The Christian understands that the chief end of every human life is discovered in knowing God and living for His glory. This is that full and abundant life – eternal life – which Jesus accomplished and, by His Word and Spirit, bestows freely on all who believe in Him (Jn. 14.6; 17.3).

Believers are called to live as Jesus did – learning, doing, and teaching the Law of God, and all the Word of God, as the definition and outworking of their citizenship in the Kingdom of God (1 Jn. 2.1-6; Matt. 5.17-19). Christians are citizens of a new realm, the Kingdom of God’s own dear Son (Col. 1.13). They are indwelled by a new Spirit, the Spirit of the living God (Jn. 14.15-17). They understand and approach the world, not with the mindset of the times, but with the mind of Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 2.16). As Christians walk in the Spirit, Who gave and teaches the Law (Ezek. 36.26, 27), they discover new depths of love for God and neighbor which the Law defines and the Spirit empowers (Matt.22.34-40; Gal. 5.22). They are led through obedience to new ways of showing mercy and compassion and of achieving justice within their own communities.

This is why it is so important that, before Christians think to bring the Law of God into the public square, they must be familiar with and practiced in that Law – the spirit, not just the letter of it – as the embodiment of all their hope. Unless we can point to the benefits that come from obedience to God’s Law within our own communities, we will be hard pressed to persuade our unbelieving neighbors that such can be true for them as well.

The believer’s hope in so living is that by his good works, works outlined in the Law of God (Eph. 2.10; Rom. 7.12), he might bring glory to God (Matt. 5.13-16). In everything Christians do the glory of God must be our pre-eminent concern (1 Cor. 10.31). God is working to make His glory known throughout the world, so that men might be drawn to His beauty, goodness, and truth, and find in Him the way of full and abundant life (Hab. 2.14; Mic. 4.1-5; Jn. 14.6). The Christian lives in and unto this hope (Rom. 5.1, 2; 2 Cor. 3.12-18), and living this way makes a significant difference in our lives, a difference people can see (1 Pet. 3.15). When our neighbors, seeing our hope, approach us to ask about the wisdom, understanding, and hope they observe in us, then we must glorify God by explaining what He has done for us through the work of His Son, our Lord and King Jesus Christ.

God is thus glorified as His Kingdom and peace are proclaimed, as new believers are added to the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, and when His people obey Him. But He is also glorified when, by His Law, even those who do not share our faith in Christ live in conformity to His wisdom, understanding, goodness, and justice (cf. Ps. 81.15).

T. M. Moore

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