Lesson
40
The
Law of God
“Blessed are they whose
ways are blameless, who walk according to the law
of the Lord. Blessed are they who keep his
statutes and who seek him with all their heart.
They do nothing wrong; they walk in his ways. You
have laid down precepts that are to be fully
obeyed. Oh, that my ways were steadfast in
obeying your decree! Then I would not be put to
shame when I consider all your commands. I will
praise you with an upright heart as I learn your
righteous laws. I will obey your decrees; do not
utterly forsake me.
-
Psalm 119: 1-8
Introductory
Can a person who lives today
in the 21st century, obey all of God’s
laws? The answer is a resounding yes! When
Jesus was on Earth about 2,000 years ago, He
proved that a human being could live a perfect
life. Jesus told His disciples, “You
are my friends if you do what I command…whoever
has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who
loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my
Father, and I too will love him and show myself
to him. (John 15:14; 14:21) This study will show
you what God’s laws really say and how to
interrupt them in our everyday lives.
NATURE OF GOD’S LAW
What is the nature of God’s
law?
“Wherefore the law is
holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and
good.” “For we know the law is
spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.”
Romans 7:12,14. Note - Christ demonstrated the
spiritual nature of the law, showing that it
relates not merely to the outwards actions, but
also to the thought and intents of the heart.
(See Hebrews 4:12) Obedience to this law
therefore, requires not merely an outward
compliance but genuine heart service. This can be
rendered only by a regenerated soul.” Psalm
19:7. “Is there such a thing as a
perfect law? Everything that comes from God is
perfect. The law of which we are thinking comes
from Him. It becomes defiled in our hands. We
take from it and try to add to it, and in that
way it becomes less than perfect. In a very real
sense the law of God is the manifestation of the
nature of the Lord. It could no more be imperfect
that He is.”
How comprehensive are these
commandments?
“Fear God, and keep his
commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”
Ecclesiastes 12:13. Note – “No
human lawgiver could have given forth such a law
as that which we find in the Ten Commandments. It
is a perfect law; for all human laws that are
right are to be found in that brief and weighed
together of all that is good and excellent toward
God, or between man an man.”
God’s Law
1
You shall have no other
gods before me.
2
You shall not make unto
thee any graven image, or any likeness of any
thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the
earth beneath, or that is in the water under the
earth, you shall not bow down thyself to them,
nor serve them, for I am the Lord thy God am a
jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers
upon the children unto the third and fourth
generations of them that hate me, and showing
mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and
keep my commandments.
3
You shall not misuse
the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will
not hold him guiltless who misuses his name.
4
Remember the Sabbath
day, to keep it holy. Six days shall you labor,
and do all thy work, but the seventh day is the
Sabbath of the Lord your God, On it you shall not
do any work, neither you, nor thy son or
daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor
your animals, nor the alien within thy gates: for
in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the
sea, and all that in them is, and rested the
seventh day, Therefore the Lord blessed the
Sabbath day, and hallowed it.
5
Honor your father and
your mother, so that you may live long in the
land which the Lord your God is giving you.
6
You shall not murder.
7
You shall not commit
adultery.
8
You shall not steal.
9
You shall not give
false testimony against your neighbor.
10
You shall not covet
your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet
your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant, or
his maidservant, or his ox, or donkey, or any
thing that belongs to your neighbor.
Exodus
20:3-17.
What is the essential
principle of the law of God?
“Love does no harm to
its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment
of the law.” Romans 13:10.
What two commandments sum up
the law of God?
”Love the Lord your God
with all your heart and with all your soul and
with all your mind. This is the first and
greatest commandment And the second is like it:
Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and
the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Matthew 22:37-40. Note – If you love God
with all your heart, you will keep the first
table; if you love your neighbor as yourself, you
will keep the second.
PURPOSE OF LAW
Why should we fear God and
keep His commandments?
“Now all has been
heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear
God and keep his commandments, for this is the
whole duty of man, For God will bring every deed
into judgment, including every hidden thing,
whether it is good or evil.” Ecclesiastes
12:13,14.
What will be the standard in
the judgment?
