The Final Instalment Today is the final instalment in our series on the 10 Commandments called “The Royal Family Code.” We will have a summary from Exodus 20, look at a short text from 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 and then focus on some big picture takeaways. At the start of the series I highlighted how influential the commandments have been, not just for us personally, but as a community of faith, and globally. John Piper writes: “The time spent on Mount Sinai [where the commandments were given] was an epoch-making moment in the life of Israel—indeed, in the life of the world, in view of how influential the Ten Commandments have been for human history.” The title of the series is “The Royal Family Code.” A “family code” is what guides a family about how they live their lives. Not every family has one, but some put some sort of ‘code’ on the wall, perhaps as a poster. “In this house we laugh, tell the truth, have fun, rest, be kind,” etc. You see them in home furnishing stores. For most families a “code” is unwritten, but it’s how they tend to live their lives. In this series we’ve been stressing the word “royal.” God is our King, Saviour and Father. Yes, he’s a King. These are biblical titles for God. There are others, but these three are, I think, particularly important for understanding the commandments. Let me remind us about something else that was stated at the outset. John F. Kennedy was an American President, a position largely thought to be the most powerful in the world. Apparently, even when he was having important meetings at the White House, his son (JFK Jr, often called “John-John”) would wander in to the meeting and sit on his father’s lap. Who else would have that kind of access to the most powerful man in the world, and could at the same time have that kind of attention and love from the most powerful man in the world? Only someone who was both a child of the President and an American citizen at the same time. This is a helpful way to think about who God is to us: King, Saviour, Father. We have that kind of access. Theologian J.I. Packer observes: “In this world, royal children have to undergo extra training and discipline, which other children escape, in order to fit them for their high destiny. It is the same with the children of the King of kings… He is training them for what awaits them, and chiseling them into the image of Christ.” That’s a helpful perspective when thinking about the chiseling we experience as we seek, with God’s help, to live by the 10 Commandments as royal children, as those who follow the King of kings, Jesus. Reactions As we’ve gone through this series, you’ve probably had some different reactions to some of the things which have been said. Perhaps you have been surprised at times. After all, we’ve been exploring background information and the implications of some of these commandments, and perhaps there are implications you had never considered before. Perhaps you have been offended at times. When that has happened I have encouraged you to think about why. When you react strongly to ideas you don’t agree with, why do you have that reaction? What are you basing your opinions about how to live, and about right and wrong? Is this based on your peer group, on the wider culture, or your feelings? Or are you wrestling with the word of God? Perhaps you have been inspired at times. Maybe you have better understood some of the commandments and have thought to yourself, ‘I’m going to do something about this in my own life.’ Perhaps you have been encouraged or motivated to make a change for the better. And, finally, perhaps you have been overwhelmed. Maybe you have realized what a tall order this is. Maybe you have felt convicted and realize that you haven’t been keeping them very well. Perhaps this series has made you more aware of your own sin and you realize how far you still have to go. If so, I understand. I’ve had that sense a few times as well. But if you’ve felt this way, today’s sermon is especially for you. Today is an Opportunity Today’s summary is an opportunity for two things. First, to be attentive to what God might be saying to you. As we’ve gone through the series perhaps certain ideas have stood out to you. Perhaps you’ve zeroed in on something particular. And then perhaps today something new will jump out at you, or perhaps it is something you already heard and it will jump out at you again. We are here by divine appointment. God invited you here, and you simply responded to his invitation. So might it be the case that God wants to say something to you? Be open. Be attentive. Second, today is an opportunity to root ourselves in, and to remember, some very very very very very good news! In fact, I’m going to be so bold as to say that today’s sermon may be the most important sermon some of you will ever hear. Big Picture Perspectives At the start of the series I shared some big picture perspectives to help frame our learning about the 10 Commandments. I won’t review all of the, but I’m going to review some of them briefly. God is our King, Saviour and Father. I already mentioned this today, but it needs to be reiterated. God rules with wisdom and providence; he saves with strength and diligence, and he loves as only a parent can. We are in a covenant relationship with God. The word ‘covenant’ is woefully missing from our vocabulary as modern Christians, and that is to our own detriment. A covenant is a sacred contract. This contract exists for us personally and also collectively. He agrees to be our God, and we agree to be his people. When a couple gets married, the man and the woman each say vows. This is what they agree to do in the marriage as an expression of their love. This is a helpful comparison and is one way to think about how to approach our covenant with God in the Old Testament. God has liberated us, and is liberating us. Recall that the Hebrews have been a slave nation in Egypt for over 400 