The Law of Love

Whenever we talk about law in the Bible, folks just get uneasy.  They avoid eye-contact and are clearly ready for me to change the subject.  Sometimes that is because they are convicted by something they have done, or are still doing, that goes against God’s Law.  They don’t like to hear that God’s Law simply provides more detail to the Covenant.  In other words, they don’t like to hear that, if they want to walk together with God, they need to change.

Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." (Matthew 22:37-40 NIV)

Sometimes, though, they are squirming because they always fall asleep whenever they try to read the book of Leviticus.  In other words, they don’t know God’s Law because they’ve never read it.  In that case, I like to remind them that the Israelites didn’t know all of the Law either.  That’s why they had judges at various levels to handle disputes.  That’s why they had prophets and teachers (Rabbis) who would explain when they had a question.  I simply remind them to start by loving God with everything and loving their neighbor who is made in the image of God.  That’s always a good start.

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." (Galatians 5:13-14 NIV)

Remembering the “top two” isn’t a replacement for knowing God’s Covenant (Ten Commandments) and God’s Law (The Details).  But, it is a summary of the Law.  So, start with those two, move on to the ten, and add the details as you go along in life.  Never forget, though, that all of them are driven by love.

How about you?  Do you know the two, the ten, and the details of the Law?  Do you remember the law of love?  Do you live it?

The Law of Grace

I remember my first run in with the law.  I was driving a 1963 Plymouth Valiant through a suburb of Cincinnati.  The blue lights came on behind me and I felt that sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.  The police officer came up and said,

“Hey, buddy.  How’s it going?” 

“I’m fine, officer,” I replied cautiously.  “Did I do something wrong?” 

“Is this a new thing now,” he asked, “driving without your lights on?”

I looked down at my headlights.  It was a pull-slider switch that was not pulled out all the way.  I had pulled it out enough that my dash lights were on, but my headlights were not.  The officer let me off with a warning, but reminded me to turn on my lights from here on out.  I never made that same mistake again in that car.

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. (Romans 6:1-4 NIV)

Just because Jesus came and changed the way we are forgiven, it does not change the fact that sin is sin.  When we break the law, we deserve punishment.  When we are not punished (because of Jesus), that is a free gift.  That gift is grace.  We don’t take grace lightly, though.  We are grateful and we stop breaking that law.

What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:21-23 NIV)

How about you? Are you grateful for God’s grace?  Is that gratitude enough to motivate you to stop breaking God’s laws?

The Law of Humble Obedience

I know that it can be overwhelming trying to look at the Ten Commandments as terms of our covenant with God and the Law as the details of those terms.  I’ve talked with plenty people who have asked, “Why do we even care about the Old Testament?  Didn’t Jesus change all that?  Aren’t we in a New Covenant now?”  My answer is simple: “Yes and No.”  You see, Jesus did begin a New Covenant, but he did not throw out everything from the Old.  Look at this passage as an example.

Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:17-20 NIV)

These were Jesus’ own words.  The initiator of the New Covenant made it clear that the Law and the Prophets would not pass away “until everything is accomplished.”  Some things, we know, are already accomplished.  Jesus died, was buried, arose, and ascended into heaven.  The animal sacrifices are no longer necessary because Jesus is the final sacrifice: the purse spotless lamb.  We don’t stone people to death because he who is without sin must cast the first stone.  Yet all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory.  We also remember, though, that the woman caught in adultery was still told, “Go and sin no more.”

Right and wrong still exist.  The Terms of the Covenant still apply.  We may be able to eat more variety of food today because of changes in God’s instructions, but murder is still wrong.  Adultery still hurts people.  Stealing is still sin.  There is a way to live where we are walking together with God and there are still many ways that we walk away from God.  The Law, then and now, shows us the difference.  When we find ourselves doing what God’s Law says not to do, our response is supposed to be simple: Have the humility to turn around (repent) and obey.

So, how about you?  Do you see how the Old Covenant, the Law, and the Prophets fits together with the New?  Do you see what it looks like to walk together with God?

