Hello, I'm Jack
McIntosh, from Weimar Institute.
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And today, we're going
to look at a very special
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study of the Book of
Galatians to clarify some things
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that seem to be at a head
there in that book namely,
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"Is the Apostle Paul
Against The Law of God?"
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If you read the
Book of Galatians,
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you will find that Paul
indeed appears to be almost
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if not totally antinomian
that is against the law of God
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and there is some
evidence for that.
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If we look at Galatians
Chapter 2 and verse 15,
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we see that Paul
makes a statement there
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that could almost
be misinterpreted.
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Notice what he says.
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"We who are Jews by
birth and not 'Gentile sinners'
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know that a man is not
justified by observing the law,
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but by faith in Jesus Christ."
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Over in Chapter
23, or rather Chapter 3
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and verse 23, I should say.
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"Before this faith came,
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we were held
prisoners by the law,
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locked up until
faith should be revealed.
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So the law was put in
charge to lead us to Christ
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that we might be
justified by faith.
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From these and
other declarations
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in the Book of Galatians
and actually else where,
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one could really interpret
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that the apostle Paul
was completely antinomian.
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That he was
against the law of God.
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Well, the
question then is was he
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or was he not
against the law of God?
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From careful reading,
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I believe that in the
very Book of Galatians,
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the book that seems to
be the most antinomian,
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we can pick up some
very, very important clues
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about this position of Paul
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taken that seems
to be antinomian.
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And if Paul was
talking about the law,
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which he was, then which
law was he talking about?
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Was he talking
about the Ten Commandments
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or the Ceremonial
Laws or all of them?
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There're some
very important clues.
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The first clue is found in
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Galatians
Chapter 3 and verse 10.
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If we look at that carefully,
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we see a very important clue
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about what Paul
is talking about.
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Notice what he says.
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"All who rely on observing
the law are under a curse,
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for it is written,
'Cursed is everyone
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who does not continue
to do everything written
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in the Book of the Law.
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Clearly no one is
justified before God by the law,
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because, 'The
righteous will live by faith.'"
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The first clue that we see there
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is this reference
to the Book of the Law.
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Clue number two we find
in Galatians 5 and verse 6.
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Notice what Paul says.
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"For in Christ,
neither circumcision
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nor
uncircumcision has any value.
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The only thing
that counts is faith
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expressing itself through love."
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So the second clue is one
that mentions circumcision.
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And already we can
begin to see a direction.
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The third clue is found in
Chapter 6, verses 12 and 15.
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"Those who want to make
a good impression outwardly
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are trying to compel
you to be circumcised.
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The only reason they do this
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is to avoid being persecuted
for the cross of Christ."
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And finally verse 15.
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"Neither
circumcision nor uncircumcision
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means anything, what
counts is a new creation."
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So from these
references, we begin to see--
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these clues put together,
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we begin to see
a pattern emerging
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that is Paul is talking
about "The Book of the Law"
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and circumcision in particular.
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Now if we were to
pose this question,
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which law is Paul talking about?
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The clues here definitely
point to the Ceremonial Law
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and not to the Ten Commandments
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that he says is not
very important anymore.
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If we go over to Exodus 31,
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and we look at
a little discourse
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that Moses had with
certain of the priests there.
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We find again a very
interesting declaration here
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that seems to give
us real information
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about why Paul is talking
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so much against the law of God.
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Notice what it says.
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We're looking at
Chapter 31 of Deuteronomy
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and we're looking
at verses 24 to 26.
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Notice what Paul-- Moses says.
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"After Moses
finished writing in a book
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the words of the law
from beginning to end,
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he gave this
command to the Levites
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who carried the
Ark of the Covenant."
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Now he gives them a command
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and notice what the command is.
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"Take this Book of the
Law and place it beside
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the Ark of the
Covenant of the Lord your God."
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Now notice what he
says next very significant.
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"There it will remain
as a witness against you."
