Using the law lawfully (Quality: Good)

[0:00] As the Lord may be pleased to help me, we would direct you prayerfully to the first epistle of Paul to Timothy, chapter 1, and reading verse 8.

[0:15] First chapter of Timothy, and verse 8. But we know that the law is good if a man use it lawfully.

[0:30] What a mercy then, if by the grace of God you have been shown a little of this sinfulness of sin.

[0:43] You see here Paul in speaking to the Romans says, For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin.

[0:56] For that which I do I allow not, or as the margin says I know not, for what I would that do I not, but what I hate that do I.

[1:09] If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. We know that it is God's just and righteous law that he revealed on the Mount Sinai to Moses himself.

[1:30] And how disobedient were the people of Israel to that law. And they made in the absence of Moses, when he was conversing with his God in the Mount.

[1:45] They made that golden calf and worshiped that. And in the anger of Moses, he broke the stone, the commandment stone.

[1:58] Lord, how solemn when we think how guilty we stand of breaking those ten commands. There is no soundness in us. But as you are given grace, so you and I will see that we are amongst those that have been guilty of breaking these ten commands.

[2:22] But as grace is given, we shall know that this is God's just and righteous law. And he demands, according to his holy word, obedience to that holy law.

[2:36] What hope then is there for you and me? Many in our day have swerved, as Paul says, and turned aside unto vain jangling, desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor wherefore what they affirm.

[2:53] But we know. Or do we know? That is the question, is it? As we come into God's house, do we know that thou art the man?

[3:04] Do we know that we are condemned by the teaching of the Spirit? We are condemned by the broken law. Oh, how vital it is then that the Lord grant you that quickening grace, that we might know that the law is good.

[3:20] And to earnestly contend for the faith once delivered unto the saints of God. We know that the law is good if a man use it lawfully.

[3:34] Now how can a sinner keep one jot or tittle of the law unless grace is given to quicken him and teach him the fear of God? There's the secret, isn't it?

[3:45] You hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins. We read here, don't we, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for men, stealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine.

[4:22] Oh, how vital it is that you and I know sound doctrine. My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distill as the dew, saith the Lord.

[4:33] Lord, there's a great withholding in our day, isn't there, of this power of the Spirit to rest upon us, searching us.

[4:46] And yet, you know, we go on, don't we? We hold sin as a sweet morsel under our tongue. We're so prone to sin, aren't we? Why the dark contagion fills the veins and spreads its poison to our hearts.

[5:03] But deep down in your soul and mine, we know what the commandment of the Lord is, that we keep his word. While thou the entrance of his word alone can give light, can't it?

[5:18] And this is that what we pray for, we believe, for the outpouring of the Spirit upon us that speak, and the pouring of the Spirit upon the words that we do speak.

[5:30] They might be applied to your souls. That we might know that the Lord is good, acknowledge that the Lord is good. Even in his law that demands obedience, even in that law that may at times harden, the terrors of the law, how they trembled the people of Israel at God's holy law in the mountains, but all how they were soon left to come down to that carnal-minded state and condition that they were in through the broken of the law.

[6:13] Sin entered and death by sin. When Eve, she took that fruit that she was forbidden to take.

[6:26] Oh, how sin entered and death by sin. Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man. Jesus came made under the law that he might fulfill the just demands of the law.

[6:43] What a suitable word this is, dear friends, isn't it? A faithful and acceptable saying, worthy of all acceptation. The grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

[7:00] Or have we then a little faith? This right use of the law. This blessed law, the gospel, the good news, the blessings of the Lord that enrich your soul and mind as you're given faith to believe and trust in him.

[7:15] You say, I'll go for all his paths of peace, desiring to know more of this law of the gospel.

[7:26] Yes, you stand guilty of breaking the law of ten commandments. Moses is law. But you see, that knowledge of the law will bring you and me to our knees.

