The Perfect Law of Liberty Pt2 of 3

Introduction

Last Lord’s day we started a series on an expression that is found in James chapter 1 and in verse 25, where James speaks of the perfect law of liberty. We’ll revisit that text this morning, and so you can get a head start by turning with us to James chapter 1 again, and then turning along with us as we go throughout the New Testament, looking at this perfect law of liberty. Last week’s lesson, we focused in upon the word perfect. And we saw that the word of God, this law of liberty, is indeed perfect, and we notice three senses in which that word applies. It is flawless. This is the God-breathed word. And so therefore it is perfect. But it’s also perfect in the sense that it is complete.

We have everything that we need.

There’s no need to take away from or add to the Word of God because it is complete, and then finally we saw that it was final.

In that phrase, the perfect law of liberty, and talk about it being a law. That’s something that is surprising and maybe contradictory to the way some people in the religious world view the New Testament.

But James himself says that the New Testament, the Word of God, the will of Jesus Christ, is a law. And so let’s talk about that and talk about the implications of that in our lives. Now, to help illustrate the concept of law, it many times becomes easier to think of a different type of law, and maybe a different type of law that we’re more familiar with. And use that kind of as our illustration or as our parable. And so I want you to think about a different type of law. I want you to think about the law of the land. And in trying to think of this illustration, I wanted to come up with a way in which you and I, maybe most, if not all of us, could really relate to the law, because I hope that most of us are law keepers for whatever law we’re under.

And that we’re not lawbreakers. And so I tried to think of a law that we might could relate to that applies to us every day, but maybe one in which we’ve all broken. Or at least we worry about breaking. Have you ever been pulled over for speeding? It happens daily. Hopefully not to you every day. If it does, you’ve got a problem. But it happens all the time, doesn’t it? You’re driving down the road and you see someone else, a fellow traveler that’s been pulled over. And maybe odds are it’s happened to you. Many times it can happen unintentionally, or at least that’s what we tell the officer, isn’t it? You’re driving along, maybe your mind wonders, you didn’t realize that the speed limit dropped in this residential area you were driving in.

Or maybe your mind’s just wandering, period, and you’re not paying attention to your heavy foot on the accelerator or the odometer. And your mind’s just wondering. Maybe, I bet this happens. Maybe you were thinking about what a great sermon that was last Sunday. And you were thinking about it. And weren’t paying attention as closely as you ought to be, and the speedometer went a little high, and there were those dreaded lights and pulled you over. Because there was a law. And you violated that law. And you were caught violating that law. And there’s a penalty that comes with violating that law. Do you have the concept of law firmly in your mind? Let’s go to James chapter 1 and revisit our text and look at this perfect law of liberty.

James 1, let’s back up to verse 18 again in our reading. James 1, verse 18. The author says, So then, my beloved, or excuse me, of his own will, he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of his creatures. So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, we might insert here, swift to hear the word of truth, and slow to speak and slow to wrath, for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore, lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves, for if anyone’s a hearer of the word and not a doer, he’s like a man observing his natural face in a mirror, for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.

1. The New Testament Is the Word of God, Therefore Law

But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. In this section, where he’s talking about one of those good and perfect gifts our Father has given unto us, the word of truth, he’s talking about our response to that word of truth, and in that context, he refers to this word of truth as a perfect law of liberty. And so let’s talk about that law. The first point we want to make this morning is that as James has clearly stated here, and the New Testament will clearly state in other places, that the New Testament is the word of God, therefore it is law.

I want to ask you a rhetorical question this morning. With what you know about God, the sovereign ruler of this universe. A God who transcends us in every category. God who reigns upon his throne and the living beast and the angels and the myriad of worshipers fall down before his throne in heaven and say, Worthy art thou? The God who in the midst of void and darkness simply spoke, and there was light. And he spoke again, and there was a habitable planet. And he spoke again, and the planet began to be filled up with life. A life that could sustain and be sustained on this planet and reproduce itself for centuries. That when that God speaks, can it be anything other than law? Think about that.

When that God says something, can it be anything other than a law that should be obeyed by his subjects?

He spoke in times past, and it was a law. He has in these last days, the Hebrew writer would tell us, spoken to us through his son. Now let’s think again. Here’s another rhetorical question for you to think about. If, and maybe this is the whole point of the Hebrew writer’s introduction of the book of Hebrews, if when he spoke through fragile, sinful, flawed individual prophets, and it was a law that was to be obeyed. What about now when he has spoken through his son, who is sinless and flawless, and was God himself in the flesh. Is it any less law? And so I think we can philosophically come to the conclusion that the New Testament has to be law, but we don’t even have to engage this philosophical arguments because James, by inspiration, says it’s a law.

It’s the perfect law of liberty. Turn with me also at a couple other passages. Look in the book of 1 John. John makes the argument that, when applied here, establishes that the New Testament, yes, has to be a law. 1 John chapter 3.

John is talking about law, or actually the absence of law, or the disobedience of law, and how it relates to sin. First John 3, verse 4, whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.

