The Law that Leads to Life

And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live” (Luke 10: 25-28).

On the heels of Jesus’ exhortation to stay focused on Him, a lawyer asked a challenging and revealing question. The Spirit prompts us to note that the lawyer was testing Jesus, but He does not reveal the lawyer’s motive. What is revealed is the focus of the lawyer’s heart. His eyes were not on Christ. Instead, he wanted to know how to “inherit eternal life”. He was so concerned about finding a way to heaven that he didn’t recognize Jesus was THE WAY to heaven… “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). In His reply, Jesus showed the lawyer and truth seekers in every age how God’s law is intended to reveal the deadly condition of our sinful hearts and the new life offered to us by  Christ our Savior... “Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith” (Galatians 3:23-24). Diligent disciples discover here the blessings of obedience to the law that leads to life.

God’s law commands us to love God completely. The first four commandments concern our relationship with God. He is to be the consuming love of our lives… “You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth… You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain… Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:3-8). It’s not hard to know how God wants us to express our love for Him. Jesus plainly confirmed the truth that the love of true disciples is expressed through obedience to His commandments… “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15). Evidence that we are truly born again is a growing desire to love God by searching out and obeying His commandments as revealed in His Word.

God’s law compels us to love others compassionately. The last six commandments concern our relationship with others… “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you. You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. You shall not covet… (Exodus 20:12-17). God’s law rearranges the priorities of our lives and reorders our relationships as His consuming love takes control of our hearts… “For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised” (2 Corinthians 5:14-15). Further evidence that we are truly born again is an increasing willingness to live for Christ, giving more of ourselves to loving and serving others.

God’s law convinces us to love Christ contritely. In the light of the very high and noble demands of God’s law, we are made aware of the true condition of our sinful hearts… “Through the law comes knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:20). Jesus knows that His disciples’ efforts to obey the law by loving God and others will keep us aware of our constant need of His grace… “Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 5:20-21). Today, as in every age, our faithful obedience to the commandments of God is a reminder to us and a testimony to others of the grace that leads to new life in Christ!

As we grow up into Christ and obey His great commandments we show the world around us…

The Law that Leads to Life.