 and verse 6. Listen carefully: "And to the judges he said, Take heed what you do: for you judge not for man, but for the Lord, who is with you in the judgment." So the judges in Bible times were to judge for the Lord. And of course, our Lord used something similar in Luke 12 in verse 58. He says, "When thou goest with thine adversary to the magistrate..." He's talking about a judicial process. So there is a judicial aspect of the law of God.

There's no way around it because there were sanctions. And you and I did not just go around determining we wanted to apply those sanctions. No, it was a legal, judicial act where judges were appointed and they heard the case and then they determined who was guilty and then they applied the sanction to that guilty individual. So we've covered the ceremonial, we've covered the judicial. How about the moral? Well, I've stated earlier that all of God's law is moral. Anything and everything that God says and anything and everything God does is moral, right, and holy. Moreover, He has commanded us, "Be holy, for I am holy." Well, let me ask you a question. In fact, I'm going to ask you several questions. Is honoring your father and your mother moral, right, and holy? Is refusing to murder and engage in unjust violence moral, right, and holy? Is refusing to commit adultery moral, right, and holy? Is refusing to steal moral, right, and holy? Is refusing to lie and gossip and slander and bear false report—is that moral, right, and holy? Is refusing to covet and desire to possess something that belongs to your neighbor—is that moral, right, and holy?

And the answer is yes. If the answer is yes to all of these, then we are talking about the moral law. How about this one? Is it moral, right, and holy to worship only the one true and the living God? Is it moral, right, and holy not to have idols in your house? Is it moral, right, and holy not to take God's name in vain? Is it moral, right, and holy to observe the Sabbath? Yes! God's law is a moral law.

Now, people can quibble over words all day long, yet it is the fact that words that convey concepts, whether someone likes the words or not, agrees with the words or not, is immaterial. There was indeed a ceremonial aspect to the law. There is a judicial aspect to the law. There is a moral aspect to the law. And none of God's law has been set aside. None of it has been abrogated. The ceremonial law is still in full effect.

The only problem is now—and it's no problem—but the only truth is now we no longer have the shadows. We no longer have the types. We no longer have the temple, the emblems. We have reality. We have the Lord Jesus Christ. He is our great high priest. He is our sacrifice. He is our altar. He is our temple. He is our reality. The judicial law is still in effect. God still demands restitution for theft. God still demands the death penalty for certain sins and certain crimes. And you say, "Well, wait a minute.

The magistrates today, they're not executing the criminals. A man that murders today usually doesn't get executed. He usually gets seven or eight years in prison and he's out." Well, just because magistrates, earthly magistrates, fail to enforce God's law does not mean that God will not enforce His law. I told our people this morning, in the early church, in the early church, there were individuals who committed adultery. Those individuals repented and they were restored to the church. But do you know what the people were referred to? They were called the walking dead. Why? Because the church didn't have the power to execute them. The Roman government certainly wasn't going to execute them. But that didn't mean that God wouldn't do so in His time. See, it's just like someone today who murders another man and he's never caught—that is, at least by man. That doesn't mean he's escaped judgment, because God is the judge and God is the avenger.

The Moral Law: Righteousness and Sanctification

All God's law is moral; the moral law defines righteousness and is essential for sanctification, though not for justification.

Well, I've stated earlier that all of God's law is moral. Anything and everything that God says and anything and everything God does is moral, right, and holy. Moreover, He has commanded us, "Be holy, for I am holy." Well, let me ask you a question. In fact, I'm going to ask you several questions. Is honoring your father and your mother moral, right, and holy? Is refusing to murder and engage in unjust violence moral, right, and holy? Is refusing to commit adultery moral, right, and holy? Is refusing to steal moral, right, and holy? Is refusing to lie and gossip and slander and bear false report—is that moral, right, and holy? Is refusing to covet and desire to possess something that belongs to your neighbor—is that moral, right, and holy?

