LAW BREAKERS

Can I pray for you in any way? 

Send any prayer requests to Gods4all@aol.com

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

“If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right.”

“For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. For He who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.”

James 2:8, 10-11

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

“We live in a nation of laws.”

How many times have you heard someone make that statement?

I know I have many times, usually in times when it seems lawlessness is breaking out. Faced with disruption of order and borderline chaos breaking out, you’ll often find officials trying to remind people that there are laws in place for a reason. For the very laws that people are disregarding, as they choose to liberally act in wicked and criminal ways, were intended to prevent that very behavior from happening in the first place.

Now, in saying this, we need to understand that lawlessness is rarely widespread. Usually, we find pockets of it popping up in certain places and it is typically criticized by people watching it play out in the news or those who may live in close proximity to the lawless behavior. Most citizens are quick to call out the criminal actions of others because they believe in the cause of being law-abiding citizens.

There’s only one problem with this stance. For when we look at things objectively and with absolute honesty, everyone has been a law breaker at some time or another.

Sure, maybe you haven’t robbed a store or assaulted someone or even went as far to have killed another person but if you have ever exceeded the posted speed limit while driving, whether around your city or town, or in traveling to other places, you are a law breaker. I could go on and on citing examples by I think you get the point. In the end translation, every person who lives for a while will end up breaking a law they were expected to keep.

Now, you might say that this argument is ridiculous. Speeding is nowhere near the same as stealing or murdering someone. From a worldly, logical perspective, maybe this might be considered true. After all, the world is good at providing people a ready-made excuse to try and justify their wrongs rather than take accountability for them.

But when we shine the light of God’s word on our life’s behaviors and circumstances, a new view emerges and as we see in our latest passage from James’ epistle, no one is exempt from being among the wicked, no matter what their offense is. Look again at these words from James, chapter 2:

“If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right.”

“For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. For He who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.”  James 2:8, 10-11

Note here that there is zero margin for error when it comes to God’s expectations for complying with His word, the royal Law. It doesn’t matter if you’re obedient to every law except one, that one makes you a law breaker. In other words, 99 percent isn’t good enough in the Lord’s eyes. You either keep the law perfectly or you haven’t kept it at all.

Now on the surface, this may seem as if it’s a bad news devotion, one that is filled with condemnation and conviction. While it’s true that this message (and more so God’s word) condemns and convicts all people as law breakers, it is, at its core, a blessing.

Why do I say this?

Because it reminds us that we are all flawed. Or putting it a different way, it reminds us that we are all sinners who fall short of the grace of God (Romans 3:23).

When it comes to perfectly being righteous, we all fail and fail miserably. None of us can gain salvation through compliance with God’s law because we all have broken it, many times over. Short of having a savior, we are doomed.

And that is why Jesus was sent by God, to rescue and save law breakers like you and me.

You see, the only valid justification a law breaker has at their disposal when before God’s judgment throne is the justification found through believing in Jesus, the unblemished Lamb of God who has taken away the sins of the world. He’s taken away my sins and yours so that when place our full trust in Him for salvation, we find our condemnation before God removed forever. Indeed, Romans 8:1 confirms this truth:

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Through Jesus, law breakers find pardon and experience the purest forms of grace, mercy, forgiveness, and love. But before they can appreciate this, they have to realize and confess that they are law breakers in the first place.

Where do you stand today?

Are you a condemned man or woman, a law breaker who thinks they will just get away with a lifetime of committing sins?

Or are you thankful for how God has exposed you as a law breaker and showed you the way to His absolution through His Son who has already paid the penalty you deserved to bring you the everlasting life you could never earn on your own?

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to Gods4all@aol.com