The Covenant Applied

The law, in Scripture, refers to the many commands we find in books like Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.  Most of them are found in the book of Leviticus.  Sometimes folks will call them the “Levitical Law.”  Trying to read through the book of Leviticus from end to end can be a bit challenging.  I would imagine that it is the book most opened when people fall asleep on their Bibles.  Since I’m not trying to help you fall asleep, I’m just going to point out one thing about the Levitical Law today: much of it explaining the Covenant.

Remember last week that we said the Ten Commandments are actually the Terms of the Covenant.  In other words, this was what the people of Israel agreed to with God.  It seems pretty simple at first:  Agree to, memorize, and live according to the ten Terms of the Covenant and God will keep God’s part of the agreement.  Then they start running into problems.  The covenant says, “You shall not steal.”  The weights on my scale were wrong and I didn’t know it.  I’ve been selling 1lb of grain all this time to people but they have only been getting 12 oz.  Did I steal from them?  What should I do to get right with the Covenant?  What do I need to do to get right with God?  These questions were brought to Moses.  Moses took them to God at the Ark of the Covenant.  Moses came back with the answer.  This became the Law.

Here are the Terms of the Covenant with some examples from the Law that clarified the Covenant.  This is not a complete (exhaustive) list.  It’s just a sampling.  It should be enough to give you the idea.

I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. "You shall have no other gods before me. (Exodus 20:2-3*) (See Also Leviticus 19:31; 20:1-8, 27)

You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them… (Exodus 20:4-5a*) (See Also Leviticus 11:1-47)

You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God. (Ex. 20:7a*) (See Also Leviticus 24:10-16, 23)

Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. (Exodus 20:8-11*) (See Also Exodus 31:13-17; 35:2-3; Leviticus 19:30)

Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you. (Exodus 20:12*)(See Also Leviticus 19:32; 20:9)

You shall not murder. (Exodus 20:13*)(See Also Leviticus 19:14-18; 24:17-22)

You shall not commit adultery. (Exodus 20:14*)(See Also Leviticus 12:1-8; 15:1-33; 18:1-30; 19:29; 20:10-21)

You shall not steal. (Exodus 20:15*)(See Also Leviticus 19:9-13, 35-36)

You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. (Ex. 20:16*)(See Also Leviticus 19:11; Deuteronomy 19:14-21)

You shall not covet...anything that belongs to your neighbor. (Ex. 20:17*)(See Also Leviticus 19:13-18)

* Terms of the Covenant are all quoted in the New International Version

The result was that the Terms of the Covenant were applied to the specifics of their lives.

How about you?  Do you know where God stands in the specifics of your life?  Do you use that knowledge to hide from God or to get on the same page with God?

Remember Law

Last week, we looked at the term “covenant” and saw that it described a way that two parties coming together in agreement with one another.  A covenant is not only an agreement.  It is also a relationship that takes commitment.  God made a covenant with Israel.  The ten commandments were really called the terms of the covenant.  What was God’s side of the covenant?

Now if you will obey Me and keep My covenant, you will be My own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth; for all the earth belongs to Me. And you will be My kingdom of priests, My holy nation.  (Exodus 19:5-6 NLT)

They were instructed to build a box where the terms of the covenant would be kept.  That box was called the Ark of the Covenant.

When the Ark is finished, place inside it the stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant, which I will give to you… I will meet with you there and talk to you from above the atonement cover between the gold cherubim that hover over the Ark of the Covenant. From there I will give you My commands for the people of Israel. (Exodus 25:16,22 NLT)

Notice what God said about the Ark.  This would be the place where Moses would go to meet with God, talk to God, and find out additional commands or clarification from God about existing commands.  This would be the place where Moses found out from God more and more details surrounding their covenant agreement.  Moses, then, shared those details with the rest of Israel.  These details became known as the Law.

How about you?  Do you find yourself wanting to know more details about how to walk together with God?  Where do you turn?  Do you find out God’s perspective?