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That's very
interesting language, isn't it?
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There it will remain
as a witness against you.
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If you search the scriptures
from Genesis to Revelation,
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you will not find
a single reference
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that talks about
the Ten Commandments
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as a witness against us.
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But you will find references
to the Book of the Law
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that is the
Ceremonial Law written by Moses.
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You will find references
to that law being against us.
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And so for instance,
when the apostle Paul
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mentions in Colossians 2.
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We go over to
Colossians 2 for a moment.
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He makes an interesting
declaration in Colossians 2
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about the law being against us.
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Notice what he says.
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When you were dead--
this is Colossians 2 verse 13,
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"When you were dead in your sins
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and in the uncircumcision
of your sinful nature."
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See there again is the reference
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to the Ceremonial Law.
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"God made you alive with Christ.
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He forgave us all of our sins,
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having canceled the written
code, with its regulations,
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that was against us and
that stood opposed to us.
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He took it away,
nailing it to the cross.
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And having disarmed
the powers and authorities,
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he made a public
spectacle of them,
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triumphing over
them by the cross."
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This is very, very
carefully chosen language
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that is in fact referencing
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what we just read in
the Book of Deuteronomy
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that the Book of the
Law was to be a witness
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against the people of God.
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Paul is making a
reference to that very quotation
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of Moses in
Exodus 31, to show us
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that the Ceremonial Law
was indeed nailed to the cross.
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And so as he mentions here,
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this code he
mentions circumcision,
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of course, you know
the Ten Commandments
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makes no
reference of circumcision.
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So right away, we see
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that the context
is very definitely,
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the law found in
the Book of Moses
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or the Book of the Law having
cancelled the written code
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with its
regulations that was against us.
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That stood opposed to us.
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He took it away
nailing it to the cross.
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Now the Ten
Commandments, of course,
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are very, very different.
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Because first of all,
God did not trust Moses
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to write the Ten Commandments,
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if you go over to Exodus 31,
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you will see that very clearly.
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The Bible says very
clearly that God did not allow
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Moses to write
the Ten Commandments.
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He wrote them himself
and he wrote them on stone.
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In fact, in Exodus 31,
the Lord makes a declaration
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about the fourth of
the Ten Commandments
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and says, in
verse 12 of Exodus 31.
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"Then the Lord said to
Moses, 'Say to the Israelites,
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'You must observe my Sabbaths.'"
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Notice whose Sabbath it is?
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I always chuckle a
little bit when some people
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refer to the Sabbath of creation
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as the Jewish
Sabbath but the Lord calls it
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His Sabbath. Notice.
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"This will be a
sign between me and you
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for the generations to come,
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so that you may
know that I am the Lord,
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who makes you holy
or sanctifies you."
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So the Sabbath was a
symbol of the sanctification
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that God
intended for His people.
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And, of course, it
goes on to point out
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that the seventh day
is the Sabbath of rest,
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holy to the Lord in verse 15.
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And then in verse 16,
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"The Israelites are
to observe the Sabbath,
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celebrating it for generations
to come as a lasting covenant.
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It will be a sign between
me and the Israelites forever,
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for in six days the
Lord made the heavens,
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the earth, and
on the seventh day,
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He abstained
from work and rested."
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This, of course, is referring
to the Sabbath of creation.
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Now Moses adds a
little declaration
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at the end of
all of this and says,
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When the Lord finished speaking
to Moses on Mount Sinai--
00:10:46.24\00:10:49.68
this is verse 18 of Exodus 31.
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"When the Lord finished speaking
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to Moses on Mount Sinai,
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He gave him two
tablets of the Testimony,
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the tablets of stone." Notice.
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"Inscribed or written
by the finger of God."
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So God took the responsibility
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of writing the Ten Commandments.
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And that is why when we hear
00:11:14.28\00:11:16.68
Paul talking about this law
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that was nailed to the
cross that was against us.
