Pastor-teacher Don Hargrove

Faith Bible Church

Sun., Oct 11, 2009

http://fbcweb.org/Audio.html

Salvation (Titus 3:5; Eph 1:4); the spiritual life (1 Jn 1:5-9), spiritual maturity (Mt 5:13; Eze 14:14, 20)

GOD’S COVENANTS – Part 12: The Mosaic Covenant, Part 4:

The Mosaic Law, Natural Law, and Declaration of Independence

(Messiah & A.C. #258)

A. Dispensations and Covenants.

1. Dispensationalism.

a. Dispensationalism answers the need of Biblical distinctions.

b. Dispensationalism answers the need of a philosophy of history.

1) The recognition of “historical events and successions.”

2) A proper unifying principle.

3) The ultimate goal of history.

c. Dispensationalism provides a consistent hermeneutics.

2. Biblical Covenants – importance of understanding

a. 2 systems: Covenant theology vss dispensationalism.

b. 2 types: Conditional vss unconditional.

c. 8 categories: the 8 covenants vss the 2: OT and NT Covenants.

B. The Mosaic Covenant.

1. Review of MC.

2. God writes the “work of the Law” in man’s soul and thus each person stands accountable before God, Rom 2:14-16.

3. This work of the Law results in an innate sense of law or morality known as natural (φύσις ) law which is distinct from legal positivism.

4. The intersection between natural law and natural rights is a key component in the United States Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States.

5. Natural law covers five unique divine institutions.

#1: Volition.

#2: Marriage.

#3: Family, Gen 2:24.

#4 - Limited Government, Gen 9:6; Rom 13; 1 Pet 2:14.

#5 – Nationalism, Gen 11; contra Rev 13:7.

C. Law, Rights, and Human Government.

1. God ordained government to protect man’s God-given rights

2. The chief function of government is to restrain evil, Rom 13; 1 Pet 2:14.

3. Government exists to restrain evil but since government is also run by sinful man so it must be limited.

a. Governments must be limited because all humans, even the best of leaders, are sinful, Rom 3:10, 23.

b. Governments must be limited because our rights come from God – they are not granted by the state, acts

c. Our Founding Fathers (FF) recognized the sinfulness of man and the corruption of power so they separated the powers between federal and state governments.

d. Our FF also separated the 3 branches of government to limit power in the hands of sinful man in government.

e. Our FF realized that God instituted human government to protect the natural God-given rights of the people.

f. Our FF understood that the last check and balance on the power of government was for the people to have the right to keep and bear arms.

4. The Bible warns us not to trust in “princes,” Psa 118:9; 146:3.

5. Bible teaches that government is a necessary evil due to the evil nature of man, Gen 8:21; 9:6; Rom 13; 1 Pet 2:14.

6. Government, though a necessary evil, has always posed the greatest threat to man and his freedom – thus it must have limited power.

7. The Declaration of Independence and natural law/rights.

a) The uniqueness of the Declaration of Independence.

b) “Laws of nature and nature’s God.”

c) “All men are created equal.”

d) “Pursuit of happiness.”

e) Recognition of God above government.

f) The Declaration of Independence declares that our God-given rights include life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

D. Just as God blesses and curses Israel according to the ML, so He also blesses and curses gentile nations according to natural law, Dt 28; Lev 16.

1. The 5 cyles of discipline on Israel, Lev 26; Dt 28.

2. Divine discipline on gentile nations for violation of natural law, Lev 18.

3. The 4 Stages of degeneracy of a people and nation, Rom 1:18-25; cf. Isa 5:11ff.