Speak and act as those who
are going to be judged by the law that gives
freedom, because judgment without mercy will be
shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy
triumphs over judgment! James 2:12,13.
What is sin declared to be?
“Everyone who sins
breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.”
1 John 3:4.
DISOBEDIENCE TO LAW
How many of the commandments
is it necessary to break in order to become a
transgressor of the law?
“For whoever keeps the
whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is
guilty of breaking all of it. For He [Jesus] who
said, “Do not commit adultery,” also
said, “Do not murder.” If you do not
commit adultery but do commit murder, you have
become a lawbreaker.” James 2:10,11.
Note – The Ten
Commandments are not ten different laws; they are
one law. If I am being held up in the air by a
chain with ten links and I break one of them,
down I come, just as surely as if I break the
whole ten.
Can one know God and not
keep His commandments?
“The man that says,
“I know him, ‘but does not what he
commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him.”
1 John 2:4.
NECESSITY OF OBEDIENCE
What was Christ’s
attitude toward God’s will, or law?
“Then I said, “Here
I am, I have come- it is written about me in the
scroll. I desire to do your will, O my God; your
law is within my heart” Psalms 40:7,8.
Who did say would enter the
kingdom of heaven?
“Jesus said, Not
everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord, will
enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does
the will of my Father who is in heaven.”
Matthew 7:21
How will men be rated in
relation to God’s commandments?
“Anyone who breaks one
of the least of these commandments and teaches
others to do the same will be called the least in
the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and
teaches these commands will be called great in
the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:19.
Note – The Ten
Commandments constitute a summary of the duties
God requires of men. These commandments are the
foundation that lies beneath the ethical life of
humanity. They are as binding upon Christians
today as they were upon the Hebrews who first
received them.
HOW CAN MAN OBEY?
Why is the carnal mind
enmity against God?
“The sinful mind is
hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s
law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the
sinful nature cannot please God.” Romans
8:7.
Can man of himself unaided
by Christ keep the law?
“I am the vine, you are
the branches, if a man remains in me and I in
him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you
can do nothing.” John 15:5.
What provisions has been
made by which we are enabled to keep God’s
law?
“For what the law was
powerless to do in that it was weakened by the
sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in
the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering.
And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order
that the righteous requirements of the law might
be fully met in us, who do not live according to
the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.”
Romans 8:3,4.
How does the renewed heart
regard God’s law?
“This is love for God:
to obey his commands. And his commands are not
burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes
the world. This is the victory that has overcome
the world, even our faith.” 1 John 5:3,4.
BLESSINGS OF WILLING
OBEDIENCE
What blessing attends those
who keep God’s commandments?
“By them is your
servant warned; in keeping them there is great
reward.” Psalm 19:11.
What other blessings attends
commandment keeping?
“The fear of the Lord
is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his
precepts have good understanding.” Psalm
111:10.
What promise is made to the
willing and obedient?
“If you are willing and
obedient, you will eat the best from the land.”
Isaiah 1:19.
God’s law is eternal in
the universe and cannot be changed and the devil
is trying to challenge God’s eternal law by
saying that man cannot keep it perfectly. Will
attempt to show you each individual law that God
gave all of us in the Ten Commandments and what
they really mean:
1.
“You shall have no other gods before me.”
Exodus 20:3
·
We are to put God first in our lives.
2.
“You shall not make for yourself an idol in
the form of anything in heaven above or the earth
beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow
down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord
your God, am a jealous God, punishing the
children for the sin of the fathers to the third
and fourth generation of those that hate me, but
showing love to a thousand generations of those
who love me and keep my commandments”.
Exodus 20: 4-6
·
God will permit no rival to share our adoration.
Therefore we must shun idolatry in all of its
forms. We must not bow down to images, pictures,
people, money, or any worldly possession. Our
worship must be reserved for God alone.
3.
“You shall not misuse the name of the Lord
your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone
guiltless who misuses his name.” Exodus
20:7
·
We are to be reverent in all matters concerning
God. To use His name as an idle swearword is a
grievous sin in His sight.
4.
