New Testament Christians Need the Law

I like to read Keith Darrel's Blogsite.  He's a good writer and John Armstrong, who knows him, says he respects him a great deal.  I hope to meet him someday.  On his website profile he says something that is jarring but absolutely true:  I came into the world a still born - dead in my sins and transgressions, a rebel against the one who created and loved me.

 

I could cite chapter and verse on this.  To a non believer it won't matter and to those who know the Bible you already know the references so I'll just go ahead without citing.  If you really want to know where I got that, just ask.  gredlin@cfaith.com

 

Most adults today grew up in a too permissive society.  An indulgent society.  A forgiving society.  On the surface this seems like  good thing.  I mean people like to be allowed to become whatever they can become. Right.  Let's see.

 

My first boss was a hard one.  Tough.  Mean. Demanding.  Overbearing.  So was my father.  He could kick me across the room. And did.

 

Both men in one way or another are reasons that I am so thankful for the salvation I have today.  I know what it's like to fear.  That is a positive.

 

I can't prove what I am about to say exactly but observationally.   I think we have raise a generation of people, now adults who think they are OK.  In fact A-OK.  They have stuff and somehow think it's the blessing of God to have stuff.  They have never suffered anything.  They don't know the meaning of the word NO.  Life has been easy and they think it's supposed to be that way.

 

To them everything is and has always been, "you're the best, no one is better than you are, you can do no wrong, you are perfect".  Self esteem stuff pumped into them from a child.

 

On the surface it seems like that might be a good thing.  It's not.  This false illusion of human goodness sends a damning message. 

 

An employee who is always given awards for excellence even when they aren't excellent, commendations, decent reviews,  when the day comes for reckoning they are shocked.  If they had been corrected and directed all along they would have conformed their behavior and performance to a level suitable for the job they are about to be fired from.  I can't tell you the large number of people who have told me this story over and over again.  The boss thought it was merciful of him to give them good feedback even when they didn't deserve it.  What they really needed was a kick in the butt.

 

In the old testament there were lots of laws.  There were the 10 commandments, the levitical laws and sundry Jewish laws implemented as time went by.  Jews did guilt pretty well.  The problem is forgiveness was a system.  So, on the day of atonement you could sin like hell for another year.  We have that in the modern church.  Structured forgiveness which allows for sin without consequence.  It happens in old line denominational churches more than evangelical.  The classical application is Catholicism, Confess, say a half dozen hail Mary's and you're good to go.  Lutherans do it in communion.  Sin like hell, cop a pop and a wafer and your good to go.  Evangelicals do it at the altar.  Come up, confess, weep, then go and start all over.  We have a quick fix.  It's time to put the law back on the wall.  GOOD: Love God, Keep Sabbath, No Idols, Honor Parents, BAD Killing, Stealing, Lying, Coveting, Adultery, and taking the Name of The Lord in Vain. 

 

Jesus came.  He fulfilled all of the law and set it aside because of the power of the cross and his resurrection.  Now we have Christians who live, party, marry, divorce, steal and claim to serve God like there was no Hell and the law was neutralized.  It wasn't.  It was fulfilled in Jesus. 

 

The bad news for them is, Hell is Real.  If they continue on this path they will end up there.

 

I blame lots of things.  The ban on spanking.  I didn't need to wonder if I was a sinner as a child.  I knew.  I was spanked and disciplined pretty hard.  Today, we don't allow our kids to know that disobedience is sin.  It is but we couch it.  Spanking is hardly done anymore.

 

I learned early on that disobeying my parents meant I was headed for hell.  I thought the 4th commandment meant that if I disobeyed I'd be killed by God.

 

Is that good.  I'm not sure it isn't.  The Bible says that the law is a way for us to understand the depth of our sin.  It's a mirror for us to see ourselves as we really are. 

 

Some time ago I asked God for a glimpse of Heaven.  What I got was a glimpse of ME thru heaven's eyes with and without the Blood of Jesus.  It was ugly beyond belief.  Yet his love and receiving of me as a vile sinner was without condemnation.  He washes me clean.  My depth of sin and his complete love in receiving me is such a distance so as to cause me to bow and cry Holy.

 

We must allow the law to convict people of sin.  We must start letting people know that if they are living together it's sin, if they are selling drugs it's sin, if they are beating people up, it's sin, if they are stealing it's a sin and if they cause a little one to stumble it's real sin.

 

Jesus did not come to abolish the law, he came to fulfill it's requirements but if we continue to sin in blatant rebellion to the laws of God we are heading for hell even if we name the name of Jesus. 

 

We must warn people of the mouth of hell drools waiting for them hoping they get stupid and sloppy about who Jesus is.  Our culture doesn't like that warning.  It likes soft words.  Let me ask you.  Have soft words won America to Jesus?  Have they even kept pace with the devil's culture?

 

What about other countries and continents?  Do they have any doubt about the requirements of the law?  Is it any wonder why the whole globe is coming to Jesus and we're not in America?  We never learned or believed how lost and stillborn we were spiritually.  Who's fault was that?

 

Mine.  Yours.  It's not too late.