REFERENCE SCRIPTURE: “…There is no law against these things!” Galatians 5:23.
FOUNDATION: From an academic point of view, law is the body of rules, orders, commands, guidelines, directives, prescriptions and regulations that control the activities of human beings, corporate entities and the society in general. The primary aim of law is to promote peace and order in society. In other words, the reason for having law is to ensure that everything concerning man and society is done in a prescribed manner. In the absence of law, people will become law to themselves and the weak. It means that everybody will do things in his or her own way. In such situations, life will be that of winner-take-it-all. The rich people will force their preferences on the poor. A society having laws that the rich do not obey is as good as not having laws. Such societies will experience inequality among the citizens, insecurity, chaos and stunted growth in all sectors.
On the other hand, God’s reason for law is predicated on the fact that humans lack the capacity to live independently of divine guidance. In John 5:19, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does.” (NLT). In Jeremiah 29:11, God declared, “For I know the plans I have for you,… plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (NIV). Even so, believers have been experiencing harm and failure. The case of Adam and Eve is a classical example. In order to make Adam and Eve prosper and suffer no harm, God made a law to help guide and protect them. According to Genesis 2:16-17, “And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”
Law has two sides: positive and negative. The positive aspect exempts those who obey it from punishment. Nevertheless, the negative side of law involves punishment of those who disobey it. This is why Adam and Eve died (spiritually) as is prescribed in Genesis 2:17: “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” When a person is dead spiritually, he ceases to be in God’s presence. Believer should cherish being in the presence of God. Psalms 16:11 says, “…In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” According to 2 Corinthians 3:17, “Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” You cannot be in the presence of God and be judged in accordance with any law.
LESSONS
Living Above the Consequences of Law: Do not forget that the Bible is not just holy, but also a Book of Principles. The principles contained in the Bible are to guide believers through the paths of their destinies as is echoed in Psalms 16:11. Rejection or disobedience of divine principles can be fatal, as it exposes one to the wiles of the devil just as was in the case of Adam and Eve in Genesis 3:6-8: “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. 7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. 8 And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.”
CONCLUSION: The coming of Jesus did not cancel the law and the divine commands through the prophets of old. In Matthew 5:17, Jesus said, “Don’t suppose that I came to do away with the Law and the Prophets. I did not come to do away with them, but to give them their full meaning.” (CEV). There are values that will make a believer live above the consequences of law. They are called Fruit of the Spirit. Galatians 5:22-23 says, “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!” (NLT).