Lent III
March 7, 2021
Fr. Phil Eberhart
The Law of Perfect Freedom
Ex 20:1-21
Ps 19:7-14
Rom 7:12-25
John 2:13-22
This morning we are almost halfway through LENT!! Our readings share
(1) the STRUCTURE of the law in the TEN WORDS or
"10 commandments" as we refer to them...
(2) the EFFECT of the law from Psalm 19 that we sing regularly... (3) The STRUGGLE of the Law inside us ... And
(4) Jesus's APPLICATION the Law of Freedom inside the Temple Courts in Jerusalem.
This is actually a 4 week sermon series that I'll do in one sitting!
I'm going to jumble them up a bit and preach it this way: STRUCTURE ; STRUGGLE ; APPLICATION ; EFFECT
FIRST: STRUCTURE
Most of us have heard the 10 Words (commandments) from our childhood and we are familiar with them (mostly) though most of us will only be able to get 6-8 of 10 from memory. As a group we might get 10 of 10! But I want you to look at the "form" that is embedded in the words.
Peter Leithart in his book we've just recently finished on The Ten Commandments: The Perfect Law of Liberty tells us to hold up both hands ... one hand is the first 5 words ... the other hand is the second 5 words. One hand is the LAW of GOD and our relationship to HIM; the other hand is the LAW OF LOVE and our relationships to one another.
Each finger represents a piece of instruction and life-giving freedom, even though they begin with Thou Shalt Not... GOD is entering into covenant with us, a lasting and binding relationship that is capped by its imago, in the relationship of husband and wife and family here on earth. The fifth commandment is the thumb of the hand that meets every other commandment, touching it to provide the "grasp" of a relationship with God! Each WORD is directive of our behavior, providing protection like a guard rail on a mountain road. These are not things you "jump over" because the other side is 1000 feet straight down!
And so the other hand sets the guard rails for human relationships - for societies and nations and cultures. THE LAW OF LOVE requires us to behave in certain ways toward our fellows: No killing, No stealing, No adultery, No Lying, No coveting.
The two "hands" are dramatically different in style: Here is what Leithart says:
"YAHWEH" appears eight times in the first 5 Words (Ex 20: 2-12) but isn't named at all in 6-10. The style of the second half is dramatically different. In Hebrew, the first five commandments contain 145 words; the second five use only 26! Three of the commandments use a total of only 6 words!"
There might be something that God is trying to get through to us here! The FOUNDATION of our lives is our RELATIONSHIP with HIM.
The VERTICAL aspect of this set of WORDS is the larger of the beams. HE (GOD) (THE I AM) YAHWEH is the focus of the first 5 words, and the injunction to HONOR FATHER AND MOTHER is an injunction to HONOR GOD in COVENANT RELATIONSHIP.
HOME AND FAMILY are the place of "covenant incarnation" and the setting; the joining place for the horizontal portion of the 10 words.
Covenant Relationships form the cross axis point, illustrating our relationship with YAHWEH IN COVENANT and providing the bond of that covenant with our actions to the left and the right in community. The shape is CRUCIFORM - the Shape is that of the Cross.
PART TWO: THE STRUGGLE
Paul admits the struggle inside of himself in the 7th chapter of Romans. Some say that this is not Paul's personal struggle but the struggle of Israel with the LAW. The "I" here is Israel. Though it is not hard for each of us to put the "I" into the story that is told in these pitiful verses: Let me re-read the passage from the Passion Translation:
13 So, did something meant to be good become death to me? Certainly not! It was not the law but sin unmasked that produced my spiritual death. The sacred commandment merely uncovered the evil of sin so it could be seen for what it is. 14 For we know that the law is divinely inspired and comes from the spiritual realm, but I am a human being made of flesh and trafficked as a slave under sin’s authority.
15 I’m a mystery to myself, for I want to do what is right, but end up doing what my moral instincts condemn. 16 And if my behavior is not in line with my desire, my conscience still confirms the excellence of the law. 17 And now I realize that it is no longer my true self doing it, but the unwelcome intruder of sin in my humanity. 18 For I know that nothing good lives within the flesh of my fallen humanity. The longings to do what is right are within me, but willpower is not enough to accomplish it. 19 My lofty desires to do what is good are dashed when I do the things I want to avoid. 20 So if my behavior contradicts my desires to do good, I must conclude that it’s not my true identity doing it, but the unwelcome intruder of sin hindering me from being who I really am.