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We can find very
strong justification
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in the Book of
Deuteronomy for saying
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that the law of God
that was nailed to the cross.
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And that was abrogated
and that was done away with,
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that was against us was
not the Ten Commandments
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but rather the law
contained in ordinances
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he says or the Ceremonial Law.
00:11:41.88\00:11:47.18
Paul in Romans picks up,
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pardon me, this theme
of the Ten Commandments
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and the fact that
it is still in force
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and still important for us to,
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pardon me, pay attention to.
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And notice what he says
in Chapter 13 and verse 8,
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He says the following.
00:12:10.14\00:12:11.90
"Let no debt remain outstanding,
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except the continuing
debt to love one another."
00:12:14.99\00:12:18.34
See there is the
great law of love on which
00:12:18.35\00:12:20.89
all of the law and the prophet--
00:12:20.90\00:12:22.39
prophets hang as
Jesus said in Matthew 22.
00:12:22.40\00:12:25.86
"For he who loves his fellowman
has fulfilled the law."
00:12:25.87\00:12:31.54
Now just in
case we had any doubt
00:12:31.55\00:12:33.73
about what law he
was talking about,
00:12:33.74\00:12:35.97
he goes on to
mention several of the laws
00:12:35.98\00:12:39.08
and if you listen to
the context carefully,
00:12:39.09\00:12:41.89
you will see that he's talking
about the Ten Commandments.
00:12:41.90\00:12:44.27
Notice what he says
in verse 9 of Romans 13.
00:12:44.28\00:12:47.69
"The commandments,
'Do not commit adultery,'
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'Do not murder,'
00:12:50.83\00:12:52.26
'Do not steal,' 'Do not covet.'"
00:12:52.27\00:12:54.00
You see clearly,
00:12:54.01\00:12:55.11
we are discussing the
Ten Commandments here.
00:12:55.12\00:12:57.21
"And whatever other
commandment there may be,
00:12:57.22\00:12:59.60
are summed up in this one rule,
00:12:59.61\00:13:02.10
'Love your
neighbor as yourself.'
00:13:02.11\00:13:05.05
Love does no harm.'"
00:13:05.06\00:13:06.51
Verse 10. "To its neighbor.
00:13:06.52\00:13:08.41
Therefore love is the
fulfillment of the law."
00:13:08.42\00:13:14.40
In other words,
the Ten Commandments
00:13:14.41\00:13:16.61
are an expression
of the law of love.
00:13:16.62\00:13:19.97
That's exactly what he's saying.
00:13:19.98\00:13:22.54
The Ten
Commandments in essence tell us
00:13:22.55\00:13:26.23
how we are to live
if we love God supremely
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and our neighbor as ourselves.
00:13:30.51\00:13:32.10
Isn't that beautiful?
00:13:32.11\00:13:33.71
It defines for us how we
are to live in today's day
00:13:33.72\00:13:37.72
and today's age and
helps us to understand that.
00:13:37.73\00:13:41.95
In Romans Chapter
7, he also presents
00:13:41.96\00:13:45.00
a little quandary
there when he says--
00:13:45.01\00:13:49.64
he talks about struggling
with sin, Romans Chapter 7.
00:13:49.65\00:13:54.67
"What shall we say, then?
00:13:54.68\00:13:55.86
Is the law sin? Certainly not!
00:13:55.87\00:13:57.62
Indeed I would not have known
00:13:57.63\00:13:59.03
what sin was
except through the law."
00:13:59.04\00:14:01.91
Now he makes it very clear again
00:14:01.92\00:14:04.60
that he is talking
about the Ten Commandments
00:14:04.61\00:14:07.08
because you
notice what he says next.
00:14:07.09\00:14:09.31
"For I would not have known
00:14:09.32\00:14:10.66
what coveting
really was if the law
00:14:10.67\00:14:13.01
had not said, 'Do not covet.'"
