Bulletin: New program unveiled to absolutely eliminate all crime! OK, it isn't exactly new, but it will work! The first time I heard of it was about fifty years ago when a comedian proposed, “Let's just make everything legal then there wouldn't be no more crime.” Good idea? Bad idea? You say no one would be so silly as to actually try to implement this idea. Where have you been? Pardon my smart mouth, but crawl out from under your rock and walk into the twenty-first century!
This solution has and is being proposed for such things as drugs, prostitution, the age of consent, polygamy, and a host of similar “moral” codes that have been translated into law. Take something as clear-cut as human life. Less than a century ago in a civilized state, it became legal to kill a person just because of his ethnicity. Not only did it become legal, but was obligatory under certain circumstances. This line of thinking led to the extinction of millions of human beings just because of their nationality.
The “problem” actually is this: Our universe was established and continues to run based on law. Even when there is no law, there is law! There are laws of logic and common sense that have governed civilized society from the beginning of time. Granted, these “governments” may not have looked like our governments, but they were governments none the less. Paul recognized the principle of law where there is no law in the following statement: “For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.” (Galatians 2.18). The law implied here is the common sense law involving self contradiction. His discussion is one that has to do with hypocrisy, but it applies in other realms also. Laws of reason are valid laws. They do not require a legislative body to pass them to be law! They are laws where there are no laws!
Brother Dave's solution to crime won't work for a number of reasons. First and foremost, to make everything legal would break the law of reason. Secondly, God in his wisdom recognized long ago that laws are not made for the honorable, they are essential due to the dishonesty that exists in every culture. To quote Paul on the matter, “But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully, knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate...” (1 Timothy 1.8-9). Taking the converse position, law is not good when it is used illegally! Surely we can see this in our current economic crisis with millions and billions of dollars being used legally, but none the less in a way that violates the public trust. As soon as laws are passed to protect us from such abuse, men of perverted minds find ways to remain legal in their money-grubbing dealings and yet serve their own self interests. Law is good when it is used legally. This implies that law can be used illegally. There are laws that simply cannot be repealed by human actions! These laws are the laws that make the concept Paul spoke of a reality!
Traffic laws are good until I get in a hurry. Limits on bargain items are fine as long as they don't restrict me from buying all I want. Tax laws are great as long as they benefit my cause and the burdens are imposed on others. Surely you get the picture. We all have these moments and wrestle with selfish motives. Regardless of how we slice it, some things are wrong and always will be wrong – regardless of what the law says about it. Selfishness is one of those things. When I attempt to promote my own agenda to the hurt of another person, I transgress the most basic of laws; some have called it the Golden Rule. It goes something like this, “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them...” (Jesus Christ; Matthew 7.12).
Questions:
1. Are there any laws that man cannot repeal? If no, then why was Hitler wrong in his attempts to extinguish the Jews since he did it “legally”?
2. Is it possible to make oneself a transgressor (law breaker)? If so how?
3. When laws really are passed for the common good, who will be heard in complaint?
4. From whom did man obtain the authority to pass laws? If it is an assumed authority, then why aren't laws illegal (read John 19.9-12 before answering)?