|
EMPTY NOISEMAKERS
Paul wrote to Timothy saying, “Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: from which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling; Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm,” (1 Timothy 1:5-7). The warning has to do with “some” who would be preachers and teachers of the law. These, he wrote, do not have love out of a pure heart. Neither do they have a good conscience nor real saving faith. They just want to be teachers of the law and their words and teaching is just “vain jangling” or empty noise. Paul also says that those who affirm that salvation comes in connection with law-keeping do not understand what they say and affirm to be true. In the verse following our text Paul says, “But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully.” Ah! Then there is a right and a wrong use of the law. Those who think God will view them as righteous because they attempt to keep God's law or even a part of it are empty noisemakers. In Romans 3:20 Paul wrote: “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. Settle it then, once and for all, in your mind! Nobody is righteous in connection with or by law-keeping! Those who think to please God and be designated as righteous in His eyes only frustrate the grace of God: that is they are contrary to the grace of God. Paul said this very clearly in Galatians 2:21 where he wrote: “I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.” Those empty noisemakers whose speech is just “vain jangling” who teach law-keeping ignore the finished work of Christ and it's effects. Oh, they may talk about Christ and His death and resurrection, but ignore the fact that salvation comes by grace. In grace God regenerates spiritually dead sinners, works godly sorrow in them which in turn brings them to repentance and faith in Christ. Upon believing in Christ the believer is justified or declared by God to be righteous. He has the righteousness of Christ attributed to his account. The Bible says, “And by him [Christ] all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses,” (Acts 13:39). In this last-quoted verse the inability of the law to justify (save) is stated as well as the way in which sinners are actually declared to be righteous before God. Believers are declared to be rightous in God's eyes at the moment of saving faith. Justification before God cannot be had by keeping or trying to keep the law! It cannot! Do not believe the empty noise of the vain jangling teachers of the law!
|
