I was talking to a Navy Veteran the other day about his time
aboard an aircraft carrier. Apparently an aircraft carrier is like a small
city. There were chapels, game rooms, gyms and a library with daily bulletins
of information that was helpful. It was also enormous, measuring 250 feet
across and more than 1000 feet long. He also said that the flight deck was 65
feet above the water’s surface. He said that the biggest problem that he had
was that you could never tell where you because there were no landmarks.
Looking out from the deck you could only see miles and miles of water, and
water off of Vietnam, Formosa and the Philippines all looked alike.
Some people see the laws that God sets out for us as unfair
and burdensome, or just a way to spoil our fun. Leaving sex for marriage is not
be easy and yielding to the temptations looks like fun. Loving our neighbor as
ourselves goes against every instinct we have. Dietary laws seem harsh to us. Even the Golden Rule seems like a way
impossible task.
In reality, God’s laws are for our protection and our good. They give us landmarks for our lives, so that
we are not adrift in a spiritual ocean. God knew that keeping sex in its proper
place brings fulfillment and outside of that place it can be destructive. The
foods that were unclean are things that we now know to be harmful to eat, like
uncooked pork or bottom feeding fish or scavengers. Keeping the Golden Rule is an excellent way to
deal with other flawed and broken people.
This is what the writer of Psalms 19 says about God’s law.
7The law of the Lord is perfect,refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,
making wise the simple. 8The precepts of the Lord are right,
giving joy to the heart.The commands of the Lord are
radiant,
giving light to the eyes.9The fear of the Lord is pure,
enduring forever.The decrees of the Lord are firm,
and all of them are righteous.10They are more precious than
gold,
than much pure gold;they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the honeycomb.11By them your servant is
warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
Many other verses mirror these thoughts. I think we can all
agree with them. Our problem is that we are human and sinful. Paul describes it
this way in Romans 7.
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22 For I delight in the law of God according to the inward
man. 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my
mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 I
thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!
What is the answer then? In a word, Jesus. Jesus took the punishment for our disobedience. He has paid the price for us to be reconciled to God. Aren't you grateful that our eternal future has much more to do with His righteousness than ours? God has not only given us boundaries to help us find our way, but also an example to follow and a Savior.
