Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 1687
Delivered on Lord’s-Day Morning, October 29, 1882
Jeremiah 31:33.
LAST Lord’s-Day morning [GOD’S NON-REMEMBRANCE OF SIN—NO. 1685] we spoke of the first great blessing of the Covenant of Grace, namely, the full forgiveness of sins. Then we dilated with delight upon that wonderful promise, “Their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more,” I hope our consciences were pacified and our hearts filled with wonder as we thought of God’s casting behind His back all the sins of His people, so that we could sing with David, “Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: who forgives all your iniquities.”
This great blessing of pardoned sin is always connected with the renewal of the heart. It is not given because of the change of heart, but it is always given with the change of heart. If God takes away the guilt of sin, He is sure, at the same time, to remove the power of sin. If He puts away our offenses against His Law, He also makes us desire, in the future, to obey the Law of God. In our text we observe the excellence and dignity of the Law of God. The Gospel has not come into the world to set aside the Law. Salvation by Grace does not erase a single precept of the Law, nor lower the standard of justice in the smallest degree—on the contrary, as Paul says—we do not make void the Law through faith, but we establish the Law.
The Law is never honored by fallen man till he comes from under its condemning rule, walks by faith and lives under the Covenant of Grace. When we were under the Covenant of Works, we dishonored the Law, but now we venerate it as a perfect display of moral rectitude. Our Lord Jesus has shown to an assembled universe that the Law is not to be trifled with and that every transgression and disobedience must receive a just recompense of reward, since the sin which He bore on our account brought upon Him, as our innocent Substitute, the doom of suffering and death. Our Lord Jesus has testified, by His death, that even if sin is pardoned, yet it is not put away without an expiatory Sacrifice. The death of Christ rendered more honor to the Law than all the obedience of all who were ever under it could have rendered! And it was a more forcible vindication of eternal justice than if all the redeemed had been cast into Hell.
When the Holy One smites His own Son, His wrath against sin is evident to all. But this is not enough. The Law is, in the Gospel, not only vindicated by the Sacrifice of Christ, but it is honored by the work of the Spirit of God upon the hearts of men. Whereas under the Old Covenant, the commands of the Law excited our evil natures to rebellion—under the Covenant of Grace we consent unto the Law, that it is good, and our prayer is, “Teach me to do Your will, O Lord.” What the Law could not do because of the weakness of the flesh, the Gospel has done through the Spirit of God! Thus the Law is held in honor among Believers and though they are no more under it as a Covenant of Works, they are, in a measure, conformed to it as they see it in the life of Christ Jesus, and they delight in it after the inward man.
Things required by the Law are bestowed by the Gospel. God demands obedience under the Law—God works obedience under the Gospel. Holiness is asked of us by the Law—holiness is worked in us by the Gospel so that the difference between the economics of Law and Gospel is not to be found in any diminution of the demands of the Law, but in the actual giving unto the redeemed that which the Law exacted of them—and in the working in them that which the Law required. Notice, beloved Friends, that under the Old Covenant, the Law of God was given in a most awe-inspiring manner and yet it did not secure loyal obedience. God came to Sinai and the mountain was altogether on a smoke because the Lord descended upon it in fire—and the smoke ascended as the smoke of a furnace—the whole mountain quaked greatly!
So terrible was the sight of God manifesting Himself on Sinai that even Moses said, “I exceedingly fear and quake.” Out of the thick darkness which covered the sublime summit, there came forth the sound of a trumpet, waxing exceed-
ingly loud and long, and a Voice proclaimed, one by one, the 10 great statutes and ordinances of the moral Law. I think I see the people at a distance, with bounds set about the mountain, crouching with abject fear and, at last, entreating that these words might not be spoken to them any more! So terrible was the sound of Jehovah’s voice, even when He was not declaring vengeance, but simply expounding righteousness, that the people could not endure it any longer—and yet no permanent impression was left upon their minds—no obedience was shown in their lives!
Men may be cowed by power, but they can only be converted by love. The sword of justice has less power over human hearts than the scepter of mercy. Further to preserve that Law, God Himself inscribed it upon two tables of stone and He gave these tablets into the hands of Moses. What a treasure! Surely no particles of matter had ever been so honored as these slabs which had been touched by the finger of God and bore on them the legible impression of His mind! But these Laws on stone were not kept—neither the stones nor the Laws were reverenced. Moses had not long gone up into the mountain before the once awe-struck people were bowing before the golden calf, forgetful of Sinai and its solemn Voice—and making for themselves the likeness of an ox that eats grass—and bowing before it as the symbol of the Godhead!