Every kingdom of any sort has laws to guide its people in being proper citizens. This is true as well of the Kingdom of God. His Law enables us to follow Jesus in the path He walked. The Law of God is the law of love. Today’s reading from The Kingdom Turn can be found on pages 21 and 22:
“Jesus does not share the attitude of many contemporary believers toward the Law of God. Too many Christians today avoid the Law of God, fearful either of being broken to pieces on the rocks of works salvation, or sucked into the whirlpool of Pharisaic legalism. They may know the Ten Commandments, and bluster about how wrong it is for these not to be posted in our schools and court houses. But they are not hiding the Law of God in their hearts, and the result is they are unable to practice the life of faith working by love which Jesus and the Apostles commend.
“The Kingdom turn begins by turning away from the path you walked before coming to know Jesus Christ, and beginning to walk the new path that He walks – the path of God’s Law. The Kingdom turn holds the potential for Kingdom greatness to all who enter into it, but that way can only be realized through the Law of God.
“By the Law of God we mean the Law in two senses – first, the commandments and statutes given through Moses, and interpreted as to their spirit through the Spirit of God today; and second, the Law as it is unfolded in all the rest of Scripture – the prophets, writings, gospels, epistles, and all the rest. If we’ve made the Kingdom turn, we’ll hunger to walk the Kingdom way, and this means desiring to know Jesus Christ through His Word. We will seek genuine progress in the Kingdom and will pray earnestly for it to come on earth as it is heaven.
“When the Word of God is the joy and rejoicing of our hearts, the practices of Jesus – words and works of love for God and neighbors – will be the practices that define us as people in whom all things are being made new. And those words and works of love will be defined, in the first instance, by the Law of God.”
For reflection or discussion
1. How would you describe the role of God’s Law in your life at this time?
2. Why should we expect that keeping the Law will enable us to be more consistent at loving God and our neighbors?
Meditating on God’s Law is what the Bible prescribes for all who love God and are seeking His righteousness. We don’t need to fear that the Law of God will keep us in some bonds of oppression. Indeed, the Law of God teaches us how to love. Share today’s podcast with a friend, then get together to discuss it. You can order your copy of The Kingdom Turn by going to The Ailbe Bookstore.
T. M. Moore
