Perilous Patterns

04.10.09

J.A. Matteson

"But we know that the Law is good if one uses it lawfully…" 1 Timothy 1:8-10

Unlike the ceremonial and dietary laws the moral Law of God is permanent and will be the plumb line by which the sons of Adam will be judged. The Apostle briefly outlines representative behavior patterns that typify the fallen depraved nature, behaviors that are odious before a Holy God, their just compensation being righteous condemnation. Through the Law the Holy Spirit mercifully confronts sin, convicts, generates repentance, and compels the transgressor to embrace the cross of Jesus Christ for salvation by faith, “Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?” (Romans 2:4).

The mood of the present culture is increasingly one of brash lawlessness and hatred towards godliness. The sons of Adam are becoming increasingly emboldened, proudly flaunting sin. Tares are intertwined with the wheat, having crept into the fellowship of the Church by stealth and are seducing naïve saints into accepting abhorrent behavior as something pleasing to God. The Apostle lists only a few reprehensible behaviors to illustrate his point: the lawless, rebellious, profane, murders, immoral, homosexuals, kidnappers, liars, perjurers, and “whatever else is contrary to sound teaching.”

Note carefully that those who seek to advance such behaviors are teaching what is “contrary to sound teaching.” Mark such teachers and avoid them. These teachers have crept in among Christians and they are maligning Scripture, “For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ” (Jude 1:4).

While professing the Lord Jesus Christ they deny Him by their deeds, demonstrating conclusively that their hearts remain uncircumcised, they are false brethren. These professors proudly pursue legitimacy and empowerment through the civil magistrate. Increasingly the children of Light are being marginalized and vilified by them in their stance for the truth of the immutable Word of God. This is to be expected, for the saints are not of the world, but have been chosen out of the world, therefore the world hates them.

Genuine grace expressed in love does not conceal sin, for to do so is to withhold the Law of grace and capitulate to the sinners path of self-destruction; rather, grace and love expose sin, allowing it to stand naked and vulnerable, not to destroy the transgressor, but that he may be granted the gift of repentance and be saved, “Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them….” (Ephesians 5:11).

All of the sinful behaviors highlighted by the Apostle are noteworthy. In the present culture one in particular is gaining rapid acceptance; viz., that which God unmistakably identifies as evil being labeled as good; the sin of homosexuality. Note closely that the Apostle identifies this and other sins as something that formerly described the believer prior to conversion.

The Apostle describes the sinful patterns in the past tense, not the present or future tense. The circumcision of the heart by the Holy Spirit results in a new creation in Christ Jesus whereby the old inclinations and desires are nailed to the cross and are now regarded in the past tense, “…do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither…homosexuals…will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).

The moral Law of God is immutable. Let not the man of God be seduced by strange teachings, following after the doctrines of demons and men. Never is the Word of God to be conformed to the culture; rather, let the culture be transformed by the Word of Truth and thus be saved from the wrath to come.

Copyright 2009 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever" Isaiah 40:8).