Sin’s Dark Valley
It’s hard to match new and old. This is not a qualitative statement but a practical one. New things are the products of new (and sometimes better) technology, and antiques are more valuable with the original finish. In this regard, people are the same as products, and philosophies change over time. God’s Word was written by many individuals over thousands of years but retains the unity and intent of the Divine. It is eternal and invaluable.
What is the purpose of the Old Covenant law for those living under the New Covenant reality? This much discussed and debated query is mystifying doctoral candidates today (as well as their instructors). Many of us just accept what we cannot understand as divine secrets to be revealed sometime in the future. Truthfully, that’s not a bad way to look at it. Indeed, it may even be a form of faith, but believers should at least try to understand the Scriptures.
It is not completely accurate to characterize the Old and New Covenants in the Bible as law and grace respectively. There is grace in the former and law in the latter. Still, there remains an uncomfortable alliance between the two. We know we are supposed to believe both but often have issues reconciling the issues. A great reason the Bible is the study of a lifetime is that its iridescent intricacies are not accessible in short order. They are treasures hid in a field, pearls in deep water.
Many believers fall and fail on this one point- they are not consistent in their study of the Book. It is no wonder they have such trouble making theology practical. This is not a blanket condemnation of modern-day saints but an observation of years. We will never be able to understand God’s will for our lives unless we access the Word of Life. The Bible is the breath of God. It is indispensible to the believer, and its entirety has meaning in your life and mine.
My betters taught me that the law was a child-conductor leading us to Christ. Paul said that, and I learned it for the test. Though all my living and learning since college days has been done below the level of propriety, many other tests have driven the point home. Then, I thought mainly of the things I was. Now, I tend to think of the things I am not. There were many things I thought I could do for Christ, but I could not add to Him. Instead, He added to me. It could not be otherwise.
The law allows the light of day to shine into the crevices of the life where sin dwells. The more we come to understand the law of God, the more depraved we appear to ourselves. Perhaps, you have noticed that folks who don’t know a lot about the Bible think they are better than they are, and those deep in the Word are heartbreakingly convinced of their own sinfulness. The law was given so that the depth of sin could be understood by mankind. That lesson is as needed today as in the days of Moses.
So, read the Old Testament. By it, we understand the depravity of our nature and the hopelessness of our cause. In addition, we see our inability to reach the standard of God or reform ourselves in any way. We cannot be what we should be- the requirements are too high. Looking to the New Testament for relief, we find that Jesus required more than did Moses. Having nowhere to turn, we surrender to Christ and find grace. The law accomplished its end in driving us to the Savior. In 1948, Marvin Dalton wrote, “O, hallelujah!”
Sterl
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