AUTHORS » Joe Anady

Morning Sermon: Exodus 20:18-26, The Response Of Israel To The Giving Of The Law

Old Testament Reading: Exodus 20:18-26

“Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off and said to Moses, ‘You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.’ Moses said to the people, ‘Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.’ The people stood far off, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was. And the LORD said to Moses, ‘Thus you shall say to the people of Israel: ‘You have seen for yourselves that I have talked with you from heaven. You shall not make gods of silver to be with me, nor shall you make for yourselves gods of gold. An altar of earth you shall make for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen. In every place where I cause my name to be remembered I will come to you and bless you. If you make me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stones, for if you wield your tool on it you profane it. And you shall not go up by steps to my altar, that your nakedness be not exposed on it.’” (Exodus 20:18–26, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Hebrews 12:18–29

“For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them. For they could not endure the order that was given, ‘If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.’ Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, ‘I tremble with fear.’ But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven. At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, ‘Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.’ This phrase, ‘Yet once more,’ indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.” (Hebrews 12:18–29, ESV)

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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.

Introduction

We have been considering the Ten Commandments for many weeks now. And in our prolonged consideration of the Ten Commandments, it is possible that some have forgotten the redemptive-historical and covenantal context in which these Ten Commandments were first given by God to Israel.

Do not forget the redemptive-historical context, brothers and sisters. After Adam fell into sin, and the whole human race with him, God promised to send a Savior, who would arise from the seed of the woman (Genesis 3:15). In the course of time, one man was set apart through whom this redeemer would come, namely Abraham. God promised that he would have many offspring, that they would possess the land of Canaan, become a great nation, and be a blessing to all the nations of the earth ultimately through the Messiah who would come into the world through them. The children of Abraham would possess the land and become a great nation, only after suffering in bondage in Egypt for a time. All of this was foretold. 

Here I am reminding you that the Exodus story is a continuation of that story, which is found in the book of Genesis. At just the right time, God sent Moses to rescue Israel from Egyptian bondage and toward the promised land. The Ten Commandments were given to Israel by God after he had redeemed them. One thing we must remember is that Israel was redeemed to worship. They were redeemed to be God’s treasured possession on earth. They were redeemed to obey the Lord as God’s chosen people until the Messiah was brought into the world through them to bless all nations.   

Do not forget about the redemptive-historical context, brothers and sisters. And neither should you forget about the covenantal context. Here I am reminding you that when God spoke the Ten Commandments to Israel from Sinai, he was entering into a covenant with them. When God enters into covenants with man he establishes how the relationship between them will work. He sets the terms of the relationship. He announces the rewards for obedience, and the punishments for disobedience. As you know, God made a covenant with all humanity through Adam in the garden before sin entered the world. Adam broke that covenant, and humanity was plunged into sin and misery as a result. But God, by his grace, did also make a covenant with Abraham and his descendants. And here in Exodus 19-24 we see God transacting a covenant with Israel. This covenant – which is commonly called the Mosaic Covenant – is an outgrowth or development of the Abrahamic Covenant made earlier. Both are the result of God’s graciousness and his promise to provide a redeemer. Both are covenants of or works, substantially (men must keep these covenants – these covenants can be broken). And both the Abrahamic and the Mosaic Covenants carry within them the promise of the gospel concerning salvation for the nations through the seed of the women, which was first announced in the days of Adam after his fall into sin. All of this has been said to you before. Here I am simply reminding you of the covenantal context of the Ten Commandments. When God spoke the Ten Commandments to Israel from Sinai, he was entering into a covenant with them. 

Please allow me to give you an overview of how God made this covenant with Israel. The covenant was introduced in Exodus chapter 19 as Israel stood at the base of Sinai, and as Moses went up into the presence of God. The Ten Commandments of Exodus 20:1-17 serve as the foundation for all of the other laws of this covenant. For this reason, they were spoken directly by God, and they were spoken first. After this, in Exodus 20:18-21, Moses is established as the mediator of this covenant. In 20:22-26 we find preliminary laws concerning worship. In 21:1-23:9 God gives preliminary laws for Israel as a society. In 23:10-19 we find laws concerning worship, especially as it pertains to festival days. In 23:20-33 God renews his promise to Israel concerning the conquest of Canaan. And finally, in chapter 24, the covenant, which we typically call the Mosaic Covenant, is confirmed. This whole section is like a wedding ceremony between God and Israel, therefore. In Exodus 20-24 we are witnessing the establishment of a covenantal relationship between YHWH and Israel. This is important to remember, for this covenantal relationship is the foundation for the rest of the Old Testament. If you wish to understand how Old Covenant Israel related to God, then you must know about the covenant that God made with them.   

Today we will be considering only Exodus 20:18-26. Here we see Israel’s reaction to the giving of the Ten Commandments by God from Sinai, and God’s gracious response to them. 

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Fear And Trembling

First of all, notice Israel’s response to the giving of the moral law of God at Sinai: they were afraid, they trembled, and they stood far off. Verse 18: “Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off…” (Exodus 20:18, ESV).

This is to be expected, is it not? This is how sinful men and women respond when they encounter God, who is radiant in holiness and awesome in power. This is how sinful men and women respond when they are confronted with God’s moral law, and when they come to see their sin in the light of God’s purity. When sinful men and women encounter God – when they perceive his glory and hear the power of his voice – they are filled with fear and they tremble.

This reminds me of how Adam and Eve responded to the presence of God after they had rebelled against him. When God drew near to them in the garden after they ate of the forbidden tree, they “hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden” (Genesis 3:8, ESV). They were afraid. This fear that Adam and Eve felt was not a part of their natural condition. Before sin entered the world, Adam and Eve had reverence for God, but they were not afraid of him. Sin alienates man from God. When sinful men and women come into the presence of God Almighty, they tremble with fear and retreat. This is due to the awesome power and holiness of God contrasted with the smallness and sinfulness of man. We stand guilty before God (if not in Christ). We deserve to be judged by him. And who can possibly stand before the Almighty One, the Creator and Judge of heaven and earth?   

God revealed his glory to Israel as he spoke to them at Sinai. What did the people of Israel see? They saw a thick and dark cloud, lightning, fire, and smoke. Now, please do not misunderstand. God is a most pure spirit. He is not cloud, lighting, fire, or smoke. He manifested himself in this way to show forth his power and glory so that Israel might develop a proper fear of him. And what did Israel hear? They heard the sound of a trumpet (rams horn) which announced God’s presence. And they heard the voice of God, which was said to be like thunder. And what did God say? He spoke the Ten Commandments to them. He gave them the moral law. 

Now, why did the people of Israel tremble? Certainly, the sights and sounds of the glory of God at Sinai must have been overwhelming to them. But the writer of Hebrews helps us to see that there was something else going on here. In Hebrews 12:18ff we are reminded that when Israel stood before God at Mt Sinai they saw a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them. For they could not endure the order that was given, ‘If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned’” (Hebrews 12:18–20, ESV). The writer to the Hebrews tells us why the people trembled: “they could not endure the order that was given.” That is why they trembled. 

To understand what is meant by this, we must remember that God was entering into a covenant with Israel. In Exodus 19 God spoke to Israel through Moses, saying, “You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now, therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:4–6, ESV). And how did Israel respond? “All the people answered together and said, ‘All that the LORD has spoken we will do.’ And Moses reported the words of the people to the LORD” (Exodus 19:8, ESV). After this, the Lord appeared to Israel in glory and spoke his law to them, and they trembled with fear. They trembled with fear because they realized that they could not endure the order that was given. They could not keep God law but had already violated it in thought, word, and deed. 

Please understand this about the Old Mosaic Covenant, brothers and sisters. It could not save. It only brought condemnation. Now, when I say this I do not mean that those who lived under the Old Mosaic Covenant could not be saved. No, I mean that they could not be saved from their sins and made right with God through the Old Mosaic Covenant. The Old Mosaic Covenant brought condemnation and death. It magnified sin. It showed Israel, and through them, the world, their need for a Savior. How then could those who lived under the Old Mosaic Covenant be saved from their sins? By believing in the promised Messiah, Christ Jesus the Lord, who is the Mediator of the New Covenant, the Covenant of Grace. All who have ever been saved from their sins have been saved through the Covenant of Grace through faith in the mediator of that covenant, Christ the Lord. 

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A Mediator Requested

What did the terms of the Old Mosaic Covenant cause Israel to do? First, they were afraid, they trembled, and they stood far off. After this, they begged for a mediator. Verse 19: They  “said to Moses, ‘You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.’ Moses said to the people, ‘Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.’ The people stood far off, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was” (Exodus 20:19–21, ESV).

A mediator is a person who stands between two other parties. A mediator is a go-between. If you have a conflict with another person, a mediator can help to reconcile you. You talk to the mediator, and then the mediator talks to the other person on your behalf, and visa-versa. Here we see that the people of Israel asked Moses to be a mediator between them and God. They could not endure the glory of his presence or the power of his voice. Israel spoke to Moses, saying, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die”.

Again I say, the Old Mosaic Covenant did not provide for the forgiveness of sins. It did not clear the conscience of the people. It could not lead them, therefore, into the presence of God Almighty in a real, true, and spiritual way. Some who lived under that Covenant drew near to God, really and truly. But please understand this: they drew near to God, really and truly, not through the Old Mosaic Covenant, but through faith in the promises of God which looked forward to the New Covenant, and to the shed blood of Christ, the mediator of that Covenant. 

