Ten Points on the Ten Commandments

[0:00] Turn to the book of Romans. The book of Romans in chapter 8. The law of the spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.

[0:34] For what the law was powerless to do and 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.

[0:46] 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.

[1:01] Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires. But those who live in accordance with the spirit have their minds set on what the spirit desires.

[1:15] The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the spirit is life and peace. The sinful mind is hostile to God.

[1:26] It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature, but by the spirit.

[1:40] If the spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness.

[1:57] And if the spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his spirit who lives in you.

[2:09] Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation. But it is not to the sinful nature to live according to it.

[2:19] For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die. But if by the spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. Because those who are led by the spirit of God are sons of God.

[2:33] For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear. But you received the spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, Abba, Father. Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.

[2:50] Now, if we are children, then we are heirs. Heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ. If indeed we share in his sufferings, in order that we may also share in his glory.

[3:05] For a contest, the athletes warm up. Before a concert, the singers or the musicians warm up their muscles or their instruments, their vocals.

[3:20] And they do this in order that when they are actually engaged in the race or the concert, it will be much better. So the warm up is helpful to the actual event.

[3:36] Well, the actual event that we are heading toward in this study is a study of the Ten Commandments. But we are presently warming up. We are studying ten points about the Ten Commandments.

[3:52] And the aim is that having understood these ten points, when we actually come to the Ten Commandments and study them one by one, we will remember something of these ten points that gives meaning to each one of those.

[4:07] But we won't have the time to go through all ten of these things with all ten of the commandments. But if you can gain these ten points on the Ten Commandments, when we then begin the particular commandment study of each of the Ten Commandments, then I trust you'll run faster.

[4:26] You will understand better and become a better doer of them. So we're studying ten points on the Ten Commandments. And I've prefaced to each of these ten points this statement, that when we study the Ten Commandments, we are learning.

[4:46] And what follows is what we're learning. Number one, we are learning the moral character of God, whose commands they are. So His law is a reflection of His holiness, His goodness, His righteousness.

[5:02] When we study the Ten Commandments in the second place, we are learning our duty to our God. We're learning what we owe to our Creator.

[5:16] He's made us, and He's given us duties, commandments, things that He requires of us. This is what we owe to Him. That's why sin is called a debt, because it's a refusal to pay what you owe to God.

[5:33] The Ten Commandments show us our duty to God. Thirdly, when we study the Ten Commandments, we're learning a summary of God's moral law. Those commandments that are true and binding and obligatory in every age, not just here or there, but throughout the ages.

[5:56] The moral law. And we're learning a summary of that moral law. Not an exhaustive statement of it. That would take a study of the whole Bible.

[6:08] What the Ten Commandments are is a sampling of the moral law. And that's what we're looking at when we look at the Ten Commandments. A summary of the moral law.

[6:19] Fourth, we are learning our own sinfulness and need for a Savior. Because it's by the law that the knowledge of sin comes to our hearts.

[6:32] Paul says, I thought I was doing fine. I thought I was impeccable. I had a perfect righteousness until the law came. And particularly that commandment, do not covet.

[6:44] And suddenly, I realized what a sinner I was. You see, the law is that MRI machine that shines into our hearts and shows us what's there. It shows us our sinfulness and hence our need for a Savior.

[7:00] So don't study the Ten Commandments unless you're ready to see your sins. Fifthly, when we study the Ten Commandments, we are learning how Jesus Christ perfectly meets our need as sinners.

[7:15] Because this is the very law that Jesus was born under. The lawmaker was born under the law and became the law keeper to redeem us lawbreakers.

[7:28] So, as we study the Ten Commandments, we get a closer view of this righteousness of Jesus that he gives to every trusting sinner.

[7:41] What a righteousness it is. What an obedience it is. And as we study each command and we see just how broad and searching and inward those commands, the demands they make on us, we'll appreciate all the more the perfect obedience of Jesus.

[7:55] He never broke any of these commands. And therefore, he has a righteousness to give to the repentant, believing sinner.

[8:09] Sixth, when we study the Ten Commandments, we're learning the path of true freedom. Or what James calls the law, the perfect law of liberty.

[8:19] God's commands are not burdensome shackles, as Satan would like for you to believe. They're good for you. They're the very best way to live.

[8:30] In fact, they're the way that God designed you to live. And things are out of order if you're not walking this way, because this is the pathway of perfect freedom. It's the way that David and every other child of God goes and who says, I run in the way of your commands because you've set my heart free.

[8:48] Where do free hearts love to run? In the way of God's commands. That's true freedom. And then our last one, by way of review, as we study the Ten Commandments, we're learning what love looks like.

[9:02] Because Romans 13 says that love fulfills the law. Love is the fulfillment of all the, it fulfills all the Ten Commandments, each one of them.

[9:13] Now, Paul doesn't say there in Romans 13 that love replaces the law. We saw that last time. It doesn't say love replaces the law as if we have love, well, we don't need the law anymore.

[9:25] We just have love, that's enough. No, love needs law to point us to how love behaves. We still need to know how does love behave.

[9:37] And we looked at many ways that men distort that very issue today. Saying, well, if I really love, then I can do this, this, and that. No, no.

