|
|
|
Last Updated: Dec 12, 2008 - 4:54:39 PM |
Only a small part of the East
Iowa Herald is on the Web.
For the best in East Iowa news and
features click here to
subscribe!
God has written his law on the hearts of all people. He has also placed it in the pages of the Bible. The first humans were created holy, and thus willingly accepted and followed God’s law. In time, however, they were tempted by the devil, and they rebelled. Thus, the law took on new functions in dealing with a mankind now engaged in sinful rebellion.
Today this law threatens, thus forcing some people to outwardly behave with civility towards others. As the sight of a highway patrol car ‘forces’ people to slow down – thus possibly saving lives - so God’s law now functions in a similar way. People often outwardly behave, not because they want to, but because they simply don’t want to get into trouble. This negative use of God’s law ‘curbs’ certain outwardly sinful acts, thus protecting society from anarchy.
God’s law also accuses people of sin. Like a mirror, it shows each person’s sinfulness. It accuses all of failing to measure up to God’s holy standards. It points the finger and shouts, “You are guilty, not just of sinful outward actions, but of inward ones as well!” In doing so it drives people to despair of their own goodness. As uncomfortable as this is, it prepares people to hear God’s good news of sins forgiven in Christ. This good news becomes exciting news to the person who takes the law’s accusations seriously. To the person troubled over his or her sin, the news that Christ has taken away and forgives all sin at the cross becomes life-giving and conscience-cleansing news.
It is only after this forgiveness in Christ touches a person’s life that God’s law once again begins to take on some type of positive role in life. The law no longer has power to accuse the person who knows his or her sins are totally and freely forgiven in Christ. With this realization, the person begins to spontaneously do the very things God desires, not out of fear, but because of Christ’s forgiveness. The Bible calls this ‘the fruit of the Spirit’ working in the life of the forgiven person.
However, here’s the rub. The Christian lives a dual existence - forgiven, yet still a sinner. Thus, the Christian needs the negative uses of God’s law throughout life. As a sinner the Christian, like all people, needs the law to ‘force’ him or her to do things for the sake of others. As a sinner, the Christian also needs the law to continually accuse, since all sinners have the tendency to make light of sin. Yet, the Christian is comforted with the reality that he or she is always forgiven by God, and that in Christ the law’s accusations are silenced. However, only in God’s new heaven and new earth will sin no longer cling to the Christian. Thus, only then will the threatening and accusatory function of God’s law no longer be needed.
In God’s heavenly kingdom the Christian will be totally renewed and sin will be no more. There, once again, the Christian will fully and freely live a life of sinless holiness in all things. Until then the Christian lives a dual existence. As a sinner, the Christian continues to live under the threatening and accusatory functions of the law. Yet, the Christian lives also under the total forgiveness of all sins through Christ. Here the law loses its threats and accusations. Here, in some way, the Christian can begin to once again see God’s law as it was in the beginning and will be once again.
Pastor Douglas Morton is pastor of St. John’s Lutheran Church, Marengo. His email is pastor@forgiveninchrist.com. For Biblical support of what he writes above, he points the reader to the first eight chapters of the New Testament book of Romans. For the “fruit of the Spirit” see Galatians 5:22-23.
© Copyright 2008 by The East Iowa Herald
Top of Page
|
|
|
|
Skies: CloudyTemperature: 28F -2CDewpoint: 19F -7CRelative Humidity: 69%Wind: CALM at m - 0kBarometric Pressure: 29.58FUpdated: 03:52:30 PM