Clearly, you can see that Moses was the mediator of this covenant that God entered into with Israel at Sinai. It was through Moses that God redeemed Israel. And it was through Moses that God spoke to Israel and led them in the way.  God spoke the Ten Commandments directly to Israel at Sinai, and they begged that no further word be spoken to them, for they could not endure the order that was given. The people of Israel spoke to Moses, saying, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.” 

Moses comforted them with these words,  “Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.” I think the meaning is this: do not fear, this is not judgment day. It must have felt like judgment day to the people of Israel. The sound of the trumpet announced God’s coming. His voice was like thunder. Thick darkness, lightning, fire and smoke was all around. The moral law was declared, and all of Israel knew they stood guilty before this holy and awesome God. This must have felt like judgment day to them. They begged for a mediator. And Moses the mediator comforted them with these words: “ “Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.” This is not the end, in other words, but the beginning of something. God Almighty had set Israel apart to be his holy possession of all the peoples of the earth. They were to worship and serve God on earth. God’s presence would be manifest in the midst of them. They were to be a holy nation. In them, the kingdom of God on earth would be manifest. It was crucial, therefore, for Israel to begin with a healthy and reverent fear of the Lord. The Lord tested them at Sinai. He tried them as metal is tried in the fire. If God was to be their covenant God, and if Israel was to be his covenant people, then they needed to understand how awesome and holy this God was, and what it is that their sins deserved. Israel knew that they could not stand before YHWH, and so they asked for a mediator. And so “the people stood far off, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was.”

Moses mediated between God in heaven and Israel on earth. From this point onward God would speak to Israel through Moses. And Israel was invited to approach God through Moses and through the laws for worship that were revealed to him from heaven. Please do not miss this point: Through Moses’ mediation Israel was able to approach God on earth, but not in heaven. Moses, and the covenant he mediated, were earthly. Through Moses, and the order that was given to Israel through him, provision was made for Israel to approach God on earth, to be cleansed on earth, but not to be cleaned and reconciled to God in heaven in a real and eternal way. 

If you wish to learn all about this you may read the book of Hebrews. There, Moses, the mediator of the Old Covenant, is contrasted with Christ, the mediator of the New Covenant. In brief, through Moses and the Covenant he mediated, the people of Israel were able to be cleansed and draw near to God in an earthy and temporary way. But through Christ and the covenant he mediates, worshippers are able to draw near to God in a heavenly and eternal way. 

Christ takes us all the way home, in other words. In Christ, we have the forgiveness of sins. Through Christ, we are reconciled to the Father. In Christ, we have adoption as sons. These spiritual, heavenly, and eternal benefits come to all who have faith in Christ. This was true of those who trusted in him before he was born into this world through the promises that were made. And this is true for all who trust in him now that he has come.

It is true that Moses was the mediator of the Old Covenant, but note this: Moses was not the Messiah. He was not the Savior. He was not the Son, but a faithful servant in God’s house. This is not to demean Moses or the Covenant he mediated. Moses was good and faithful. The covenant he mediated was good in and of itself. But we must remember its purpose. Its purpose was not to provide eternal salvation and the forgiveness of sins. No, under the Old Covenant Israel was set apart as holy on earth, the kingdom of God was prefigured on earth, and sins were magnified on earth, until the promised Messiah would come into the world through them, to make real atonement for sins, and to reconcile the elect to God the Father really and truly for all eternity. 

If you need an illustration of this, consider the Old Covenant temple. Worshipers drew near to God through the blood of animals which could cleanse them in an earthly way, but not their conscience. The construction of the temple itself communicated this reality. The holy of holies was closed off to the people of Israel, remember? Only the high priest would go in once a year and not without blood. The message was that the way to God had not yet been opened up. But what happened to the curtain that divided the holy place from the holy of holies when Christ breathed his last? It was torn in two from top to bottom, for the way to the Father had been opened up, not through the blood of bulls and goats, and not through the order of the Old Covenant, but through the blood of Christ and through the New Covenant which he mediates. It is not Moses, but Christ, who brings us to God. It is not Moses, but Christ, who is the Savior. It is not the Old Covenant, but the New, that saves us from our sins and reconciled us to God the Father. 

When Israel saw the glory of God, the holiness of God, and the reality of their own sin and guilt through the declaration of the moral law, they knew they needed a mediator – a go-between – someone who could work reconciliation on their behalf. The one true mediator between God and man was not given to them on that day (Moses was a mediator, not the mediator), but he was present with them in the form of type and promise. They had the promises of God concerning a coming Savior. They had a type of the one who was to come in the man Moses. If Israel was to be saved from their sins and reconciled to God really and truly, they were to trust, not in Moses, but in the Messiah to whom Moses and the Old Covenant pointed.

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Invitation To Draw Near To God Through Sacrifice

Not only did Israel need a mediator because of their sin, they also needed a way to draw near to God in worship.  

Worship is the proper response to revelation and redemption. God had redeemed Israel from bondage, and he revealed himself to them. What then should their response be except to worship? And so here God gives them preliminary instructions for worship. 

Verse 22: “And the LORD said to Moses, ‘Thus you shall say to the people of Israel: ‘You have seen for yourselves that I have talked with you from heaven. You shall not make gods of silver to be with me, nor shall you make for yourselves gods of gold. An altar of earth you shall make for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen. In every place where I cause my name to be remembered I will come to you and bless you. If you make me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stones, for if you wield your tool on it you profane it. And you shall not go up by steps to my altar, that your nakedness be not exposed on it’” (Exodus 20:22–26, ESV).

I have said that these were preliminary instructions for worship because soon God would instruct Israel to construct a tabernacle, and later a temple, for worship. But Israel was to worship God immediately, and so these instructions were given.

God’s people had worshipped at alters from the time that sin entered the world. Adam, Eve, and their children knew how to offer sacrifices to God. The patriarchs, Abraham, Issac, and Jacob worshipped at alters. Here Israel is instructed to do the same. When they approached God in worship they were to bring a sacrifice of animal blood. Animal blood could not take away human sin. But it served to remind the worshipper of their sin, and of the wages of sin, namely death. It also reminded the worshipper that God had promised to provide a Savior who would crush the serpent’s head, whose heal would be bloodied in the process. 

Israel, like those who lived before them, was to worship, not with idols, but on simple alters made of earth and uncut stone.  In other words, Israel was to worship YHWH, not according to the customs of the nations around them, but according to the commandment of God. YHWH is to be worshiped… in the way that he prescribes. 

The LORD reminds them here not to worship with idols. We will need to remember this when we come to the episode of the golden calf in Exodus 32. Not only had God forbidden idolatry in the second commandment, he reminded them of this prohibition here while giving positive and preliminary instructions for the worship of his name. The people of Israel would soon rebel, choosing to worship according to the customs of the nations around them rather than according to the command of God. 

Why did the LORD command Israel to construct simple alters made of earth and uncut stone? Undoubtedly this was to guard against idolatry. Where was Israel’s focus to be when worshipping? Not on their creativity and craftsmanship, but on God who is in heaven. Some may object to this saying, but the tabernacle and later temple were elaborate. Yes, but they were constructed, not according to the creativity of man, but by divine revelation. God revealed to Israel what the design of the tabernacle should be. And the design of the tabernacle was to remind the worshiper, not of their own creativity, but of God wor of creation. The tabernacle and temple were miniature replicas of the heavens and earth that God had made.  

And what is the meaning of this prohibition: “And you shall not go up by steps to my altar, that your nakedness be not exposed on it”. Ritual nakedness was common in the worship of the pagan nations. Here YHWH forbids it. The people of Israel were to be modest as they approached the LORD in worship. 

I have already said that Christ was prefigured in the mediation of Moses. Moses the mediator anticipated Christ the mediator. Now I will say that Christ was prefigured in the animal sacrifices of the Old Covenant too. Those animal sacrifices cleansed the worshipper on earth, but they could not cleanse the conscience of the worshipper before God. Only the blood of Christ, the God-man, could do that. Those sacrifices of old pointed forward to him. 

This is the point that the writer of Hebrews makes so beautifully in chapter 10 of his sermon. In 10:4 he says, “For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4, ESV). And then after arguing for the superiority of Christ and the New Covenant he says, “Therefore, brothers, since we have the confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh…” (Hebrews 10:19–20, ESV).

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Suggestions For Application

Please allow me to now bring this sermon to a conclusion with a few suggestions for application. 

One, consider the wisdom of God in bringing salvation to all the nations of the earth through Israel. God’s plan of redemption is truly marvelous to consider. He promised to send a savior in the days of Adam. He set aside one man, Abraham, and promised to make a great nation of him and to bless the nations through his offspring. He redeemed the children of Abraham from Egyptian bondage and entered into a special covenant with them – a covenant that set them apart as holy, that magnified sin, and vividly held forth the promises of the gospel through faith in the Messiah. I’ve said enough about this already. Here I am exhorting you to contemplate the wisdom of God in his plan of redemption. Christ, the Savior of the world, did not appear out of the blue, but in fulfillment to many promises, prophecies, types, and shadows. The Old Mosaic Covenant was particularly beautiful in this regard. Christ was vividly pictured in the Mosaic Covenant, and we are beginning to see that even here in the passage that is before us today. Moses, the mediator of the Old Covenant, was a type of Christ, who is the mediator of the New. Moses mediated between God and man in a typological and earthy way. Christ mediated between God and man really and truly. Through Christ, we have the forgniss of sins, a cleared conscience, and reconciliation. Christ brings us all the way home by the sacrifice of himself in obedience to the eternal covenant. Here I am urging you to contemplate it God’s plan of redemption and the unfolding of it, so that you might grow in your love for Christ and stronger in your faith in him, seeing that he came in fulfillment to promises previously made. 