00:14:13.02\00:14:16.60
And then of course further
on in verse 12 of Romans 7,
00:14:16.61\00:14:20.94
he says the following.
00:14:20.95\00:14:22.20
So then, his conclusion,
00:14:22.21\00:14:23.81
so then is, of
course, a term that means
00:14:23.82\00:14:27.17
he is concluding his
argument, spiritual argument.
00:14:27.18\00:14:30.23
He says, "So then,
the law." Which law?
00:14:30.24\00:14:34.87
The one he was just discussing
namely the Ten Commandments.
00:14:34.88\00:14:37.76
"So then, the law is holy,
00:14:37.77\00:14:41.13
and the commandment is
holy, righteous and good."
00:14:41.14\00:14:46.16
And then
further on, in verse 22,
00:14:46.17\00:14:48.57
he says in this
tremendous struggle
00:14:48.58\00:14:51.39
that he's going through.
00:14:51.40\00:14:52.89
He says, "For in my inner
being I delight in God's law,
00:14:52.90\00:14:59.46
but I see another law at
work in the members of my body."
00:14:59.47\00:15:02.02
And he goes on to
describe the war between
00:15:02.03\00:15:05.61
the law of love which
is-- the Ten Commandments
00:15:05.62\00:15:08.24
is an expression of that
law and the sinful nature.
00:15:08.25\00:15:14.06
So it's very clear
that he is discussing
00:15:14.07\00:15:18.38
the Ten Commandments,
which were still in force.
00:15:18.39\00:15:21.16
And, of course,
over in Revelation 12,
00:15:21.17\00:15:24.07
we find a
declaration there of the people
00:15:24.08\00:15:28.76
who are finally going to be
saved in the Kingdom of God.
00:15:28.77\00:15:32.83
In fact, in Revelation 12,
00:15:32.84\00:15:34.48
we find that these
people belong to God
00:15:34.49\00:15:38.46
and there is someone who
is very upset by these people.
00:15:38.47\00:15:44.23
Notice in verse
17. "Then the dragon."
00:15:44.24\00:15:49.44
Now who is this dragon?
00:15:49.45\00:15:50.65
Well, of course, the
Bible is its own expositor.
00:15:50.66\00:15:53.48
And in Chapter 12, John
very clearly and carefully
00:15:53.49\00:15:58.15
defines who the dragon is?
00:15:58.16\00:16:00.18
Notice in verse 9 of
Chapter 12 of Revelation.
00:16:00.19\00:16:05.80
"The great
dragon was hurled down--
00:16:05.81\00:16:09.34
that ancient serpent
called the devil, or Satan,
00:16:09.35\00:16:14.02
who leads the
whole world astray."
00:16:14.03\00:16:15.89
Well, there is
a very, very clear
00:16:15.90\00:16:17.68
definition of who the dragon is.
00:16:17.69\00:16:20.13
The dragon is
the devil or Satan.
00:16:20.14\00:16:22.11
And you will
notice that in verse 9
00:16:22.12\00:16:23.73
there of Chapter 12--
Revelation Chapter 12,
00:16:23.74\00:16:26.28
it uses four expressions
to help us to realize
00:16:26.29\00:16:30.33
and define who
we're talking about,
00:16:30.34\00:16:32.00
John is very carefully
defining who this dragon
00:16:32.01\00:16:35.84
is and who he is from
the beginning of the world.
00:16:35.85\00:16:39.21
He uses the term
serpent, the ancient serpent.
00:16:39.22\00:16:42.89
He uses the term
devil. He uses the term Satan.
00:16:42.90\00:16:48.93
And let's see there is
one other term, dragon, right?
00:16:48.94\00:16:53.63
Dragon,
serpent, devil and Satan.
00:16:53.64\00:16:56.93
So that we will have
no question in our minds
00:16:56.94\00:16:59.20
who he is talking about,
00:16:59.21\00:17:00.20
he is talking about
Satan, the devil himself.
