Happy Laws from God

I think most people are more afraid of God’s law than they are of God. (Repeat)

God is just a good ole boy – the Great Santa Claus in the sky.
God is just a nice ole grandpa rocking in his heavenly chair
God is just the spare tire that we take out whenever we have to have it
God is just a nice guy
God is our friend
• God’s Law is to be feared (we are afraid of His Law)
• God’s Law is ancient
• God’s Law is impossible
• God’s Law is stern
• God’s Law is strict
• God’s Law is harsh
• God’s Law is demanding
• God’s Law is unsympathetic
• God’s Law is severe
o But God is friendly, nice and good

Even though we say we believe in God’s Law our flesh still thinks…
• Happiness comes when we break God’s Law.

1 Jn 5:3 – His commandments are not burdensome
• We have no reason to be afraid of them
• The misuses of God’s law are burdensome not the correct uses that we are going to talk about today.

Ps 112:1 – Blessed (or happy) is the man who…
• Fears the Lord (Not the one who fears His law)
• He delights in His commandments – true happiness comes from delighting in the law of God.

Vs 2 – Even your descendants will be mighty and happy if you delight in God’s Law

Vs 3 – Another benefit of delighting in God’s Law

Vs 6-7 – It doesn’t look like God’s law is something to be afraid of.


ASK…
• Which one of the kids can quote Ps 1?
• “His delight is in the Law of the Lord”
• He’s blessed when he delights in the Law of the Lord…
• NOT when he walks according to the advice and the ways of the wicked.
o In spite of what our flesh promises – true happiness only come when we delight in God’s Law.

In Ps 119
• The Psalmists says 9 times that his delight is in the Law of the Lord
o (vs 14,16, 24, 35, 47, 70, 77, 92, 143)
• He also says in Ps 119 that….
o His Law is wondrous
o His Law is the basis for hope
o His Law is a comfort
o His Law is a source of peace
o His Law is the basis for…
• Strengthening
• Help
• Understanding and wisdom

We have to be stupid to not desire and delight in God’s Law
• You got to be an idiot to NOT want more of God’s Law in your life
o Proof?
o Prov 10:8 says, “The wise in heart will receive commands, But a prating fool will fall.”
 “prating fool” in Hebrew means a fool of lips
 Basically means a bumbling idiot

Before we get into the basic functions of God’s Law I want to talk about…

3 ERRORS people make in dealing with God’s Law
• 3 basic unlawful attitudes of man

1.) Substituting man’s law for God’s Law
2.) Misusing God’s Law as a works-righteousness and justification
3.) Ignoring God’s Law even though you know it

Substituting it, misusing it or ignoring it

Substituting man’s law for God’s Law
• Humanism (autonomy)
Misusing God’s Law as a works-righteousness and justification
• Pharisaism
Ignoring God’s Law even though you know it
• Rebellion

Those are the misuses of God’s Law

1 Tim 1:3-8 – The Law is good…
• ONLY IF one uses it lawfully
• What if one uses it unlawfully?
o IT IS BAD
God’s Law is bad if you use it unlawfully
• Our misuses of God’s Law can make His Law bad.
• There might be a lot of people who believe in God’s Law but those same people could be those who make His Law bad because they use it unlawfully