Are you someone for whom the law was made?

January 20, 2017

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living
 ©

We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. We also know that law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious; for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, for adulterers and perverts, for slave traders and liars and perjurers–and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine that conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.
(1 Timothy 1:8-11 (NIV))

Everyone knows that we are supposed to obey laws, but have you ever thought about why laws exist to begin with?

It took someone stealing something to make people realize that we needed laws against stealing. It took someone driving too fast to make people realize that we needed laws on how fast we could drive. It took Cain killing Abel to make people realize that we needed laws to keep people from killing each other.

Do you see the trend?

It took someone doing something bad that made others realize that type of bad behavior had to be prevented!

How many people do you know who have to be told not to murder anyone?

How many people do you know who have to be told not to steal anything?

As we are told in 1 Timothy, laws are not made for the righteous, they are made to remind people who don’t follow God and His Word how they should behave. They are made to set boundaries on people who will not set boundaries on themselves. Do you know someone like this? I know that it is human nature to rebel, but do we have to take it so far that we steal, kill and destroy? Does that sound familiar? If you stop to think about it, laws based on God’s Word are designed to make us stop and think about not following the lies of the enemy.

Are you someone for whom the law was made?

Copyright 1998 – 2017 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Do not steal. Do not lie. Do not deceive one another.

November 30, 2012

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living
 ©

`Do not steal.
`Do not lie.
`Do not deceive one another.
(Leviticus 19:11 (NIV))

I think that it is safe to say that you can probably see each one of these events transpire before you see mid day. Perhaps, it is even safe to say that these events will happen before you see the beginning of your work day.

Isn’t it a shame that our society has stooped to such a state that these basic principles of life and Godly righteousness have become the exception instead of the rule. We have become a society so focused on “self” that we forget each other in our selfish struggles to attain what we desire. There is a saying that “He would sell his own mother if he could make a dime.” This saying used to be said of someone who was ruthless and conniving in a time when this was unusual. Now, it seems to have become the norm.

Perhaps we, as the Body of Christ, should take a serious look at ourselves! We are to be held accountable before God as well as man. We are also to be an example – a light unto the world.

Little things that may seem trivial in the eyes of the world are still sin in the eyes of God. Stealing, lying and deceiving are all sins, no matter how big or how small the item, the lie, or the deception.

No one is perfect, yet, we are called to follow Jesus as our example. Did Jesus steal? Did Jesus lie? Did Jesus deceive another? When we measure ourselves against Jesus as the example, we are all left lacking

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
(Romans 3:23 (NIV))

I know that I am extremely thankful for grace!

Copyright 1998 – 2012 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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