[9:48] The law of God is still needed. The commandments tell us how love behaves. And so in studying the Ten Commandments, we're seeing, we're learning what love looks like.

[9:59] Now, we have one more point to cover today. It's the eighth point. When we study the Ten Commandments, we are learning what God enables his people to do. What God enables his people to do.

[10:13] You remember when the Israelites were slaves down in Egypt, and they were making bricks for Pharaoh. Indeed, building great cities that have stood throughout history as some of the great works of the Pharaohs.

[10:30] Well, these were built upon the backs of these Israelites slaves. And you remember when Moses came to set them free, Pharaoh was upset because he was slowing down the process of brick making.

[10:43] And so he passed a new law, and he says, okay, from now on, you lazy guys, you're going to have to produce the same quota of bricks. But from now on, I'm not going to provide the straw that you need to make the bricks.

[10:57] You're going to have to come up with your own straw. So he made demands of them without providing the things that they would need to meet those demands.

[11:10] Dear brothers and sisters, your lawgiver, your king, your Pharaoh is not like Pharaoh of Egypt. Rather, he gives you the provisions you need to serve him, to obey him.

[11:30] Yes, he makes high demands, as we're going to see in his Ten Commandments. High demands of you. But he's also given you rich provisions, brothers and sisters.

[11:43] He's given you rich provisions to meet those demands because he empowers and enables you to keep them. And I think that it is one of the great weapons of Satan to keep sinners from coming to Jesus Christ and bowing and coming to him as king and savior and lord.

[12:02] Just with this very point, that he paints God out to be a hard taskmaster like Pharaoh. As if all he does is just sits there and makes demands of us in impossible ones at that and then offers no help or resources to fulfill them.

[12:22] And so Satan whispers in the ear of sinners, you could never live the Christian life. So you might as well just forget about becoming a Christian. You know, and especially you who grew up in the church or in Christian homes, you know what the commandments are.

[12:39] You know what they require. And you know that you could never keep them. So forget about Christianity for you. Forget about Christ for you.

[12:52] You could never live that way. And you know, of course, he's right. You, as you are now, sinner, you could never keep God's laws.

[13:03] Indeed, Jesus himself said, apart from me, you can do nothing, he says to his own disciples. So that's right. Satan is right when he says you could never live this way.

[13:15] These commandments are too high for you. But Satan's a tricky liar. He's only telling us half the truth. That's true.

[13:27] But it's also true that if you come to Jesus Christ and trust in him to save you, he will enable you to keep God's commands.

[13:39] He will empower you to walk according to God's commandments. Because part of his so great salvation is just that.

[13:52] It's to enable his people to obey his commands. So that they do things they otherwise would not and otherwise could not do.

[14:02] And this is so important to remember as we are studying these ten commandments, that as we study them, these are the things that God is supernaturally enabling his people to do.

[14:18] So that's the point. It's an important one. Know this, that if God commands it, then he gives resources to his people to obey it.

[14:28] But we've worshipped that God is this God who has no needs of his own. But we have needs and God supplies those needs. Well, I need to obey God's commands.

[14:41] Is that not true? They come with authority. Do this. Don't do that. I need. I need. I need to obey. And God provides for that need in his people's lives.

[14:54] And that's what we want to see that we might learn what a gracious king we serve. Turn to Jeremiah 31. I want you to see that this was the very provision promised in New Covenant through the Old Testament prophets.

[15:11] We'll look at two of those prophecies. One from Jeremiah and one from Ezekiel. A covenant is simply the arrangement, the binding arrangement that established the relationship between God and Israel.

[15:27] God and men. And God said that I will be a God to you and you will be my people. And this is how you are to live. And the problem with the Old Covenant that God made with the Israelites was that though God's commandments were given to them, most of the Israelites did not have a new heart, a good heart to obey God's commands.

[15:51] Only a remnant of the Israelites did. Only some of them had the good heart made good by God. The rest of them had a heart that was against God and against his commandments.

[16:05] And therefore, they didn't keep God's commands. That's what you see throughout the Old Testament. God gives commands. They said, we will do them. We will do them. And then they left God and served idols and broke his commands.

[16:19] And so the problem with the Old Covenant is that though it gave them good commandments to keep, it didn't give them the power to keep it. The covenant itself did not promise the power to all those who were in the covenant.

[16:35] The Jacobs, the Esau's. Now, some of them in the covenant had that inward power given. The remnant, the true Israelites. But the covenant as itself did not promise the power.

[16:46] So God, through his prophets in the Old Testament, promised that he was going to send, make a new covenant with them. A new covenant that would not be like the old covenant.

[16:59] It would replace the old covenant. And the very first promise of the new covenant would remedy this problem found in man. Notice it with me.

[17:10] Jeremiah 31, verse 31 to 34. Both of these texts are quoted in the book of Hebrews as well. A time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.

[17:28] It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt. Because they broke my covenant. Though I was a husband to them, declares the Lord.

[17:41] This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts.

[17:53] Then he goes on with other promises. I will be their God. They will be my people. All of them will know the Lord. Every single one in the new covenant will know the Lord. And I will forgive their wickedness and remember their sins no more.

[18:08] Notice the very first provision of the new covenant that God would make with his people. Was to enable them to keep his commandments by putting them into their minds and engraving them on their hearts.