[7:40] Lord, I am the man. Lord, I have sinned against light and knowledge. Lord, oh, do grant that in spite of my blushings and the shame of face to come before thee that thou not turn me away.

[7:55] But show me thy hands and thy feet and thy side and grant that I might see what it costs thee to make amends for the breaking of the law by me, my personal sins.

[8:08] You see, there's a whole catalogue here. Isn't there of sins? These are the things that defile mankind. It's not that that goeth into the mouth, that that cometh out of the mouth, that defileth a man.

[8:24] Oh, wretched man that I am, who should deliver me from this body of death, says Paul. I thank God through Jesus Christ my Lord. Oh, to be given that living faith, the arms of faith to embrace the precious gospel of Jesus Christ and to plead that he might form himself in your heart, the hope of glory.

[8:48] We know the law is good. If man use it lawfully. Lord, may the sanctification of that broken law bring me with true weeping and supplication to the mercy seat.

[9:02] Praying without ceasing, Lord, reveal thy love to me. You see, we're sold under sin. You're yet carnal. The carnal mind then is ever at enmity to God.

[9:14] Oh, to have that spiritual mind. Oh, don't you long for it, friend? You read the word daily in your homes, no doubt, most of you. You perhaps read a portion by some godly soul.

[9:30] You may read your daily life, whatever it is. Does it ever impress, is it ever impressed upon your soul a portion of God's word that you might know more of the understanding of it and when it's a promise that you might have the witness and the sealing of it of the Spirit upon yourself?

[9:50] You say, that's mine. That word, Lord, is that that thou hast given thee. Now, I believe we can say that, can't we?

[10:02] You sung it this morning. I can say that's mine without boasting. He that has made my heaven secure or much tried, you know, will hear all good provide.

[10:13] While Christ is rich, I can't be poor. What can we want beside? We do have wants, don't we, beside these things and we cannot bring ourselves into the sweetness and the blessedness of that occasion when perhaps the Lord so spoke clearly to you.

[10:32] You say, Lord, yes, I'm guilty of breaking thy law, but oh, may I use it lawfully, lawfully, not with a, not with, not with, with a fine faith, with un-fine faith, true faith, living faith.

[10:51] Now, there's a lot today is, is fine faith. It's a made up religion of the flesh. It's excitable flesh, exciting the flesh in religion, in worship.

[11:05] Oh, there's a, there's a false praise. There's a false repentance. There's a false faith, presumption. Oh, may you beware, everware of duty faith and beware of the free offer.

[11:23] It's Christ alone can work in your heart and mind both the will and do of his good pleasure. It won't be a fleshly, excitable religion. It'll be a religion that you possess but little of.

[11:37] But it'll be something that you know that you're guilty of this breaking of this law. And the law and terrors do but harden. This is it, isn't it?

[11:49] We have to prove it, don't we? The law and terrors do but harden. Your daily sins and mine too. None of us are exempt from sin, aren't we? Daily we sin.

[12:03] Hourly, minutely we sin, don't we? When the Lord shows you a little, when he shows you his hands, his feet and sides, when he shows you what he has suffered, bled and died for, then you know and if it's for you personally, that'll melt your heart hard.

[12:26] That'll make you have godly sorrow for your sin. And that'll make you a mourner in Zion. When you look to the Lord to come and wipe away the tears from off your faces.

[12:40] Oh, the Lord, you know, we prove his good, don't we? A stronghold in the day of trouble. we know this. And as we are, we know this, we know this, that we know that all things work together for good to them that love God.

[13:00] And we know that the law is good. Lord, help me to abide by the law then I cannot keep myself. myself, myself, I cannot say, myself, I cannot keep.

[13:15] But you know, the mercy is as you cry daily unto the Lord, as these exercises, for want of a better word, they flash into your mind and exercise.

[13:28] Thoughts are wonderful things, isn't it? God controls our thoughts at times that we may feel that pricking in the conscience that we're doing evil, doing something that's contrary to his will.

