Monday: The Law Is Holy and Righteous and Good
Daily Lesson for Monday 24th of March 2025
Love is the foundation of God’s law. When God upholds the law, He upholds love. This is why Jesus died in order to save sinners, so that He could uphold the law while also extending grace to us. Thus, He could be both just and the justifier of those who believe (Romans 3:25-26). What an expression of love! Accordingly, the law is not invalidated by the process of redemption; rather, it is further confirmed.
Read Romans 6:1-3 and then Romans 7:7-12, with particular emphasis on verse 12. What are these verses telling us about the law, even after Christ died?
Image © Phil McKay Goodsalt.com
While some believe that grace and redemption cancel the law, Paul is clear that we are not to continue in sin so that grace increases. Rather, those who are in Christ by faith have been “baptized into His death” and are therefore to count themselves as dead to sin and alive to Christ.
The law of God is not sin, but (among other things) it makes sin and our sinfulness apparent to us. That is why, yes, “the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good” (Romans 7:12, NKJV). It reveals, as nothing else does, our great need of salvation, of redemption—the salvation and redemption that come only through Christ. Accordingly, we do not “make void the law through faith” but “on the contrary, we establish the law” (Romans 3:31, NKJV).
Christ came not to do away with the law but to fulfill all that was promised in the Law and in the Prophets. Thus, He emphasizes that “ ‘until heaven and earth pass away,’ ” not even “ ‘the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law’ ” (Matthew 5:18, NASB 1995).
The law of God itself represents God’s holiness—His perfect character of love, righteousness, goodness, and truth (Leviticus 19:2; Psalms 19:7-8; Psalms 119:142,172). In this regard, it is significant that, according to Exodus 31:18, God wrote the Ten Commandments on the stone tablets Himself. Written in stone, these laws are testimony of the unchanging character of God and of His moral government, which is founded on love—a central theme of the great controversy.
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How does this link between law and love help us better understand Jesus’ words, “ ‘If you love Me, you will keep My commandments’ ” (John 14:15, NASB)? |
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I drive a car. Most of the time I enjoy driving. We go shopping, visit friends, go to church, and take bird photography trips. There are a lot of laws about driving. Most of them are common sense and some of them are an agreed convention. Keep left, don't go faster than the speed limit, give way to the right on roundabouts, and so on. I have run foul of the law about 3 times in my life. In each of them, I missed a speed sign and kept driving faster than I should have. Some people deliberately travel too fast, cut corners, and drive through red lights. We call them temporary Australians. Their driving enjoyment is centred on adrenalin. They brag about how fast they can drive. They honk at drivers when they ignore right-of-way rules. And when caught, they hire expensive lawyers to get them around the punishment.
It is not a perfect analogy, but God's law of love does not bother those of us who love Him and one another. It becomes for us common sense.
This is how Jeremiah expressed it:
This Old Testament principle was so good the author of Hebrews reiterated it:
It is a matter of Spirit-led focus:
In a delightful manner, the Book of Psalms describes the Law of God as profoundly pure, righteous, and good. In the New Living Translation version, the Psalmists say the following about God’s law.
1. "The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple." - 1. Psalm 19:7
2. "O Lord, You are righteous, and Your regulations are fair." - 2. Psalm 119:137 (NLT):
3. "How I delight in Your commands! How I love them! I honour and love Your commands. I meditate on Your decrees." - 3. Psalm 119:47-48
4. "Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path." - 4. Psalm 119:105
5. "Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and Your instructions are true." - 5. Psalm 119:142 (NLT)
6. "How sweet Your words taste to me; they are sweeter than honey." - 6. Psalm 119:103
7. "Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night." - Psalm 1:1-2
8. "Your word, O Lord, stands firm in heaven." - 8. Psalm 119:89
9. "Your promise revives me; it comforts me in all my troubles." - Psalm 119:50
10. "Blessed are those who are blameless, who follow the instructions of the Lord." - 10. Psalm 119:1
The Psalms reflect the law of God on a very positive note as the one that brings wisdom, blessings, joy, and strength. Sadly, the carnal mind sees the law of God as burdensome and hostile. “For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will” (Romans 8:7, NLT). The carnal mind struggles to obey the law of God because it is sold in sin (Romans 7:14). The carnal mind will never understand the law of God as the schoolmaster who brings us to Christ for salvation (Galatians 3:24). In very clear terms, the Bibles says, the souls that disobey the law of God without repentance will have serious spiritual and eternal consequences. However, we are encouraged to be children of obedience because the law of God is as holy as the Law Giver.