[18:25] You see, in the old covenant, God's commands were written on stone tablets. The old covenant itself did not provide the power to keep those laws.

[18:37] It commanded and it condemned all who failed to keep them. But in the new covenant, what was written in tablets of stone is now written by the Holy Spirit upon the tablets of human hearts.

[18:56] 2 Corinthians 3, 2-3. And that's what was promised here. What was outside the law of God, the commandments, what was written on tablets of stone would be put inside.

[19:08] Inside the heart. Inside the mind. David said it in Psalm 51. Lord, you desire truth on the inward parts. And that's what God promised to do.

[19:20] And that's what he does in the new covenant. He takes his truth. He takes his law. And he puts it into our inward parts. Into our heart.

[19:31] You notice that. He writes it on our heart. What's the heart in the Bible? It's not that organ that pumps blood. No, the heart in the Bible stands for that control center of the whole person.

[19:44] It's the source from which all of your behavior and conduct flows. Whatever is in your heart is how you speak. It's how you live. It's the control center.

[19:55] And the promise of the new covenant is to put his law in there. To write it in there upon the heart. The control center. And that means all the faculties of the heart.

[20:08] The faculties of the heart are the mind. The affections. The will. So God is promising to put his law and to put it in our minds.

[20:20] Isn't that what we need if we're to keep the commandments of God? We need to have them in mind. And especially when we're in the temptation, we need to remember his commandments.

[20:33] And he promises to put them in our hearts. And that means the faculty of the affections. To actually engrave them upon our desires.

[20:43] So that we will desire this law. So that we can say with the psalmist, oh how I love your law.

[20:55] It is my meditation all the day. Or we can say with the apostle Paul, in my inner being I delight in God's law. Romans 7.22 You see, he writes it upon our hearts.

[21:10] The mind as it thinks. The affections as they desire. And upon the will. The will as it chooses. Isn't that what we need if we're going to keep God's law? We need a will that is turned toward God and his commands.

[21:24] Rather than toward ourselves and our sin. I wonder if we really appreciate the radical difference that the new covenant made. In the law keeping of the child of God.

[21:38] It's a radical thing that happens to us. It means that for every one of the ten commandments that were written outside and tablets of stone. There's an echo in the heart.

[21:50] So does the law of God say you shall have no other gods before me? There's an echo in my heart as a child and a member of the new covenant that says, You're right, Lord.

[22:02] I don't want to have any other God besides you. You alone. I want to worship you alone. Does the law of God say, Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.

[22:15] There's something in the heart of the child of God that says, You're right, Lord. This is your day and I want to keep this day set apart to you. Does the law of God come and say, You shall not covet.

[22:27] There's something in the heart of the new covenant citizen that says, You are enough. I am satisfied. I am content with you. And I am not coveting that which you have not seen fit to give me.

[22:40] You see, he writes it on our hearts, Brothers and sisters. And that makes all the difference in our ability to keep God's commandments.

[22:52] This is what God does for all his people in the new covenant. And a heart that loves the law. A heart that keeps in mind the law.

[23:03] A heart that delights in the law. That's quite a different heart than the heart we were born with. A heart of enmity with God. A heart that hates God and his commands.

[23:14] In fact, it's called a new heart, isn't it, in the Bible? It's a heart that's given in the new birth. This too is given to us. A heart that loves God and a heart that loves and obeys his commands.

[23:29] Turn over to Ezekiel. Another promise of this new covenant that God's going to make. All these failures of the old covenant people to keep his commands kept bringing God's judgments down upon them as a nation.

[23:42] And so the prophet said another, A better day is coming. A new covenant is coming. And that will address this problem that you have. Because in that day God will write his laws upon the hearts of all in the new covenant.

[23:59] And here in Ezekiel chapter 36, verses 26 and 27, we have another prophecy in the Old Testament of this new covenant. And it's a passage that highlights the work of the Holy Spirit.

[24:12] Notice what he says in 36, 26 and 27. God speaking, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you.

[24:25] I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and to be careful to keep my laws.

[24:40] Folks, that's gospel. That's shouting news. That's good news for us. That God will do this for his people? He so radically changes our hearts that it can be called a new heart.

[24:55] It's not like the old heart. It's a new heart. So unlike that old heart by nature. And God says, I will give you that. You see, we're talking about we're worshiping God today for what he gives.

[25:07] He gives us what we need. We needed a new heart. He said, I will give you that. And he doesn't stop with just giving us a new heart, changing that heart, writing his law on that heart.

[25:19] He then puts his own Holy Spirit into our hearts. Wow. He's enabling us. He's empowering us to keep the law. How does he do? He puts his own spirit in there.

[25:31] The almighty spirit of God is put in the hearts of his people. And notice what the Holy Spirit does wherever he comes to live. He moves you to follow my decrees and to be careful to keep my laws.

[25:47] His presence and work inside of you has a direct reference to God's commandments. He's there with a purpose to do something about commandment keeping.

[25:59] Namely, to empower you, to enable you to do them. He forever changes your relationship to God's commandments.

[26:10] He makes you a law keeper instead of the law breaker that you were. Notice he moves you to follow his decrees. That's a powerful word.