[13:42] Yes, I know Satan can do it too. But when the Lord in his sovereign mercy really convinces you and me of our sin and we stand guilty of breaking the law.

[13:56] So we need the Lord that grace in our hearts that it might be used lawfully in pleading that the Lord would appear to us and for us and show us that he has made us amongst those whom he has fought with the bride.

[14:18] Made us to know it and to feel it that the law is not made for a righteous man but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and for vain.

[14:31] Doesn't that bring you here, dear friends? For murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers or for manslairs. and all sometimes that anger might kindle up yes and it might kindle up in the hearts of some of you young people toward your parents when they when they exhort you to do something that is contrary to your own will.

[14:55] Oh, you'll have to prove it, don't you? That enmity that arises even in your heart when the devil comes in and you say you won't do this or you won't do that and you know mother and father know best.

[15:11] Oh, what a mercy that the father of lights knows better still and he knoweth our frail. He knows our weaknesses and our failings but the law is good if a man use it lawfully.

[15:28] And oh, as we look to the Lord Jesus alone who has magnified this law, made it honourable in other words satisfied the just demands of it for you and me.

[15:41] You know, the sinner, the true sinner quickened by the Spirit is a sacred thing the Holy Ghost has made him so. This then is the work of the Spirit to convince you and me of our sins and we tremble before the majesty of God.

[16:02] Now you see before, Paul was a blasphemer and a persecutor and injurious but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly and unbelief.

[16:14] There are many things that we may do in ignorance and unbelief. don't let that be a license to you and me that now believe.

[16:28] Don't let that be a license to us to go on breaking God's law and being blasphemers and persecutors. We shall be very conscious I believe if we have through mercy been quickened into life to seek to be kept and seek to walk worthy of him who hath in his condescending love and mercy and pity to poor sinners exercised them to seek to know and do his will.

[17:04] And so it will be this continued exercise with wrestling prayer committing thy way unto the Lord trusting also in him the Lord and his good and it will break the heart of you and me when we see the sufferings of Christ.

[17:27] This is where we want to bring you isn't it to lay you love but to exercise you by living faith that lives and labors under load though damp never dies will ever be looking to the Lord Jesus Christ pleading that he might be merciful unto your soul and save you from your sins and as grace is given so you will humbly desire to seek first that kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these other things that you and I get so careful and troubled about might be added unto you.

[18:13] Now this law then is for the lawless and disobedient for the ungodly and for sinners nor we have we have no fear have we if we keep the law in a natural sense in the earth we should tremble shouldn't we if we're left to break God's if man's law we break we should tremble if we are caught breaking that law and we should be rightly punished but if by the grace of God you know that you're broken God's holy law and he in his sovereign love and mercy and pity reveals himself to you so you'll seek that grace to humbly follow him and to serve him because he alone can govern your ways and your affairs and that'll be a perfect way or we may sometimes be contrary to the way and the will of your mind and your schemes and your plans but as for God his way is perfect oh and he will perfect that that concerns yourself yes as you're stripped of all your self righteousness and pride and that'll be a good thing strip you and me of everything to bring you with nothing and to be desiring in your soul and that's a mercy to have a desire to be shown the right way and to be blessed with this knowledge of the truth that is in

[19:52] Christ it's Jesus reveal thyself to me speak peace and pardon to my soul round me some blessed evidence that I have living faith that I trust in the Lord the living God and that he is that friend that is born for adversity for me in the pathway yes you come blushing and shame unto me shame of face blushing like one of old did came came with blushing and ashamed lifted up his face before God but through the mercy of God he knew that the law is good because God made it God made it you may rebel against God's holy law but God made it and those ten commands that he commanded should be kept or how we have to prove that we need the