21 Through my experience of this principle, I discover that even when I want to do good, evil is ready to sabotage me. 22 Truly, deep within my true identity, I love to do what pleases God. 23 But I discern another power operating in my humanity, waging a war against the moral principles of my conscience and bringing me into captivity as a prisoner to the “law” of sin—this unwelcome intruder in my humanity. 24 What an agonizing situation I am in! So who has the power to rescue this miserable man from the unwelcome intruder of sin and death? 25 I give all my thanks to God, for his mighty power has finally provided a way out through our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One! So if left to myself, the flesh is aligned with the law of sin, but now my renewed mind is fixed on and submitted to God’s righteous principles.
This is the struggle of every believer... of Israel and of the Church ... of Paul and of you and me! The struggle is real but so is the freedom! The 10 WORDS are the Perfect Law of Freedom, revealing this UNWELCOME INTRUDER OF SIN that hinders us, wars against us inside ourselves. But IN CHRIST we are freed from this LAW OF SIN AND DEATH (as we read in Chapter 8 of Romans) by the Law of the Spirit of LIFE IN CHRIST JESUS! I can wax eloquent about this in another sermon about how an airplane trip illustrates our life in Christ. Suffice it to say here that verses 2-4 of Chapter 8 set us on that PLANE:
the “law” of the Spirit of life flowing through the anointing of Jesus has liberated us from the “law” of sin and death. 3 For God achieved what the law was unable to accomplish, because the law was limited by the weakness of human nature.
Yet God sent us his Son in human form to identify with human weakness. Clothed with humanity, God’s Son gave his body to be the sin-offering so that God could once and for all condemn the guilt and power of sin. 4 So now every righteous requirement of the law can be fulfilled through the Anointed One living his life in us. And we are free to live, not according to our flesh, but by the dynamic power of the Holy Spirit!
Quickly to PART 3: APPLICATION
Jesus in the Temple was taken up in ZEAL FOR HIS FATHER'S HOUSE. Jesus here illustrates the warfare that we have just read about between the Kingdoms of Darkness and the Kingdom of the Light. Between the Law and the Spirit. Between God's APPLICATION and our APPLICATION!! We tend to get coopted - corrupted - by trying to do the life of PERFECT FREEDOM in the power of the flesh!
We continually get trapped in this maze! Trying to attain the will of God by the power of our own will and fleshly efforts. Selling the sacrifices of God in the courtyards of the Temple! This scene that Jesus makes in the Jerusalem temple, hearkens back to another conversation he had with a woman at a well in Samaria. That conversation ended with the words... From now on, worshiping the Father will not be a matter of the right place but with a right heart. For God is a Spirit, and he longs to have sincere worshipers who adore him in the realm of the Spirit and in truth.” God desires that we be the temple and we worship HIM rightly, in the power of the SPIRIT and in the TRUTH.
And finally PART 4: THE EFFECT
Psalm 19 has several adjectives that describe the EFFECT of the LAW of Perfect Freedom: Nothing like the good ol' KJV...
may I sing it?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-ykfw3-i7s
7 The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul:
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
8 The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart:
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever:
The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
Yesterday morning I challenged our men to spend the week pondering these six adjectives and their EFFECTS on our interior life. They are the effects of the Perfect Law of Freedom. In keeping them there is great reward!
Let me add on a new stanza to our song:
Let the words of my mouth and
the meditations of my heart...
be accepted in thy sight, O Lord,
my Strength and my Redeemer! (JOIN ME)
MORE TO BE DESIRED ARE THEY THAN GOLD,
YEA THAN MUCH FINE GOLD.
SWEETER ALSO THAN THE HONEY
IN THE HONEYCOMB.
(AGAIN)
LET US PRAY:
Gracious God and most merciful Father,
you have granted us
the rich and precious jewel of your holy Word:
Assist us with
your Spirit, that the same Word may be written in our hearts
to our everlasting comfort, to reform us, to renew us according
to your own image,
to build us up and edify us into the perfect
dwelling place of your Christ,
sanctifying and increasing in us all
heavenly virtues;
grant this, O heavenly Father, for Jesus Christ’s
sake.
Amen.
