“The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.” Genesis 49.10

In this world God has established governments to serve people for good (Rom. 13.4). But governments need wisdom and understanding to know what is good. The Law of God is good (Rom. 7.12), and the people of God are called to demonstrate wisdom and understanding by obeying God’s Law, and to teach God’s goodness and wisdom in such a way as that others might gain as much of the benefit of God’s favor as is possible – up to and including salvation in Jesus Christ.

 All this is just another way of saying that the Church is the focal point of God’s world-transforming agenda, the epicenter of His power for making all things new and reconciling the world unto Himself.

 The Church does not bear the political sword. It bears only the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. The Word of God, with the Law as its cornerstone, instructs us in the way of obedience and blessing, and reveals the wisdom and understanding of God which are to be found in their fullness in Jesus Christ. The grace of God flows through Jesus Christ in wave upon wave from the Church to the world through the lives of God’s people and the words by which they testify to King Jesus and His rule.

T. M. Moore

 Visit our website, www.ailbe.org, and sign up to receive our thrice-weekly devotional, Crosfigell, featuring writers from the period of the Celtic Revival and T. M.’s reflections on Scripture and the Celtic Christian tradition. Does the Law of God still apply today? Order a copy of T. M.’s book, The Ground for Christian Ethics, and study the question for yourself.