The law of the Lord is perfect,
refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
The precepts of the Lord are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is pure,
enduring forever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm,
and all of them are righteous. (Psalm 19:7-9)
refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
The precepts of the Lord are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is pure,
enduring forever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm,
and all of them are righteous. (Psalm 19:7-9)
We all struggle against God’s Law because we are all fallen creatures. We cannot do otherwise except by the grace of God. I understand that, but a lot of people really struggle against God’s Law. There seems to be this notion that God arbitrarily made up ten (or six-hundred thirteen) laws and sits waiting for someone to disobey one of them like someone fishing watches a bobber or the tip of the pole.
Those same folks don’t feel as much moral outrage at God for laws like gravity, motion, or thermodynamics. We may bluster a little, but generally speaking, we accept that those are the way it is and adapt our behavior to them. I am not fond of His laws dealing with the storage of unused biological fuel, but what would it do to animals that hibernate if their bodies didn’t store fat?
In America’s Blessings, Professor Rodney Stark shared the results of his research with regard to religion in the United States. He estimates that the savings to the American people as a result of even imperfect obedience to “religious laws” is at least $2.6 trillion dollars a year.
Yes, especially in the Old Testament, there are laws whose purpose seems to be little more than making “us” different from “them,” but as Jesus said, the vast majority of them render down to what Jesus described as the most important law, loving God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths, and loving our neighbor as ourselves.
Those who reject the idea of God seem to enjoy coming up with their own versions of the Ten Commandments. Check out this website: https://atheism.wikia.org/wiki/Ten_Commandment_Alternatives. Consider their laws. How many of them boil down to loving/obeying the universe, the state, or whatever it is they’ve put in place of God and loving our neighbors as ourselves. They may reject Jesus, but ultimately, they come as close as they can to agreeing. In other words, even though they reject God, they acknowledge that His laws are good. So why not just admit it?
Those same folks don’t feel as much moral outrage at God for laws like gravity, motion, or thermodynamics. We may bluster a little, but generally speaking, we accept that those are the way it is and adapt our behavior to them. I am not fond of His laws dealing with the storage of unused biological fuel, but what would it do to animals that hibernate if their bodies didn’t store fat?
In America’s Blessings, Professor Rodney Stark shared the results of his research with regard to religion in the United States. He estimates that the savings to the American people as a result of even imperfect obedience to “religious laws” is at least $2.6 trillion dollars a year.
Yes, especially in the Old Testament, there are laws whose purpose seems to be little more than making “us” different from “them,” but as Jesus said, the vast majority of them render down to what Jesus described as the most important law, loving God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths, and loving our neighbor as ourselves.
Those who reject the idea of God seem to enjoy coming up with their own versions of the Ten Commandments. Check out this website: https://atheism.wikia.org/wiki/Ten_Commandment_Alternatives. Consider their laws. How many of them boil down to loving/obeying the universe, the state, or whatever it is they’ve put in place of God and loving our neighbors as ourselves. They may reject Jesus, but ultimately, they come as close as they can to agreeing. In other words, even though they reject God, they acknowledge that His laws are good. So why not just admit it?
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