In the previous message, we gave an introductory word concerning the Psalms. In this message we want to see the truth concerning Christ in God's economy versus the law in man's appreciation.
Psalm 1 is concerning the law in man's appreciation (v. 2). I hope that we will receive a clear view to see this Psalm. We need to see the truth concerning the law in its position, its nature, its content, its function, and its weakness. We need to fight the battle against the wrong teachings concerning the law which are not in the light of God's New Testament economy. Among Christians there are two schools concerning the law. One school is positive and the other school is very negative. The top person in the negative school related to the law is the apostle Paul. Concerning the law, he was negative to the uttermost. I want to point out some of the points he stressed in his teaching concerning the law.
In Romans and in Galatians, Paul stressed that no flesh, no fallen human being, can be justified before God by the works of the law (Rom. 3:20a; Gal. 2:16; 3:11a). To work to be justified by the law is to labor in vain. In Romans 7 Paul told us that the law, instead of giving us life, becomes the killing instrument by which sin deceives and kills us (v. 11). Do we like something that kills us? David was wrong to exalt and appreciate something by which we can be killed. This shows us how negative Paul was in his view concerning the law.
I want to raise up Paul's argument as my argument against the law. Some may say that Paul told us in Romans 7 that the law is holy, righteous, good (v. 12), and even spiritual (v. 14a). But this is only in its nature. In nature the law is holy, righteous, good, and spiritual, but we also need to see what Paul says concerning its position, its function, and its weakness.