Two, I urge you to fear the LORD.  And by this, I mean two different things for two different groups of people. 

To those not in Christ I say, fear the LORD and tremble just as Israel did. When Israel saw the glory of God, considered his holiness, and heard the moral law by which all men will be judges at the end of time, they feared, trembled, stood afar off, and asked for a mediator. If you are not in Christ – if you are in your sins – this should be your response too. You have reason to fear the LORD, for on the last day he will come with the sound of trumpet to judge all people in righteousness and holiness. None will be able to stand before him, unless they are found in Jesus Christ the Messiah, the only mediator between God and man. So I say to those not in Christ, fear the LORD, and take refuge in Christ the mediator to be shielded from the wrath of God that is to come.

Those who are in Christ must fear the LORD too, but not in quite the same way. Fear the LORD, knowing what it is that your sins deserve. Fear the LORD – that is to say, have a deep reverence for him. But do not fear him as you would a judge, for if you are in Christ, God is not your judge, he is your Father in heaven. Fathers should be respected and feared by their children, but not in the same way that guilty criminals fear a righteous judge. Judges condemn; Fathers lovingly lead, provide, and discipline. As the Proverb says, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.” And it is also the fear of the LORD which does drive to faith in Christ, the only mediator between God and man. 

Three, having been delivered from the domain of darkness, having beheld the glory of God Almighty, having acknowledged our sin, and having run to Christ the mediator for refuge, my we also be compelled to worship the Lord. And may we worship and serve the Lord in the way he has prescribed. You will notice that God is to worshipped… and he does always reveal the way of worship. There was a way to worship from Adam to Moses. There was a way to worship from Moses to Christ. And there is a way to in these last days from Christ to the consummation of all things. We are not free to decide how God is to be worshiped but are to submit to his word in this. God is to be worshipped always through faith and obedience. But he is especially to be worshipped by his people as they assemble Lord’s Day after Lord’s Day to pray, to hear God’s word read and explained, to sing, and to observe the Supper. All of this is to be done to the glory of God through faith in Christ.  

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Afternoon Sermon: Into What State Of Being Did The Fall Bring Mankind?, Baptist Catechism 20-21, Romans 3:9–20

Baptist Catechism 20-21

Q. 20. Into what estate did the fall bring mankind?

A. The fall brought mankind into an estate of sin and misery. (Ps. 51:5; Rom. 5:18,19: Is. 64:6)

Q. 21. Wherein consists the sinfulness of that estate whereunto man fell?

A. The sinfulness of that estate whereunto man fell, consists in the guilt of Adam’s first sin, the want of original righteousness, and the corruption of his whole nature, which is commonly called original sin, together with all actual transgressions which proceed from it. (Rom. 5:19; 3:10; Eph. 2:1; Is. 53:6; Ps. 51:5; Matt. 15:19)

Scripture Reading: Romans 5:18-21

“Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 5:18–21, ESV)

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The State Of Sin And Misery

Q. 20. Into what estate did the fall bring mankind?

A. The fall brought mankind into an estate of sin and misery. (Ps. 51:5; Rom. 5:18,19: Is. 64:6)

Remember states of being… 

What was Adam before the fall? Human.

What was Adam after the fall? Human.

What was his condition before the fall? Upright and innocent. 

What was his condition after the fall? Fallen, corrupted, and sinful. 

And this is true for all of mankind…

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What Is Sinful About This State Of Being?

Q. 21. Wherein consists the sinfulness of that estate whereunto man fell?

A. The sinfulness of that estate whereunto man fell, consists in the guilt of Adam’s first sin, the want of original righteousness, and the corruption of his whole nature, which is commonly called original sin, together with all actual transgressions which proceed from it. (Rom. 5:19; 3:10; Eph. 2:1; Is. 53:6; Ps. 51:5; Matt. 15:19)

The sinfulness of that estate whereunto man fell, consists in the guilt of Adam’s first sin…

…the want of original righteousness, 

… and the corruption of his whole nature, which is commonly called original sin, 

… together with all actual transgressions which proceed from it.

This is condition is the polluted spring from which our actual transgressions flow.

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Conclusion

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Discussion Questions: Exodus 20:17

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION AT HOME OR IN GOSPEL COMMUNITY GROUPS

Sermon manuscript available at emmausrbc.org

  • What are the three parts of the human soul?
  • How do body and soul interact?
  • Why is it helpful to understand how human behavior works?
  • The first nine commandments are to be kept from the heart, but the tenth is about the heart. Discuss. 
  • What does the tenth commandment teach us about the other nine?
  • Why is willpower (self-control) needed to live holy in this fallen world? (Galatians 5:22-23)
  • Why do we need to be sanctified in the mind and affections?
  • How does the gospel of Jesus Christ apply to the mind, affections, and will?
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Posted in Study Guides, Gospel Community Groups, Joe Anady, Posted by Joe. Comments Off on Discussion Questions: Exodus 20:17

Morning Sermon: Exodus 20:17, The Tenth Commandment

Old Testament Reading: Exodus 20:12–17

“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you. You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.” (Exodus 20:12–17, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Mark 7:14–23

“And he called the people to him again and said to them, ‘Hear me, all of you, and understand: There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.’ And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. And he said to them, ‘Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?’ (Thus he declared all foods clean.) And he said, ‘What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.’” (Mark 7:14–23, ESV)

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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.

Introduction

Throughout our consideration of the Ten Commandments, I have stressed that these commandments are to be kept from the heart. All of God’s laws are to be kept, not superficially, but heartily. If we are to keep God’s law really and truly, then we must do what he has commanded and not do what he has forbidden with love in our hearts for God and for our fellow man. This is true of each one of the Ten Commandments. 

Of course, when I speak of the heart, I speak not of the muscle which pumps blood through our veins, but of the inner life of man – the soul. The point is this: God wants your heart. He is in not interested in empty rituals or superficial devotion performed with the body only. No, God is to be worshipped and served with the whole of our beings, body and soul. This is why the Ten Commandments are boiled down to these two: “you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” And “you shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:30–31, ESV).

Consider these three things about the heart, brothers and sisters. 

One, God sees the heart. You may be able to fool your fellow man for a time with external (bodily) obedience to God’s law while hiding the truly sinful condition of your heart, but you cannot fool God. God sees our souls as clearly as he hears our words and sees our actions. 

Two, our actions – that is to say, the words we speak and the deeds we do – flow from the heart. Here I am talking about how human behavior works. Why do we say what we say and do what we do? We speak and act from the heart. The heart, in other words, is the spring from which the life of man flows. 

Three, Christ renews the hearts of those who have faith in him. We call this regeneration and sanctification. When God graciously calls a sinner to himself through Christ and by his word and Spirit, he regenerates them to make them willing and able to believe. He opens their spiritual eyes and unstops their spiritual ears so that they can see the glory of Christ and hear his gospel call inwardly and to the saving of their souls. He takes the heart of stone which is hard because of sin and gives them a new heart – one that is soft to him and to the things of him. He renews their mind, will, and affections so that they are able to believe and confess Jesus as Lord. We call this gracious work of God regeneration. This is what it means to be born again. All of this happens before faith. It must. For in our natural and fallen condition, we are dead in our sins. If we are to live to God by faith, he must breathe life into us. He must renew our hearts. And we know that God does also sanctify us progressively by his word and Spirit. Corruptions remain in us, but God has promised to finish the work he has started (Philippians 1:6).     

So then, God sees the heart, our words and actions flow from the heart, and God is concerned to renew the hearts of all his elect in Christ by his word and Spirit. I say these things in the introduction to this sermon on the tenth commandment because the tenth commandment is very much about the heart, or soul, of man. We must keep our hearts, brothers and sisters.    

In fact, I wish to say a bit more about human behavior here in this introduction. How does human behavior work? Why do we say what we say and do what we do with our bodies? I hope you can see why this is an important question to ask as we bring our consideration of God’s moral law to a conclusion. Do you wish to obey God, brothers and sisters? Do you wish to speak and act in a way that is pleasing to him? Then it is important to understand where our words and actions come from.   

First of all, it must be acknowledged that we choose to say what we say and do what we do. We have a will, in other words. We have this ability to make choices. We choose to think upon certain things. We choose to say things. We choose to do things. We have a will. Why do we say what we say and do what we do? Well, we make choices. And here I am saying, if we wish to obey God in word and in deed, then we had best develop strong wills. There is a place for willpower, brothers and sisters. There is something to be said for self-control. If you were to read Galatians 5:22-23 you would see that Paul’s list of the fruit of the Spirit concludes with “self-control”. We must develop willpower or self-control if we hope to keep God’s law in word and deed. 

Now please do not misunderstand me. This is not independent willpower that I speak of, but willpower that depends on the strength of God. This is no self-reliant self-control that I speak of, but self-control that relies on the grace of God given to us through Christ and by his Spirit. But it is self-control nonetheless. To put it bluntly, when we are tempted to say or to do that which is evil, either by the Evil One himself, the world around us, or the corruptions that remain within us, we must have the willpower, or self-control, to choose that which is good and to flee from that which is evil. 

