What is the law to me?
How do Christians see the law? Seems like a bunch of rules, making up a religion so littered with restrictions, no this no that. Well I make no claim to be an authority but lemme share what I’ve reflected on and wrote in my journal Nov 2 (booya, my first Moleskine!).
Through the law we become conscious of sin. – Romans 3:20
Okay. What does the law do? Makes us aware of sin, thus aware of our need for Jesus. But is that meaningful? What’s that mean to those who aren’t Christian who don’t care for anything Jesus? — Does it pierce the heart or touch it tenderly? There might be little “sense” or impression taken from it, seen as just more Christian jargon. Let’s back up.
What is the law? What does it represent? It represents what is good (in part), contrasting with what is bad. This is not with the preachy or judgment-laden sentiments society today dresses it with. Think of what is good. Good, pure things like love. Love between family and for one another and for a significant other. Love. And think about truth and honesty. Justice and honour. Serving and supporting the poor. Think about those things that are good. Those things you know and feel beyond a shadow of a doubt is good. This is waht I’m talking about. Good which is quintessentially good–that is, its essence is in truth, simply good, in and of itself.
God is good and he wants good for us. He also wants us to be good. The law He gave us teaches us and makes us conscious of these differences. To discern what is good and what is not. When we learn what is good: that we’d desire it. When we see we are not good and, indeed, fail: that we’d see our need for Jesus and reconciliation to God, who is good!