Another question for you. Could there be sin without law? If sin is breaking the law, what if there is no law? Then there’s no sin. And so the presence of sin and the fact that God is going to condemn people under the new covenant tells us that, number one, there’s sin. And that tells us that there has to be a law that had to be broken. Look further to that argument in the book of Romans, chapter 4. Romans chapter 4. And let’s look beginning in verse 14. Romans 4, verse 14 says, for if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promises of no effect, because the law brings about wrath, for where there is no law, there is no transgression.

Now we’re going to distinguish the old law from the new law. And that’s his point here, but also where there is no law, there is no transgression. So the New Testament is, as James says, as John argues, and as Paul argues, it is a law. And again, by this very definition, when we violate that law, we have sinned. And remember, the next step is there is punishment. There was a posted speed limit. You exceeded that, broke the law, you were caught, and now there’s to be punishment. But thanks be to God that that’s not where it ends. Because if that’s where it ended, we would all be lost. There’s a law. You broke the law. You got caught breaking the law, and now there’s punishment. If that was where it ended, judgment day would be quick and simple, wouldn’t it?

2. It’s a Law, but Not a Law System

But it would be horribly dark. Because as Paul will argue in this very book of Romans, a passage we’re very familiar with in verse 23 of chapter 3, all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. And so the old covenant was a law. The new covenant is a law. But they’re a different covenant. And so let’s explore that a little bit. That it’s a law, but it’s not a law system. In fact, that’s really the argument of the book of Romans, isn’t it? That it is not a law-based system. Although it’s a law, it’s not a law system, it’s a faith system, Paul will argue. Or we could say it’s a grace system. Let’s look at that in Romans chapter 3, back up there.

And in verse 23. Remember again, he says, For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. If it was strictly a law system, law has no place for mercy. You break the law, you pay the penalty. But let’s back up a little bit and look at that context. In what context is he saying, all have sinned? Is that just bad news, Paul? We’ve all broken the law. We all now are to be meted out punishment. Back up to verse 19 and look at the context. Romans 3, verse 19. Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped and the world may become guilty before God. Now they’re arguably he’s talking about the old law.

But really, I think by transference, the argument could be made to any law, any law of God. It says to those who are under the law that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be become guilty before God. Why? Because he’s going to point out a couple verses later, all have sinned. That’s what a law does. A law condemns. Verse 20, therefore, by the deeds of the law, no flesh will be justified in his sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. Now that’s Pause there. Under a law system, a strict law system, there is a way to be justified. And that is don’t break it. Keep it perfectly, and you’re okay under a law system. Let’s go back to our illustration.

You know how? Under a perfect system, and God’s law and judgment is perfect. Under a perfect system, you know how to never get a speeding ticket? Don’t ever speed. Pretty simple, isn’t it? But any time you do speed, you’ve broken the law. And all it takes is for you to be caught. Now again, God’s system is a little different than man’s system, and in at least two ways, probably many more than two ways. Number one is it’s a perfect system. It’s possible, I guess, for the radar gun to be wrong and you’d get pulled over and even get a ticket when you didn’t actually speed. Because there’s a human element involved. Or maybe your car looked like the other car that was speeding and he pulled over the wrong guy.

That’s possible because police officers, judges, lawmakers, they’re all human. God’s judgment is perfect. God’s eyesight is also perfect. It’s also very possible, unfortunately, we probably all know this, to speed and not get caught. But it’s not possible to break God’s law and not be caught. And so he says, therefore, by the deeds of the law, Romans 3 verse 20, no flesh will be justified in his sight. Because we’ve all broken the law. Two more, I’m full of questions today. Two more questions. Name a law of God that man has not broken. You can’t. Second question, name a person, except Jesus Christ. Name a person who’s not broken the law of God. You can’t. For by the law is the knowledge of sin. Law is perfect because it perfectly points out man’s inability to keep it.

3. The Righteousness of God Apart from the Law

Verse 21, but now the righteousness of God, apart from the law, is revealed. Being witnessed by the law and the prophets. Even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe, for there’s no difference. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by his grace. Through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by his blood through faith to demonstrate his righteousness. Because in his forbearance, God has passed over the sins that were previously committed to demonstrate at the present time his righteousness, that he might be the just and the justifier of him who has faith in Jesus. Did you follow Paul’s argument? Paul’s argument is that under the law, we’re all condemned.

Because all have sinned. But a righteousness has been revealed apart from the law, apart from a strict law system, and that righteousness is explained or achieved in words that he uses there in forbearance and grace. Go back to our illustration. You were daydreaming.

You got pulled over. You broke the law. And under the law, you break the speed limit. Here’s the penalty. That’s what the law says. But imagine on this day. The police officer sets aside the law. Or forgives you. That’s not the language he would use. He would use a little sterner language. I’m going to give you a warning. By the way, that’s probably the best warning you ever receive in your life. He says, and he may not say it in these exact same words, but he’s going to say something to this effect. You broke the law. And the penalty for that is probably paying a fine. And I have every right, because you did break the law, and I caught you breaking the law, and a punishment is to follow.