years. They have recently been liberated, and now their rescuing God is leading them toward the Promised Land. Kevin DeYoung writes: “The 10 Commandments are not instructions on how to get out of Egypt, they are rules for a free people to stay free.” The commandments reflect God’s wonderful character. It’s easy to think that the commandments are random—or, even worse, that they are random rules meant to constrict our lives. But that’s to forget that the commandments reflect God’s wonderful character. One of the reasons we don’t murder is because God is a life-giving God. One of the reasons we don’t bear false witness is because God is a God of truth. When we live by the commandments we are reflecting God’s wonderful character and are becoming more like Christ (who kept all the commandments). The commandments bless and protect the whole community. The commandments stand at the centre of God’s plan for a just and fair society. This is true not just for society in general, but especially for the vulnerable. Just imagine a society where everyone honored God with their whole heart; where the name of God was revered; where one full day of legitimate rest renewed and restored us to the very core—that in and of itself would be a global revolution. Imagine a world where everyone honoured their parents; where there was no murder, and no threat of murder; where wives and husbands were perfectly faithful all the time; where truthfulness was assumed; where everyone was totally content with what they had and never looked with envy at others. The commandments still apply. This is one of the most frequently misunderstood elements of the commandments. All of the commands of God in the Old Testament are relevant, but they don’t all apply in the same way. For example, we don’t observe the system of animal sacrifice anymore because Christ is the “once for all” sacrifice as described in Hebrews 10:10. The commandments, however, are moral laws. And the moral laws still apply. Jesus and the apostles quote them and refer to them as if they are still in effect. And so they are. The commandments show us how to live rightly. As we grow in faith we want to live in a way that is right with God and others. We want to be more like Christ. These commandments show us how to do so. Those are most of the big picture perspective with which we began. I left out one of the most important… but we’ll return to it at the end. Review of the Ten Commandments Exodus 20:1-21 (ESV) And God spoke all these words, saying, 2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. God is a liberator, and we begin with that reminder. The commandments that follow are, according to the NET Study Bible, the charter for new nation of Israel. That’s a great way to put it. Commandment number one: 3 “You shall have no other gods before me. We don’t tend to pay attention to this one in western countries. Why? We presume that when the Bible talks about ‘gods,’ we think they are simply made up. ‘Oh, those ancient people were so gullible, of course we wouldn’t do that.’ We tend to interpret this today to be about priorities: ‘Put nothing else above God, whether that be family, career, a hobby, etc.’ And that’s a fair and good application. But in many cases, the use of the word ‘gods’ seems to presume a real source of power or knowledge which isn’t from God. It’s a lesser power, and dark power, but something real is there. That’s because there is. Fortunately, Moses provides some clarity in Deuteronomy 32:16-17. That’s where learn that these other ‘gods’ are actually demons. These demons masquerade as benevolent beings and thereby deceive the people giving them loyalty or worship. The apostle Paul says the same thing in 1 Corinthians 10:20. This is partly why other gods are such a problem in the Bible. Not only do they take people’s loyalty away from the Lord, Yahweh, but they enslave people to demonic entities. One of the things we talked about on the Sunday where we originally looked at this command was about avoiding things and practices which opened us up to ‘other gods,’ i.e. demons. This includes Ouija boards, tarot cards, some new age practices, fortune tellers, etc. Engaging in repeated serious sin can also open a portal to the demonic which gives them permission to function in your life. If we are seeking a source of divine knowledge or power that isn’t from God we are opening ourselves up to the demonic. ‘You shall have no other gods before me.’ Commandment number two: 4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing steadfast love to thousands[b] of those who love me and keep my commandments. Carved images and idols are actual portals for demonic power. In using them you give them permission to function in your life, as already mentioned. Commandment number three: 7 “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain. We usually think this has to do with swearing, and that’s a fair understanding. But there’s more. As followers of Jesus we ‘bear’ God’s name in the sense that we carry it around with us as Christians and, in a sense, are representatives of God. If we are being hypocritical in our faith—i.e. saying we believe in certain things and then living as if we don’t—are we not taking (or ‘bearing’) his name in vain? Commandment number four: 8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. This is one of the hardest for modern Christians to keep, especially in our frantic world. And yet, our God knows what is best and wants good things for us! I continue to feel strongly that rest is an act of war against the powers of chaos. Commandment number five: 12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. Commandment number six: 13 “You shall not murder. On the week when we explored this commandment I went through various scenarios so that we could see when this commandment did or didn’t apply. Generally speaking, when you are life-giving you are reflecting God, when you are life-taking you are playing God. Commandment