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Dispensationalism III - Lesson 1
Attached Audio:
- THE DISPENSATION OF THE LAW (Exodus 24:1-8 [1] And he said unto Moses, Come up unto the LORD, thou, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship ye afar off.
[2] And Moses alone shall come near the LORD: but they shall not come nigh; neither shall the people go up with him.
[3] And Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the LORD hath said will we do.
[4] And Moses wrote all the words of the LORD, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel.
[5] And he sent young men of the children of Israel, which offered burnt offerings, and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen unto the LORD.
[6] And Moses took half of the blood, and put it in basons; and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar.
[7] And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient.
[8] And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words.
See All...) - Why I Reject Works-Salvation For Any Dispensation
- Because it did not happen when man had his best chance – the dispensation of innocence
- God created a perfect man. As the representative of all man, he must have been the best man who ever lived until the coming of Jesus Christ. He had great wisdom and a perfect moral character. He had no sin nature and was perfectly innocent.
- God placed man in a perfect environment. The entire earth was climate-controlled. There was no sin, no bars, no hospitals, no wars, no famine and no reason to have any of these. Adam was given a help meet for him and had daily fellowship with God.
- God made obedience a very simple thing. All Adam had to do was avoid eating of the forbidden fruit. The sin and its consequences were clearly defined. There was no mistake about when that line was crossed. Adam had no reason to want to cross that line.
- Yet, Adam sinned in the one forbidden thing and lost his place in the earthly paradise. He did it willingly and with full knowledge of what he was doing. Satan’s one temptation was enough to bring mankind to his knees and ruin him inside and out.
- Conclusion: If works-salvation did not happen under these best of circumstances, there is certainly no chance for it to work under the less favorable circumstances.
- Because it did not happen under the law, the most works-oriented of the dispensations.
- The law provided two ways for man to approach God through his own works:
- By obedience to the commandments (Exodus 24:1-8 [1] And he said unto Moses, Come up unto the LORD, thou, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship ye afar off.
[2] And Moses alone shall come near the LORD: but they shall not come nigh; neither shall the people go up with him.
[3] And Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the LORD hath said will we do.
[4] And Moses wrote all the words of the LORD, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel.
[5] And he sent young men of the children of Israel, which offered burnt offerings, and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen unto the LORD.
[6] And Moses took half of the blood, and put it in basons; and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar.
[7] And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient.
[8] And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words.
See All...; Leviticus 18:5Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the LORD.
See All...; Deuteronomy 27:26Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen.
See All...) - By the making of sacrifices (Leviticus 1:1-4 [1] And the LORD called unto Moses, and spake unto him out of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying,
[2] Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man of you bring an offering unto the LORD, ye shall bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd, and of the flock.
[3] If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD.
[4] And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.
See All...; Leviticus 4:27-35 [27] And if any one of the common people sin through ignorance, while he doeth somewhat against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which ought not to be done, and be guilty; [28] Or if his sin, which he hath sinned, come to his knowledge: then he shall bring his offering, a kid of the goats, a female without blemish, for his sin which he hath sinned. [29] And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the sin offering, and slay the sin offering in the place of the burnt offering. [30] And the priest shall take of the blood thereof with his finger, and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall pour out all the blood thereof at the bottom of the altar. [31] And he shall take away all the fat thereof, as the fat is taken away from off the sacrifice of peace offerings; and the priest shall burn it upon the altar for a sweet savour unto the LORD; and the priest shall make an atonement for him, and it shall be forgiven him. [32] And if he bring a lamb for a sin offering, he shall bring it a female without blemish. [33] And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the sin offering, and slay it for a sin offering in the place where they kill the burnt offering. [34] And the priest shall take of the blood of the sin offering with his finger, and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall pour out all the blood thereof at the bottom of the altar: [35] And he shall take away all the fat thereof, as the fat of the lamb is taken away from the sacrifice of the peace offerings; and the priest shall burn them upon the altar, according to the offerings made by fire unto the LORD: and the priest shall make an atonement for his sin that he hath committed, and it shall be forgiven him.
See All...) - Obedience to the commandments could not save man because no man could keep all the commandments (Ecclesiastes 7:20For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.
See All...; Romans 3:19-20 [19] Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. [20] 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.
See All...; Romans 7:12-14 [12] Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. [13] Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful. [14] For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
See All...; Romans 8:3For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
See All...; Galatians 2:16Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
See All...; Galatians 3:10-12 [10] For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. [11] But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. [12] And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.
See All..., 21-22; Hebrews 7:18-19 [18] For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof. [19] For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.
See All...) - The making of sacrifices could not save man because the blood of animals could not put away sin
- Old Testament teaching (Psalm 51:16For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.
See All...; Isaiah 1:11To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats.
See All...; Hosea 6:6For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.
See All...) - New Testament teaching (Hebrews 9:8-10 [8] The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing:
[9] Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience;
[10] Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.
See All..., Hebrews 10:1-4 [1] For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. [2] For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. [3] But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. [4] For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
See All..., 11) - Because the imputation of God’s righteousness without the law is witnessed by the law and the prophets. (Romans 3:21-22 [21] But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
[22] Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
See All...) - By the law (Deuteronomy 7:6-9 [6] For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.
[7] The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people:
[8] But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
[9] Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;
See All...; Deuteronomy 9:4-6 [4] Speak not thou in thine heart, after that the LORD thy God hath cast them out from before thee, saying, For my righteousness the LORD hath brought me in to possess this land: but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD doth drive them out from before thee. [5] Not for thy righteousness, or for the uprightness of thine heart, dost thou go to possess their land: but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee, and that he may perform the word which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. [6] Understand therefore, that the LORD thy God giveth thee not this good land to possess it for thy righteousness; for thou art a stiffnecked people.
See All...) - By the prophets (Psalm 35:24Judge me, O LORD my God, according to thy righteousness; and let them not rejoice over me.
See All...; Psalm 71:1-3 [1] In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion. [2] Deliver me in thy righteousness, and cause me to escape: incline thine ear unto me, and save me. [3] Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress.
See All...; Psalm 119:40Behold, I have longed after thy precepts: quicken me in thy righteousness.
See All...; Isaiah 45:24-25 [24] Surely, shall one say, in the LORD have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed. [25] In the LORD shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory.
See All...; Isaiah 54:17No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.
See All...; Isaiah 61:10I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.
See All...; Jeremiah 23:5-6 [5] Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. [6] In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
See All...; Daniel 9:16O LORD, according to all thy righteousness, I beseech thee, let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy mountain: because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people are become a reproach to all that are about us.
See All...) - Because the utter sinfulness of man makes him absolutely incapable of having any part in earning his own salvation (Romans 3:21-23 [21] But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
[22] Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
[23] For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
See All..., 10-18; Psalm 14:1-3 [1] The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. [2] The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. [3] They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
See All...; Ecclesiastes 7:20For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.
See All...; Isaiah 64:6But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
See All...)
Proverbs 25:4
Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer.