Is God's Law FAIR?
Did you ever take a test at school or for your employer? What was the point? Why did you study and practice for it? How did “you do”?
Say you’re taking a driving test to obtain your Driver’s License. They ask you a question that “everybody knows”:
What should you do at a RED LIGHT?
-It seems like they are testing your knowledge, doesn’t it?
-Maybe they’re testing the honesty of your answers?
-Are they testing to see if you agree with “everybody else”?
-Are they testing to reveal how smart you are?
None of the above! J
Of course you are expected to be knowledgeable, honest and so forth. But…
The purpose of the test is to try to predict how “good” a driver you already are. It’s an attempt to measure the decisions that you haven’t made yet, to answer the questions you haven’t yet had to answer, to determine the likelihood that you will or will not be the cause of collisions that cause innocent people to suffer agony and death.
The purpose of a Math test is to choose a person that can solve problems no one has ever solved before! Really? Sure! If you have a business, of course you want a financial officer that can “do Math”… But MORE THAN THAT, you want someone that will solve problems you haven’t had yet. And if you choose the RIGHT person, you may avoid having ANY problems at all!!
The problem with tests is that most tests fail to “measure” what they are testing for. Instead of identifying WHO should have a certain responsibility or position, they usually measure who is a good “test taker”, or the employer just hires who they FEEL will be a good fit, or simply someone they like…
What is the purpose of God’s Law?
Why are we going to be judged (tested)?
Why are we going to be judged ETERNALLY?
Why are the costs/rewards of God’s judgment so EXTREME??
To answer, we must understand:
Who is the law written for? Who is it supposed to identify?
When we look at the “Old Testament” Law, we notice a few things right away…
-None of US can pass the test! Every single one of us has broken that law and, apparently, we will again!
Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
(Note: 1 John 3:4 tells us: “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.”)
-Even those that are good Christians fail the test…
Isn’t it possible that the Old Testament Law is the wrong test for you? Or to put it another way: You ARE NOT who the Law is looking for!
Imagine training for years to become a computer software engineer and at last you go in for your final exam…
-Through some sort of error, you are asked to rebuild the engine of a large aircraft.
Yikes!! It wouldn’t be FAIR! All that money and time for NOTHING?
Many feel that way about God’s Law. It’s just not FAIR: You keep it in SO MANY ways, but if you fail in ONE POINT, you are tossed in with the wickedest of sinners:
James 2:10
10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
If the Law of God doesn’t justify US, who does it justify? Certainly the Law is good, holy and delightful (Romans 7:12). It is trying to find SOMEONE who is even more just, more holy, more delightful, than EVEN THE LAW OF GOD!!
Who can it be??
Galatians 3:22-26 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
The purpose of the Law is to show us WHO is the CHRIST! Who is the MESSIAH! The LAW OF GOD is written to show us that there is and has been ONLY ONE messiah, and His name is JESUS!!!
Very sweet news indeed!
Let’s see how Jesus did on His exam:
2 Corinthians 5:21 For he (God) hath made him (Christ) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
1 Peter 2:21-22 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
Mark 14:55-56 And the chief priests and all the council sought for witness against Jesus to put him to death; and found none.
56 For many bare false witness against him, but their witness agreed not together.
Matthew 27:24 When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.
Of course, Jesus’ final exam was finished on the cross:
John 19:30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.
The exam was PASS or FAIL: That’s why the results are so extreme!
-The Messiah rules heaven and earth with all honor, power and authority.
-False Messiahs, of course, are thrown away into a lake of fire, judgment and disgrace.
You should be very careful not to go before God hoping to be justified by your works ACCORDING TO THE LAW. You will not only fail miserably, you will offend an angry God by pretending to be His Messiah!
How can we be ready to approach God? Is there another way?
Of course, there is! It is through the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ!
Isn’t the Gospel a STORY? Isn’t it God’s Good News? How can a story be a door into the presence of God?
-Do you get saved by listening to it?
-Do you get saved by believing it?
If so:
-How much do you have to hear?
-How much do you have to believe?
By those questions I’m trying to ask:
-Have I heard the whole story yet? Is the story that I’ve heard true (or true enough) to save me?
-Do I believe it enough? How do I know if I am doubting part of it? If I believe almost all of it, can I still get saved?
These are actually VERY serious questions! Many people hope they are Christians, but secretly worry about these things…
Actually, the Gospel IS JESUS CHRIST!
The stories you have heard that are about Jesus Christ, well, they are stories about the Gospel.
What this means is that if you have heard ten stories about Jesus and you only believe ONE of them, you can be saved!
-If you are on a ship that is sinking and TEN people tell you that there are lifeboats at the back of the ship, it doesn’t matter if you only believe one of them.
-What matters is that you get on the lifeboat before it is too late!
Jesus is your lifeboat!
Is what you’ve heard about Jesus enough to persuade you to trust your life to Him?
Do you believe that Jesus bled and died to pay for your sins?
Are you so certain that you to want to live your life WITH Him?
Then you CAN be saved!!
-Admit you have sinned and now you want be pardoned.
-Repent of living apart from God.
-Repent of choosing sin over pleasing God.
-Repent of hiding your true self from God and man.
Promise Jesus that you want to live for Him and follow Him wherever He wants to lead you!
Jesus tells us in Mark 1:15: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”
What a wonderful day this is to believe the Gospel!
And there is MORE!!