"Those who love Your instructions have great peace and do not stumble” - Psalm 119:165 (NLT):
We keep the commandments both because we love God and because His commandments are good. Our love for God motivates us to obey Him, as Jesus said, "If you love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15). Obedience is a natural response to love, as we seek to honor and please the One we love.
At the same time, God's commandments are inherently good and designed for our well-being. They reflect His character and wisdom, guiding us toward a life of righteousness, peace, and harmony with Him and others. Psalm 19:7 says, "The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul." The commandments protect us from harm, help us maintain healthy relationships, and promote justice, compassion, and integrity.
So, we keep the commandments out of love for God, but also because they are good, reflecting God's wisdom and offering a framework for living a fulfilling and righteous life.
The verse in Matthew 5:18 does not imply that the law will be abolished after heaven and earth pass away, but rather that the law will be completely fulfilled. Jesus is emphasizing the unchanging and eternal nature of God's law until all things are accomplished—referring to the completion of God's redemptive plan, including His second coming and the establishment of a new heaven and new earth.
After this fulfillment, it is not that the law will be abolished, but that its purpose will have been fully realized. God's law reflects His character and moral principles, which are eternal. In the new creation, believers will live in perfect harmony with God’s will, meaning the law will no longer serve as a set of rules to guide behavior, but rather as an expression of the righteousness that believers will naturally live out. The law will have been written on the hearts of all, as described in Jeremiah 31:33.
While the Law of God reminds us that the Universe has an order, God's grace reminds us that our nature can be restored to its originality by simply accepting it.
Although I am a fourth generation Seventh-day Adventist I was 50 some years old before I realized that the 10 Commandments were for my own good. That keeping them made me feel better, live better, love better and give me small insight into understanding the love of God.
When it comes to taking the name of the Lord in vain, which has little to do with expressions of speech. It has primarily to do with committing evil in his name, or using his name as an excuse to do evil. The Lord does not force people to keep his commandments with forms of punishment or coercion…what do you think about it?
The law of God serves as a mirror to show us our moral obligations. God is so serious about His commandments that He had to write them Himself not with an ink but using His own finger, not on a scroll or piece of paper but on a stone.
Would the "faith of Jesus" in Revelation 14:12 be a link between law and love? If I am allowing the faith of Jesus to work in my life, I will be filled with His love and naturally have a Spirit endowed desire and ability to keep His commandments.
Yes, if we follow through on faith in Jesus, my friend.
Example Solomon was faithful to God until the earth treasures helped him to lose his faith, then he came back to the Lord too, and spent the rest of his life helping young people know the Lord also. Prophets and Kings. Chapter 1 through Chapter 5. Pages 26.1 through 86.2.
Proverbs 24:28
Proverbs 24:33.
Are we slumbering in these last days when we know what the message is that we have? There is a song that says work for the night is coming. My interpretation of the song is that it is not talking about salvation it is talking about being about our Father’s business. Though it my take work to wake up from a slumber, or some may get an electrical jolt for the Holy Spirit to wake up.
Here is the link to a good sermon down this line, I listened to it in entirety. Dwight implies that most of us will see Jesus come in our life time. He has the evidence. Good listening. Hint: it goes back one chapter in Revelation. Very apropos to any Christian seeking truth.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=-wsbZfU3rNU&si=32hcVjMbvBpvCfkK
Yes God wants us to obey, yet not coerce us into obeying.
