| site search by freefind |
- Home
- Free Bible Study Lessons
- Free Bible Courses
- Life Line
- Master Life Lesson Six
[If you purchase anything on this site, I may make a commission. Disclosure Policy]
Master Life
Lesson Six
What The Law Is
After the last lesson on what the law is not, is there anything left for the law to be? Yes. A thousand times - Yes. The law offers many wonderful things to help us master life when we properly understand and apply it. It plays a vital role in Christianity and the world. Without it, we cannot reach the full purposes of God in our lives, our families, our churches, and our nations. We cannot afford to ignore God's way of mastering life.
The Law Is Protection
"Unless Your law had been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction. I will never forget Your precepts, for by them You have given me life." [Ps. 119:92-93, NKJV]
What pulled David through his many problems? It was his delight in the law. If not for God's instructions on mastering life, he claims, he would have sunk under the dark waters. The law gave him something to hold onto when lawlessness seemed to overwhelm him. The precepts of the law gave him life by the design of God.
Sitemap -
Newsletter -
Statement Of Faith -
Donate
Follow us on social media for daily Scripture comments and more at MeWe, Facebook or YouTube.
"The wicked prowl on every side, when vileness is exalted among the sons of men." [Ps. 12:8, NKJV]
To look at it the other way around, when the law of God is not kept and honoured, then wickedness multiplies. It is the mark of a society in decline and headed for destruction.
In a Godly society, the law protects us from evil men by requiring them to make restitution for violating it. In any society - Godly or ungodly - the law protects us by teaching us to walk wisely - how to react in each situation. It becomes a shield against evil.
"Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding; he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly; He guards the paths of justice, and preserves the way of His saints. Then you will understand righteousness and justice, equity, and every good path." [Pr. 2:5-9, NKJV]
The wisdom of God is found in His law. It is there we see how He desires things to be. When we follow His ways or laws, He is our shield, and we will begin to understand the ways of God. As we walk on the path God requires, His protection surrounds us.
"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and your staff, they comfort me." [Ps. 23:4, NKJV]
The rod and the staff were the instruments by which the shepherd both ruled over the sheep and protected them from harm. As such, it speaks of the law of God in the hand of God. We can find comfort in times of trouble in the presence of God and in the knowledge that His Word [law] is watching over us.
The Law Is God's Standard Of Righteousness
"And what great nation is there that has such statutes and righteous judgments as are in all this law which I set before you this day?" [Deut. 4:8, NKJV]
The law is NOT my righteousness; however, it is God's standard of righteousness. What does that mean? As a Christian, I am righteous because Jesus perfectly kept the law and then died on my behalf. So when I accept Jesus as my Lord and Saviour, God sees me as in Christ as if I had perfectly kept the law.
The law shows me what God expects. It tells me how to order my life to the glory of God. As I mature in Christ, my life should progressively reflect the perfect righteousness of the law. This side of heaven, we will never completely succeed. But, as a plant grows toward the sun, we should be growing toward the ideal.
It is the unsaved - those who rejected the work of Christ on the Cross - who must keep the law for righteousness. They can never do it. It is impossible. Only in Christ can we find true righteousness, and then we can begin - through the inworking of the Holy Spirit - to put our lives and our world in order by His law.
What happens when we are in Christ and we break the law [sin]? The first thing we have done is give false witness to Christ. For we are in Him and we have done something He would not do. When we are in Christ, the law cannot condemn us for our sin because Christ has already suffered the penalty for it on our behalf. The law shows us that what we did was wrong, and we have to go to Jesus and ask His forgiveness. Does that mean I can break the law all I want to and get away with it? No, and we will explain that when we get to the lesson on grace and the law.
"You shall appoint judges and officers in all your gates, which the Lord your God gives you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with just judgment. You shall not pervert justice; you shall not show partiality, nor take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous. You shall follow what is altogether just, that you may live and inherit the land which the Lord your God is giving you." [Deut. 16:18-20, NKJV]
The law of God is to be taken and enforced as given. It reveals God's requirements on every level of life. The law is the key to how life works. Abandon the law, and we have abandoned the God of the law and life itself.
This point is the reason why the law of God is attacked so violently by non-Christians and by Christians who want to live their own way. Without a perfect standard, there can be no judgment, for all judgment must be for violation of something. People want to live in sin and escape judgment. The only way to do that is to say the law doesn't apply today. Of course, saying it or believing it doesn't make it so. This explains why the first doctrine of the church to be attacked is the doctrine of hell. Above all things, people want to believe they can enjoy their sin and still escape hell.
