I grew up with this line. I assume others did, too. This morning…the thinking went beyond law enforcement.
I’ve also heard the argument ‘man is inheritantly good.’ Have you heard this? When I was just young I heard a great children’s program which explained why this is not a true statement.
Let’s go back to the Biblical Old Testament; when were the Ten Commandments introduced? They were given to Moses, to give to the Israelites who had escaped Egypt. Does that mean that people before Moses, even Adam and Eve, were not subject to these commandments? Of course not, especially since we know that Adam and Eve were the first to sin on this earth. So the tablets of stone with the 10 Laws on them given to Moses were simply the rules of Life that were initially handed down from God to his new creations, they were breathed into them and spoken, they were repeated through generations…but then had gotten lost especially during oppression and the struggle for survival.
If you drive a car in our country, you have to have your driver’s license. And to get your driver’s license, you have to have passed a test. It doesn’t matter if you remember what you studied and were tested on…if you get stopped for being in breach of the law, even if you don’t remember it being ‘against the law,’ you are still guilty of breaking the law. So it is with the Law of God. Remember….these truths were breathed into our DNA. There are ten simple commandments for happy Godly living. People may argue when “I didn’t know that was a rule.” But they’re still guilty of breaking the rule.
And we are told that the ‘wages of sin is death.’ To sin is to break the commandments. And it isn’t just one or two of the commandments that result in death…it’s ANY of them. Ignorance of the law is no excuse. Breaking any of the commandments results in death. These are clearly spelled out….and built into our makeup. To use God’s name in irreverence is as serious as committing adultery. To dishonor your parents is as worthy of death as murder. To be convicted of lying brings the same sentence as if you were convicted of stealing. If you love anyone or anything more than God, if you choose to use the sacred hours of Sabbath for anything other than keeping them holy….. The wages of sin….
The original sin was that a created being could be equal with God. And each time one begs for acceptance of sin instead of forgiveness, it is for the same reason, that an exception should be given so they can be above the Law.
So….of course we know there is Good News as well. The Bible says that “there is none that is righteous” “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.’ (Romans 3 verses 10 and 23). But the Bible also says “but the gift of God is eternal life.” (Romans 6:23). No, the Good News isn’t the laws, the rules, the Bible to hold over other’s heads…remember, the laws are the guidelines for happy living…the Good News is that God has forgiven us. That the God of the Universe has, at great cost, paid for the choices we make every day….to tell untruths, to cheat God of time and honor, to chase after things that God has not given to us…. And this same God has promised to come back for those who have allowed His gift to cover their failures.
In the end…there will be no excuses…there will be no ignorance…
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.