In the Reformed tradition, of which we are a part, there is a great deal of stress placed upon the inability of man and of man’s need for the grace of God. There is also a great deal of stress placed upon the need for heart transformation – if we hope to obey God we must be changed to the core – our affections must be renewed by the Word and Spirit. I agree with all of that. It’s right that a great deal of stress is placed upon these truths. In fact, I’ll return these truths in a moment. But here I wish to emphasize that it is not only our affections that need to be sanctified in Christ Jesus but also our wills. Our wills need to be sanctified and strengthened by the grace of God through Christ and by his Spirit. 

Perhaps you have noticed that I have begun to identify different parts or faculties in the soul of man. We have bodies, and our bodies are composed of parts. And we have souls. Every human being made in the image of God has body and a soul. And here I am saying that our souls have parts. It is important for us to understand what the parts of man’s soul are and how they function together if we wish to understand how it is that we come to speak and act as we do with our bodies.

Body and soul are related, aren’t they? Indeed, they are very much intertwined. We live in God’s world as body and soul.  We perceive the world around us through the physical parts of our bodies. We see with eyes, we smell with noses, we touch with skin, we taste with buds, we hear with ears. All of that sensation is processed by a physical brain. Our bodies are amazingly complex, aren’t they? But we are not merely physical, brothers and sisters. We are also spiritual. In the beginning, God formed man from the dust… and then he breathed into him the breath of life! We have souls, brothers and sisters. These souls of ours are not materiel and visible, but immaterial and invisible (you cannot cut a man open to examine his soul; an x-ray will not detect it). Yes, it is true that we experience the sensations we encounter in the world around us through our physical parts, but we think rationally with the mind, we are drawn towards or driven away from things by our affections, and we make choices with our wills. These three things together – the mind, the will, and the affections – make up the soul of man. They are the invisible parts of man. They cannot be examined with the eye, but their fruit can be observed.

First, consider the mind. It is with the mind that we process and interpret the world around us and all that we experience therein. It is with the mind that we think. It is with the mind that we reason. It is with the mind that we come to a certain conclusion and hold to certain beliefs. Now that we are fallen into sin, it is imperative that we ​​be not “conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of [our] mind” (Romans 12:2, ESV). We must submit our minds to God’s word. We must believe the truths he has revealed. The mind is a part of the soul. The mind is graciously renewed by God at regeneration enabling sinners to believe the truth of the gospel, and the mind is progressively sanctified by God’s word and Spirit graciously enabling those who have faith in Christ to grow in the knowledge of the truth. The brain is physical. It is a part of the soul of man.  

Secondly, consider the affections. It is through the affections that we are moved towards that which we perceive to be good and away from that which we perceive to be evil. You understand how this works, for you have experienced it. You perceive the world around – other things, other people, God, his creation, the circumstances of your life, and the possibilities that are before. You perceive these things with your physical parts (your eyes, ears, and brain). And you think rationally about what you have taken in with the mind. But then you moved towards that which you perceive to be good, beautiful, and praiseworthy, and away from that which you perceive to be bad, ugly, and evil. Now please do not misunderstand me. I am not saying that we are always aware of these workings within the soul. Rarely do we consider them. These things happen continuously in a kind of sub-conscience way. And neither am I saying that these things happen in a mechanical way so that we can rigidly break down every action of ours into clearly defined steps. We are very complex creatures, body and soul. But these things do happen. This is how we take in the world around us. This is how we process things. This is how we are moved towards some things and away from others. It all happens through the body and in the soul. We process all that we encounter in this world through body and with the mind. We are then moved towards that which we perceive to be good and away from that which we perceive to be evil with the affections. Affections are a part the soul of man. You have body parts, and you have soul parts. And the affections are one part of the soul of man. 

You can probably anticipate what I am about to say. Just as the mind of man must be renewed by God through the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit to enable men to believe in Christ – and just as the mind of those in Christ must be progressively sanctified if our faith and obedience is to increase – so too the affections must be regenerated and sanctified if we are to believe in Christ and follow after him. All that I am saying here presupposes that you’ve heard about man’s fall into sin and the corruptions that have come upon man, body and soul, as a result. Man is totally depraved. His body is given over to sin and death, and so too his soul. Fallen man has a mind, but the mind is corrupted. We do not naturally know God, but are blind and ignorant.  And fallen man has affections. These faculties were not obliterated or annihilated by the fall. No, they were corrupted. Fallen men and women do still perceive and process the world around them. They are then moved by their affections toward that which they perceive to be good and beautiful, and away from that which they perceived to be evil. What is the problem? The problem is that in sin, to one degree or another, fallen man is drawn towards that which is evil and is repulsed by that which is good, namely God and his ways. Here I am saying that in regeneration and sanctification, God straightens our affections out so that we, more and more as we mature in Christ, are drawn to the good and repulsed by the evil.   

Thirdly, consider the will. This is the third part of the soul of man. Man is body and soul. And in the soul, we may distinguish between the mind, the affections, and the will. What is the will, then? The will is that part of the soul of man which chooses to think, speak, and do. The will chooses to act, in other words. We speak often of the need we have for a renewed mind. We speak often of the need for renewed affections (we often refer to affections as the heart). But our will need to be renewed and sanctified too. We must develop strong wills, brothers and sisters.

Again, I fear being misunderstood. I am not encouraging you to be independent from God. I am not encouraging you to be radically self-sufficient. No, I am exhorting you to be “be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might” (Ephesians 6:10, ESV). In Christ, by the grace of God, and with the help of the Holy Spirit, develop willpower. Develop self-control. Paul listed that as a fruit of the Spirit, remember (Galatians 5:22-23)? Yes, in Christ, by the grace of God, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, we must learn daily to put off the old self and put on the new. We must choose to walk by the Spirit and to gratify the desires of the flesh no longer. We must learn to endure temptation – temptation from the Evil One, from the sinful world around us, and even from the corruptions that remain within us – by choosing to think, say, and do that which is good and well-pleasing to God, and by refusing all that is contrary to him. Yes, be sanctified in Christ Jesus in the mind and heart – this is indeed crucial – but do not forget about the will. Do not forget about the call of God that is upon you to be self-controlled in Christ Jesus, to choose the good and to refuse that which is evil. Christ has redeemed your will too, brothers and sisters. And the Holy Spirit has renewed and is sanctifying your will even still.

What does this have to do with the ten commandments in general and the tenth commandment in particular?

In general, those in Christ Jesus are called to obey God’s moral law. The good news is that in Christ Jesus, our sins have not only been forgiven but we have been freed from bondage to sin and are able now to keep God’s law, though temptations and corruptions remain. You have been set free in Christ and are called now to walk in obedience to him. I want you to understand how obedience works. 

In particular, I want you to see that the tenth commandment is somewhat unique in that it directly addresses, not our words or actions, but our hearts. Yes, each one of the ten commandments must be kept from the heart, this we know. But the others are explicitly about behavior – words, and deeds – whereas this one demands that we keep the heart pure and free from evil desires. 

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The Tenth Commandment

The tenth commandment is, “You shall not covet…” Quoted in full, “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.”

To covet is to desire to have what others have as your own. 

And no, covetousness is no weak desire but is strong. It is an inordinate or excessive desire to have what others have as your own. Covetousness is a strong desire, or if you’d prefer, affection or passion.

To look at what someone else has and to say, “Oh, that’s nice. I’d like to have one of those someday”, is not necessarily covetous. But to look upon what others have, and to envy them, and to desire what is their strongly and passionately to the point of discontent in the heart, that is the sin of covetousness. 

Notice, that covetousness is not a word that we speak or a deed that we do. No, it is a condition of the mind and the heart. Yes, all of the other commandments of God are to be obeyed from the heart, but the tenth is about the heart. The command,  “You shall not covet…” addressed the heart directly. 

Do not miss the significance of the tenth commandment, brothers and sisters. 

One, notice that the ten commandments conclude with one that addresses the heart. This is the tenth of the ten. It is as if God has burrowed down into us with his law. He began by addressing the most important things: the worship of God and the way that we are to love him. He moved on from there to other important things, namely, the love we are to have for our neighbor. But in the tenth commandment, he burrows down into our hearts. It’s as if he concludes with these words: keep your hearts pure! Yes, obey in word and in deed, but do it from the heart. Keep your hearts pure before me!

Two, if we read the ten commandments backward we will see that it is the violation of the tenth commandment in the heart that produces violations of all the others in word and in deed? I think this is true of all the other commandments in one way or another, but it is obviously true of the sin of theft and adultery. Why do men and women steal and break their marriage vows except that they have allowed covetousness to develop and reside within their hearts? If the covetousness were repelled and rooted out from the heart, they would not steal or be unfaithful to the wife of their youth. The sin of covetousness is the seed. It germinates in the heart. Left unchecked, it sprouts and grows into other sins. As James says, “ each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death” (James 1:14–15, ESV).

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What Does The Tenth Commandment Require And Forbid?

As has been my custom in this sermon series, I will now ask the question, what does the tenth commandment require and forbid? I’ll read the Baptist Catechism and the Orthadox Catechism for an answer.  

Baptist Catechism

Q. 85. What is required in the tenth commandment?

A. The tenth commandment requireth full contentment with our own condition, with a right and charitable frame of spirit towards our neighbor, and all that is his.

