One God | Pastor Raph | Nov. 24, 2024

One God

Romans 5:12-13 (ESV) 12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— 13 for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law.

Romans 7:6 (ESV) But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.

There is no freedom from the power of sin without experiencing freedom from the law. Understanding the source or strength of sin is essential to determining whether one is free from it. 

The Word of God unequivocally states that the power of sin is the law.

1 Corinthians 15:56 (ESV) 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

The law represents God’s demands and requirements. However, you have been released from those demands.

God, in Christ, fulfills His own requirements within and on behalf of the Christian. Christians no longer need to adhere to the law to be accepted by God or transformed.

The conflict

John 1:16-17 (ESV) 16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

Some people may find this confusing, which is why we need revelation.

We recognize that we are under the New Covenant. We also acknowledge that God gave the law. Which begs the question, what do we do then? 

Should we believe the work of the Spirit within our hearts and completely forget the law?

Should we still consider the law in any way to apply to our ethics and morality?

Are we obliged to adhere to the law as any means of acceptance before God?

The truth is that the law has been outdated and overcome.

(Romans 10:4, ESV) “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.”

(Hebrews 8:13, ESV) “In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.”

As born-again children of God, with a new heart in Christ, we don’t need the commandments to refrain from murder, 

“You shall not murder.”

(Exodus 20:13, ESV)

We do not murder because the love of God has been poured into our hearts.

Romans 5:5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

How one that has the love of God in their hearts will murder someone?

Legalism, at its core

It is all about strictly following moral rules and boundaries to keep the appearance of things, but not the reality.

Legalism can seem appealing on the surface. It offers a sense of clarity and structure, which can be reassuring for people trying to live ethically and maintain morality for themselves and others.

But here’s the problem: Legalism obscures the heart of the gospel—God’s saving grace. Instead of focusing on internal transformation and the righteousness that comes through faith, legalism often shifts the emphasis to outward compliance. It’s like prioritizing the rules over the relationship, missing out on the deeper, transformative power of walking with a holy and loving God.

What is the is the fear? If you learn that you are that loved, that redeemed, that forgiven, the believer will get crazy and live an evil, licentious, and promiscuous life. That is equivalent to a wife knowing that her husband loves her endlessly and that she will betray her husband.

So, while the way of the law may seem like a solid guide at first glance, it leads to legalism, which ultimately misrepresents the intent of God’s law and makes the self-reliant to leave the essential aspect of the gospel—God’s grace— That is off the table.

Hebrews 8:7-8 (ESV) For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second.8 For he finds fault with them when he says: “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, […] 

Psalm 19:7 (ESV):The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.

Romans 7:12-13 (ESV): So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good. Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure.

Paul highlights that the law itself is good and holy. Its purpose is to reveal sin for what it truly is—utterly destructive—so that we might recognize our need for God’s grace.

Galatians 3:24 (ESV): So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.

The holding of the right to be resentful.

A terrible temptation is to hold onto the way of law, the outward religious way, just to hold onto resentment. As crazy as it sounds, that motivates so many to stick with the law. They want the right to stay with a sense of justice and self-reliance. “I want justice.” 

1 Peter 2:19-23 (ESV): For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.

What to do with temptation?

Temptation only happens to those who are born again. Those who have the nature of God that is compatible with sin. For those under the power of sin, it is not a matter of temptation; it is a matter of following their sinful nature. We, on the contrary, have a new heart that rejects sin.

Believers have received a new nature that inherently rejects such acts. In the Old Covenant, the law was inscribed on tablets of stone; in the New Covenant, God’s will is now inscribed upon the hearts of believers through the Spirit given to them.

Galatians 5.1 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

Galatians 5:16-18 (ESV) 16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

It is not the law that dictates a believer’s conduct. The law existed for thousands of years, yet it failed to prevent sin among humanity. The pivotal element in the Christian journey is the decision to walk by the Spirit.

Our goal in the next weeks is to find the gace of God in the Law. We will find that most of the 

What does the New Testament state regarding the law?

Key Points on the Law with Supporting Verses

1. The law is designed for the unrighteous, not for the righteous.

1 Timothy 1:9-10 (ESV): Understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine.

2. The law constitutes an unbearable yoke.

Acts 15:10 (ESV):Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?

3. The law reveals sin but is incapable of correcting it.

Romans 3:20 (ESV): For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

4. If the law were effective, faith would be rendered unnecessary.

Romans 4:14 (ESV): For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void.