number seven: 14 “You shall not commit adultery. When we explored this commandment, as well as the command to not murder, we also looked at Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount. We pushed the commandment deeper to talk about lust, and we used that as an opportunity to talk about the public health crisis (also a spiritual crisis) of pornography. Things like murder and adultery are the end result of a series of thoughts and decisions. Jesus encourages us to go deeper, to the root issue, in the heart. Commandment number eight: 15 “You shall not steal. Commandment number nine: 16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. Commandment number ten: 17 “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.” Having heard the commandments, listen to how the immediate narrative ends: 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[d] and trembled, and they stood far off 19 and said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.” 20 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.” 21 The people stood far off, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was. Pastor: This is the word of the Lord. All: Thanks be to God. Reconciliation Earlier I said that today’s summary is an opportunity for two things. First, to be attentive to what God might be saying to you. Second, today is an opportunity to root ourselves in, and to remember, some very very very very very good news! That’s where we’re going to turn now, and again, this is going to be particularly helpful to those who through this series have felt overwhelmed or particularly aware of their own sin and shortcomings. To help with this we’re going to look at 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 (ESV). The context is the apostle Paul writing to the Christians gathered at the church in ancient Corinth. He is explaining the basis for his own work and ministry, and what he says is directly related to what we call the Christian “gospel”—a word that simply means “good news.” Let’s look at it statement by statement. From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. In this context, ‘according to the flesh’ means from a human point of view only. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.[a] The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. If you have a bible and a pen you might want to underline or note the words “in Christ.” They are central and we will return to them shortly. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; Okay, this is important. He is talking about being ‘reconciled us through Christ.’ To really grasp this think of two hostile parties. There is hostility and estrangement. That’s what has happened between us and God. Paul is saying that because of Christ there is now reconciliation. But what does this mean, and how? Let’s keep going. 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Wow, think of all your trespasses. Think of all the ways you have broken God’s commands or neglected the teachings of Jesus. Think about all the sinful thoughts, words, decisions and actions—all of the faithlessness, lack of love, neglect of neighbour, lukewarmness toward God’s ways or word. Because of Christ God is not counting our trespasses against us! What?! Let’s keep reading… 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. An ambassador is a royal messenger or representative of a King. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. This is the central message and it is what we want not only for us, but for all people – be reconciled to God! Without Jesus we are lost, with him we are found. Without him there is darkness, with him there is light. Without him there is existential anxiety, with him there is peace. Without him there is hell, with him there is heaven. Without him there is vengeance, with him there is love. Without him there is meaninglessness, with him there is purpose. Without him there is deception, with him there is truth. Without him there is fear, with him there is courage. Without him there is despair, with him there is hope. Incredible! Life-changing! But we still don’t know how being “in Christ” does any of this? Let’s press further. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. This is at the very heart of the “good news” (i.e. gospel) and is very very good news for the followers of Jesus. It is also that big overarching piece of perspective I mentioned earlier and which we would save for the end (which is now). Let’s think it through and why it is so significant. On the cross Jesus was treated as if he had sinned even though he didn’t. This passage says explicitly that he sinned and so does Hebrews 4:15. He was “without sin.” Further, just look at the example of his life. One he has kept all the Ten Commandments. No other gods? He was perfectly faithful and loyal to his heavenly Father. No idols? Nope. Don’t take God’s name in vain? His lips were perfect reverence. Remember Sabbath day? Not only did he observe Sabbath rest, he restored it’s true meaning to others. Honour your parents? Mary became one of his followers, and from the cross while he was bleeding (John 19) he even ensured she would be cared for after he had died. No murder? In John 10:10 he said he came that others may have life and have it abundantly—and he invited others to do the same. No adultery? He was pure in his singleness, and he taught others about purity in hearth. No stealing? He had nowhere to lay his head (Matthew 8:20) and yet he was content and trusted that he Father would always provide. Don’t bear false witness? He always spoke the truth, even when it cost him dearly. He was the good and faithful witness. Don’t covet? Because God with him, he didn’t have to pine after other people’s things. And yet, Jesus treated as if he had sinned even though he didn’t. Why? The words “so that” in verse 21 tell us the reason: “so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Pardon? Let’s keep going. On the cross, Jesus