00:17:00.21\00:17:02.33
Now in verse 17 then,
he uses that term dragon,
00:17:02.34\00:17:05.45
which is synonymous with Satan.
00:17:05.46\00:17:06.57
And he says, "Then the
dragon was enraged at the woman
00:17:06.58\00:17:14.57
and went off to make war
00:17:14.58\00:17:16.50
against the rest
of her offspring."
00:17:16.51\00:17:20.09
And notice who the offspring
of this righteous woman are.
00:17:20.10\00:17:25.88
these or they, who
obey the commandments of God
00:17:25.89\00:17:29.83
and hold to the
testimony of Jesus."
00:17:29.84\00:17:34.22
In other words, in
the very end of time,
00:17:34.23\00:17:36.95
the enemy, the dragon, Satan,
00:17:36.96\00:17:39.08
the ancient serpent is
upset with the people of God.
00:17:39.09\00:17:44.11
Why is he upset with them?
00:17:44.12\00:17:45.85
Because they keep
the Ten Commandments
00:17:45.86\00:17:49.62
which is an
expression of the law of love.
00:17:49.63\00:17:52.62
And which, of course,
00:17:52.63\00:17:53.69
is an expression of
the character of God.
00:17:53.70\00:17:57.64
Because the Bible
says, God is love.
00:17:57.65\00:18:02.36
And so in a very real sense,
he is upset with those people
00:18:02.37\00:18:06.50
who are reflecting
the character of God.
00:18:06.51\00:18:08.58
And notice, of course,
in Revelation 14 and verses,
00:18:08.59\00:18:15.20
let's see, verses 11 and 12,
00:18:15.21\00:18:19.10
I'm sorry not 11
and 12, but rather 12.
00:18:19.11\00:18:23.68
"This calls for
patient endurance
00:18:23.69\00:18:25.76
on the part of the saints
00:18:25.77\00:18:27.09
who obey God's commandments
and remain faithful to Jesus."
00:18:27.10\00:18:31.03
Now the context there of course
00:18:31.04\00:18:33.53
is that the third angel declares
00:18:33.54\00:18:36.87
that if any man
worships the beast or his image,
00:18:36.88\00:18:40.12
the same will drink of
the wine of the wrath of God.
00:18:40.13\00:18:43.31
So very clearly
it's making a contrast
00:18:43.32\00:18:46.26
between those who
worship the beast and his image
00:18:46.27\00:18:50.68
and those who keep
the commandments of God.
00:18:50.69\00:18:53.95
Very clear reference there.
00:18:53.96\00:18:57.01
Now, in Second Thessalonians
00:18:57.02\00:19:00.69
we have a prophecy that gives us
00:19:00.70\00:19:07.03
some information
about the kinds of things
00:19:07.04\00:19:09.75
that will be going on
in the very end of time.
00:19:09.76\00:19:12.69
And one of the things
that the apostle warns
00:19:12.70\00:19:15.26
the church about, warns
the Thessalonian Christians
00:19:15.27\00:19:17.80
about is the fact that
in the very end of time,
00:19:17.81\00:19:21.96
there would come a person,
00:19:21.97\00:19:24.93
a being that would be
the essence of lawlessness,
00:19:24.94\00:19:30.93
the essence of an
antinomian attitude.
00:19:30.94\00:19:34.61
And notice in Chapter 2
of Second Thessalonians,
00:19:34.62\00:19:37.89
he picks up
this theme of the man
00:19:37.90\00:19:42.24
of lawlessness
in the end of time.
00:19:42.25\00:19:44.26
He made a prediction that
he would appear on the scene.
00:19:44.27\00:19:47.62
Don't let--verse 3 of
Second Thessalonians 2,
00:19:47.63\00:19:50.87
"Don't let anyone
deceive you in any way,
00:19:50.88\00:19:53.59
for that day will not
come until the rebellion occurs
00:19:53.60\00:19:57.98
and the man of
lawlessness is revealed,
00:19:57.99\00:20:02.99
the man doomed to destruction.
