Skip to main content

Law: Poweless, Weak



For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, (Romans 8:3a)
 

       Is there anything so clearly true in our day as that law is powerless an weakened by sinful nature? The people who are supposed to be the authorities are shown to be corrupt. The structures that are supposed to make life better either never worked at all or they are crumbling. Even if we make this purely personal, how are those new year's resolutions doing? James Madison put it well in Federalist Paper #51. "If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. " Unfortunately, even at our best, we break the law and the law really can't do anything about it. It can't make us good. Punishment doesn't actually change people for the better, though sometimes, those who are punished may change themselves for the better.

         This is the reason that passing laws until we are restricted in how many breathes we take or how many thoughts may go through our minds in a minute will not work. It doesn't matter if we agree with the laws. It goes against our fallen human nature to obey them all and it goes against the nature of law to let us pick and choose. It is also in the nature of law that  there are consequences for both keeping and breaking a law.

     The consequence of breaking the law is death. Little by little, as the broken laws pile up, a person loses his humanity, his love, his compassion...all the things that make him alive. Though he may seem very much alive to us, he is more zombie than person. We see this most clearly in people like terrorists and serial killers, but it's true of all sins. Consider the glutton, whose existence revolves around food, or the alcoholic whose focus is on getting another drink, or the sexual sinner's obsession with sexual freedoms. They cease to live. Their sin animates them. Is it any wonder they fight so fiercely to hold on to their sins? Those sins make them feel alive. The law is powerless to do that.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Calendar:
Ash Wednesday

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The List

              Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,   through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;   perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (Romans 5:1-5)           Think about it. We have been justified. At least, we could be justified if we stopped insisting that our justification be based on our merits. We have peace with God, or could have peace if we stopped throwing temper tantrums. We have gained access into grace i...
Post a Comment
Read more

Listen!

  While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” (Matthew 17:5)            Do you like roller coasters? I don't. You spend forever climbing a hill. You get to the top and have half a second, then you race down to a low point. Sometimes the racing down involves tying your insides into knots. At the bottom, you either have to be dragged up another hill or you get off the ride. Peter's life was a roller coaster from the time he met Jesus. There would be miracles, and then Jesus would teach things that didn't always make sense, and then they'd go out and perform miracles, and return to be taught. Peter was praised for giving the right answer to "Who do you say that I am?" Jesus said that said answer came from God. Peter was at the top of the hill.            ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Prayer Lists

                 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. (I Peter 2:2-3)   In connection with what I wrote yesterday about the possibility that I’m wrong, I’m feeling the need to go back to basics - craving spiritual milk because somehow, I missed something. It’s a little embarrassing, craving milk like a newborn, but the truth probably is that we are newborns many times in many ways in our lives. From God’s perspective, we may never be anything more than newborns, forever needing that milk. On the other hand, being a newborn can also be exciting because so much is new. My mind is playing pinball - ricocheting from one idea to the next and through six more before it happens to hit the third again. The main topic is prayer. I have at least seven organizing structures all somewhat influenced by the movie War Room , which I’v...
Post a Comment
Read more