[26:23] He causes you. That's what he's saying. He causes you. He moves you to follow his decrees. Here's almighty power to get you up and going in the way of God's commandments.

[26:36] To overcome the reluctance of your flesh to obey. To move you to obey. There's this inward operation going on in your thoughts. Upon your desires.

[26:48] Upon your will. Upon your affections. Your motivations. God the spirit is supernaturally moving you to keep his commandments.

[26:59] That's the same powerful spirit that raised Christ from the dead. That's at work in you. Child of God. And this is what he's doing. He's enabling you to keep his commandments.

[27:09] Notice. Being careful about commandment keeping is not legalism. We have in our day this erroneous idea that anybody that's very careful about keeping commandments is a legalist.

[27:24] Not so. Would you notice that's the very thing the spirit of God has been put inside of you to do. Not only to make you follow his decrees but to be careful to keep his commands.

[27:37] That's a mark of true conversion. That's a mark of the new birth. That's a mark of a new heart given. It's an evidence that the Holy Spirit of God is living in you. Because wherever he lives he causes his people to be careful to keep God's commands.

[27:54] And notice. Well. So God is no Pharaoh. Can you see that? God is not like Pharaoh. Sitting back. Making his laws.

[28:04] His commands. And providing. No straw. To make the bricks. No. He gives full provision for our weakness. By giving us his Holy Spirit.

[28:16] To change our hearts. To turn us toward his commands. To actually move us to keep them. This is the blessing that was purchased by Christ's blood of the new covenant. For his people.

[28:27] So. We've seen two Old Testament promises about this new covenant. That God was going to make with all of his people. When we come to the New Testament itself.

[28:38] We find that this promise of the new covenant. Is fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Jesus comes as the mediator. Of the new covenant. The book of Hebrews tells us.

[28:51] That he shed his blood and dies. To establish this new covenant. Remember on the night that he was betrayed. He said to his twelve disciples. This is the new covenant in my blood.

[29:02] Which is shed for you. This is the blood that will establish this new covenant. Between you and me. In which I will give you a new heart.

[29:13] And give you the Holy Spirit. To move you to follow my decrees. So everyone in the new covenant. By faith in Jesus' blood. Have this promise.

[29:24] Fulfilled in them. His law is written in your hearts. His spirit indwells you. Now when we come to the New Testament. We find this very passage. Quoted in the book of Hebrews.

[29:35] Hebrews 8 and Hebrews 10. Record this very new covenant promise. And say that it's fulfilled. Through Jesus Christ. Through his once for all sacrifice. On the cross.

[29:45] This is what he has produced. For his people. Not only the forgiveness of their sins. And remembering them no more. But writing his law. Upon their hearts. You can see then.

[29:56] Why the book of Hebrews. Has as one of its favorite terms. Better. The old covenant. The new covenant. Is better. Than the old covenant.

[30:06] The mediator. Is a better mediator. Than the old covenant. Christ is a better man. Than Moses. It's built on better sacrifices.

[30:19] The new covenant sacrifice. The once for all sacrifice. Of Christ. Versus the millions of sacrifices. Of animals. That could never. Take away sin. It holds out a better hope.

[30:32] The certainty of eternal life. The new covenant. Has better promises. That's what Hebrews says. And this is. One of the better promises. The old covenant.

[30:43] Didn't promise. A new heart. And. Promise. The spirit of God. Dwelling in everyone. Who's in the covenant. But the new covenant. Promises that. So the new covenant.

[30:57] In Jesus blood. Is far better than. Perhaps even we realize. Some of the time. It finds us. Cursed and condemned. By the law. For breaking it. It finds us. Unwilling and unable. To keep God's commands.

[31:08] Finds us a willing servant. Of sin. And then Jesus blood. Of the new covenant. Secures the forgiveness. Of all of our sins. All our law breaking.

[31:19] God in grace. Puts our curses. Upon Christ. And curses him. That we might go free. I will forgive their wickedness.

[31:30] And will remember their sins. No more. That's the promise. Of the new covenant. Forgiveness. Remembering our sins. No more. In my place. Condemned. He stood. Sealed my pardon.

[31:41] My forgiveness. My release. With his own blood. But Jesus does even more than that. In the new covenant. Not only does he forgive. All of our sins.

[31:53] His blood also secures. The fact that he will write. His put his laws in our minds. And write them upon our hearts. And secures the promised.

[32:03] Indwelling spirit. To move us. To follow his decrees. And to be careful. To keep his laws. You see. The new covenant. In Jesus blood. Not only forgives us.

[32:15] Of our law breaking. But by his spirit. He makes law keepers. Out of us law breakers. That's what he's saying. And it's all in fulfillment. Of these new covenant promises. The spirit enables.

[32:27] Every. Child of God. To obey. God's commandments. Not perfectly. But sincerely. Really. Radically.

[32:40] He moves us in love. To keep. His commandments. And he accepts. That obedience. Because of Jesus. And his blood. That purges us.

[32:51] And all that we do. For him. So. You see. How. Our king. What we need. In order to keep. The commandments. Romans 8.

[33:03] The passage that was read for us. Shows us the fulfillment. Of this new covenant promise. Of the Holy Spirit. Being put into our hearts. To enable us to keep. God's commandments. Indeed.