00:20:03.00\00:20:04.54
He will oppose and will
exalt himself over everything
00:20:04.55\00:20:07.80
that is called
God or is worshiped,
00:20:07.81\00:20:10.26
so that he sets
himself up in God's temple,
00:20:10.27\00:20:12.95
proclaiming himself to be God."
00:20:12.96\00:20:15.16
Here we have then a
revelation of the Anti-Christ
00:20:15.17\00:20:19.77
who takes on the
prerogative of God
00:20:19.78\00:20:22.11
and wants to be
worshipped in the place of God.
00:20:22.12\00:20:25.62
And then in verse 7, he
goes on to say--rather verse 5.
00:20:25.63\00:20:29.58
"Don't you remember
that when I was with you
00:20:29.59\00:20:31.38
I used to tell you these things?
00:20:31.39\00:20:34.13
And now you know
what is holding him back,
00:20:34.14\00:20:36.48
so that he may be
revealed at the proper time."
00:20:36.49\00:20:40.17
In other words, there is
a timing that is involved
00:20:40.18\00:20:43.64
in the Revelation of
this man of lawlessness,
00:20:43.65\00:20:45.96
this man of sin as
the King James says.
00:20:45.97\00:20:48.59
Now notice verse 7.
00:20:48.60\00:20:51.44
"For the secret power of
lawlessness is already at work,
00:20:51.45\00:20:56.33
but the one who
now holds it back
00:20:56.34\00:20:58.32
will do so till he
is taken out of the way.
00:20:58.33\00:21:02.02
And then the lawless
one will be revealed,
00:21:02.03\00:21:07.47
whom the Lord will overthrow
with the breath of his mouth
00:21:07.48\00:21:09.88
and destroy by the
splendor of his coming.
00:21:09.89\00:21:13.90
The coming, verse
9, of the lawless one
00:21:13.91\00:21:15.93
will be in accordance,
notice, with the work of Satan
00:21:15.94\00:21:20.48
displayed in all kinds
of counterfeit miracles,
00:21:20.49\00:21:24.88
signs and wonders,
and in every sort of evil
00:21:24.89\00:21:29.86
that deceives
those who are perishing."
00:21:29.87\00:21:32.39
And notice why they perish?
00:21:32.40\00:21:34.08
"They perish
because they refused
00:21:34.09\00:21:36.86
to love the truth and be saved."
00:21:36.87\00:21:41.23
"They perish
because they refused
00:21:41.24\00:21:43.03
to love the truth and be saved."
00:21:43.04\00:21:44.42
In other words, they
followed the man of lawlessness.
00:21:44.43\00:21:47.71
Now the bible has
a very interesting,
00:21:47.72\00:21:50.17
and I believe,
related, intimately related
00:21:50.18\00:21:55.21
to our
discussion of what truth is?
00:21:55.22\00:21:57.82
Over in Psalm 119 and verse 142
00:21:57.83\00:22:02.47
that Bible
defines what truth is.
00:22:02.48\00:22:04.77
And I want you to
notice very carefully
00:22:04.78\00:22:07.06
what the psalmist, David says,
00:22:07.07\00:22:09.97
in terms of a
definition of the truth.
00:22:09.98\00:22:14.67
In Psalm 119 and
verse 42, he says this.
00:22:14.68\00:22:20.57
"Your
righteousness is everlasting
00:22:20.58\00:22:25.15
and your law is the truth."
00:22:25.16\00:22:29.16
Now we just read here
in Second Thessalonians
00:22:29.17\00:22:32.45
that the people
who are perishing
00:22:32.46\00:22:34.17
because they are being deceived
00:22:34.18\00:22:36.12
by the man of
lawlessness are perishing
00:22:36.13\00:22:39.42
because they
failed to love the truth.
