The Strange Thing About Law

The Strange Thing About Law
Words of Faith 4-18-2023
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2023
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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1 Timothy 1
[8] We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. [9] We also know that law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious; for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, [10] for adulterers and perverts, for slave traders and liars and perjurers‑‑and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine [11] that conforms to the glorious Gospel of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.

I noticed something the other day. I haven't read any law books lately. You know, the books that give the little details that tell if one is violating a particular code or penalty or the ones that tell about rulings and "case law." Those books are excellent if you need to know how close you can get without breaking the law. I just have yet to have the interest lately.
Law is that way. It is made chiefly for lawbreakers. If you are not really interested in speeding, the technicalities of the limit and the restrictions on radar detectors will be of little interest to you. If you are not interested in cheating on your taxes, the limitations and loopholes lose their luster. And if you are not interested in bending things with God, the details of His Law will not be your first study of the day.
The detail of the Law may be of little concern for those who love God with all their heart, mind, soul, and strength. However, it still gives us essential guidance as it defines the sin that separates us from God and exposes our need for the Gospel. This Gospel is glorious! The Good News of Jesus sets us free from the Law of sin and death.
It is also interesting that the Hebrew word Torah (Law) comes from and is related to the verb Yawraw, which means to flow like water or point in a direction. The Torah of God is not just a bunch of rules that God developed to make life difficult. The Torah of God flows from His heart like water and points us in the direction of Godly living.
The Law exposes our desperate need for God. The Law confronts those who are not righteous and are ungodly. The Law shows us how badly we need salvation. We, as lawbreakers, rebels, ungodly and sinful, unholy and irreligious, must know where we stand with God. How else can we change?
Those who dishonor their fathers and mothers and those who murder are not right with God. Sexual sins are also outside God's plan, whether heterosexual or homosexual. How sincere we "feel" about the "love" connected to those sins doesn't matter. And slave-traders, merchants of human misery and degradation, are far from God. Liars and perjurers are in desperate need of God. And just to be complete, Paul lists anything contrary to the sound doctrine that conforms to the Gospel.
We might think... "Well, I am sure glad I don't fit into any of those categories." But how often do we rebel and act deliberately against something God has instructed us about? How often do we participate in things that clearly are of the world and are not holy?
The murder of parents is usually the stuff of cable network crime dramas. But how many parents have their assets shifted by their children so that the old folks can be parked in a nursing home at government expense? And no slave trading going on? Look again. Human trafficking is alive and well in our cities. The acceptability of soft and hardcore "adult" entertainment that pays taxes feeds the slave trade. Ouch. And we haven't even gotten to the consideration of "sound doctrine."
The truth is that the Law calls us on the carpet, and it is not a red carpet. No honor here. The Law shines with blazing brilliance to reveal our darkness. The Law points toward Godly living, but the Law can only do that. It tells us how far we are from God but cannot save us. The Law shows us our desperate need and is only bet by the glorious Gospel of grace.

Lord, I thank You for Your law which defines my need. I also thank You for Your Gospel which defines the answer. In Jesus' name. Amen.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2023
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2023 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.