Q. 86. What is forbidden in the tenth commandment?

A. The tenth commandment forbiddeth all discontentment with our own estate, envying or grieving at the good of our neighbor, and all inordinate motions and affections to anything that is his.

Orthodox Catechism

Question 132: What is God’s will for you in the tenth commandment?

Answer: That not even the slightest thought or desire contrary to any one of God’s commandments should ever arise in my heart. Rather, with all my heart I should always hate sin and take pleasure in whatever is right. 

Notice three things about these answers.

One, the Baptist Catechism says that it is contentment that is required and discontentment that is forbidden in the tenth commandment. What is the relationship between covetousness and contentment, you ask? They are very similar. They share this in common: those who covet and those who are discontent are dissatisfied inwardly. Those who are covetous and discontent are not a peace inwardly. They lack joy. They are unsettled. They are unhappy. How then do covetousness and discontentment differ? The one who covets looks around and says, if only I had what they have, then I would be satisfied. Covetousness has to do with the way that we relate to our fellow man in the heart. The one who is discontent is dissatisfied before God. It seems to me that all who covet are also discontent, and most who are discontent do also covet. Our catechism first says, “The tenth commandment requireth full contentment with our own condition…”, because this is the deeper heart issue. We are to be content before God! And then our catechism continues, saying, “with a right and charitable frame of spirit towards our neighbor, and all that is his.”

The scriptures say that “godliness with contentment is great gain…” (1 Timothy 6:6, ESV). Contentment must be pursued by the Christian. It is a way of life that we must learn, a disposition of the heart that we obtain. The secret to contentment is to be satisfied, not by the things of this world, but in God. Everything in this world changes. Everything decays. Everything rusts, fades, and will one day come to an end. It is great folly to have your satisfaction rooted in the things of this world. This is vantify, the writer of Ecclesiastes says.  Instead, we must find our satisfaction in God and in knowing him through the Christ he sent, for he is the source of all life, he never changes, nor will he ever fail you. Indeed, he has given you good things in this life to enjoy, but you must not enjoy them as if they were ultimate. You must enjoy them as tokens of God’s love and to the glory of his name. As the scriptures say, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change” (James 1:17, ESV). 

The remedy to all covetousness is contentment before God, and this is what the tenth commandment requires. If you are satisfied in him, then you will be satisfied in times of plenty and in times of want, in times of joy and sorrow. The one who is content before God will be able to covet his neighbor’s possessions, for he will be preoccupied with gratitude before God no matter his position in life. 

Two, notice that our catechism speaks says that covetousness is a “frame of spirit”. “The tenth commandment requireth full contentment with our own condition, with a right and charitable frame of spirit towards our neighbor, and all that is his.” In the next question, “motions and affactions” are mentioned. “The tenth commandment forbiddeth all discontentment with our own estate, envying or grieving at the good of our neighbor, and all inordinate motions and affections to anything that is his.” Inordinate means excessive or extreme. The who is content will not covet. And the one who avoids covetousness “maintains a right and charitable frame of spirit towards [his] neighbor, and all that is his.” He puts to death “inordinate [excessive and extreme] motions and affections to anything that is” his neighbors. In other words, he keeps his soul pure. 

Three, the Orthodox ( and Heidleburg) Catechism applies the tenth commandment even more broadly. Considering the tenth in the context of the other nine, it says, “not even the slightest thought or desire contrary to any one of God’s commandments should ever arise in my heart. Rather, with all my heart I should always hate sin and take pleasure in whatever is right.” Notice again that mention is made here of two of the faculties of the human soul – the mind and the desires (or affections). 

The tenth commandment requires us to keep our hearts pure before God in man. We are to be content before God. We are to be satisfied in him no matter our condition. We are to be grateful.   

As we move now towards suggestions for application, I would like to read Baptist Catechism  87 and Orthodox Catechism 133 and 134. 

Baptist Catechism Q. 87. Is any man able perfectly to keep the commandments of God?

A. No mere man, since the fall, is able in this life, perfectly to keep the commandments of God, but daily break them in thought, word, or deed. (Eccles. 7:20; Gen. 6:5; Gen. 8:21; 1 John 1:8; James 3:8; James 3:2; Rom. 3:23)

Orthodox Catechism Question 133: But can those converted to God obey these commandments perfectly?

Answer: No. In this life even the holiest have only a small beginning of this obedience. Nevertheless, with all seriousness of purpose, they do begin to live according to all, not only some, of God’s commandments. 

Orthodox Catechism Question 134: No one in this life can obey the Ten Commandments perfectly: why then does God want them preached so pointedly?

Answer: First, so that the longer we live the more we may come to know our sinfulness and the more eagerly look to Christ for forgiveness of sins and righteousness. Second, so that, while praying to God for the grace of the Holy Spirit, we may never stop striving to be renewed more and more after God’s image, until after this life we reach our goal: perfection. 

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Suggestions For Application

Now I have a few suggestions for application for you: 

One, though it is true that the tenth commandment requires us to maintain our minds and our affection before God and in relation to our fellow man, I have also emphasized in this sermon the need to develop a stong and holy will, that is to say, self-control. Develop self-control, brothers and sisters. Yes, we must develop this in reliance upon God, but we must develop it! Be self-controlled. The truth of the matter is that you will be tempted in this world. The evil one will tempt you. The things of this world will tempt you. Your own corrupt desires will sometimes lead you astray (we are not in the state of perfection, remember). In those moments of temptation, we must learn to resist. We must learn to choose what is good and to reject what is evil.  

This is one of the benefits of fasting. When we fast from food for a time, or from some other good and desirous thing, we learn to say no to our appetites and desires in a safe way. When you fast from food for a time, you feel strong urges to eat and you develop the discipline to say no to those urges. The scriptures mention fasting often. It is an important discipline, I think. When we fast we devote ourselves to prayer. And when we fast we do also develop self-control.

Self-control is needed in this world given the realities of temptation. Some of you are weak in the will. You lack self-control. And so you are driven by your passions, which are affections overspilling their proper bounds. 

Your righteous anger overflows and turns to rage within the heart, and so you lash out with your words and your actions. Your desire for comfort is misdirected within the heart, and so you misuse good things like food and drink to the point of gluttony and drunkenness, or you indulge in pleasures that are inherently sinful, when in reality it is the Lord who is comfort.  Yes, it would be even better if our affections were rightly ordered so that we were never drawn to that which is evil but only to that which is good, but we will not experience this until glory.  Until then, we must also be self-controlled. Even if every corruption in the mind and heart rises up against us to lead us in the wrong, we must will to do that which is good and please to God, for Christ is the redeemer and Lord of our will. 

Secondly, be careful in your looking. By this I mean two things: One, be careful with what you look at. And two, be careful with how you look at what you look. 

Be careful with what you look at. There are some things that are inherently evil that God’s people should never look at.  Remember the words of Christ. “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!” (Matthew 6:22–23, ESV). Here is a warning to be careful in our looking. We perceive the world around us through our eyes. If you are taking in dark and evil things, do not be surprised if your soul grows dark and evil. 

And be careful with how you look at what you look. Some things are not evil to look at, but they become evil when we look at them with an evil eye. I was driving with three of my children the other day and I was talking with them about this principle. I said, look at that nice Jeep up there. Is there anything wrong with me looking that Jeep and saying, “that’s a nice Jeep. I like that color. I’m happy for that person that they were able to get that, etc.”? No, there is no sin in that. But if I had an evil eye (See Mark 7:22 and Proverbs  28:22 in the NKJV)  and looked upon that Jeep with envy in my heart and mind, that is sin. And that sin, left unchecked will produce all kinds of unrighteousness. 

Be careful with what you look at and how you look at the things that you look at. Be careful with how you think about God, the world around you, and your place in it, lest you be overrun by discontentment and covetousness. These things are a deadly cancer to the soul.

Lastly, keep your heart, brothers and sisters, lest you sin against your neighbor and deny your God. You must tend to the garden of your soul. You must think about how you think. You must reflect upon how you feel. You must, by God’s grace and with the help that he supplies, “Put to death what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry” (Colossians 3:5, ESV). Do not only put the external sins to death (by willing to do that which is good and pleasing to God), but put the heart sins to death too! Get rid of the sin, root and all. 

Tend to the garden of your soul, brothers and sisters. Left alone, your soul will be overrun by weeds. But with God’s help, by his word and Spirit, the Christain has what he or she needs to walk worthily before God from the heart in thought, word, and deed. 

Thanks be to God through Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Posted in Sermons, Joe Anady, Exodus 20:17, Posted by Joe. Comments Off on Morning Sermon: Exodus 20:17, The Tenth Commandment

Discussion Questions: Exodus 20:16

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION AT HOME OR IN GOSPEL COMMUNITY GROUPS

Sermon manuscript available at emmausrbc.org

  • What does the ninth commandment have to do with loving and honoring our fellow man?
  • Why is truth and trust vital to relationships?
  • What does the ninth commandment require and forbid? You may find Baptist Catechism 82 & 83, Westminster Larger 144 & 145, and An Orthodox Catechism (written by Hercules Collins) 130 to be helpful. 
  • How may we keep the ninth commandment in thought, word, and deed?

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Posted in Study Guides, Gospel Community Groups, Joe Anady, Posted by Joe. Comments Off on Discussion Questions: Exodus 20:16

Morning Sermon: Exodus 20:16, The Ninth Commandment

Old Testament Reading: Exodus 20:12–17

“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you. You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.” (Exodus 20:12–17, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Ephesians 4:1-16

“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it says, ‘When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.’ (In saying, ‘He ascended,’ what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.” (Ephesians 4:1–16, ESV)

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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.