[21:02] Lord to continually hold up our goings in his paths that our footsteps they slip not and through mercy that Christ and him crucify might be the very theme of our souls desires looking unto Jesus and to feel that blessed grace in your heart and mine which alone is sufficient for you his strength made perfect in your weakness when the Lord so teaches you and me then his fear it's when that grace is in operation in your soul he'll teach you his fear he'll prick you in the conscience he'll exercise you in the steps you take and you'll pray continually Lord do undertake for me do keep my feet and preserve me from those the gins and snares and traps that Satan is ever readily laying for my unwary feet you seldom see the snare you know before you feel the smart of it when the law is used lawfully that is when the

[22:18] Lord so applies the law to your soul and mine when he pricks you in the conscience when he exercises you in perhaps that side stepping into bipartite matter or where you have to confess your sins again and again before the Lord and pray Lord have mercy upon myself and do bring me into that gospel liberty that though I'm a wretched vile sinner I acknowledge that the law is good but I have failed miserably in attempting to keep it myself you see there's that within man isn't it that says that he would do that that's right according to God's word and he would do it in his own strength of these things the Lord shows you how weak and ready to faint you are you know fleshly zeal in early days in religion can self determine us that you won't do that thing but you'll do that thing which is right you won't do that thing is wrong but there you'll have to prove

[23:32] I believe if we know a little by experience how that that fleshly zeal will soon fail and oh how weak you are and how ready you are to go along you know you're you you's ready to as it were hunt with the hounds and run with the deer you want to be pleasing to man after all you find your own weaknesses don't you when the Lord deals with you as with as with a son as he teaches you by the way that without him ye can do nothing now you have to pray continually Lord I am sold under sin I am such a vile wretch I cannot keep myself I cannot walk worthily of thee without thee holding up my goings in thy paths that my footsteps slip on oh and all to feel this daily repentance we find that their carnal mind is so earthy so at enmity to God and what a burden that is to some of us we cannot think one thought aright let alone act any act or deed aright all wretchedness and vileness of our sinful heart you know you have nothing to bring have you to God nothing to cry for unless the

[25:04] Lord convince you of your sins and grant you that right use of his holy law and that pleading that Jesus himself might draw near to you warm your cold heart and say all this I have done for you there's the satisfaction of a poor sinner that's in great strains the blessed appearance of Christ the revelation of his love that as you've sown in tears and real tears they will be from a broken heart because of the broken law and the condemnation of it and the just judgments of God for that broken law or how you'll so soon realize I believe that the Lord alone can come and cover all your sins with that mantle of his forgiving love you'll get often oppressed I believe you'll find you travel much by time you understand so little of his holy word and all how you long for the Lord to confirm yourself and you know

[26:17] Satan has so many distractions isn't he you don't have to believe that or you don't have to believe this you can go and do what you like if you if you if you sought to pray unto God you can go and do what you like leave it all into his hand you may even have that fatalistic spirit of many that whatever will be will be if I'm appointed to be lost I shall be lost if I'm appointed to be saved I shall be saved what a fatalistic attitude that is when the Lord exercises you with real repentance you know even maybe but a moment your heart's been broken perhaps for a few seconds and you felt really your desire for Christ what a mercy hold fast to those things you know it won't be continually will it with weeping will it only as the

[27:25] Lord brings you only as the Lord humbles your heart before him but I believe your daily pray to be kept Lord you see you might be over friendly with those of the world you meet with them occasionally in business or in your neighbourhood and they may be used of God as a help to you in many ways Lord don't leave me to follow and pursue their worldly ways but do grant Lord that I might not be left to speak inadvisably before them don't leave me Lord to be swallowed up with their folly you know the laughter of fools is as the cracking under pots we breathe don't we oh and how guilty we stand can't cast any stones at anybody dear friends the laughter of fools is as cracking under pots what foolish things we laugh at the laughter of fools be a different day won't it when we're brought to the judgment seat of Christ the law is good you know if it's so sanctified to you and me you'll use it lawfully you'll pray

