Misunderstanding God's law...

is the second part in this Sunday Studies from my sermon notes. The first part is here.

Most of my life, my basic understanding of God's law came down to memorizing the Ten Commandments and the Golden Rule. Promptly forgetting the Ten Commandments and ignoring the Golden Rule when it didn't suit my purposes was more practically my experience. Realizing that God's Word revealed His law for specific revelation and application in my life is part of the conviction of this study.

Here are other dangers of misunderstanding God's law:

1) There is a tendency to treat the law as only suggestions and opinions rather than realize the sober warning of the sanctions taught within the law. This is a penetrating comment for today's postmodern culture and emphasis on situational ethics and relativism. What's true for me might not be true for you and blah, blah. Juxtaposed against the truth that God is unchangeable and therefore also His Word means He didn't grant us either suggestions or opinions but solid Truth.

2) Those who misunderstand God's law do not form a right and proper understanding of Who God is and who they are before God. Each one thinks more highly of himself than he ought even to the extent of placing himself as judge and jury towards himself and others, without benefit of righteous standard.

3) There is a failure to recognize the reasons for what the law exists and the truths for whom the law is essential. This failure of recognition affects every person and so every sphere of authority, whether home, church or civil government.

4) Misunderstanding God's law results in a casual treatment of the summary of God's law, found in the Ten Commandments and its New Testament teaching by Christ.

Another list concurrent with this one is found in J. I. Packer description of the law's threefold use. First, the law serves God's people as a mirror reflecting the perfection of God in contrast to man's depravity. This revelation teaches sober truths about one's depravity and warns of sin's outworking to eternal condemnation. The very sanctions of the law reveal one's need of pardon and how to ask for the mercy of God's grace.

Secondly, the law works to restrain civil evil through its threats of judgments and exercise of punishments, thereby protecting the righteous from the unjust.

Lastly, the law guides the regenerate into good works for it tells His people what pleases their Father.

In working through these first two posts I realized that some clarifications might be helpful. When I refer to God's law, I am referring to all of God's inspired Word. There is a tendency to consider God's law as only the Ten Commandments, within a small box even. Maybe, like I did for so many years with the addendum of the Golden Rule. However, every book of the Bible is the teaching of and revealing of God's law, and His Son Jesus Christ is the perfect manifestation of the fullness of the law--His judgment (the Cross) and His mercy (forgiveness, salvation, eternal life and so much more).

I pray that you will find challenge and conviction in your thinking through God's beautiful Words of law, and so true life.