Introduction

In our journey through the Ten Commandments, I have repeatedly reminded you that the first four commandments tell us about the love we ought to have for God, and the last six commandments tell us about the love we ought to have for other people. This is how Jesus summarized the law. Quoting from, the writings of Moses, he said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:37–40, ESV). Indeed, we love God when we obey all of his commandments. But it is clear that the first four of the Ten Commandments are about the love and honor we are to show to God, whereas commandments five through ten are about the love and honor we are to show to our fellow man. 

The fifth commandment establishes that honor is to be shown to all people. The command to “honor your father and mother”, requires us to “[preserve] the honor, and [perform] the duties, belonging to everyone in their [various] places and relations, as superiors, inferiors, or equals” (Baptist Catechism, 69). Honor is to be shown to all who bear the image of God. This is the head commandment of the second table of the moral law.

The sixth commandment teaches us to honor human life as it pertains to its end. The command, “you shall not murder”, “[forbids] the taking away of our own life, or the life of our neighbor unjustly, or whatsoever [tends] thereunto” (Baptist Catechism, 74). Again I say, the sixth commandment teaches us to honor human life as it pertains to the end of it. 

The seventh commandment teaches us to honor human life as it pertains to its beginning. Human life is brought into this world through the process of procreation. And God has designed the human race to procreate in this way: through the physical union of a man and woman joined together in the covenantal union of marriage. It is in the context of the lifelong covenant of marriage that human life is to be conceived, birthed, nurtured, and raised to independency. The command, “you shall not commit adultery”, teaches us to honor human life as it pertains to its beginning. Given the sacredness of the marriage bond and the weightiness of the responsibility of procreation, “The seventh commandment [requires] the preservation of our own and our neighbor’s chastity, in heart, speech, and behavior.”

The eighth commandment teaches us to honor human life as it pertains to its preservation and prosperity. The Lord sustains his creatures. And how does he do this? Indeed, we may say that he does it in spiritual and mysterious ways, ​​for “‘In him we live and move and have our being’;  ‘For we are indeed his offspring’” (Acts 17:28, ESV). But he does also sustain us through means in this world. He gives us bread to eat, water to drink, clothes to wear, and shelter from the elements. In other words, our lives are sustained in this world through personal property. And the eighth commandment, which is “you shall not steal”, teaches us to honor human life by respecting the property of others. “The eighth commandment [forbids] whatsoever does or may unjustly hinder our own or our neighbor’s wealth or outward state (Baptist Catechism, 80).

Now we come to the ninth commandment, which is, “you shall not bear false witness.” In brief, the ninth commandment requires us to speak the truth. What does this have to do with honoring or fellow man? What does this have to do with love for neighbor? Well, if the preceding commandments teach us to honor human life as it pertains to the end, beginning, and physical preservation of it, the ninth commandment teaches us to honor human life as it pertains to human relations. Human relationships depend upon truth and trust. Where there is truth and trust relationships are able to flourish. Where there is deceit and distrust relationships are damaged.

This is true of all kinds of human relationships. We may think about this on a very large scale. Societies will flourish where truth and trust prevail. And societies will quickly fragment where there is deceit and distrust. Think of how vital truth is to the functioning of our government, our judicial system, and our economy. Where there is truth, these institutions within society may flourish, where there is deceit and falsehood, these institutions will rot and produce division. The very same thing may be said of the smaller and more intimate institutions in society like the church and family. 

We live in a fallen world, friends. We will always have to work through challenging situations with each other. We will experience afflictions of various kinds. We will struggle with the consequences of our own sin. We will offend one another and disagree with one another. In other words, friction is unavoidable in human relationships now that we are fallen. Truth and love are vital. It is truth and love which enable human relationships to function and even flourish despite the friction that is unavoidable because of our sin. What oil is to the engine of your car, truth is to every human relationship. What will happen to the engine of your car if you drain the oil from it and then start it up? It may run for a moment, but it will not run smoothly. And eventually, it will seize. The friction will prove to be too much. And the same is true of human relationships. If human relationships are to function and flourish, there must be truth and trust. Trust is the fruit of truth. Trust is something that is earned over time. It can be lost quickly. It can also be regained. All human relationships depend upon trust which is the fruit of truth. 

As a father, I have, from time to time,  lectured my children about this. I’ve said, “tell me the truth, son – tell me the truth, daughter – we can work through anything, but I have to trust you. Without truth and trust, this relationship can’t function.” I’ve also appealed to the goodness of the thing, saying, “believe me, when you are a teenager you are going to want me to trust you. Trust will produce freedom and privileges for you.” It is not difficult to see how this works in a parent-child relationship. Here I am saying that it is true of every human relationship. Where there is truth and trust there is freedom and liveliness; where there is deceit and distrust, relationships are damaged and even destroyed. 

I’ve said, what oil is to the engine of your car, truth and trust are to every human relationship. Before moving on from that idea I wish to draw your attention to that Ephesians 4 passage that was read at the beginning of this sermon so that you may see that Paul spoke of truth in this way. There in Ephesians 4, Pual was exhorting the church in Ephesus to be unified. In other words, he was addressing their relationships with one another. In verse 1 we read, “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called…” The “you’s” are plural. He was writing to the members of the church of Ephesus and urging them to walk worthy together. I continue, “…with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:1–3, ESV). So if we are to walk worthy together – if we are to have healthy and god-honoring relationships with one another in the church – we must be humble, gentle, and patient. We must be forbearing. We must have love in our hearts for one another. Now in verse 15, after warning them of being tossed to and fro by false doctrines, “by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes”, he says, “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ…” (Ephesians 4:15, ESV). 

The truth that Paul speaks of here is first and foremost the truth of the Gospel – the truth of the Word of God. But is also truth in a more general sense. How were the Ephesians to relate to one another? How were they to walk worthy and to be unified in Christ?  They were to speak the truth in love to another. Where there is truth spoken in love, there is unity and peace. Where there is false doctine, human cunning, and craftiness in deceitful schemes,  people are “tossed to and fro” like the waves of the sea, and they are carried off in this way and that. Human relationships cannot flourish without truth and without love. That is true in the church, and true in every institution within society.

 *****

What Does The Ninth Commandment Require And Forbid?

With that now as a kind of big picture introduction, I wish to ask the specific question, what does the ninth commandment, you shall not bear false witness, forbid and require? As has been my custom, I will use trustworthy catechisms to help us. 

First our catechism, the Baptist Catechism. Please listen carefully to these questions and answers.

BC Q. 82. What is required in the ninth commandment?

A. The ninth commandment requireth the maintaining and promoting of truth between man and man, and of our own and our neighbor’s good name, especially in witness bearing. (Zech. 8:16; Acts 25:10; Eccles. 7:1; 3 John 12; Prov. 14:5,25)

Q. 83. What is forbidden in the ninth commandment?

A. The ninth commandment forbideth whatsoever is prejudicial to truth, or injurious to our own, or our neighbor’s good name. (Eph. 4:25; Ps. 15:3; 2 Cor. 8:20,21)

Notice three things. One, on the most basic level, the ninth commandment requires us to promote truth between man and man. Anything that promotes what is false is a violation of the ninth commandment. It is sin. Two, our catechism draws special attention to the importance of maintaining our own and our neighbor’s good name. When we tell lies or live a life of deceit we bring shame to our own name. And if we tell lies about others, we shame their name. In other words, we do damage to our own reputation and the reputation of others when we lie and deceive. A good reputation is a very precious thing. As Proverbs 22:1 says, “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold.” A good reputation is a precious thing because it, one, honors God, and two, enables us to relate to others freely. Three, our catechism emphasizes the special importance of truthfulness in witness-bearing. It is always important to tell the truth. Our “yes” should mean “yes”, and our “no” should mean “no”… always. But it is especially important to speak truthfully when called to serve as a witness in some kind of civill or ecclesiastical matter? Why? Because the stakes are high. As you know, the lives and livelihoods of men and women can be taken away unjustly through false witnesses.  

I’ll read now the Westminster Larger Catechism. This will help us to think about the ninth commandment more broadly and to apply it more thoroughly, I hope. 

WLC Q. 144. What are the duties required in the ninth commandment?

A. The duties required in the ninth commandment are, the preserving and promoting of truth between man and man, and the good name of our neighbor, as well as our own; appearing and standing for the truth; and from the heart, sincerely, freely, clearly, and fully, speaking the truth, and only the truth, in matters of judgment and justice, and in all other things whatsoever; a charitable esteem of our neighbors; loving, desiring, and rejoicing in their good name; sorrowing for and covering of their infirmities; freely acknowledging of their gifts and graces, defending their innocency; a ready receiving of a good report, and unwillingness to admit of an evil report, concerning them; discouraging talebearers, flatterers, and slanderers; love and care of our own good name, and defending it when need requireth; keeping of lawful promises; studying and practicing of whatsoever things are true, honest, lovely, and of good report.