The Law Of God Brings Prosperity
"Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success." [Jos. 1:7-8, NKJV]
Knowledge of and obedience to the law bring success. We must realize that success is more than material possessions or position. The spirit, although unseen, is the most essential part of our being. Everything is wrapped up inside of that. If we are healthy in spirit, then health, peace, and prosperity will flow to the other parts of our existence. Material blessings may be a part of that, but compared with the other things, they really aren't that important.
Jesus saves us and keeps us, but it is His law which stops us from hurting and wounding our spirit. A spirit wounded by disobedience to the law will always affect every area of our lives.
"Therefore keep the words of this covenant, and do them, that you may prosper in all that you do." [Deut. 29:9, NKJV]
If you have any doubts about what I have said, read Deut. 28. It spells out in detail the blessings for keeping the law and the curses for breaking it. If we want to prosper in life and bring glory to God, then we must order our lives according to Biblical law.
The Law Reveals The Mind, Will, And Character Of God
The law shows us what God is like and what He wants.
"Wait a minute! Now you've gone too far! I know Jesus shows me what God is like."
Jesus does show me what God is like. But what did He do? He perfectly kept the law. The law explains the righteousness and holiness of God. Through it, we can better understand what God is like.
"And when they say to you, 'Seek those who are mediums and wizards, who whisper and mutter,' should not a people seek their God? Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living? To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." [Is. 8:19-20, NKJV]
How are we going to seek out God? We discover Him in the law and in the testimony [of God]. Do you want to know how God expects you to live in your current situation? Go to the law and the testimony. Do you want to know how God expects the family, the church, or the state to be run? Go to the law, and the testimony, and you will find the way, and in the process discover a great deal about the character of God. [Too many people - and churches - have made their own god instead of finding out about the real One!]
Notice that last statement. If they do not speak according to the law of God, then there is no light [truth] in them. That's a pretty strong statement! It is a testimony against many churches today, but it is still the Word of God. Of course, the New Testament is just as strict.
"Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, I know Him, and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked." [1 John 2:3-6, NKJV]
Knowing God is inseparable from keeping His commandments. Jesus walked in perfect obedience to every letter of the law, and we are to follow His example if we are true believers. John teaches here that you cannot have a real relationship with God while at the same time rejecting His law. [This isn't my idea; it is the plain teaching of Scripture.] Christianity is not a buffet affair. You cannot simply pick and choose what you like. Go all the way...or not at all.
The Law Leads Us To Christ
"But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for faith which would afterward be revealed. Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor." [Gal. 3:23-25, NKJV]
How are we justified [saved]? By faith. What was the purpose of the law in this case? To bring us to Christ. The law will never save us - it was never intended for that purpose. It does point out all our faults and shortcomings. In effect, it says, "Wow, do you ever need help!" If we look at the law, it becomes painfully obvious that we need a Saviour. It brings us to Christ.
Once we have come to Christ, do we still need to be told we need to go to Christ? No, we are already there. So after faith has come, we are no longer under the law in this aspect. That does not mean the law's other purposes are now void as well. The law in respect to justification [salvation] has served its function when it has pointed me to Jesus. The other purposes of the Law continue and relate to sanctification [Christian maturity].
"Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good. Has then what is good become death to me? Certainly not! But sin, that it might appear sin, was producing death in me through what is good, so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful." [Rom. 7:12-23, NKJV]
The law shows me what is sinful. That was the mercy of God. The law is an expression of God's grace! He didn't have to give us the law. He didn't have to tell us what was right and wrong. He could have left us to stumble in the dark, never knowing why things didn't work out correctly.
If God, in grace, had not told us the difference between right and wrong, we would never have been able to figure it out in our sinful natures. Take something obvious like murder. If God had not put it into our hearts [and later written it in the law], we would never have figured out that it was wrong!
I can see you laughing. You don't think God had to tell us that murder was wrong? He did. Our hearts are totally depraved; without the gracious revelation of God, we would be forever in the dark as to right and wrong. If you don't believe me, consider how many people in our culture promote and even celebrate the murder of innocent children through abortion. The law of God was written into the human heart out of the grace of God long before the Ten Commandments were written in stone.
The Law Is The Blueprint For Life
"Surely I have taught you statutes and judgments, just as the Lord my God commanded me, that you should act according to them in the land which you go to possess. Therefore be careful to observe them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes, and say, 'Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.'" [Deut. 4:5-6, NKJV]
The law gives us a blueprint for life. It is God's instructions for building successfully in this life, whether we are building our personal lives, our families, our churches, or our nations. It is all there. We just have to dig it out and apply it. God will reward us with success when we work to understand the law and hold fast to it.
