Do you rejoice in the law of God? Do you love God’s commandments? Maybe that seems like a strange question to you. For many Christians, the law is like a grumpy parent who wants to ruin all the children’s fun or like an executor whose sole existence is to condemn and destroy. These caricatures of the law cause believers to lose sight of the beauty of the law of God. Paul could look at the law and say, “The law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.”¹

Is this how you think about the law? You see, Paul knew that the because the law came from a holy and righteous God, the law itself must be holy and righteous. God cannot produce something that is impure or unrighteous. Everything that proceeds from the mouth of God is wonderful and pleasing. Every word, phrase, sentence, paragraph, is pleasing to the soul and manna to the hungry. The law is a part of this. Yes we know that there are a number of caveats and interpretive discussions we must have when we speak about how the law applies to our lives as New Covenant believers. However, none of that ought to undermine an individuals love for the law.

Consider the way the Psalmist speaks about God’s law in Psalm 119. He uses various words to describe the law, but he declares that they are a delight (14), that he longs for them (16), that they are his counsellors (24), that they are his hope (43), that he loves them (47), that he takes comfort in them (52), that they give him life (93), that they are sweeter than honey (103), to name but a few. He repeats these sentiments throughout the whole Psalm and says much more. Don’t you find it striking that the Psalmist can speak this way about God’s law and yet Christians today can so quickly begin to treat the law with contempt?

What about you? How do you view the law? Do you see it as an unnecessary set of words that solely exist for the purpose of getting us to Christ who save us from the law? Or do you see it as a good gift from God? Learn to love the law of the Lord. He has given us a standard in order that we might prosper and succeed. All the while we are on this side of glory, the law will be a wonderful handmaid that causes us to flourish and thrive in this life, if we will but heed it and listen to Him.

1. Romans 7:12 ↩︎