The last part of the third angels message in Revelation 14:12 is pertinent to this discussion. Those who keep the commandments of God are those who also keep the faith of Jesus. You cannot keep the commandments without the faith of Jesus, and the faith of Jesus in rooted and grounded in love. "God is love", 1 John 4:16.
The lesson writer states, “Love is the foundation of God’s Law.” I wholeheartedly agree! A few years ago, I came to understand that God’s Love, Justice, and Mercy - God's Grace - are present in every Truth and in every action He takes to secure our Salvation. Since then, I’ve approached Scripture with this foundational Truth in mind.
I believe God’s ultimate desire is for us to recognize that He is the Creator and Source of all that is Good — and everything truly Good carries the Spirit of His Love. Even when it’s not easy, God calls us to live according to His Way of Love in everything we do. Embracing this Truth and allowing it to guide my actions has become the most meaningful part of my relationship with Him.
Romans 3:31 offers a powerful insight: “Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.” This reminds us that the Spirit of the Law, now having entered the heart of the believer, is the same Spirit that was present when God first inscribed His commandments on stone tablets.
Ultimately, all that is written about God points back to the Spirit of His Love. It is not mere words we obey — it is the Spirit of His Love that we humbly acknowledge and reflect through our actions. Our sanctification is the work of the Holy Spirit, revealing and promoting God’s Way of Love in and through us. As we grow in faith, we begin to truly love the way He loves us — we love His Love - the essence of our Salvation.
As Jesus says in Matthew 24:35, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words [the Spirit of My Love contained in My Words] will never pass away.” All of God’s Truth is anchored in His Love for His creation.
Jesus said in John 10:10, “...I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” I think in this passage Jesus is talking about giving us eternal life, but the "more abundantly" part must be talking about the quality of our life now here on Earth, because in heaven the abundance will be without comparison. So what does a more abundant life now mean?
I just returned from a week's vacation in Hawaii. It felt pretty abundant in comparison to snowy Maine where I must be indoors too much, and am tied to caretaking responsibilities. I had so many delicious fresh fruits (including many I've never tried before, like tangy, creamy soursop). I was on the beach by 7 am in the warm waves, and I was outside all day. Glorious! Is this what Jesus meant? Or maybe He meant a healthy body, full of stamina and increased energy and a full ability to do things. Or maybe a more abundant life means my needs are met to a surplus so I have plenty to give away.
I'm pretty sure a "more abundant" life has to do with being more contented, above all. And Jesus is saying that this contentment and life of satisfaction is found in intimate relationship with Him. The more connected I am to Jesus the more "full of life" I am.
The linking verse here to this idea and God's commandments I find in John 14:21 where Jesus says, “He who has My commandments and keeps them, is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest (reveal) Myself to him.” Jesus reveals Himself to me...bringing me deep contentment and satisfaction...as I abide in His Word, letting His Spirit grow my love for God and apply His Word in me until it becomes a part of the daily pattern I "keep". I experience God's love more and more....and my dying candle of life flickers back with a strong flame. This is not an easy life, or not always comfortable, and may not even be an especially long life, but it will be an expanding life with a larger sphere of living and a deeper peace and joy.
So let me take this in....in pursuing an abundant life with Jesus and obedience to His will, I am in His Word constantly. “But his delight is in the law of the LORD (the Bible), and in His law he meditates day and night” (Psalm 1:2). And linked to this, I am praying "without ceasing" (1 Thess. 5:17). And as sin becomes more distasteful and my obedience grows through digesting Scripture and constant prayer, my love for others grows.... 1 John 5:2 says, “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments.” We will be aware of God acting through us for others as we walk closer to Him. All of this IS exciting and something I long for and look forward to!