Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, thatobserve and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do.”

  - Matthew 23.1-3

Preach diligently what Christ, the holy one, commands; what you ask of others should be what you yourself do.

  - The Rule of Carthage, Irish, 7th century[1]

It seems pretty clear the unbelieving world has had its fill of Christians who raise their heads to sound off about the “big” moral issues of the day, but whose lives lack the substance of Christ’s love.

We expect the world to get in line with our morality – at least at certain especially offensive points – but, as the world sees us, we don’t live up to the everyday requirements of love and truth in our most basic relationships and roles.

Christians seem to have what Father Zossima, in The Brothers Karamazov, regarded as a kind of “dream” love, rather than a love that acts. Dream love, the good Elder observed, sees itself doing something really big and heroic, even at great risk, but only for a short duration, with everybody looking on approvingly. But, Father Zossima explained, it is in the daily acts of love, which go largely unrecognized, that we fulfill the Savior’s expectations.

We want to be heroes and roll back the evils of our society in big, public manner, while, at the same time, we fail to act in everyday love to the people we encounter in our Personal Mission Fields. Truly, we’re dreaming if we think this is what it means to fulfill the Law of love.

It’s no wonder folks advocating all kinds of “alternative” lifestyles go ballistic when they think we’re trying to tell them what to do. We would have more credibility with the wicked of this world if we were less indignantly vocal about the world’s sins and more consistently loving in all our contacts with our neighbors.

Certainly we must continue to insist on the truth of the Gospel and the moral validity of the Biblical way of life. We must preach Christ diligently, and without compromise of any sort.

But if we are to avoid the condemnation Jesus addressed to the scribes and Pharisees, who talked a good talk but didn’t live it out, we must work harder to embody the Gospel we proclaim, and not expect others to rise to heights of love we ourselves aren’t willing to scale.

Taking up the lifestyle of active love will bring us back to the Law of God at some point. Here the Lord sets forth His requirements for a life that is holy and righteous and good (Rom. 7.12). By submitting to the Law of God we can take up the lifestyle of following Jesus, walking in obedience to God’s Law as He did (1 Jn. 2.1-6), and setting ourselves on a course for Kingdom greatness (Matt. 5.17-19).

The goal of all Christian instruction must be love, as Paul insisted (1 Tim. 1.5); therefore, the content of Christian instruction must include a solid grounding in the Law of God.

The Law of God encodes the heart of loving relationships, with both God and our neighbor. More meditation in and glad obedience to the Law of God on our parts would put us in a better position to prescribe its absolute requirements to the watching world.

If we must dream about changing the world with our heroic acts of love – and we should – let’s dream real dreams, dreams that can come true every day, in simple gestures and words, aimed at showing Jesus to the people around us.

Psalm 19.7, 8, 12-14 (St. Christopher: “Beneath the Cross of Jesus”)
The Law of God is perfect, His testimony sure;
The simple man God’s wisdom learns, the soul receives its cure.
God’s Word is right, and His command is pure, and truth imparts;
He makes our eyes to understand; with joy He fills our hearts.

Who, Lord, can know His errors? O keep sin far from me!
Let evil rule not in my soul that I may blameless be.
O let my thoughts, let all my words, before Your glorious sight
Be pleasing to You, gracious Lord, acceptable and right!

Teach me, Lord, to dwell in Your Law - not unto salvation, but so that I might work out my salvation according to Your love.

In the Gates
Jesus said that love grows cold where the Law of God is neglected (Matt. 24.12). The lack of active love on the part of Christians today is directly traceable to our disaffection from the Law of God. It is a grave error to fail to regard the Law as Jesus did and to submit to it unto righteousness, as the Psalmist indicates we should (Ps. 1).

Every day our In the Gates column provides practical insight to the Law and its holy and righteous and good intent. If you’re not reading this column, you’re missing an opportunity to improve the kind of active love that can demonstrate the resurrection life of Jesus to the people in your Personal Mission Field. If you’d like to begin getting a handle on the Law in all its beauty and richness, order a copy of my compilation, The Law of God, from our online store. And if you’re still not convinced of the abiding validity and necessity of God’s Law for your life as a follower of Jesus Christ, order a copy of The Ground for Christian Ethics.

With the New Year approaching, I can think of no better way for you to begin it than with a commitment to include daily reading and meditation in God’s Law, with a view to practicing what you learn unto active love for God and your neighbors.

Blessings.
T. M. Moore, Principal
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All Psalms for singing from The Ailbe Psalter. Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.