00:22:39.43\00:22:42.15
Well, in the very real sense
00:22:42.16\00:22:43.98
what its saying is that
these people are perishing
00:22:43.99\00:22:46.91
because they refused
to honor the law of God,
00:22:46.92\00:22:50.16
which is the truth.
00:22:50.17\00:22:52.44
And so because they
do not love the truth,
00:22:52.45\00:22:55.72
they perish along
with this man of rebellion.
00:22:55.73\00:23:00.23
"For this reason." Verse 11.
00:23:00.24\00:23:02.26
"God sends them,
because they reject the truth,
00:23:02.27\00:23:05.02
they do not love the truth."
00:23:05.03\00:23:06.76
"For this reason God
sends them a powerful delusion
00:23:06.77\00:23:11.21
that they should believe a lie
00:23:11.22\00:23:14.54
and that all will be condemned
00:23:14.55\00:23:16.75
who have not believed the truth
00:23:16.76\00:23:19.38
but delighted in
wickedness." There it is.
00:23:19.39\00:23:23.57
Those who do not love
the law of God and embrace it
00:23:23.58\00:23:28.70
and become a part of
the body of believers
00:23:28.71\00:23:32.88
that we know as
new covenant believers
00:23:32.89\00:23:35.49
in whose hearts the
law has been placed,
00:23:35.50\00:23:38.83
in whose minds, the
law has been written.
00:23:38.84\00:23:42.87
Those who do not embrace
the law of God and become--
00:23:42.88\00:23:46.42
have it become a part of
them will in fact notice,
00:23:46.43\00:23:49.85
receive a powerful delusion
that they will believe a lie.
00:23:49.86\00:23:54.54
And you'll notice
that this great deception
00:23:54.55\00:23:57.32
concerning the law of God
that the man of lawlessness
00:23:57.33\00:24:00.05
will perpetuate on the
earth in the end of time.
00:24:00.06\00:24:03.33
You will notice
that this great deception
00:24:03.34\00:24:05.70
is connected to the law of God.
00:24:05.71\00:24:09.32
And so there is
something about this deception
00:24:09.33\00:24:12.45
that in a very real sense
is-- involves lawlessness.
00:24:12.46\00:24:18.21
Jesus, of course, in Matthews 7,
00:24:18.22\00:24:20.96
picked up this very same theme
00:24:20.97\00:24:23.34
and made a very
interesting declaration
00:24:23.35\00:24:27.03
about what happens to people
who ignore the law of God.
00:24:27.04\00:24:32.06
And notice verse
21 of Matthews 7,
00:24:32.07\00:24:35.75
here's what he says.
00:24:35.76\00:24:37.18
"Not everyone who says to me,
00:24:37.19\00:24:38.63
'Lord, Lord,' will
enter the kingdom of heaven,
00:24:38.64\00:24:41.16
but only he who does the will
of my Father who is in heaven.
00:24:41.17\00:24:46.14
Many will say to me on that day,
00:24:46.15\00:24:48.10
'Lord, Lord,' did we
not prophesy in your name
00:24:48.11\00:24:51.40
and in your
name drive out demons
00:24:51.41\00:24:53.55
and perform many miracles?"
00:24:53.56\00:24:55.08
See there is the
reference to miracles again.
00:24:55.09\00:24:57.07
The apostle Paul
mentions deceptive miracles
00:24:57.08\00:25:00.93
and here again Jesus in
the context of lawlessness
00:25:00.94\00:25:05.65
represents these
miracles. Notice.
00:25:05.66\00:25:09.43
"Then I will tell them plainly,
00:25:09.44\00:25:11.06
'I never knew you.'
00:25:11.07\00:25:13.13
Away from me, you who
practice lawlessness.'"
