Why would we willingly sign-up for The 1st problem that we can run into with God’s Laws is viewing them as ‘chains.’ “Didn’t we leave Egypt? Why would we willingly sign-up for more tasks from another Taskmaster?” If this is our mindset… God’s Laws will lose their life-giving purpose for our lives.

Exodus 20-23 God gives Moses and the Israelites a wide variety of law, seeking to restore “shalom” in a loving and trusting relationship with God and each other.

for You have set my heart free.” Psalm 119:32 “I run in the path of Your commands for You have set my heart free.”

God’s “Radical Rules” for Life Just social relations between people Rights for women, slaves, & strangers Protection for widow orphan, & “alien” Respect & stewardship over the land Healthy boundaries for sexuality

Our view can be much smaller, however. The Law was a call up into a nobler life of community for the human race… to live together in trust and love, just as the Trinity live together as One in Spirit and in purpose. Our view can be much smaller, however.

His role as it relates to the Law and His views on “righteousness.” Matthew 5: 17-20 Jesus clarifies His role as it relates to the Law and His views on “righteousness.”

The 2nd problem that we can run into with God’s Laws is that we can become so strict with them that we can sadly miss the main “points” of each of them (loving our neighbor, honesty, honoring parents, loving God, generosity, etc.).

“[Speaking of the Pharisees] Their obedience was disobedient. Their faith had become an externalized ritual… They’d taken the good law of Sinai and twisted it into a code that excluded, indicted, and judged others.” - Chuck DeGroat, “Leaving Egypt”

Matthew 23: 23-24 23 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the Law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. 24 You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.”

“If we mistake obedience to the Law for wholeness and righteousness, we get outward conformity instead of the wholehearted love that motivates true obedience… The Law, by itself, was never meant to be the answer to our needs.” - Chuck DeGroat, “Leaving Egypt”

by regulating human behavior. The enforcing of good moral laws Law is powerless to change human nature. It can only protect life and property by regulating human behavior. The enforcing of good moral laws doesn’t guarantee a perfect society, but it does promote order and prevent anarchy. The Law was imperfect.

Romans 8: 3-4 3  “For what the Law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the Law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”