[33:14] What the law. Could not do. 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.

[33:25] In order that. What was the purpose. For which he sent Christ. And had him bear our sins. And shed the blood. Of the new covenant. It was. Verse 4 says. In order that. The righteous requirements.

[33:39] Of the law. Might be fully met. In us. Who do not live. According to the sinful nature. But who live. According to the spirit. You see. We. We do keep.

[33:50] God's righteous commandments. Because we are not those. Who live. According to the flesh. But we live. According. To the spirit. According to Romans.

[34:03] 8. 4. And the following verses. There's only two kinds of people. In the world. Today. Ever. There are those. Who live according. To the sinful nature. That is the flesh.

[34:14] They're controlled by it. And then there are those. Who live according. To the spirit. They live by the spirit. They live by the power. They're controlled. By the Holy Spirit. Now how can you tell.

[34:25] Which you are. Well. It's by what you do. With God's laws. God's commandments. That's the issue. That will tell you. Which are you. Verse 7.

[34:38] Tells us about those. Who live according. To the sinful nature. The sinful mind. Is hostile to God. It does not submit. To God's laws. Nor can it do so. You see.

[34:48] Those who live. According to the flesh. They don't submit. To God's laws. They don't put their will. Under God's commandments. And walk that way. And neither can they.

[35:00] Why not? Because all they have. Is their sinful nature. But child of God. Purchased by the blood.

[35:10] Of Jesus Christ. The blood of the new covenant. He has given you more. Than what you once were. You once were this man. Controlled by the flesh. But now you are controlled.

[35:20] By the spirit. You live by the spirit. And that's what he says. In verse 8. In verse 9. You however. Are controlled. Not by the sinful nature. But by the spirit.

[35:31] If the spirit of Christ. Lives in you. And if anyone. Does not have the spirit of Christ. He doesn't belong to Christ. So there's no such creature. In the world. That has the spirit of Christ.

[35:43] But doesn't live. According to the spirit. Lives according to the flesh. It's impossible. Wherever the spirit lives. The one in whom he dwells.

[35:54] Keeps his commands. Lives according to the spirit. Not according to the flesh. And that's why he can say. To every believer. You are not controlled. By the sinful nature.

[36:04] But by the spirit. If the spirit of God. Lives in you. And if he doesn't. You're none of his. Two kinds of people. And the presence. Or absence of the Holy Spirit.

[36:14] Can be seen in what's done. With God's laws. Unbelievers. They're hostile to God. They don't like his laws. They break his commandments. They don't want to submit. But whenever the spirit comes in.

[36:27] And dwells in the blood bought believer. It's different. It's under new management. They always live now. They live under new management.

[36:37] They now walk according to the spirit. Their lives are not characterized. As those who. Break God's commandments. They are now characterized. Indeed the New Testament speaks of them.

[36:49] As those who obey God's commandments. Because of what the spirit of God has done. He comes in. To direct. To control. To empower. To enable us. To submit.

[37:00] Willingly. To God's commands. Indeed verse 13 says. That it's by the spirit. That we put to death. The misdeeds of the body. It's by that same spirit. Because. Those who are the children of God.

[37:12] Are led by the spirit of God. Those who are led by the spirit of God. Are sons of God. And where's the spirit of God leading you? He always leads his children. In the ways of God's commands.

[37:23] Those who are led by the spirit. They are the sons of God. They are the ones. That Jesus blood. Has forgiven. And given. The Holy Spirit.

[37:35] To dwell in us. It's the Holy Spirit. Who's always battling. With the inward. Principle of sin. In the Christian. He's carrying on that battle.

[37:45] The flesh and the spirit. Warring inside. And teaching us. To do war. With the flesh. And that's no small part. Of why the Holy Spirit.

[37:56] Has come to dwell. In you. Believer. To carry on this war. Against commandment breaking. And to move you. To be careful. To keep his.

[38:07] Commandments. His rules. Galatians 5.23. The fruit of the spirit. What is the Holy Spirit.

[38:18] Producing in the hearts. Of his people. What's the first one. The fruit of the spirit. Is. Love. Let's just stop there.

[38:29] Why would the Holy Spirit. Be all about. Producing. Love. In the hearts. Of the blood bought. People of Jesus. Well for starters. Love is the fulfillment.

[38:43] Of all God's commandments. Isn't it. Love is what you need. To keep the first commandment. The tenth commandment. And every commandment. In between. Love. Is the summary.

[38:53] Of all the laws. Aren't you glad. That the spirit of God. Lives in you. Child of God. To produce love. Love. Love to love God. And love to love your neighbor. That's why he's there.

[39:09] Paul would encourage. The Philippians. To work out their salvation. In his absence. He says. I know how you obeyed. When I was there with you. But now that I'm gone. Continue to work out your salvation.

[39:22] Continue. To go on. Obeying the commandments. Walking with Christ. Following him. And how does he encourage them. To do that. Philippians 2.13.

[39:33] For. Remember this. It is God. Who is at work. In you. Both to will. And to do. Of his good pleasure. What's the encouragement.

[39:45] Child of God. To keep the commandments. To go on. Even though. Your pastor is not there. And watching. Even though. Your mom and dad. Aren't anywhere near. Your spouse. What will encourage you.