But what is a blueprint? If you are an architect or the construction foreman, the blueprint tells you how to build. It outlines the basic building requirements. It, however, does not give all the details. For example, it does not tell you what colour to paint the walls. Neither does it tell us where to put the living room couch, although it does limit where we put it [i.e. we are not going to put it in a room designed to be the bathroom!].
In the same way, Biblical law provides the basic structure for building. Within that structure, there are many decisions we have to make. Remember from a previous lesson that, in negative law, whatever is not forbidden is permitted? The law reveals the basic structure of life to which we must conform, and the Holy Spirit guides us in individual choices within that structure.
All of society's problems - high crime, poverty, high taxes, inflation, famine, war, disease, etc. - are a result of failing to follow God's blueprints. How great things would be if only we kept God's law! That is not to say there would be no problems, for everything must be tested, and we are not living in a sin-free environment yet. We would, however, be able to solve the issues for the glory of God and the greatest good of the people involved.
"He [Hezekiah] trusted in the Lord God of Israel, so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any who were before him. For he held fast to the Lord; he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments, which the Lord had commanded Moses. The Lord was with him; he prospered wherever he went." [2 Kings 18:5-7, NKJV]
Despite an evil father and a corrupt society, Hezekiah chose to follow the Lord wholeheartedly by keeping the commandments given to Moses. He followed God's blueprint as he tried to rule amid overwhelming problems. God honoured him. God will also honour us if we order our entire being and everything we have in accordance with His law.
"Who gave Jacob for plunder, and Israel to the robbers? Was it not the Lord, He against whom we have sinned? For they would not walk in His ways, nor were they obedient to His law. Therefore He has poured on them the fury of His anger..." [Is. 42:24-25, NKJV]
The opposite is also true. If we do not walk according to the law of our God, we will suffer the anger of God. God desires justice in the earth, and if we refuse it, then the time will come when God says, "It is enough." There is no neutrality. We are either going for God or against Him.
"He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad." Matt. 12:30
The Law Is The Tool Of Dominion
What was God's original command to mankind? What was His purpose for us?
"Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth." [Gen. 1:28, NKJV]
This is the original commandment, and although it has been greatly complicated by sin, it has never been withdrawn. [Go ahead, try to find even one place in Scripture where God withdrew this command.] It is still God's command for the human race. The Law provides the details of how we are to subdue the earth. The law is still the Order from the Commander-in-Chief as to how He wants the Mission accomplished.
The Law Is A Revelation Of Jesus Christ
As we saw in a previous lesson, Jesus is the center and the object of the law. We must never forget that foundational fact. If we lose sight of Jesus, we will sink like Peter, no matter how great our knowledge of the law.
The law explains Jesus to us. It helps us to understand better who He is, what He has done, and what He wants us to do. If we haven't seen Christ in the law, we have missed the most basic of facts. The New Testament confirms this point.
"Phillip found Nathaniel and said to him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote - Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." [John 1:45, NKJV]
Who did the law and prophets talk about? Jesus.
"Then he said to them, "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory? And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself." [Luke 24:25-27, NKJV]
Jesus Himself confirms that He is the center of the law. After the resurrection, when He had to explain these things, He began with the law [the books of Moses].
*****
I'm sure there are other purposes of the law than the ones I have listed here. Perhaps you can think of them. For now, it is enough to know that Biblical law still has purpose for us today.
In lesson 7, we will look at Divine Lovers: Grace and the Law to see how grace and the law work together [not in opposition!].
Master Life Assignments
Note: These assignments are written from the assumption that the student has completed the Feed Yourself Course. Some of the assignments may not make sense if you have not taken that course.
1. Analyze Ps 1.
2. Memorize Is. 8:19-20.
Return to Lessons.
For more information about Glenn Davis, see our About Glenn page or visit Glenn Davis Books.
Follow us on social media for daily Scripture comments and more at MeWe, Facebook or YouTube.
Sitemap -
Newsletter -
Statement Of Faith -
Donate
Sign up for our free monthly newsletter or take one of our free Bible Study courses.
Please note: We no longer have the commenting feature [maybe again in the future]. Joshua Institute students who have questions or comments on their courses can use the contact button and mention the course name and lesson number in the email. Thank you. Glenn
Privacy - Disclosure
Copyright © 2004–