Lesson 248 . God’s Law of Love

What will happen if I buy a car with a powerful engine in Russia and decide to test the maximum speed at which it can travel on the highway? And then, every time, I drive to the nearest city at a speed of 230 kilometers per hour? I think that if the traffic police notice this, I will be in serious trouble, and they will want to know my name and where such a fast driver came from. I will face heavy fines or the loss of my driver’s license.

But if the same thing happens in Germany, on a road without a speed limit, the police will not even look in my direction; I will be of no interest to them. Why is there such a contrast? It is all a matter of the law, which in one country prohibits exceeding the established speed limit, while in another country it permits people to drive at any speed when there is no restriction. The law of any country defines personal and legal relations among its citizens within that state. All who break the law are declared offenders and, once identified, are subject to administrative or criminal penalties.

The absence of law frees people from responsibility. The very existence of law indicates that a state is governed by law.

The absence of law is called anarchy, which implies the absence of executive authority in society and allows everyone to do, with impunity, whatever he considers right.

Every law characterizes the particular features of the country or society in which it has been adopted.

Sin is defined exclusively by the existence of God’s law, which regulates human behavior and calls things by their proper names. God’s law was proclaimed quite clearly by God Himself in the presence of a great multitude of people and was written twice on tablets of stone by the Hand of God as a testimony for future generations.

If, even though a law exists, there are no representatives of the highest authority who oversee compliance with its requirements, that law ceases to operate and is considered fictitious. All existing governmental and societal laws are, in one way or another, reflections of God’s law.

At the present time, the enemy of the human soul persuades representatives of earthly authorities to adopt laws that contradict God’s principles and to elevate to the status of law what God calls an abomination and sin. But human decisions do not cancel God’s requirements, and a person who desires to know the truth can very quickly understand what God says and what contradicts God’s laws.

The law of ten words, spoken by God in the form of the Ten Commandments, is an expression of God’s character and reveals to the world the Creator’s love and care for people. The first four commandments regulate a person’s relationship with God, while the remaining six establish the rules and boundaries of relationships among people.

Every commandment spoken by God is not only a rule of conduct but also contains a promise that every person who desires to live in obedience will receive power from above to do so, and that this law will be written not only on stone but also in the human heart and will become the foundation of that person’s faithfulness to God—not according to the letter, but according to the spirit. God’s law is spiritual and, when studied deeply, reveals and condemns human desires and motives that either conform to or contradict God’s will.

For example, if I do not kill anyone but possess an evil spirit or speak evil words, then, in the light of the law, I am an offender who violates the sixth commandment: “Thou shalt not kill.”

There are traditions and standards of living that have become firmly established in society but are sinful in their very essence because they contradict God’s law. Of such people Christ Himself said in Mark 7:8–9: “For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. And He said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.”

This question remains relevant today, and it can be applied personally to oneself, so that in its light one may compare one’s life with the requirements of the law.

If the law declares, “Thou shalt not commit adultery,” and Jesus says that even lustful thoughts violate God’s commands, while society permits people to live and cohabit however and with whomever they please, approves this behavior, and elevates it to the status of law, then it is worth listening to God’s will so as not to come under the curse of God’s law.

A person who violates God’s requirements and knowingly lives in sin is a representative of the dark forces of evil and is under the power of Satan, carrying out the will of this spirit. No matter who this person may consider himself to be, his will is under the power of sin, and he cannot overcome this influence by his own strength. Only God’s power, called grace, can rescue the sinner from under the curse of the law. This is why Christ came into our world: to become this curse for us and to satisfy the just requirement of the law, which declares eternal death upon anyone who has violated God’s commandment even once.

Will God’s grace save those who break the law by excusing their sin? No. Grace saves from sin, not in sin.

God’s love for me is unconditional, and the Lord does not violate His principles in His dealings with me, but He expects me to respond with love through obedience to His law—obedience that is revealed in understanding these requirements and fulfilling them in my life.

The law is holy, and the commandment is holy and good. Love is the fulfilling of the law. Those who bear the fruit of the Spirit are not under the law, for this law has been written by the Hand of God in their hearts and has become a part of their lives, while the fruit of the Spirit is the reflection, visible to the mind, of what the new heart contains.

Does the law save me? No, this power is not placed within God’s commandments. The law is a mirror that clearly shows me myself when I look into it.

Salvation is a gift of grace; it cannot be earned by the works of the law, but a saved person is obedient to the commandments. In this obedience, Christian character is perfected, and its result will be peace with God. It speaks of love for the Lord and for our neighbors. Obedience by faith proves that Christ has the power to transform our lives and serves to advance the work of the gospel.

Along with the Ten Commandments, God also gave His people other laws and statutes that explained the order of ceremonies, sacrifices, and feasts which pointed to the coming Messiah. Judicial and sanitary laws were also given, protecting the people of Israel from corruption and disease. All these rules are sometimes referred to by the single general word “law.” Therefore, when studying the Bible or seeking to understand the essence of the law, one should understand which law is being discussed, which statutes were fulfilled in Christ, and which should be observed in life. The Ten Commandments remain the unchangeable law of life for every person. To take something from them and abolish it by explaining that Christ abolished the Old Testament and gave us a new one is not a very wise decision. Jesus came not to destroy the law, but to fulfil it, in order to give us the power and the example of how we should act. The Bible does not teach that Jesus abolished even one of the commandments; otherwise, He would not have needed to die for our sins. It would have been enough to change the requirements of the law, and then all transgressors would have become righteous, while Satan would have become an enterprising inventor.

And what would follow? Chaos.

Homework 248

1. In the light of our lesson, please read Exodus 20:1–17; Deuteronomy 28:1–14; Psalm 19:7–14; 40:7–8; Matthew 5:17–20; 22:36–40; John 14:15; 15:7–10; Romans 8:3–4; 13:10; Ephesians 2:8–10; Hebrews 8:8–10; 1 John 2:3; 5:3; and Revelation 12:17; 14:12.

2. Did you learn anything new from this lesson?

3. In what way is God’s love reflected in His law?

4. How do you understand Romans 13:10: “Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law”?

5. Is a person saved by the works of the law?

6. What is the purpose of God’s law?

7. Why does the Lord desire to write His law in my heart? Hebrews 10:16–17.

8. Can a person be judged according to a law that has been abolished?

9. Are there any statements from God in the Bible that abolish even one of His Ten Commandments?

10. Why can the law not cleanse my sins but only point them out?

11. Romans 7:12 says: “Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.” How do you understand this verse in the light of our lesson?