[39:56] To go on. Constantly. In the ways. Of obedience. Remembering this. That God is at work. God's own spirit. Is at work in you.

[40:07] And he's working in you. Both. To will. And to do. The things that please him. Those are his commands. Those are the things that please him.

[40:18] He's working in you. The will. Anybody have. A problem with your will. And commandment keeping. What a wonderful gift. That God by his spirit. Is at work in our wills.

[40:30] Giving us a will. To do the things that please him. You know. There's an erroneous idea. That. That God doesn't touch. The human will. That would violate.

[40:41] His humanity. If God. Had any dealings. With the will of man. No, no. Hands off here. God. You can't touch. That human will. That's not taught.

[40:52] In the Bible. Philippians 2.13. Says. Of his people. God is at work in you. To will. Will. So that you will will. To do his commands. Praise God.

[41:03] That's true. Because I know this. That if he wasn't at work. In my will. My will. Would still be choosing sin. All the way to hell. But Jesus has died.

[41:14] For my sins. And given his Holy Spirit. To write his law. On my affections. My desires. My mind. And to put his spirit. In me. To make me. To walk in his ways. What a blessed gift.

[41:24] Of the new covenant. Is this. He equips us. With everything. Good for doing his will. Hebrews. 13.20. What a contrast. From Pharaoh. What's your.

[41:35] What's your will. Pharaoh. I want this many bricks. We need straw. For. You'll have to come up. With it on your own. King Jesus.

[41:46] What's your requirements. What do you want. Here's my commands. And here's everything. You will ever need. To obey those commands. What a gracious king.

[41:58] We serve. This is love for God. John says. To obey his commands. And his commands. Are not burdensome. Can I say that again?

[42:09] His commands. Are not burdensome. His commands. Are not grievous. His commands. Are not irksome. Oh. Oh. Oh.

[42:21] That's a burden. What a weight. That's. Your heart. As you were born. Into this world. You wanted to do.

[42:32] What you wanted to do. And there stood. God's commands. And you can't do that. Oh. What a burden. What a burden. But it's for.

[42:43] Everyone born of God. That his commands. Are not burdensome. Because that heart. Has been changed. The law. Has been written. Those. Those burdensome commands.

[42:54] Have now been written. On his affections. Written on his heart. And so his commands.

[43:05] Are no longer. A burden. We have found. His yoke is easy. And his burden is light. Matthew Henry wrote. That when the law. Is written on the heart. Our duty becomes.

[43:16] Our delight. As long as you're still. In the flesh. And as long as the spirit of God. Is not in you. Your duty will always. Be burdensome.

[43:27] God's commandments. Will be a burden. To you. But when God. Writes his law. Upon your heart. Your duty. Will be. Your delight. That's why Paul can say. In my.

[43:38] Inner being. I delight. In your. Law. Oh God. Can you say that? It's what Jesus purchased.

[43:48] For every one of his children. And then. In the words of. One of our hymns. His commandments. Then become. Their happy choice. Then do we gladly.

[44:00] Serve him. And choose. To obey his commandments. With the new heart. With the spirit in us. All purchased by the. New covenant. Blood of Jesus.

[44:12] So when we are studying. The ten commandments. We're learning. What God enables. His people to do. By his. The work of his spirit. Now. David.

[44:24] Never thought of his heart. And will. As being off limits. For God. I want you to. To listen. How. David prays. In Psalm one. Turn it up. Turn to first. Psalm 119.

[44:35] This is. The psalmist's prayer. It's the prayer of the godly. It's the way the. The children of God. Are taught to pray. And.

[44:46] Here. We just dip into the prayer. Life of. David. And. I just want you to see. What he asks God to do. In verse 35.

[44:59] Really. This whole section. 33. On. Is. Is full of. Rich teaching. Starting with. 32. I run in the path. Of your commands. For you. Have set my heart free.

[45:10] And then. In verse 35. Direct me. In the path. Of your commands. For there. I find delight. The King James. Says. Make me. To go. In the path.

[45:20] Of your commands. For there. I find delight. Make me. Go. That way. Because. That's the good way. I truly.

[45:31] Delight. In that way. But. Something. In me. Resists. It's the flesh. It's the remaining. Principle. Of sin. Within. It no longer. Reigns. But it's there. It remains.

[45:42] And it resists. Every move. That I would make. Toward obeying. God's commands. So Lord. Make me. To go. In the way. Of your commands. You so. Teach me.

[45:53] That I will go. In the way. Of your commands. Verse 33. Verse 36. Turn my heart. Toward your statutes.

[46:04] Not towards selfish gain. Here's your command. You say. You say. I should do this. Oh Lord. I want to. That's the good way. Lord. Make me to go in that way.

[46:15] And so. Turn my heart. Toward your commands. Not towards selfish gain. I still find in me. That inclination. That pull. To go my way.

[46:27] Lord. Turn my heart. Turn the very control center. Of my being. To keep your statutes. Now David believed. God did that sort of thing.

[46:40] He didn't have this idea. God doesn't. Doesn't dare touch the heart. The mind. Affections and will of men. No. We must leave him alone. To come to his own dealings. With God.