00:25:13.14\00:25:18.04
And so from this, we can
see that this lawless person
00:25:18.05\00:25:21.54
who is involved in
the working of miracles,
00:25:21.55\00:25:26.07
deceiving
miracles is in fact a power
00:25:26.08\00:25:29.95
that is going to be at
work in the very end of time.
00:25:29.96\00:25:33.75
Now in Ephesians 2 and verse 10,
00:25:33.76\00:25:36.97
the apostle tells us
very clearly that we are to--
00:25:36.98\00:25:43.06
let's go to
Ephesians 2 and verse 10,
00:25:43.07\00:25:45.35
after talking
about the grace of God,
00:25:45.36\00:25:47.55
the famous quotation
about the grace of God,
00:25:47.56\00:25:50.57
after talking
about the grace of God,
00:25:50.58\00:25:53.78
verse 8, "For it is by
grace you have been saved,
00:25:53.79\00:25:56.03
through faith-- this
is not of yourselves,
00:25:56.04\00:25:57.73
it is the gift of
God-- not by works,
00:25:57.74\00:26:00.34
so that no one can boast."
00:26:00.35\00:26:02.72
He says the
following in verse 10.
00:26:02.73\00:26:05.11
"For, that is in conclusion,
we are God's workmanship,
00:26:05.12\00:26:11.44
created in Christ
Jesus to do good works,
00:26:11.45\00:26:14.33
which God prepared in
advance for us to do."
00:26:14.34\00:26:16.97
In other words, we are
to fulfill the law of God.
00:26:16.98\00:26:19.76
And, of course, in Romans 8,
00:26:19.77\00:26:21.44
Paul picks up
that very same theme
00:26:21.45\00:26:24.03
and says in Romans chapter 8,
00:26:24.04\00:26:28.24
and let's see verse 4.
00:26:28.25\00:26:34.13
Well, let's go
back to verse 3 there.
00:26:34.14\00:26:36.51
"For what the law
was powerless to do
00:26:36.52\00:26:39.28
in that it was
weakened by the sinful nature,
00:26:39.29\00:26:41.40
God did by sending his own Son
00:26:41.41\00:26:43.34
in the likeness of sinful
flesh to be a sin offering.
00:26:43.35\00:26:46.93
And so he condemned sin."
00:26:46.94\00:26:49.91
See he didn't
condemn the law did he?
00:26:49.92\00:26:51.63
"He condemned sin in sinful man,
00:26:51.64\00:26:54.65
in order that the righteous
00:26:54.66\00:26:57.09
requirements of the law
might be fully met in us,
00:26:57.10\00:27:02.38
who do not live
according to the sinful nature
00:27:02.39\00:27:06.24
but according to the Spirit."
00:27:06.25\00:27:08.84
And so from these references,
00:27:08.85\00:27:10.80
we see very carefully,
we see--not very carefully,
00:27:10.81\00:27:14.62
but we see very clearly rather
that Paul is talking to us
00:27:14.63\00:27:18.92
about the law of
love, the new covenant law
00:27:18.93\00:27:23.24
that is to be written
in our hearts and minds,
00:27:23.25\00:27:25.79
the Ten Commandments
which are an expression
00:27:25.80\00:27:29.07
of the law of God.
00:27:29.08\00:27:30.99
Finally, over in
Galatians 5 and verse 13,
00:27:31.00\00:27:36.01
Paul says
something very interesting.
00:27:36.02\00:27:38.47
He says, "Do
not use your freedom
00:27:38.48\00:27:43.55
to indulge the sinful nature,
00:27:43.56\00:27:45.44
rather, serve
one another in love."
00:27:45.45\00:27:50.12
And isn't that beautiful?
00:27:50.13\00:27:52.28
We have recognized
that the Ten Commandments
00:27:52.29\00:27:54.80
are an expression
of the law of love
00:27:54.81\00:27:58.03
and to be obeyed by
all of God's people.
00:27:58.04\00:28:00.77