THURSDAY
Yesterday we saw that the Bible has A LOT of moral imperatives. Again, you may be thinking, “John, this does not make the gospel irresistible. This makes me feel terrible.” For the next two days I want to talk about why this really does make the gospel irresistible.
The Bible doesn’t just reveal that we ought to follow those moral imperatives, but that we ought to also cherish them. This flies in the face of our natural predispositions and seems so counter-intuitive. Naturally, we view these rules, at best, as necessary obligations to keep peace in society and, at worst, despotic rules to control us. Underneath them both is a sense that they are just unnecessary restrictions on our freedoms.
Viewing the moral law in any negative sense is simply immature thinking. This is how toddlers think when pushing boundaries and how young adults and adolescents think, in exploring the consequences of the exercise of their newfound freedom. The biblical picture is much more robust and calls us to love and cherish the law of God. The moral law is God’s revelation of how humans ought to live in order to live in harmony with the laws of the universe. Let’s take a quick example that we’ve all experienced. Scripture tells us to forgive (Matt. 6:14) instead of sitting in bitterness, resentment and anger, or perhaps even taking action to harm the other person in vengeance masquerading as the pursuit of justice. Who hasn’t felt the sting of nursing a grudge or pursuing vengeance? You, for sure, did this as a kid. Through experience we know it to be true that anger, bitterness, and resentment are bad for us. Psychologists will tell us this as well. Forgiveness is good for us because it aligns with the character of God and the way he has created the universe. When we forgive we are acting in harmony with the cosmic order.
This being the case, we should rejoice at the moral law. We should love the law of God and cherish it. Psalm 119 is all about how we ought to love the law of God.
Psalm 119:20 20 My soul is consumed with longing for your laws at all times. Psalm 119:24 24 Your statutes are my delight; they are my counselors.
The Apostle Paul writes:
Romans 7:22 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; (we will read the next verse tomorrow)
Jesus even links love and obedience to his commands.
John 14:15 15 “If you love me, keep my commands.
John 14:23–24 23 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
Jesus makes it clear—our love for him will result in obedience to his teaching. As we grow in love for Jesus our trust in him deepens. As we obey his laws we learn more and more that his way truly is the way to abundant life—not an easy life pursuing selfish luxury and avoidance of pain but good life, full life.
Additional Content
Read more of Psalm 119 and see how the psalmist loves the Law of God. Remember, this is the Law of Moses we are talking about here—613 rather restrictive commandments. Make the psalmist’s prayer your prayer.
Reflection
Thank God for the moral law and that he has revealed it to us. Cherish it. Love it. Rejoice in it.