[46:51] No. No. David knew. If God doesn't touch the heart. The mind. The affections. The will. He would never walk in the ways. Of God's statutes. So he's pleading. Lord.

[47:01] Turn my heart. Incline my heart. Bend my heart. Move my heart. Cause my heart. To go toward your statutes. Not towards selfish gain.

[47:12] That's bold praying. And. If David can pray that way. In the old covenant. Child of God. In the new covenant. You have all the more reasons. To pray like that.

[47:24] God. You said. That you would put your law. On my inward parts. And write it on my heart. Now. Turn my heart. Toward. Your statutes. You see. This will turn the ten commandments.

[47:36] Into a prayer list. There's your commandment. Lord. Turn my heart. That way. It says. I'm not to have any gods. And worship anything. Besides you. Now. Lord. Deal with my idols.

[47:48] And. And help me. To have no other gods. But you. Turn my heart. That way. God alone. Can put truth. In the inward parts.

[48:01] And if David. Can pray this way. How much more. Should we. Plead the promises. Of the new covenant. But if God. Enables me.

[48:11] To keep his commands. John. Then why don't. I do it. Perfect. Why do I still. Break God's commands. Not as the characteristic. Of my life.

[48:23] I was defined. As a law breaker. Before. I'm not called that. In the new covenant. I'm not called that. As a person in Christ. I now. Keep God's commands. That's. That's the tenor. The tone. The direction.

[48:33] Of my life. But I still. Sin against God. And sin is breaking. The law of God. Why. Why do I do that. If God has put his spirit. In me. To cause me. To be careful. To obey his laws.

[48:44] Well. It's because. The spirit of God. Is not the only. Occupant. In your heart. Yet. There is still. Indwelling sin. Romans 7.

[48:55] And other passages. Galatians 5. It doesn't reign in you. But it opposes. Keeping God's commands. It's as strongly. Opposed to God.

[49:05] And his commandments. As it was. When you were. An unconverted sinner. The flesh. Never gets better. But now.

[49:16] The spirit of God. Has come in there. And that's why. You now have a desire. He's changed your heart. And now. You desire. To keep God's law. But you still have. This down drag. Of indwelling sin.

[49:27] To deal with. One day. That's going to be. Taken away. And you will. Have nothing. Stopping you. Hindering you. From gladly. Perfectly. Obeying God's law.

[49:37] Won't that be a heaven. In itself. To be able. To serve the Lord. In such. Perfect. Obedience. But for now. It's war. It's war.

[49:48] To obey God's commands. It's. It's putting to death. Those. Inward. Desires. That still want to go away. From God. We've got to learn. By the spirit.

[49:59] To put them to death. That we might. Do our obligation. As Romans. 8. 12. And 13. So. We're obliged. Not to live according.

[50:10] To the flesh. But we're obliged. To keep God's commandments. And he's given us. His spirit. To help us. Kill. Those inward desires. That we might. Keep his commandments. So. It is a war.

[50:23] It's a war. To obey God's commands. And he has provided. Everything we need. In this war. That's the good news. I just need to ask you. Are you making full. Use. Of his provisions.

[50:35] You see. It's one thing. For. For our gracious. Kings. To. To lay out. Our backpack. Full of the provisions. That we need. For obeying his commands. It's another thing.

[50:46] For you to zip it open. And say. I need this. I need this. I need this. To make use.

[50:56] Of the provisions. Given you. Are you making full. Use of his resources. Are you listening. To the Holy Spirit. Who's dwelling in you. And is there.

[51:07] To help you. Obey God's. Are you listening. To his voice. He speaks right here. Sixty six books. He inspired it. He's still speaking it. Are you listening.

[51:19] Do you know. There is. There are loads. Of gospel. Motivations. In his word. Things that will move you. To want to love Christ.

[51:30] And to obey him. They're here. You read for a while. And you see. What he endured for you. And the spirit of God. As you read. Is pointing to Christ.

[51:40] He's. He's glorifying Christ. He's saying. John look at him. Look what he's doing for you. Look how he's humbling himself. Look at him now. He's. He's becoming man for you. Look at him here.

[51:52] He is becoming. Sin for you. Look at him here. On the cross. He's becoming. A curse for you. Where else. Do you find. Such love. John. Does this love.

[52:03] Not compel you. To quit living. For yourself. And to live for him. Who died. And rose again. Where do you get. That kind of motivation. And that. That ability. To. To keep his commands.

[52:14] Well. It's through the spirit. And one of the means. He uses. Is his own. Precious word. You making use of prayer. You praying like David.

[52:26] Turn my heart. Toward your statue. Toward your commands. Not toward my selfish gain. Turn my heart. To be satisfied. With you. And not to be coveting. That's prayer.

[52:36] It's the gift of the spirit. He helps us in prayer. And that's one of the ways. He's enabling us. To keep God's commands. It's a tremendous provision. Prayer is. Have we used it?

[52:47] Are we using it? Watching and praying. Cutting off things in your life. That trip you up. And cause you to sin. You see. I can't pray. Turn my heart. Towards your commands.

[52:57] And then just continue. In practices that I know. Inflame my lust. To live a different way. Those two can't live in the same. We can't do that. If we're praying.