[28:47] Lord that's me guilty of breaking all ten commands I'm a wretched lawless disobedient ungodly sinner you know you're no better than any of these words that we have before us unholy profane murderers of fathers and murders of mothers for manslayers and you know sometimes we say looks could kill maybe murder in your eyes when someone may oppose you when that enmity rises up within you in a flashing moment we are none of us exempt are we from God's description of us as sinners oh how we need the Lord don't we to deliver us some unsound doctrine and to bring us into this glorious saving knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ and this gospel that was committed unto Paul and so don't look for perfection in any man preacher or people that doesn't license you and me to sin does it and I believe it will exercise us with that desire that we might have that good conscience and that living faith that we might have our feet kept and that we might look to the

[30:17] Lord Jesus Christ to enable us those of us that stand up in his name that we might be counted that he might give us that grace to be faithful according to his word no it won't be all it won't be all telling you continually what a wretched vile sinner you are but I believe it will bring you here to a balanced diet as they say the balancing of the clam yes you'll be shown your wretchedness your vileness but you'll also be brought here to see a beauty in Christ you're not having to reign over you when you're dead in trespasses and sins you'll not have this man interfere with your so-called will of your flesh will you I'm going to do this self-will and determination in an unregenerate sinner you know it's awful isn't it not have this man to reign over us defying authority defying the authority of God there are many defy the authority in the earth don't they of man-made laws but oh defying the authority of God's word how silent

[31:44] Lord give me grace you say when you're taught by the spirit give me grace to walk in thy fear give me grace to walk in obedience to thy word this is what we need in our day don't we for the exhortation of God's word the authority of it to be a lamp unto our feet grace in your heart to walk in the fear of God Lord I'm often oppressed and it is by reason of the Lord showing you your sins your secret sins you know your secret sins here today each one of you if you're shown them by the spirit the secret sins that he reveals to you in the light of his canvas and he says be ye holy don't you shrink from that friends be ye holy as I am holy how can a holy thing be found in an unholy unclean thing such as you and me that have broken that holy law the law is good if a man use it lawfully and elsewhere

[33:01] Paul says this the law is our schoolmaster that leadeth us to Christ oh the law is your schoolmaster that's when it's good friends that's when it's used lawfully you know what a mercy this is the law is our schoolmaster that leadeth us to Christ I can speak to you of a man that I know when I went to stop for once and took those words not knowing how to speak from them or to understand them as I didn't this morning this word that man I believe I understand was blessed under our labors those many years ago I don't want to speak a sound but it's to his honour and glory the law is our schoolmaster to lead us to Christ or has the law then been used lawfully profitably in your soul's experience to lead you to

[34:07] Christ when the Lord's judgments are in the earth when his judgments have affected you when he's chastened you seven times or it seems one thing on top of the other to bring you lower and lower and lower your feelings or Lord you say I am oppressed and why what is there not a cause you and me have these things that try us and perplex us and torment us is there not a cause yes Lord I acknowledge ah you're coming there aren't you as a repentance Lord I acknowledge my sins and my transgressions I have sinned against light and knowledge there's no soundness within me oh the law is doing its work then it's doing its work isn't it it's bringing you and me to acknowledge

[35:11] Christ and to see that he will yet appear unto you and for you and bless you indeed as you're brought under his chastening hand and ah it's grievous isn't it the hand of God you may feel has gone out against you it's grievous and all these burdens are grievous to be born and all there's a wise purpose in it the Lord you know will yet deliver you and he will yet bless you abundantly with his grace when he drops in that sweet precious promise that I have bound the up secure do you see there is I find no fault in him Lord in his sovereign mercy then able to cover you with that robe of his righteousness and you're not then ashamed are you because the grace of your

[36:14] Lord is exceeding abundant as he has blessed you and favoured you with a token of his love now this blessed work and sanctification of the law brings you to seek that holiness you have there's something in your secret in your heart that desires the holiness of the Lord Lord I am an unclean thing but oh I desire that holiness that imputed righteousness of Christ that I might be weaned from this present evil world that I might be presented perfect in Christ Jesus through the mercy of God I might grow in grace and in the knowledge of him as he raises me from the dead exercises my soul to humble myself before him the almighty God that I might be exhorted in due time casting all my care upon him you see here is the antidote for death the blood of