“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it
holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your
work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the
Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work,
neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your
manservant, nor your maidservant, nor the alien
within your gates. For in six days the Lord made
the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that
is in them, but he rested on the seventh day.
Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and
made it holy.” Exodus 20:8-11
·
This, the longest of the Ten Commandments, bids
us remember the day and worship that God set
apart in the beginning for man’s highest
spiritual good. The seventh day of the week is to
regarded as a holy day, God’s day, a day of
special fellowship and communion with Him.
5.
“Honor your father and your mother, so that
you may live long in the land the Lord God is
giving you.” Exodus 20:12
·
We are to be respectful to our parents, with all
that this implies of law and order in the house.
6.
“You shall not murder.” Exodus
20:13
·
We are to value the lives of others as our own,
and have no hateful thought toward a single soul.
There must be no murder in our hearts.
7.
“You shall not commit adultery.” Exodus
20:14
·
We are to be pure in our thoughts and actions,
avoiding even the appearance of evil.
8.
“You shall not steal.” Exodus
20:15
·
We are to be honest in all our relationships with
our fellow men, in our business affairs, our
money matters, and our service to God and man.
9.
“You shall not give false testimony against
your neighbor.” Exodus 20:16
·
We are to be truthful at all times and under all
circumstances, albeit “speaking the truth in
love.” (Ephesians 4:15)
10.
“You shall not covet your neighbor’s
house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s
wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or
donkey, or anything that belongs to your
neighbor.” Exodus 20:17
·
We are to be content with what God has given us,
without envy toward those who may be better off
than ourselves. We are to be generous, not
greedy; considerate, not selfish.
These Ten Commandments that
were given many thousands of years ago, still
mean the same as if God just wrote them. My
eternal friend we can live the victorious life in
Christ and obey His commandments. The Apostle
Paul said, “Put on the whole armor of God,
that you may be able to stand against the wiles
of the devil. For we are not contending against
flesh and blood, but against the principalities,
against the powers, against the world rulers of
this present darkness, against the spiritual
hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Therefore take on the full armor of God, that you
may be able to withstand in the evil day, and
having done all, to stand.
“Stand therefore,
having girded your loins with truth, and
having put on the breastplate of
righteousness, and shod your feet with the
equipment of the gospel of peace,
above all, taking the shield of faith,
with will quench all the flaming darts of the
evil one. And take the helmet of salvation,
and the sword of the spirit, which is the word
of God.” (Ephesians 6:10-17).
Notice this armor carefully,
for you, too, must wear it if you would live
victoriously. First there is the garment of truth;
next the breastplate of righteousness;
then the shoes of peace, the shield of faith,
the helmet of salvation, and finally the
sword of the Spirit, “which is the Word
of God.”
Obviously this armor is not
material but spiritual. It has to do with the
mind and the heart rather than the body. But,
once donned, it will preserve the whole being
from “all the flaming darts of the evil one.”
Truth will give us
certainly and keep our thoughts balanced and
reasonable. Righteousness will give us the
confidence and free us from fear of criticism.
Peace will give us
the gentleness and enable us to ignore all
slights and slurs upon our character and the way
of life.
Faith will give us
the courage and buoyancy and place all
disappointments and hardships in their true
perspective.
The Word of God will
supply every weapon we need in our warfare with
the powers of darkness. Like the flaming sword
over the gate of Eden, it will turn “every
way” in the battle with evil.
Notice particularly that the
last piece of equipment suggested by the apostle-“the
Word of God.” That of course, is the Bible.
Your Bible!
This means that the very
Book you have in your home can help you triumph
over every difficulty, every sorrow, every
setback, and live victoriously here and
hereafter.
Quiz:
1.
Do you think the Ten Commandments written by God
are sufficient for your life?
2.
What valuable lessons have you learned or gleaned
from this lesson?
3.
Will faith alone get you to the kingdom of God?
4.
Do think we should fear God and His coming
judgments?
5.
After reading about different people from the
past in the Bible, do you feel that you have the
same opportunity to be with Jesus as they did?
6.
Do you feel that the devil and his evil forces
are really closing in on you sometimes?
7.
Do you feel that the time has come for you to be
a light in the world?
Notes:
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