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Yesterday, I stated, “Let it be known that I don't like laws.” And I'll tell you what I think; I think that every honest person who looked inside of him or herself said, “I kinda' agree with Jim on that one. Sometimes I just don't like laws either.”

Inside all of us is the desire to do what we want to do and just let everybody else “deal with it.” At times we act on those feelings somewhat reluctantly or even secretly. At other times we readily acknowledge the need for laws and view ourselves as being equals with all other people in that respect. We not only uphold the law, but we encourage others to do the same thorough our words and deeds. Perhaps I have revealed too much about myself and there is no one else in society that feels this way, but I doubt it.

Now we will consider some quotes from the Bible and finally, our text from Romans. “O how love I thy law! It is my meditation all the day...” Then again, “I hate vain thoughts but thy law I do love.” Then finally from the psalmist, “I hate and abhor lying: but thy law do I love.” (see Psalm 119:97,113, 163). Stepping centuries forward, we hear Paul saying, “For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God——through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin..” (Romans 7.22-25; emphasis mine - jb).

Both the psalmist and the apostle loved and delighted in the law of God. It was their meditation; it was their passion. And yet I know something about David and I know something about Paul; they were good and obedient men, but they were men. They had their failings and at times they also violated God's law, the law that they loved and the one in which they meditated. When a person steps outside of God's law, it does not mean that God's law is not loved, it just means that person stepped outside of God's law!

Especially in Paul's former life, his life as Saul the persecutor, there was an epic battle going on. This battle pitted his love for God's law against the sins of the flesh that arose from ignorance mixed perhaps with a more than adequate helping of pride! His lack of knowledge and eyes blinded by the traditions of the fathers caused Saul's love for God's truth to be most unproductive; in fact it could be said, it was counter-productive! The war was a war among his members that ran contrary to the law of his mind (that which he deemed best) as well as against the Law of God. The Law of God took a backseat to what Paul's flesh told him to do. The flesh is what seems right to us; its the natural thing to do. But, the flesh is wrong because it is the flesh; it does not, by definition concern itself with the Law of God; it views things in a realm as though God does not exist.

God's Law is perfect, converting the soul. God's Law set's the captives free and mends the brokenness that afflicts them. God's Law speaks to every heart that will listen and always gives good counsel. God's Law is THE source from which all valid laws originate. God's Law is the ultimate source of civility and societal norms. If I love myself and others, I cannot help but love God's Law!

Questions:

1. From whence does the urge or desire come to cast off all laws and just let others deal with it?

2. Compare what Paul said about delighting in God's law with what the psalmist said in the 119th Psalm. What do you think about these statements? Were these men superhuman? Can you an I have this same attitude toward God's law?

3. When is pride a spiritual hazard? Does pride ever speak louder than God? When and how?

4. If I love myself and others, how is it that God will be the recipient of my love and praise?

"Word from Scotland" from Sandy Shaw

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