I have every right to issue that ticket to you, and you have no choice but to pay it. But today, I’m just going to give you a warning. In the biblical language, I’m going to show you grace or forbearance. You go home and you tell that story to someone. That story. I got pulled over for speeding today. And I was feeding. I didn’t mean to, but I got distracted. But I don’t have to pay the fine. Why not?

What would be your reply? I don’t have to pay that speeding fine. Someone says, why not? Here’s what you wouldn’t say is because the law says I don’t have to. No. That’s not what the law says. You would say something to the effect, because the officer let me go. You see, it wasn’t the law that saved you. The only way the law would have justified you is you hadn’t broken the law. It wasn’t the law that justified you or let you go on that day. It was, and we probably wouldn’t use words like forbearance or grace or even mercy, but we might use words that mean the same thing. It was the kindness of that officer. That’s what let me go. And that’s Paul’s argument that that’s our only hope.

A law system, and by the way, not just the old testament law. And sometimes I think we we use our language, and I understand why we use that language. We like to kind of think almost in global or universal terms. We speak as almost sometimes as if we lived under the old law. Like we couldn’t keep the law perfectly, and so God had to give his only begotten Son. Well, we never lived under that old law.

4. The Law Was a Schoolmaster to Bring Us to Christ

But I didn’t have to live under that old law to break a law and to need forgiveness because I live under a different law than they did, but guess what? I did no better than they did in keeping it. And so I needed something else. Besides just a law and breaking and penalty system. And Paul says that’s by faith. And by grace. You remember Galatians chapter 3, the Apostle Paul said that the law, speaking of that old law, that was a system of you break the law, you get caught, and you’re penalized. That that old law was, your translation may say, as schoolmaster or a tutor that was to bring us to Christ. And we may simplify that, oversimplify that, and say, well, yes, because the old testament prophesied of Jesus.

And so it was a schoolmaster in the sense that it was telling us that the Messiah is going to come. Now that’s true. But I think the old law was a schoolmaster that brought us to Christ in a lot of different senses. Yes, it prophesied of the Messiah. But didn’t it also illustrate the need for a Messiah? The Old Testament, beginning in Genesis chapter 3 and going all the way to Malachi, illustrates human being after human being, generation after generation, doing the exact same thing that Adam and Eve did. In fact, Paul makes that argument in the book of Romans. Not in the sense that we all ate a forbidden fruit, but in the sense that we all broke the law. And so maybe the Old Testament is that schoolmaster that brings us to the feet of Jesus because it brings us to the dire need that we’re all aware of that mankind needs a different system because it’s not working under the law system.

Because we haven’t found a single person yet who can be justified under the law. And as frustrating as that repeating cycle of sin and transgression is, maybe it’s the blessing that brings us to our knees to recognize that we need a Savior, that we need mercy, we need forgiveness. Have you ever wondered why Jesus didn’t die on the cross in Genesis chapter 4? The problem was in Genesis 3, sin. Why not send his only begotten son to be our propitiation in the very next chapter of the Bible? To solve the problem immediately. Why wait chapter after chapter, year after year, to send his son? I don’t have the answer necessarily, but maybe it was because we needed to see the dire universal need for a Savior.

5. Christ Has Redeemed Us from the Curse of the Law

That it wasn’t just Adam and Eve. It was Cain and Abel. And it was Noah’s generation. It was people in Abraham’s day. And by Moses’ day they didn’t have it figured out. And the divided kingdom and the captivity. And on and on it goes, everybody needed a Savior. Look at Galatians chapter 3. Galatians chapter 3, let’s begin in verse 8. Galatians 3, verse 8 says, and the scripture, for seeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preach the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, In you all the nations shall be blessed. So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham. For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse. For it is written, cursed is everyone who does not continue in all the things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

If you’re under a law system, you’re under a curse because it says cursed if you break one of these laws. And we refer you again to Romans 3, verse 23. But, verse 11, but that no one is justified by law in the sight of God is evident. For the just shall live by faith. Yet the law is not of faith, but the man who does them shall live by them. Christ, here’s the difference. Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law. Pause there. What was the curse of the law? Cursed are you if you break the law, paraphrasing. Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us, for it is written, Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree, that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Not the perfect law keeping that we’ve all failed at miserably. But through faith.

Conclusion

Said in chapter two, after talking about that perfect law of liberty, that faith without works is dead. We’re not saved by the works of the law, we’re saved by faith. But works still have their place in demonstrating our faith. So it’s a perfect law of liberty. Maybe one of the things that makes it perfect is that though it’s a law, it’s a law with grace and forgiveness. Would you afford yourself of that grace and that forgiveness this morning? It’s been a day full of questions, and I have two more questions for you. Number one, have you sinned and fallen short of the glory of God? And the second question is, will you come right now and let the grace and the blood of Jesus Christ wash away those sins so you can stand justified before him?

Would you come right now as together we stand and as we sing? Jesus stands before only not his manner in the thing inspired. Listening for his orders, ready to obey who will follow Jesus serving it.