Dave Chanski
Our generation has witnessed great social upheaval. Part of the legacy of the 1960’s has been the abandonment of any absolute moral standards. As with most other harmful trends, what takes place in society at large also infects the professing church of Jesus Christ. Whereas for centuries devout Protestant Christians have believed that the law and commandments of God have great relevance for their lives and conduct, it is now widespread opinion among evangelical Christians that this is no longer the case. Professing Christians glibly and gladly quote texts such as Romans 6:14, “For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace,” and presume that it means that they never have to worry about any “Thou shalt not’s” again!
Such emancipated and enlightened souls despise, sneer at, or simply ignore the law which David, Christ, and Paul said they loved. David said that it is a mark of the godly man that “his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night” (Psalm 1:2). Someone might say, “But this is the attitude of an Old Testament saint!” That’s right; but it is also the attitude of the Lord Jesus Himself. If we will read our whole Bible, we will discover that David’s words in Psalm 40:8, “I delight to do Your will, O my God, And Your law is within my heart,” were not simply David’s sentiment, but that they echo what is in the Messiah’s own heart (see Hebrews 10:5-7). Paul said that he delighted in the law of God in the inward man (Romans 7:22). Whereas many today say that the law is useless, negative, and harmful, Paul said that it is “holy and just and good” (Romans 7:12).
May God transform us by the renewing of our minds according to his word so that we will reflect not the godless and anarchistic attitude of the world toward his holy law, but the attitude of our Blessed Redeemer, who said it was his very food and drink to do his Father’s will as revealed in his commandments (John 4:34; 15:9-11).
Are you a Christian who looks at God’s commands as something negative, burdensome and undesirable? Do you conclude therefore that they don’t apply to you? What is truly sad and ironic is that in some ways the world has a better theology when it comes to God’s laws and commandments than much of the professing church!
Once some years ago, the writer was driving down the freeway, and a car flew past going quite a few miles per hour in excess of the speed limit. The bumper sticker on the speeding vehicle proclaimed something to the effect that the car’s occupants were enjoying their freedom in Christ! Assuming that the car was not stolen, the driver seemed to be indicating his conviction that the commandment, “Honor your father and mother”—which means we must submit to all human authority—didn’t apply to him. Nor did such a command as, “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities” (Romans 13:1; cf. 1 Peter 2:13-14). When the world sees those who claim to follow Christ flagrantly disregarding His commands, their response is not to drool over the prospect that they might someday have such freedom for themselves. It is rather to call such people hypocrites! The world does not view the “Christian” fornicator, thief, murderer, or liar as liberated—let alone virtuous; rather, he views him as what he really is—a hypocrite. Why is this? It is because the world is discerning enough to know that someone who claims to be a disciple of Jesus Christ is obligated to follow God’s commandments (see 1 John 2:3-6).
Many professing Christians could learn something from Ted Koppel (who is no promoter of evangelical Christianity). Koppel, once lamenting our culture’s general lack of respect for authority and disdain for any moral absolutes, said, “When Moses came down from Mt. Sinai, it was not with the Ten Suggestions–it was with the Ten Commandments.” Think about it.