And the answer is yes. If the answer is yes to all of these, then we are talking about the moral law. How about this one? Is it moral, right, and holy to worship only the one true and the living God? Is it moral, right, and holy not to have idols in your house? Is it moral, right, and holy not to take God's name in vain? Is it moral, right, and holy to observe the Sabbath? Yes! God's law is a moral law.

Now, people can quibble over words all day long, yet it is the fact that words that convey concepts, whether someone likes the words or not, agrees with the words or not, is immaterial. There was indeed a ceremonial aspect to the law. There is a judicial aspect to the law. There is a moral aspect to the law. And none of God's law has been set aside. None of it has been abrogated. The ceremonial law is still in full effect.

The only problem is now—and it's no problem—but the only truth is now we no longer have the shadows. We no longer have the types. We no longer have the temple, the emblems. We have reality. We have the Lord Jesus Christ. He is our great high priest. He is our sacrifice. He is our altar. He is our temple. He is our reality. The judicial law is still in effect. God still demands restitution for theft. God still demands the death penalty for certain sins and certain crimes. And you say, "Well, wait a minute.

The magistrates today, they're not executing the criminals. A man that murders today usually doesn't get executed. He usually gets seven or eight years in prison and he's out." Well, just because magistrates, earthly magistrates, fail to enforce God's law does not mean that God will not enforce His law. I told our people this morning, in the early church, in the early church, there were individuals who committed adultery. Those individuals repented and they were restored to the church. But do you know what the people were referred to? They were called the walking dead. Why? Because the church didn't have the power to execute them. The Roman government certainly wasn't going to execute them. But that didn't mean that God wouldn't do so in His time. See, it's just like someone today who murders another man and he's never caught—that is, at least by man. That doesn't mean he's escaped judgment, because God is the judge and God is the avenger.

So the judicial law is still in effect. The moral law is still in effect because morality is determined by God and not by man. I want you to turn in your Bibles to John chapter 12. I want to try to tie it together for you with the words of our Lord. I want you to watch this. John chapter 12. I've been trying to tell you and show you that God is one and His law is one. While the law is one whole, it does have constituent parts. Whatever you want to call those parts, it does have constituent parts, and those parts make up the whole. Now, the point I'm trying to make is this: You cannot deny one without denying the other. He who denies God's law, in essence, denies God who gave the law. If you look at John 12 and verse 48, our Lord said essentially the same thing. Look at it. John 12, verse 48. Our Lord said, "He that rejecteth me"—that is the living Word—"He that rejecteth me and receiveth not my words"—that is the written Word—"hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day." So for someone to come along and say, "Well, I believe in Jesus Christ, but I don't believe the Bible," that's impossible.

Or, "I believe the Bible, but I don't believe in Jesus Christ." That's impossible, because Jesus Christ and His Word are one, because Jesus Christ is God, and God is one, and His law is one. You cannot reject the law of God without rejecting the God who gave the law.

Applications and Conclusion

Believers should not let minor objections undermine obedience to God's law, which is written on their hearts and directs holy living.

Now, let me make a couple of quick applications. The first one is this: Do not allow some minor objections to thwart and overthrow your estimation of and obedience to the law of God. It is true no one can be holy apart from the law of God. I've mentioned this and I'm going to mention it again. Justification is by faith alone. The law is not our standard for salvation. I've told you before, there has never been anyone saved by keeping the law, and there will never be anyone saved by keeping the law. The law is not our standard for justification. But just because God never gave the law for justification doesn't mean that it's not good for anything. It is certainly good for our sanctification. It is impossible to be holy apart from the law. Holiness is defined by God and not by man. You remember that passage in 1 Thessalonians 4 in verse 3 where the Bible says, "For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication." Wow, sanctification or holiness is by abstaining from fornication, which would be a violation of the 7th commandment, a violation of the 10th commandment, a violation of the 1st commandment.

You see what I'm saying? So obviously then, sanctification is holiness. It is being set apart unto God. No one that is continually and consistently violating the 1st and 7th and 10th commandments could ever possibly be considered to be a moral individual. They are an immoral individual because they are violating God's law.