[53:08] Lead me in paths of righteousness. Then whenever we see something. That's a constant trip to us. We will want to throw it off. Like a runner throws off. Weights before a race. Everything that hinders us.

[53:21] From obeying his command. It must go. Well. Well. That comes. As you walk. With the spirit. In his word. In communion.

[53:31] In prayer. Are you making use of the church? The church. Is his resource. You were never meant. To fight this battle alone. Are you. You're making use of its. Ministry of the word.

[53:43] Of its prayers. Of its fellowship. You see. All of this. Is meant to. Be the resources. To enable you. To be. Following.

[53:53] His decrees. And to be careful. To keep his laws. There are plenty. They are sufficient. You no longer have to sin. You are no longer. The slave of sin. Jesus has set you free.

[54:05] And made you. His servant. And provide you. With all you need. Oh. Make better use. Of his. Provisions. As Christian.

[54:15] Was making his way. To the celestial city. He met with all sorts. Of temptations. Didn't he. To. Abandoned God's commandments. And returned to the world. And. He actually.

[54:26] Comes to the point. Where. Straddling the path. Toward heaven. Is this guy. Apollyon. The devil. Himself. And. He.

[54:38] Tries to convince. Christian. To come back. And serve him again. Like he once did. And he's. Criticizing. God's.

[54:49] Followers. And the way. God treats his followers. Some of them are even. Martyred. Yeah. He had lost. A good friend. Faithful. Hadn't he. As a martyr. You see how.

[55:01] King Jesus. Treats his people. His. His. Pilgrims. Come and follow me. I'll give you good wages. Better wages. I love. Christian. Response.

[55:13] ! As he. Speaks to Satan. About. The prince. That he now serves. Jesus Christ. To tell you. To tell you the truth. Mr. Apollyon.

[55:24] I like his service. His wages. His servants. His government. His company.

[55:34] And his country. Much better than yours. And all you can promise. And you have never been one. To keep your promises. I'm his servant. And I will follow him.

[55:47] You see when. The law has been written. In the heart. His commandments. Then become our happy choice. I like his service. We're tasting. That.

[55:57] That royal food. This is what I was made to do. This is how I was created. And. And God is fulfilling. His creation design in us. Which was. For us to live. Under the rule.

[56:08] And blessing. Of him as our king. And it's in obeying his commands. And in his servant. As blood bought children of God. Sins forgiven. The spirit given to us.

[56:19] That we come into that enjoyment. And can say. I love. His law. You have that heart? Your heart ever been made new? Or do you still have that. That resistance to his commands.

[56:32] That defines you. So the only time you obey God's commands. Are when they line up with your will. And there are times when that's true. When it's not profitable for you.

[56:42] To murder your neighbor. Even though you hate him. And so you don't murder him. And so you're walking in line. With the sixth commandment. But. But it's only when. It fits. Your will.

[56:54] And by the way. That's not all that the sixth commandment. Forbids. Is it? But. The point is. What happens when your will. And the. King's will. Collide.

[57:04] Who wins then? And if you're still going your way. And not the king's way. It's a sign. That you're still. Under the law's condemnation.

[57:15] You're still. That lawbreaker. That doesn't have the blood of Jesus. Applied to you. And how do you know that? Because you don't have the spirit of Christ. In you. Giving you a desire.

[57:27] To keep his commandments. So. So what should you do? Not just try harder to keep this. Don't make out of the law. What only Christ can do. Don't make a savior out of the law. Only Christ is the savior.

[57:39] Come to him. Own what you are. I don't love you. Or your commandments. I love my own way. Oh God. Have mercy on me. Turn my heart. Toward your statutes. Away from my own way.

[57:50] And save me. Because of what Jesus has done for sinners. Forgive my sins. And give me the Holy Spirit. To turn me. In. To this new creature.

[58:01] That I so desperately need to become. If I'm ever to keep God's commands. And the king delights. To do that. For anyone who seeks him.

[58:12] Seek him today. Trust in what Jesus has done. And what he will do. Don't ever say. Well. God's commandments. I could never live like that.

[58:23] Oh. With Jesus in your heart. With his spirit in your heart. A new creature in Christ. You will walk in his ways. With delight. He's a gracious master.

[58:34] Who enables. What he commands. By working in you. Both to will. And to do. What pleases him. Let's pray. Thank you Lord. That when we needed a savior.

[58:44] You sent your son. When we needed. Someone to bear the curse. Instead of us. You cursed him. In our place. We thank you. That when we needed.

[58:54] A new heart. A heart that would love you. And your commands. You. You made. A new heart for us. And you sent your spirit. Into that heart. To move us.

[59:06] To follow you. And to follow your decrees. And to be careful. To keep your commands. Forgive us. Holy Spirit. For ever grieving you. And quenching you. You tell us.

[59:18] To not be drunk with wine. Which is full of excess. But to be filled. With the spirit. And so may we not be. Controlled by any other. Foreign substances.

[59:29] But may we be. Controlled. By you. Today. And so. Rejoice. And be glad. In your service. Thank you. Lord Jesus. For being such a gracious.

[59:40] King. Help us today. Then. To rejoice. And be glad. To live under your. Rule and blessing. We ask in Jesus name. Amen. Amen.

[59:50] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Thank you.