Q. 145. What are the sins forbidden in the ninth commandment?

A. The sins forbidden in the ninth commandment are, all prejudicing the truth, and the good name of our neighbors, as well as our own, especially in public judicature; giving false evidence, suborning false witnesses, wittingly appearing and pleading for an evil cause, outfacing and overbearing the truth; passing unjust sentence, calling evil good, and good evil; rewarding the wicked according to the work of the righteous, and the righteous according to the work of the wicked; forgery, concealing the truth, undue silence in a just cause, and holding our peace when iniquity calleth for either a reproof from ourselves, or complaint to others; speaking the truth unseasonably, or maliciously to a wrong end, or perverting it to a wrong meaning, or in doubtful or equivocal expressions, to the prejudice of the truth or justice; speaking untruth, lying, slandering, backbiting, detracting, talebearing, whispering, scoffing, reviling, rash, harsh, and partial censuring; misconstructing intentions, words, and actions; flattering, vainglorious boasting, thinking or speaking too highly or too meanly of ourselves or others; denying the gifts and graces of God; aggravating smaller faults; hiding, excusing, or extenuating of sins, when called to a free confession; unnecessary discovering of infirmities; raising false rumors, receiving and countenancing evil reports, and stopping our ears against just defense; evil suspicion; envying or grieving at the deserved credit of any; endeavoring or desiring to impair it, rejoicing in their disgrace and infamy; scornful contempt, fond admiration; breach of lawful promises; neglecting such things as are of good report, and practicing, or not avoiding ourselves, or not hindering what we can in others, such things as procure an ill name.

Brothers and sisters, this is a rich resource. I would encourage you to read Westminster Larger 144 and 145 again later as you reflect on the ninth commandment and seek to apply it. There is so much truth here. I cannot parse it out in this sermon for lack of time. In general, I will say this: the ninth commandment is not only about not telling lies. The ninth commandment is about living a life of truth and love. We must think what is true, feel what is true, speak what is true, and do what is true. And must live this life of truth with love in our hearts for God and our fellow man. WLC 144 and 145 help us to see that, I think.

Lastly, I will read from another catechism that we should be happy to call our own, called the Orthodox Catechism. It is a Baptist revision of the Heidelberg Catechism compiled by Hercules Collins in the 17th century. 

Question 130: What is God’s will for you in the ninth commandment?

Answer: God’s will is that I never give false testimony against anyone, twist no one’s words, not gossip or slander, nor join in condemning anyone without a hearing or without a just cause. Rather, in court and everywhere else, I should avoid lying and deceit of every kind; these are devices the devil himself uses, and they would call down on me God’s intense anger. I should love the truth, speak it candidly, and openly acknowledge it. And I should do what I can to guard and advance my neighbor’s good name.

 *****

Suggestions For Application

Well, I think you understand what the ninth commandment is, what it requires and forbids. I will begin to move this sermon toward a conclusion by offering some specific suggestions for application followed by a gospel contemplation. 

 I’ll deliver the suggestions for application under three headings. All who have faith in Christ, whose sins have been washed away, whose hearts have been renewed by the Holy Spirit, and whose minds are being renewed by the truth of God’s word, must obey the ninth commandment, one, in thought, two, in word, and three, in deed. 

Think What Is True

Brothers and sisters, if we are to keep the ninth commandment really and truly, we must first think what is true and love what is true. You cannot speak the truth, or live a life that is true, if you do not first think what is true. 

Thinking what is true begins with submitting to God and to his word. What is truth? God is truth (John 3:33). And the word of God is truth (John 17:17). If we hope to live a life that is true in word and in deed then we must begin by submitting ourselves to God and to his word.  We must first “receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save [our] souls.” (James 1:21, ESV). Living a life of truth begins with thinking what is true, and do this we must submit ourselves to God and to his word.

Stated negatively, to believe a lie is to live a lie. The is a sense in which those who believe what is false live a life that is false. Though they may tell the truth from time to time, or perhaps very often, they live a life of falsehood because they have not submitted themselves to the reality of who God is, who they are in relation to him, and of his purpose for them. In other words, because they have believed a lie, they live, not for the glory of God but for some other purpose. Those who have not submitted themselves to God and his word through faith in Christ, live according to falsehood, and this is bondage of the worst kind. This is why Jesus spoke to those who believed in him in this way, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31–32, ESV). Freedom comes through the truth. The truth of God’s word frees us to live according to the reality of who God is, who we are, and his plans and purposes for us through faith in the Savior he has provided. 

So, to live a life that is true we must first submit to the truth of God, his word, and his Christ. And we must be sanctified progressively by this truth throughout our lives. How do we come to be saved? By believing the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And how do we grow or mature in Christ? Through the truth of God’s word as the Spirit works. In John 17 we have a record of the prayer that Jesus prayed to the on behalf of those the Father gave to him. In verse 17 he prays, “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17, ESV).

The truth of God, his word, and his Gospel must be believed at the beginning of the Christian life, and also throughout. We must be careful to fill our minds with the truth of God’s word as the Lord refines us and keeps us. Paul warns us to “not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of [our] mind…” (Romans 12:2, ESV). In another place, he says, ”whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Philippians 4:8, ESV). these are positive exhortations to think what is true. In the scriptures we also find warnings to not believe the lies of the evil one. In John 8 Jesus confronts those who do not receive him, saying, “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me” (John 8:44–45, ESV).

So you can see that in this world there is truth and there are lies. God is truth. His word is truth. And the evil one is a liar and the father of lies. What will you fill your mind with? What will you believe? You will act upon what you believe, friends. What you speak and what you do comes from somewhere! Your words and actions come from the heart and the mind. 

Fill your heart and mind with God’s word. Learn to think rightly about God, the world that he has made, and your place in it. Develop wisdom. Develop discernment. Grow in your knowledge of truth. All the while, beware of the lies of the evil one. Beware of the lies that he speaks to your own mind and soul. Beware of the lies that he speaks to you through others. Beware of the lies that he speaks to you through the culture and through propaganda. If we wish to speak the truth and live a life that is true, then we must have the truth of God stored up and treasured in the mind and heart.  

Speak The Truth

Secondly, those in Christ, who have been washed by his blood and regenerated by the Spirit, must speak the truth in love. 

One, do not lie, brothers and sisters. Your “yes” must be “yes” and your “no” must be “no”. Speak the truth instead. Bring the truth of God’s word to bear upon the situations you encounter in life. Tell the truth about yourself and others. 

Two, do not distort the truth in any way by telling half-truths, or by playing with words. Again I say, let your “yes” be “yes”, and your “no” be “no”. Let your speech be plain, direct, and clear. Indeed, we must be very careful with the tongue knowing how powerful it is. Our words can be used for great good and for great evil. Our words should be few. “When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent” (Proverbs 10:19, ESV).

Three, speaking the truth in love also requires us to listen truthfully. This is what the WLC is referring to when it forbids “misconstructing intentions, words, and actions.” In other words, to listen to others and to twist their words and misconstrued their intentions to hold it against them is dishonest.

Four, speaking the truth in love forbids gossip and slander. 

We gossip when we speak of others in the wrong place. It is possible to say what is true about someone but to be guilty of gossip. What we say might be factually true, but we are guilty of gossip when we say it to those who do not need to know. Beware of the sin of gossip, brothers and sisters. Ask yourself the question, does this person need to know this? Is it their business? Are they in some danger? Are they in a position to help? Do they have some responsibility to act? I there counsel absolutely necessary? These are the kinds of questions we should ask when determining if information about others needs to be shared. If the person does not need to know, then don’t share it. We are to speak the truth in love. And we know that “love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8, ESV). This does not mean that sin is to be ignored. This does not mean that sin is to go unconfronted. But it does mean that our impulse should be to cover the sin of others with grace instead of magnifying it. If a brother is caught in some sin, we must confront it in love and with humility. If there is no repentance, others are to be involved. Eventually, it must be told to the church. But nowhere in that process is gossip appropriate.  

Slander is similar to gossip. We slander when we say things about others that are untrue, partially true, unfounded or misleading to the detriment of the person’s reputation. We should mind our business, brothers and sisters. If we must say something about others, we should only say what we know to be true. “But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator” (Colossians 3:8–10, ESV).

Speaking the truth in love requires us to say only that which is true, and to say it to the right people, in the right place, at the right time, with the right words, and in the right way.

Fifthly, if we wish to keep the ninth commandment in word, we must also speak up for the truth when we are in possession to do so. Often time, keeping the ninth commandment will require us to refrain from saying that which is false, but sometimes keeping the ninth commandment will require us to say what is true.   

Live A Life That Is True

Thirdly, and lastly, those in Christ, who have been washed by his blood and regenerated by the Spirit, must obey the ninth commandment in deed. Here I mean that we must live lives that are true and unhypocritical.

Live according to God’s truth, brothers and sisters. Live in light of who he is. Live in obedience to him. Live trusting in Christ, who died for your sins and rose again for your salvation. And be true to God and to your profession of faith in every aspect of your life. Be one person, and not two, or three. Are you following me? It is not uncommon for people to be one person at church, another in the home, and another in the workplace. Don’t be a hypocrite. Don’t live a double life. Be one person who is true to God and to the word of God in every sphere of life. I think this is especially common for young people whose faith is immature. They have not developed the courage or the conviction to be true to God and to his word in every arena. They are tossed to and fro, therefore, by the pressure of their peers. We must be found faithful and true – true to God and true to our profession of faith in Christ.

In other words, it seems to me that the ninth commandment requires genuineness and sincerity in the whole of life. Men and women violate the ninth commandment when they give the impression that they are one way when in fact they are another.