Now, the second application would be this: If you don't like the term "ceremonial law," substitute the word "shadow law" or "pattern law." It is the same thing. Because that's what the Bible says the ceremonies were. They were patterns. They were types. They were emblems. If you don't like the word "moral," substitute the word "righteous." Why? Because whatever is moral is righteous. Whatever is righteous is moral. I mean, words just simply convey ideas. If you don't like the word "judicial," substitute the word "legal" or "judicatory." It's the same thing; it conveys the truth. You see, the problem is not with words; the problem is with people who do not want to acknowledge or submit to the law of God.

And here is something I find very interesting. People who usually deny the law of God and try to say the law of God is not in effect, that it's been nullified, been set aside, and abrogated—wow. Well, they can say that, but at the same time, they don't want their spouse to run out and commit adultery. They don't want to be the recipients of murder or unjust violence. They don't want to be stolen from. And they don't want to have everything they ever worked for taken away from them. In other words, you can deny in words, but in reality, you want someone to treat you the way God says you should be treated. So clearly, you're going to say, "I want God's law." You see, God's law stands.

It is our direction for life. It is our sanctification, it is our holiness, it is our practical righteousness. Now I want to show you two passages before I close. I want you to turn to the book of Leviticus chapter 5 and Isaiah 51. I will quote a passage in between these. Isaiah chapter 51, if you can just find that and mark it. We're going to go to Leviticus chapter 5 first. Look in Leviticus chapter 5 and let's begin reading there with verse 15. Leviticus chapter 5 and verse 15. Look at what the Bible talks about. Verse 14, we'll read it.

"And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, If a soul commit a trespass"—now trespass is a sin—"If a soul commit a trespass and sin through ignorance in the holy things of the Lord"—that would be the law, and especially the ceremonial law here—"then he shall bring for his trespass unto the Lord a ram without blemish out of the flocks, with thy estimation by shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for a trespass offering"—or a sin offering—"and he shall make amends for the harm that he hath done in the holy thing"—that would be the law—"and shall add the fifth part thereto, and give it unto the priest: and the priest shall make an atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering, and it shall be forgiven him." But note, if you would please, the law there is referred to as "the holy thing." And note, if you would, he keeps talking about a trespass. If you trespass against God, it is a sin. The Bible says in 1 John 3 in verse 4, "Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth"—or trespasseth—"also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law."

You can't sin against God without violating His law. And so he's saying here the law is a holy thing. And if you trespass on these ceremonies, it had to be taken care of the way He said. Now look in your Bibles to Isaiah 51. Notice if you would please verse 7. Isaiah 51 and verse 7. Isaiah 51, verse 7. Watch carefully. Look what the Scripture says. "Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness..." Well, who is it that knows righteousness? "Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings." Note what he said: "Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness," and who are they? "The people in whose heart is my law."

May I remind you that if you will read Jeremiah 31, if you would read Hebrews chapter 8 and Hebrews chapter 10, He talks about the new covenant. In that covenant, what is God going to do? He's going to write His law upon our hearts. The reason we know what is right and wrong is because we, as the people of God, not only have the written Word of God, but we have that law written in our hearts. God's law is the direction for our lives. God's law is the will for our lives. How do I know how to walk pleasing unto the Lord? Because He's told me: "Honor thy father and thy mother." "Thou shalt not kill." "Thou shalt not commit adultery." "Thou shalt not steal." "Thou shalt not bear false witness." "Thou shalt not covet." I know what's pleasing unto Him because of His law. So you can divide it: ceremonial, judicial, and moral.

But you have to remember, everything makes up one whole. God is one and His law is one. And none of it has been set aside. None of it has been abrogated or nullified. If you want to please God, walk according to His law. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to you this day. We thank you, Father, for your Word. We thank you for your truth. We thank you, Heavenly Father, for Thy law. And we pray, Father, that you'd make us obedient, make us holy, make us godly. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen.