Is God's law dreadful or delightful?

Church family: What do you think when you hear the phrase, “The Law of God”? Does dread and condemnation flood your heart and mind or does happiness, joy and peace consume you? Do you know what God’s purpose is for His law in your life? Do you know how to live under the gospel of God’s grace while also pursuing a life of holiness in obedience to His laws? Can you say as Paul says in Romans 7:23, “For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being”?

Delighting in the law of God is to understand the difference in its purpose before you were a child of God and its purpose after you died to the law, released from its bondage through Christ (Rom. 7:6). Before christ redeemed us, the Holy Spirit used God's law to awaken us as sinners to our sin and absolute impossibility to ever obtaining holiness and salvation by our own performance. The law was used by God to reveal to us His wrath against us for our countless transgressions of His law. God used His law in us to drive us, as lost sinners, to Jesus Christ, the only Savior for those who hated God’s law.

But now, today, as one redeemed from the condemnation, wrath and death of the law, it is now our joyful rule of life. We look at God’s law and know that we cannot obtain righteousness through our obedience to it. So, we fully embrace the command of God and obedience to it as a heavenly privilege. The purpose of the law has changed when we die to it in Jesus Christ.

Today, in Christ, the law is to remind us how far we are from perfect holiness which then produces within us more humility and repentance, not condemnation (Rom. 8:1-2).

Today, in Christ, the law causes us to abandon any confidence we have in our own wisdom, righteousness and strength leading us to submit to God's wisdom righteousness and strength (Psalm 19:7-11).

Today, in Christ, the law grounds our trust in Jesus Christ alone for our salvation as we constantly discover our own sinfulness is compounded daily (Rom.7:7-9).

Today, in Christ, the law produces within us a desire to continually push forward in a life of holiness as we long for heaven when all things will be made perfect (2 Cor. 5:2-4; Phil 1:23).

Today, in Christ, we love God by keeping His commandments without any drudgery or burden (1 John 5:2-3), knowing that conformity to the law brings sanctification.

Today, in Christ, we delight in the law of God knowing that we will be blessed (Psalm 112:1).

If the law of God is dreadful, run to Christ and He will make it delightful (Rom. 8:3-4).

See you Sunday, delighting in God's law, Steve