5. The law brings wrath upon those who follow it.

Romans 4:15 (ESV): For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression.

6. The law’s purpose was to increase transgression.

Romans 5:20 (ESV):Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.

7. Christians are not under the law.

Romans 6:14 (ESV):For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

8. Christians have been released from the law.

Romans 7:1 (ESV):Or do you not know, brothers—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law is binding on a person only as long as he lives? […]

Romans 7:6 (ESV) But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.

9. The law cannot render an individual good or holy.

Mark 10:18 (ESV) 18 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.

Mark 10:20 (ESV) 20 And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.”

Mark 10:21-22 (ESV) 21 And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

10. The law, which promises life, results in death due to sin.

Romans 7:10 (ESV):The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me.

These passages collectively highlight the dual nature of the law: its goodness in revealing God’s standards and its limitations in providing salvation. We need grace through Jesus Christ.

The commandment is holy, just, and good

It must be acknowledged that the law is indeed holy, and the commandments are holy, just, and good.

Romans 7:12 (ESV) 12 So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.

Both God gave the law and grace. The critical distinction is that the law has passed for Christians, whereas the rest of the world still lives under its condemnation.

The law embodies God's character. Now, think about that. If the law is the portrait of the image of God, who could ever fulfill perfectly that image in a human experience?

(Hebrews 1:3, ESV) “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.”

However, only Christ represents God the Father, so believers must look to Christ, not the law.

We do not preach against the law. On the contrary, we will examine the inherent beauty of the law and, by it, be directed for grace.

But keep in mind this: if humanity were capable of fully keeping the law, the world would be an idyllic place, rendering Christ’s coming unnecessary. 

Christ came, and the purpose of the law was to reveal humanity’s profound sinfulness and complete inability to satisfy God’s righteous requirements, emphasizing the need for Christ.

One God

The law of Moses marked a significant advancement in civilization, and a closer examination of it is warranted.

1. You shall have no other gods before Me

Exodus 20:2-3 (ESV): I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me.

2. You shall not make for yourself a graven image

Exodus 20:4-6 (ESV): You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything 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 to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.

3. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain

Exodus 20:7 (ESV): You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.

These verses form the first three commandments of the Decalogue, which focus on reverence and exclusive worship of One God.

The Lord has decreed that anyone who violates this commandment shall not be held guiltless. This implies that it is one of the most severe transgressions.

Levels of aggression to God’s image determine degrees of sinfulness.

Some assert that sins are equally severe; however, this interpretation is flawed.

The Lord informed Pilate that those who handed Him over were guilty of greater sin and stated that Capernaum’s sins were more severe than those of Sodom and Gomorrah. (Jn 19:11; Mt 11:23-24).

John 19:11 (ESV): Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin.”

Matthew 11:23-24 (ESV): And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I tell you that it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you.

There are varying degrees of sin and accountability before God based on the knowledge and opportunity given to individuals or communities.

The gravity of taking the Lord’s name in vain arises from a misinterpretation of its meaning. Most interpret this commandment as prohibiting the casual invocation of God’s name, as in, “My God, how busy my day has been today!” Such an interpretation diminishes the seriousness of God’s judgment.

In the original Hebrew, the text does not state, “Do not take,” but rather, “Do not carry.” The literal translation reads, “Do not bear the name of the Lord your God in vain.” The New International Version translates it as “misuse,” which more accurately captures the original intent.

Exodus 20:7 (NIV): You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.

What does “bear” or “misuse” God’s name mean? It implies committing evil deeds under the pretense of representing God. If an individual who is not religious commits evil, it does not tarnish God’s reputation.

When one, in the name of God, dares to say, “God told me.” “I am abandoning the church because God said to me…” “I am not following this direction because The Holy Spirit told me…” It is very serious.

We may all fall into that trap when we have no biblical argument or reasonable motivation and may even commit evil acts in God’s name, they not only commit the act itself but also bring shame to God’s name.

Think of the violence committed by extremists who torture, bomb, behead, and perpetrate genocide, all in the name of God. Such individuals will not be held blameless.

The most common objection to believing in God is the evil perpetrated in His name. Religiously motivated evil, which destroys victims and damages God’s image, is considered the most egregious sin.

Matthew 5:37 (ESV): Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.

Colossians 3:13-17 (ESV) bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

In Christ, we always have the yes.

2 Corinthians 1:20 (ESV): For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.