Laying Down the Law

By David Dowell

Surely, everyone has heard someone talk about laying down the law. Have you ever laid down the law? Not in the sense of firmly telling someone what to do or not do, but have you decided not to live and function under the weight of God's law? Let's briefly examine the law to understand its importance.

When we speak of the law, we are talking about the law God gave to mankind. He issued it long ago to the nation Israel, His chosen people. It is clear from the words of Jesus that God "dispensed" the law through His prophet, Moses." For the law was given by Moses." John 1:17a. And again in John 7.19, "Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? " Even when someone tried to keep the law, he couldn't keep every law all the time. We all know the old saying, "Nobody's perfect." With just one little "slip" the law still condemned a person. "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all" James 2:10.That's why "Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God " Rom. 3:19. No room for argument there! We realize we have faults and failures, so we have to shut up!

Man is under the penalty of death because of the law. "For the wages of sin is death " Rom. 6:23a.Adam brought sin into the world, and sin brought death. "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law " Rom. 5:12-13. "The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law" 1 Cor 15:56. If all we had was the law, man would be justly cursed by God and judged unworthy of eternal life. Most people don't want to believe that and deceive themselves into thinking that either God doesn't exist or that they have no accountability to Him. They completely ignore His law and scorn any reproof from the Bible. Much of the society in which we live today now opposes moral absolutes.

What does God have to say about His law? It is "holy" (Rom. 7:12), it is "spiritual" (Rom. 7:14), it is "good" (Rom. 7:16). He gave it, not to save man, but to show him what sin is." Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin " Rom. 3:20.Paul says in Rom. 7:7. "...I had not known sin, but by the law:" What is sin? The Bible answers plainly in 1 John 3:4, "Whosoever commitieth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. "...for whatsoever is not of faith is sin " Rom. 14:23.

Jesus Himself was "made under the law " He said, "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill" Matt. 5:17. And yet, though He committed no sin, He received its wages. He died for our sins (I Cor. 15:3)."For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him " 2 Cor 5:21.

Does the law have any part in our justification? In no way! "Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law " Rom. 3:28.What is its purpose today? "But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster" Gal 3:24-25. Since we believed, we don't need the law anymore! "Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; Rom.4:4a. Now we have Christ, who finished it for us! "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth " Rom. 10:4.

What blessedness is ours! What joy! What peace! There is a new governing factor in the way in which God is operating today The scripture makes it very clear." For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid" Rom. 6:14-15.

This is David Dowell laying down the law, and saying, "Think about it!"