Why The Law Is So Strictly Preached
Minister: | Rev. Ronald Van Overloop |
Date: | 10/2/2011 AM |
Text: | Psalm 119:129ff, 161ff; Lord's Day 44 |
Psalters: | 259, 321, 143, 42 |
- To learn our sin.
- The right knowledge of my sin is essential to a healthy Christian experience.
- All men are aware of sin, but by nature they all deny it, its seriousness, and its horribly ugly nature.
- We must know our sins or we will not know our need for Jesus nor appreciate what He has done for us.
- The law of God is the only instrument which accurately defines and describes sin.
- This is one of the uses of the law (Q. 3).
- The law reveals God, and the more we know Him, the more we learn the real nature of our sins.
- And the law?s revelation of God shows us that we have only a small beginning of the obedience God requires. ?
- Thus the law makes us fly for refuge to Christ crucified (Canons V - 2).
- The awareness of our sins and sinfulness is humbling, but it does not lead to despair.
- Faith takes the awareness of our sin to be the means to embrace the Savior.
- Thus the law brings us away from ourselves to the only One Who has kept the law for us.
- There will be a tension (an inner battle) in every believer as long as we live on the earth.
- So instead of being frustrated at our inability to be perfect, we keep seeing that we are always forgiven.
- The result is that we love God and Jesus more, and seek Him more.
- And we strive more and more to live in increasing closer fellowship with Him. ?
- And we press forward to the goal of perfection til we are brought to reign with the Lamb of God in heaven (Canons V-2)
- God uses the law to guide us as to how we are to express correctly our gratitude for redemption in Christ.
- Also it stirs up within us a sincere resolution to do our Savior?s will.
- This is the way God assures us that we are His.