Tag: law

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Rules: we need them and we don’t

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Some “through the bible” thoughts from Galatians 3.

“Why then the law?” (Galatians 3:19)

Why indeed? If we receive the Spirit of God through faith, why have the law at all? (Gal. 3:2) If we are justified by faith, just like Abraham, why bother with the law? (Gal. 3:8)

“It was added because of transgressions” (Gal. 3:19). It’s because without the law, we’d do a lot of foolish things. We’d self-destruct.

I recoil at the printed warnings, cautions, and instructions that wallpaper my world. From desiccated silica packs labeled, “Do not eat” to “warning hot surface” on my 3D printer, I wonder, “Are all these warnings necessary?” Then I remember, if there’s a rule, it’s because someone ate or touched something, opened something, or broke something.

Someone let their kid play in a big plastic tote. So we’re warned, “Not a toy.” Someone poked their finger on a pod coffee maker needle, so I’m reminded, “Caution: sharp metal.” Someone messed up a yard with an excavator, so the Benadryl label reminds me not to operate heavy machinery. Someone stuffed a towel down the toilet, so now there’s a sign forbidding that. An ugly “Don’t poop in our yard” ruins a beautiful lawn because a dog dropped a deuce.

I never responded well to the abundance of signs adorning the walls of church buildings. (If you noticed one missing, chances are I tore it down and threw the paper away.) Turn off lights, throw away your trash, clean up the kitchen, wash your hands, flush the toilet. None of those signs should would exist. But they do. Human nature means we need lots of rules just so we can live together.

However – Paul really drives home this point in Galatians – living together with God isn’t about the rules. It’s about faith in Christ.

(Sunday, January 11 update) Sure enough, this greeted me in the church bathroom this morning:

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Jeremiah’s nasty underwear sermon

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Some “through the bible” thoughts from Jeremiah 13.

Jeremiah preached with cool object lessons. In Jeremiah 13 God tells him to get a pair of your tighty-whities (a loincloth in Old Testament times), bury them under a rock in a river for a while, and then retrieve them when they were wet, dirty, moldy, rotten, stained, and smelly.

The outline of Jeremiah sermon goes like this: “You won’t listen to God’s word, you do whatever you please, and you worship idols. You are as useful as this nasty pair of my underwear!” (Jeremiah 13:10). (Hold up the boxer briefs for effect.)

It’s a vivid, concrete, offensive, clear, and memorable image. Worthy of a handshake and, “Nice message, Jerry!” How many of us picture ourselves in that way?

You prefer the “God loves me and has a wonderful plan for my life” message, don’t you? I know I do. Who wouldn’t? (Can’t I at least be a nice clean pair of underwear?)

Jeremiah was faithful, but he wasn’t a popular prophet. He cut to the chase, no matter how insulting, gloomy, and insensitive the truth was.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

It’s not just about the rules

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Dave Photoz on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from Deuteronomy 6.

So are you a rule-keeper, a rule-bender, or a rule-breaker? Maybe you don’t want to be any of those. Rule-keepers aren’t much fun, are they? Rule-breakers are nothing but trouble. Rule-benders aren’t reliable. None of those categories sounds very good.

Great news. You aren’t defined by rules. Read what Moses said to Israel:

“Hear, Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. And you shall repeat them diligently to your sons and speak of them when you sit in your house, when you walk on the road, when you lie down, and when you get up. You shall also tie them as a sign to your hand, and they shall be as frontlets on your forehead. You shall also write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates” (Deuteronomy 6:4-9).

It’s all about who God is and who they are. God’s word, filled with commands, statues, instructions, and rules was meant to be more than a list of things to do. Instead, God’s people were to infuse their desires (heart), speech (repeat them), actions (your hand), thoughts (forehead), and home life (doorposts and gates) with these words so they could live.

Take a board game or a card game for example. There is much more to the game than reading, understanding, and following the rules. There’s the game itself. There is luck (the roll of the dice or the hand dealt to you). There is strategy. And there are other people who bring laughter, cries of despair, promises of revenge, and shouts of victory.

You don’t play a game so you can follow rules. The rules enable us to enjoy the game. In the same way, we’re not here just for the rules. God’s word gives us life and shows us how to get the most out of it.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

A better life together

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Bekir Donmez on pexels.com

A “through the bible” devotion from Leviticus 5.

I don’t believe it. Someone backed into my car a second time in the gym parking lot. Now I had matching dents in the front bumper. Of course there are no other cars around. No clue who did it. (Relax. This happened a long time ago.)

Every once in a while, the person who dinged your car lot will leave a note on the windshield with a phone number you can call and work out payment for repair. Most of the time, though, you’ll never find out who dimpled the bumper, scraped the paint, or broke the tail light.

After a chapter all about unintentional sin, the laws in Leviticus move on to “guilt offerings.” You did it. You’re guilty. Admit it, seek forgiveness, and make it right.

It seems like a random collection of offenses:

  • You saw something but said nothing (Leviticus 5:1)
  • Touching something unclean (5:2-3)
  • Promises you never intended to keep (remember those New Years resolutions?) (5:4)
  • Extortion, lying, deception (Leviticus 6:1-3)

These don’t seem like horrible sins. It could be a lot worse. But they affect the community. If we don’t trust each other life together is hard.

We can make life together better. Anything on the list sounds like you? Don’t brush it off. Deal with it.