EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!
THURSDAY JUNE 01, 2023.
SUBJECT: WHY THE LAW WAS GIVEN!
Memory verse: "What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made, and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator." (Galatians 3 vs 19.)
READ: Romans 7 vs 7 - 9:
7:7: What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.”
7:8: But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For apart from the law sin was dead.
7:9: I was alive once without law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died.
INTIMATION:
Te ostensible aim of the law is to restrain the evil tendencies natural to man in his fallen estate. Yet in experience law finds itself not merely ineffective, it actually provokes those tendencies to greater activity.
In the passage we read today, the apostle Paul says that he would not have known that sin existed in his life unless the law stated that his behavior was against the law. Therefore, the law “was added because of transgressions” (Galatians 3 vs 19). It made us realize that we were all sinners (Romans 3 vs 23). When men followed after the lusts of the flesh, the coming of the law exemplified the sinful behavior of the individual.
When there was no law, one would not be aware of the intensity of the sin of his life. Where there is no law, there is no violation of law. Without the presence of the written law, one is deceived into thinking that his life is right with God. Where there is no law, there is no sin, because people cannot know that their actions are sinful unless a law forbids those actions. God’s law makes people realize that they are sinners doomed to die, yet it offers no help. Sin is real, and it is dangerous.
Imagine a sunny day at the beach. You plunge into the surf, then you notice a sign on the pier: “No swimming. Sharks.” Your day is ruined. Is it the sign’s fault? Are you angry with the people who put it up? The law is like the sign. It is essential, and we are grateful for it—but it doesn’t get rid of the sharks.
The law still has an important role to play in the life of a Christian. The law (1) guards us from sin by giving us standards for behavior; (2) convicts us of sin, leaving us the opportunity to ask for God’s forgiveness, and (3) drives us to trust in the sufficiency of Christ, because we can never keep the Ten Commandments perfectly. The law cannot possibly save us. But after we become Christians, it can guide us to live as God requires.
God gave rules to His for people for some reasons. He did not withhold good from them; He only prohibited those acts that would bring them to ruin. All of us understand God’s physical laws of nature. For example, jumping off a 10-story building means death because of the law of gravity.
But some of us don’t understand how God’s spiritual laws work. God forbids us to do certain things because He wants to keep us from self-destruction. The next time you are drawn to a forbidden physical or emotional pleasure, remind yourself that it’s consequences might be suffering and separation from God, who is trying to help you.
Most of us chafe under rules, for we think they restricts from doing what we want. But God’s laws were given to free us to be all He wants us to be. They restrict us from doing what might cripple us and keep us from being our best. God’s guidelines help us follow His path and avoid paths that lead to destruction.
In the Old Testament there were three categories of law: ceremonial, civil, and moral:
(1) The ceremonial law related specifically to Israel’s worship. Its primary purpose was to point forward to Jesus Christ; these laws, therefore, were no longer necessary after Jesus’ death and resurrection. While we are no longer bound by ceremonial law, the principles behind them—to worship and love a holy God—still apply.
(2)) The civil law applied to daily living in Israel. Because modern society and culture are so radically different from that time and setting, all of these guidelines cannot be followed specifically. But the principles behind the commands are timeless and should guide our conduct. Jesus demonstrated these principles by example.
(3) The moral law (such as the Ten Commandments) is the direct command from God, and it requires strict obedience. The moral law reveals the nature and will of God, and it still applies today. Jesus obeyed the moral law completely,
The functions of God’s law is first, to show us where we go wrong. Because of the law, we know that we are helpless sinners and that we must come to Jesus Christ for mercy. Second, the moral code revealed in the law can serve to guide our actions by holding up God’s moral standards. We do not earn salvation by keeping the law (no one except Jesus ever kept or could keep God’s law perfectly), but we do please God when our life conforms to His revealed will for us.
We miss the intent of God’s Word when we read His rules for living without trying to understand why He made them. Most people do keep God’s rules but close their eyes to His intent. For example, God’s moral and ceremonial laws were given to help people love God with all their hearts and minds.
Prayer: Abba Father, Your law is holy, good, and just; a great compass to direct my path in life in righteousness and moral uprightness with You. Though meritorious law-keeping cannot earn me salvation but enables me to be in constant fellowship with You after been saved by grace in Jesus Christ. Empower me in my inner man to live above those presumptuous sins that usually have dominion over me that I may lead a life pleasing to You at all times, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.
PRAISE THE LORD!
