THE CHRISTIAN AND THE LAW OF GOD

PSALM 1

But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night

(Psalm 1:2).

The Protestant Reformers devoted considerable attention to the relationship between God’s law and the believer. They concluded that the Christian relates to the law in three ways.

The Law as Mirror and Restraint

The first use of God’s law for the Christian is as a mirror. The law of God reflects and reveals God’s perfect character, and in doing so also reveals His standard for man. When we look in a mirror, we see ourselves, but if we look for very long, we see our blemishes and imperfections. Just so, the law shows us our sins and helps us understand ourselves better. In this way, the law drives us back to Christ for forgiveness day by day.

The second use of God’s law is to restrain unbridled evil. In general, civil law restrains the wicked from public lawlessness. For the Christian, God’s law reminds us of His displeasure at our sinful deeds, and restrains us from committing them. Have you ever started to do something bad and then stopped when you remembered that God forbids it? When that happens, you are being restrained by God’s law.

The Law as Revelation

The third use of God’s law is to reveal to us what is pleasing to God. It shows us how He wants us to live. Now, the New Testament tells us many specific things that God wants us to do, but there is a great deal more in the Old Testament. But what about those instances where the Old Testament speaks but the New Testament is silent? Are Christians to learn anything from the Old Testament on these points?

Certainly. My primary example in regard to this necromancy, the occultic attempt to speak to the dead. In the Old Testament, this was regarded as so serious that God gave Israel the death penalty for it. It is not specifically condemned in the New Testament, but obviously it is still wrong. So, although we are not under the old covenant, we are still to study the Old Testament, in the light of the New, to see what pleases God.

CORAM DEO

God’s law is good. It drives us to Christ, restrains our evil, and shows us how to live. Today ask God to begin showing you the riches of His law, that like David you can delight in it more and more.

For further study: Galatians 3:23–29; James 1

thursday

april