I’ll make one last suggestion for the application concerning this theme of genuineness and sincerity. Be careful with social media, brothers, and sisters. In fact, be careful with everything digital and virtual. It is so easy to get lost in that world and to detach from reality. That world is filled with falsehood, gossip, and slander. That world is also filled with people who misrepresent themselves as being something they are not. Christians need to be grounded in the real world. We need to be real and genuine people interacting with real people in the real world in real and genuine ways. I’m afraid that the temptation to detach from reality and to live a life of lies will only increase in the years to come, but those in Christ must be found faithful and true.

Gospel Contemplation

Now for a brief gospel contemplation.

In our consideration of the moral law of God we must not forget the gospel of Jesus Christ. If I were to ask you the question, have you kept this law – the ninth commandment, properly understood – perfectly, all should say, I have violated this law in thought, word, and deed. The law of God condemns sinners as guilty.

But ​​“there is… now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:1–4, ESV).

The law does not condemn the one who is united to Christ by faith, for Christ has kept the law for us, has paid for our sins, and was raised for us in victory. But the Spirit of God does still use the law of God to convict the Christian. God uses his law, not as a judge to condemn us, but as a loving Father to discipline us, for by his grace we are his beloved children through adoption. God disciplines those he loves.

So then, being found in Christ, and being convicted of sin, we must turn from it and to Christ again and again. And using the law as a light to our path, we must obey it. We must obey it, not in own strength, but with the strength God provides. We must obey it, not out of slavish fear, but out of gratitude towards God for his mercy and grace. We must obey God’s law, not to earn God’s love and favor, but because his love and favor have been freely bestowed upon us in Christ Jesus. He has washed and renewed us in Christ Jesus. Now we must walk in the newness of life that is ours in him.

Romans 6:3 says, “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:3–4, ESV).

Posted in Sermons, Joe Anady, Exodus 20:16, Posted by Joe. Comments Off on Morning Sermon: Exodus 20:16, The Ninth Commandment

Afternoon Sermon: Did All Mankind Fall In Adam’s First Transgression? Baptist Catechism 19, 1 Corinthians 15:12–25

Baptist Catechism 19

Q. 19. Did all mankind fall in Adam’s first transgression?

A. The covenant being made with Adam, not only for himself but for his posterity, all mankind, descending from him by ordinary generation, sinned in him, and fell with him in his first transgression. 

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:12–25

“Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.” (1 Corinthians 15:12–25, ESV)

*****

We have learned many things about the original condition of man. God made man male and female in his own image, in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, with dominion over the creatures. We also have learned that God made a covenant with man. It was a covenant of works wherein eternal life was offered to Adam if he obeyed, death being threatened upon disobedience. We have also learned that Adam and Eve broke the covenant by sinning against God, sin being any lack of conformity unto or transgression of the law of God. This sin plunged Adam and Eve into ruin. They fell from a state of innocence and into a state of sin and death. 

But a very important question remains. What does all of that have to do with us?  How does the sin of our first parents impact those of us who live so many thousands of years later. That really is the question that Baptist Catechism 19 is seeking to answer. 

Again, the question: “Did all mankind fall in Adam’s first transgression?”

The short answer is, yes. The longer answer is, “The covenant being made with Adam, not only for himself but for his posterity, all mankind, descending from him by ordinary generation, sinned in him, and fell with him in his first transgression. 

*****

The answer to question 19 beings with the words, “The covenant”. This reminds us of what we learned back in Baptist Catechism 15. There we learned about the special way in which God governed Adam after he created him. “When God had created man, He entered into a covenant of life with him upon the condition of perfect obedience: forbidding him to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, upon pain of death.” Here in question 19 we learn more about this covenant. 

*****

In particular, we are taught that the covenant that God made with Adam was “not only for himself but for his posterity” too. Posterity means descendent, or future generations. In other words, Adam functioned as a representative for others in the covenant that God made with him. So the eternal life that was promised to Adam upon obedience would not only be for him, but for all who would descend from him. And the death that was threatened upon disobedience would fall, not only upon him, but upon all who would descend from him. As I have said, Adam functioned in that covenant as a representative of others. Indeed, he represented the whole of humanity in that covenant. 

Perhaps you have heard it put this way: Adam was our federal head. Federalism has to do with representation. Adam represented humanity. If Adam would have succeeded, all of humanity would have succeeded in him. When Adam sinned and fell from the state of innocence and into the state of sin and death, all of humanity fell in him. He was our head, our representative. 

The scriptures clearly teach this. 

Romans 5:12 says, “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—” (Romans 5:12, ESV). Notice, Paul teaches that sin and death came into the world through Adam and spread to all. 

Paul says something similar in 1 Corinthians 15.  “For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.” Here Paul mentions another federal head, namely Christ.  We will return to this in a moment. For now, see that there are only two federal heads: Adam and Christ. We are either in Adam (under his representation) or in Christ (under his representation).

The Genesis narrative also presents Adam as a federal head or representative. Notice that when Adam sinned, both he and Eve were cursed and they were banished from the garden and from the tree of life. When they had children, their children were born, not in Eden, but outside of it. Their children were not given access to the tree of life but were barred from it from birth. They were born in a state of sin and death, and they themselves did sin. In other words, what Paul says in a didactic way, Geneses says in a narrative way – Adam represented the whole human race. When Adam broke the covenant of life, he broke it, not only for himself, but for all who would descend from him. 

*****

That is what our catechism says next. “The covenant being made with Adam, not only for himself but for his posterity, all mankind, descending from him by ordinary generation, sinned in him, and fell with him in his first transgression. 

This principle of representation might sound strange to you, but in reality, it is very common. The choices of others affect you all of the time. Think of the way that the choices of your parents have determined who and where you are today. Think of how the choices of kings and presidents affect a nation. Think of how the choices of a husband affect the wife. On and on I could go. This principle of representation is really baked into the natural order of things. 

In fact, this principle of representation is central to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Please hear me. Without this doctrine of representation, Christ would be of no benefit to you. How is it that Christ’s death benefits you? Answer: he died as your representative, that is to say, as your substitute. And how is it that Christ’s resurrection benefits you? How does his rising from the dead have anything to do with your rising from the dead? Answer: he rose as your representative or federal head. And what does the eternal reward which Christ has earned have to do with the hope that you have for an eternal reward? Answer: his reward is your reward, for he is your federal head or representative. This 

Just a moment ago I read from 1 Corinthians 15 where Paul compares and contrasts Adam and Christ. Certainly, Adam and Christ are very different in some regards. Adam failed and Christ succeeded. Adam brought sin and death, Christ brings righteousness and life. But Adam and Christ share something very important in common. They are both federal heads. They lived on behalf of others so that their success would mean success for others, and their failure would mean failure for others. Indeed, Christ as the second Adam even died and rose for others, as I have just said. 

So how does one come to be a federal head in this spiritual and eternal sense? Can men take it upon themselves to be representatives of others before God? Certainly not. God appoints men to this. And he appoints them to be federal heads through covenants. It was in the covenant of life made with Adam in the garden that he was appointed to function as the federal head for humanity. And it was in the covenant of redemption made with Son in eternity in which the son was appointed to become incarnate to live, die, and rise again in victory to redeem those given to him by the Father. 

Can you see why I have said that this principle of representation is crucial to the gospel of Jesus Christ? If he is not your representative – he did not live for you, die for you, and rise for you, then all that he did would not benefit you in the least. It would benefit him, but not you if he did not function as your representative. 

Thanks be to God, Christ, the second Adam is the federal head of the covenant of grace. And this is why Paul stresses that we must be found “in him”. What does Paul mean when he says we must be found “in Christ”. He means that we must be united to him by faith in the covenant of grace. We are born in Adam, brothers and sisters. All who are born into this world have Adam as their head. And in Adam we inherit sin and the curses of the covenant which he broke. We must be reborn in Christ. This new birth is not natural, but spiritual. It comes through the preaching of the word of God and by the working of the Holy Spirit. I’ll let Paul tell you about the benefits that come to us through union with Christ in the covenant of grace, of which he is mediator and head.

 In Ephesian 1:3 he blesses God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for blessing “us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.” (Ephesians 1:3–14, ESV)

Or to put it more succinctly, “in Adam all die… in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:22).

Let us be sure to be found in Christ united to him by faith. 

*****

Q. 19. Did all mankind fall in Adam’s first transgression?

A. The covenant being made with Adam, not only for himself but for his posterity, all mankind, descending from him by ordinary generation, sinned in him, and fell with him in his first transgression.

Posted in Sermons, Joe Anady, Posted by Joe. Comments Off on Afternoon Sermon: Did All Mankind Fall In Adam’s First Transgression? Baptist Catechism 19, 1 Corinthians 15:12–25

Discussion Questions: Exodus 20:15

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION AT HOME OR IN GOSPEL COMMUNITY GROUPS

Sermon manuscript available at emmausrbc.org

  • How does the eighth commandment relate to the fifth which establishes that honor is to be shown to all human beings?
  • What does it mean to steal?
  • The eighth commandment establishes that personal property is to be respected. Discuss.  
  • What are the most obvious examples of violations of the eighth commandment?
  • What are some less obvious examples of violations of the eighth commandment?
  • What are some ways that the eighth commandment can be applied to our political circumstances today?
  • What are some ways that the eighth commandment can be applied to you (or other individuals) today?
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Posted in Study Guides, Gospel Community Groups, Gospel Community Groups, Joe Anady, Posted by Joe. Comments Off on Discussion Questions: Exodus 20:15


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(Colossians 1:28, ESV)

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