Don't Be A Sorry Christian

"I will speak of Your testimonies also before kings, and will not be ashamed. ⁴⁷ And I will delight myself in Your commandments, which I love. ⁴⁸ My hands also I will lift up to Your commandments, which I love, and I will meditate on Your statutes."

Psalm 119:46-48

Our day is in dire need of unapologetic Christians, brave souls who love the word of God and live accordingly.  Standing on the firm foundation of God's everlasting truth, we need not wince and apologise when we hold forth a scriptural perspective.  People will not agree, and many will not understand.  This does not mean we have a license to be tactless or inconsiderate, but we should not be "sorry" Christians - apologising to those who cannot comprehend the truth, nor care to.  God is not like a politically incorrect family member we are a bit embarrassed of because we know he's stepping on toes.  God is God, and He has done whatever pleased Him.  And since He is righteous, just, merciful, and loving, I can know what He does is always works for the good of believers - even if I don't understand Him fully.

The Psalmist was unashamed to admit his love of God's Law and commands.  The world - much less many Christians these days - cannot understand what there is to love about the Law.  It would be a mistake for us to change specific references in the Bible of God's Law, commandments, or statutes to "God's Word."  The Jews even to this day love God's commands.  They are the everlasting words of God spoken to His people so they might know Him and do what is pleasing in His sight.  The Law is filled with the awesome revelations of God, provides His divine principles, warnings, and sure promises of blessing to those who walk in His ways.  To know God, to have His words, and to be called by God according to His purposes is a great honour and privilege.

How precious is God's Law!  The Psalmist knew it, and the Jews of Paul's day knew it as well.  Their identity as God's people was tied up in the keeping of God's Laws, offering sacrifices, and keeping the feast days.  They loved the Law so much they had a hard time letting it go.  In a similar way how people derive much of their personal identity from their career, so the Jews gained their identity from the Law.  Speaking from the perspective of a Gentile, attempts to keep the Law appears a spiked yoke of weighty lead - keeping the Law seems an arduous, painful, impossible exercise in futility.  The is no appeal for me to keep the Law, knowing the scriptures which say by the deeds of the Law no flesh shall be justified.  But though the Law cannot save me, it is still of infinite value because by the Law is the knowledge of sin.  We should love this aged Tutor who to this day faithfully leads people to faith and salvation in Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:22-26).  Just because you can't keep the Law perfectly doesn't mean it isn't useful and necessary.

I encourage you to consider well the question:  do you love God's Law?  You should.  Without the Law we could not have known sin, and without a clear revelation of sin there would be no recognition of our need or the grace of God.  To the degree I recognise my guilt, the greater God's grace and mercy appears to me.  God's Law is right and will never change.  "But wait," you may protest.  "We are not under the Law but under grace."  True.  But Jesus did not come to destroy the Law and the prophets, but to fulfill (Matthew 5:17).  The Law is good because it is of God, and it will remain good forever like the God who wrote with His finger on tablets of stone.  The Law cannot save, but when used lawfully it leads people to salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

There is no greater tool than the Law in leading sinners to the Saviour.  Romans 3:19 plainly tells us this legitimate, relevant use of God's Law:  "Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God."  As long as a man justifies himself in his sin, he cannot be justified by God because of his sin.  But when a man's mouth is stopped and he acknowledges fully his guilt before a holy God whose righteous wrath demands justice, he will consider God's offer of forgiveness and salvation through Christ.  Unless a man is convicted he will not repent, and unless he repents he cannot be forgiven and thus remains dead in sins.  Kings and servants together stand on the level ground of God's Laws and are equally justly condemned.  The whole world is guilty before God, and thankfully He has provided the Way of salvation through Christ.  The Law is a useful Tutor indeed!