Acts 2:37-38 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Did you ever take a test at school or for your employer? What was the point? Why did you study and practice for it? How did “you do”?
Say you’re taking a driving test to obtain your Driver’s License. They ask you a question that “everybody knows”:
What should you do at a RED LIGHT?
-It seems like they are testing your knowledge, doesn’t it?
-Maybe they’re testing the honesty of your answers?
-Are they testing to see if you agree with “everybody else”?
-Are they testing to reveal how smart you are?
None of the above! J
Of course you are expected to be knowledgeable, honest and so forth. But…
The purpose of the test is to try to predict how “good” a driver you already are. It’s an attempt to measure the decisions that you haven’t made yet, to answer the questions you haven’t yet had to answer, to determine the likelihood that you will or will not be the cause of collisions that cause innocent people to suffer agony and death.
The purpose of a Math test is to choose a person that can solve problems no one has ever solved before! Really? Sure! If you have a business, of course you want a financial officer that can “do Math”… But MORE THAN THAT, you want someone that will solve problems you haven’t had yet. And if you choose the RIGHT person, you may avoid having ANY problems at all!!
The problem with tests is that most tests fail to “measure” what they are testing for. Instead of identifying WHO should have a certain responsibility or position, they usually measure who is a good “test taker”, or the employer just hires who they FEEL will be a good fit, or simply someone they like…
What is the purpose of God’s Law?
Why are we going to be judged (tested)?
Why are we going to be judged ETERNALLY?
Why are the costs/rewards of God’s judgment so EXTREME??
To answer, we must understand:
Who is the law written for? Who is it supposed to identify?
When we look at the “Old Testament” Law, we notice a few things right away…
-None of US can pass the test! Every single one of us has broken that law and, apparently, we will again!
Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
(Note: 1 John 3:4 tells us: “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.”)
-Even those that are good Christians fail the test…
Isn’t it possible that the Old Testament Law is the wrong test for you? Or to put it another way: You ARE NOT who the Law is looking for!
Imagine training for years to become a computer software engineer and at last you go in for your final exam…
-Through some sort of error, you are asked to rebuild the engine of a large aircraft.
Yikes!! It wouldn’t be FAIR! All that money and time for NOTHING?
Many feel that way about God’s Law. It’s just not FAIR: You keep it in SO MANY ways, but if you fail in ONE POINT, you are tossed in with the wickedest of sinners:
James 2:10
10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
If the Law of God doesn’t justify US, who does it justify? Certainly the Law is good, holy and delightful (Romans 7:12). It is trying to find SOMEONE who is even more just, more holy, more delightful, than EVEN THE LAW OF GOD!!
Who can it be??
Galatians 3:22-26 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
The purpose of the Law is to show us WHO is the CHRIST! Who is the MESSIAH! The LAW OF GOD is written to show us that there is and has been ONLY ONE messiah, and His name is JESUS!!!
Very sweet news indeed!
Let’s see how Jesus did on His exam:
2 Corinthians 5:21 For he (God) hath made him (Christ) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
1 Peter 2:21-22 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
Mark 14:55-56 And the chief priests and all the council sought for witness against Jesus to put him to death; and found none.
56 For many bare false witness against him, but their witness agreed not together.
Matthew 27:24 When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.
Of course, Jesus’ final exam was finished on the cross:
John 19:30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.
The exam was PASS or FAIL: That’s why the results are so extreme!
-The Messiah rules heaven and earth with all honor, power and authority.
-False Messiahs, of course, are thrown away into a lake of fire, judgment and disgrace.
You should be very careful not to go before God hoping to be justified by your works ACCORDING TO THE LAW. You will not only fail miserably, you will offend an angry God by pretending to be His Messiah!
How can we be ready to approach God? Is there another way?
Of course, there is! It is through the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ!
Isn’t the Gospel a STORY? Isn’t it God’s Good News? How can a story be a door into the presence of God?
-Do you get saved by listening to it?
-Do you get saved by believing it?
If so:
-How much do you have to hear?
-How much do you have to believe?
By those questions I’m trying to ask:
-Have I heard the whole story yet? Is the story that I’ve heard true (or true enough) to save me?
-Do I believe it enough? How do I know if I am doubting part of it? If I believe almost all of it, can I still get saved?
These are actually VERY serious questions! Many people hope they are Christians, but secretly worry about these things…
Actually, the Gospel IS JESUS CHRIST!
The stories you have heard that are about Jesus Christ, well, they are stories about the Gospel.
What this means is that if you have heard ten stories about Jesus and you only believe ONE of them, you can be saved!
-If you are on a ship that is sinking and TEN people tell you that there are lifeboats at the back of the ship, it doesn’t matter if you only believe one of them.
-What matters is that you get on the lifeboat before it is too late!
Jesus is your lifeboat!
Is what you’ve heard about Jesus enough to persuade you to trust your life to Him?
Do you believe that Jesus bled and died to pay for your sins?
Are you so certain that you to want to live your life WITH Him?
Then you CAN be saved!!
-Admit you have sinned and now you want be pardoned.
-Repent of living apart from God.
-Repent of choosing sin over pleasing God.
-Repent of hiding your true self from God and man.
Promise Jesus that you want to live for Him and follow Him wherever He wants to lead you!
Jesus tells us in Mark 1:15: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”
What a wonderful day this is to believe the Gospel!
And there is MORE!!
Acts 2:37-38 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