paid price for sin. But it wasn’t his sin because as we have seen he didn’t have any. Instead he paid for our sin. As a result we receive reconciliation with God. It says that “we become the righteousness of God.” But again, what does this actually mean? It means that Jesus’ righteousness, perfection and goodness gets credited to us. Think of all the commands you have broken. Think of the sin, waywardness, lack of love and faith, not only in your physical actions but in your mind. Those sins need to be paid for. If not, you are estranged from a perfect, holy and just God. So Jesus paid your penalty on the cross. Now, in contrast, think about all the perfection, obedience and righteous of Jesus. It’s amazing—and it gets credited to you! Theologians call this “imputed righteousness.” To impute something means to attribute or give over from one person to another. The righteousness of Jesus is imputed to you. Earlier I said to underline the words “In Christ.” Let’s return to that idea. I want to make an illustration. It might seem silly at first but I think it will get us into the right mind space to know what is happening. Picture Jesus, and you actually being “in him.” There’s an outline of Jesus, and that outline of a smaller person inside of that outline is you. If you are physically and actually “in Christ” that means that if he goes to the grocery store so do you—after all, you are physically “in” him. If he goes to the fireworks, so do you. If he sits under a tree, so do you. This might not be what is happening physically, but that is exactly what is happening spiritually. When Jesus kept all the commandments, he was keeping them on your behalf. As a result, in the eyes of God, Jesus already paid for your law-breaking and sin, and instead, he sees you as righteous because of Christ. Think of the best Christmas you have gift ever received. I remember one year when I was small when I received some goalie equipment for road hockey. I was so excited! Perhaps you have similar memories. But those gifts are nothing compared to what Christ has done for us. We’ve used the phrase before “spiritual billionaires.” And that is what we are. Tim Keller writes: “Do you realize that it is only in the gospel of Jesus Christ that you get the verdict before the performance?” Usually we think it’s the other way around. We need to perform amazingly, and never make mistakes, and hit moral home runs all the time—and only then will we get a good verdict when we stand before God. This is the “nice people go to heaven” mentality. But no. We are made right with God because of Jesus’ performance, not our own. If you are “in Christ” you are 100% guaranteed at peace with God and I will see you in heaven. As we are reminded in Romans 8:1 there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ. No condemnation! Now, does this mean we can sin freely, and do whatever we want? No, it doesn’t. Jesus’ people are called to be like him (1 John 2:6). We are to grow in faith, in holiness, in love, in truth. If we are “in Christ” his Spirit is in us. The Holy Spirit helps us grow in Christlikeness. If we truly believe in Jesus, we will start to bear his fruit in our lives. We won’t be perfect—far from it!—but we will start to bear fruit for the kingdom. But our standing with God is not based on our performance, but on Jesus’ performance. But just as we are “in Christ”, his Spirit is “in us.” Because of that we are called, as royal children, to now get in on the ways he is bringing heaven to earth. We’ve been calling it “royal pedigree.” The King married the prostitute We’re going to close this series with what I think is a mind-blowing illustration from Martin Luther who lived in the 1500’s. Imagine a prostitute. Her life is a mess. She has made bad choices. She’s in poverty. She has been abused. Her life is filled with shame and regret. There is public disgrace. But one day you learn some shocking news. The King has decided to marry the prostitute! Why? Because he has fallen in love with her! All that he has is now hers. Not just his money, but a new status and identity. She becomes royalty—the queen! This doesn’t erase her past, but it changes who she is, and totally revolutionizes her future. This, Luther says, is what has happened to us. It’s an image from the New Testament. We are the bride of Christ, our King (See Revelation 21:9). The King married the prostitute. Ephesians 5:25-27 says: “Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.” Listen to Martin Luther writing in The Freedom of a Christian, published in 1520: “Who can even begin to appreciate what this royal marriage means? Who can comprehend the riches of this glorious grace? Christ, the rich and divine bridegroom, marries this poor, wicked whore, redeems her from all of her evil, and adorns her with all of His goodness. It now is impossible for her sins to destroy her, for they are laid on Christ and swallowed up by Him. She has her righteousness in Christ, her husband, which she now can boast is her very own. She can set this righteousness over against all of her sins and, in the face of death and hell, say with confidence: ‘Though I have sinned, nevertheless, the One in whom I trust, my Christ, has not sinned. Through our marriage, all that is His is mine and all that is mine is His.’” On the Simply Put podcast, Barry Cooper comments on this scenario with these words, which are actually words for us: “That is imputed righteousness. The King marries a prostitute. The prostitute is declared pure. The call girl becomes queen.” Brothers and sisters, live your royal pedigree, knowing you have it, not because of anything you have done, but because of what Christ has done. “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” We are, therefore, and as Paul says, “ambassadors for Christ,” the King of kings, the one who makes all of us new, and calls us upwards in our royal pedigree, bringing heaven to hearth. And this is our royal family code. Amen.