[37:18] Christ yes you have you have nothing that you can speak of but you believe you're persuaded you know you are a sinner you are a sinner and this law this law and terrors do but harden all the while they work alone you acknowledge them but a sense of blood full pardon soon dissolves the heart of stone there's the antidote the blood full pardon dissolving your heart of stone he gives you a heart of flesh he makes you tender in his fear all this love of Christ what a blessed theme it is the love of Christ to poor unworthy sinners yes and it's for the vilest sinner out of hell that lives to fill his or her need a welcome to the throne of grace the saviour's blood to breathe come unto me he says come unto me there's nowhere else to find rest for your soul or rest for my soul it's labouring to enter into that rest that remaineth to the people of God

[38:35] Lord Jesus shine you say Lord give me that real religion of God's land I cry daily I try to pray daily for a token of thy love Lord I have such little faith I wonder sometimes whether I have any faith but do keep alive that desire faint and feeble that it is that I might yet know thee with that sweet persuasion also that nothing can separate me from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus my Lord oh it's a mighty saviour isn't it it's a mighty work isn't it it's almighty grace to to arrest this or that sinner and cause them to look to the Lord for those tokens of his love so the Lord has promised that he will be with his dear people and that all your work will be tried with fire mark these words dear friends that every man's work will be tried with fire to see what sort it is and if you and

[39:56] I in God's house are of wood hay or stubble have a feigned religion it'll be burnt up with trouble they were offended weren't that the words of the Lord Jesus and many turned back and walked no more with him and he had to say this you know will you also go away and they said to him Lord to whom else can we go to whom else can you go you say I want an evangelical religion I want something that comforts me that pleases me more I want an easier believism I want something that's going to please my flesh I don't want to be cut up root and branch and told that I'm a sinner or told that I'm lawless and disobedient and ungodly and unholy and profane I don't want to be told that you know friends if that's the sort of religion you are after you know it's only the religion then of wood hail stubble and it'll be burnt up but if the Lord

[41:08] Jesus is the author of your faith it'll be as gold or as silver and brass and it won't burn up in the fire all the dross will be burnt up in the fires of trial of your religion but if you have but a little if you have a little dear friends a little of that blessed faith of God's elect you'll hold fast to it and you'll bless God from time to time you'll strengthens your weak hands and confirms your feeble knees of faith that you say Lord I do believe I do believe and there be from unfaind lips because the Lord is the author of that faith and you know Lord you say Lord I know that that I am that the law is good but

[42:09] I failed miserably but I would use it lawfully to plead that thou Lord Jesus has stood in my room place and stand thou hast washed all my sins away with that blood that thou did so freely shed on Calvary's tree and that I might know thee as my redeemer that live in and will stand at the latter day upon the earth when he comes to judge the world in righteousness when he comes at the call of death and through mercy I might be blessed with that abundant entrance into thine everlasting kingdom oh how vital then that you and I are kept kept unspotted kept conscious of our need to hold the world at a distance hold the things of the world and this time state with a loose hand not to be over indulging in the things of this world but to be very conscious and exercised in our soul to be blessed with grace in our hearts to use this law lawfully the Lord would be our God and that this law might lead us to

[43:33] Christ there's the object of it isn't it to lead us to Christ as that schoolmaster teaches the children so the law is our schoolmaster to teach us to number our days that we might apply our hearts unto wisdom and to seek the Lord and serve him with the whole heart to love him with the whole heart and to humbly follow him whithersoever he goes and whithersoever he directs you and lead you to be presented perfect at last in that robe of Christ righteousness but we know that the law is good if a man use it lawfully may the Lord in his mercy bless our few remarks that might be acceptable and forgive all of this amen for us to be we we how