For what the law was not able to do because it was feeble through the flesh, God, sending his Son in the image of the evil flesh, and as an offering for sin, gave his decision against sin in the flesh.
Rom 8:3
The Law for the Immature
Why is it that we believe in strategies that have proven wrong a long time ago? Did not Albert Einstein tell us what that is?
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
A more modern translation in German goes right to the point:
The law could not save us, because human nature resists it.
This is not only about the Mosaic law. The Mosaic law works exactly the same way as any other law, just by a higher power. It tries to regulate the life of immature people and human nature. Where people do not respect each other, law is necessary. Where people do not know the truth, law steps in as a guide and teacher. But law does not change people and does not keep them from doing wrong. Law enforcement does help, but does not prevent us from wanting or thinking about things, does it? And as a man thinks, so is he.
Get me right. I am not against the law. Exactly because people are immature, selfish, exactly because they have a human nature.
What I am saying is twofold: the law is getting out of hand. Because we leave it to the law maker, and more even to the interpreters of the law, the judicial system, to shape our living together. Imagine this:
- The ten commandments are about 100 words in Hebrew.
- The declaration of independence about 1000. In English, of course.
- The constitution about 10’000.
- And the rules to import caramel sweets into the EU about 1’000’000 words in about 18 languages. That is about 18’000’000 words.
The Law as Insanity
Judges are redefining ancient words like marriage not based on law as much as based on personal believes. But that leads me to the second part of my argument.
We believe that having a law based on Christian moral will solve the problem. Read our verse of the day and Einstein’s quote again. Can you see it?
Do I say: let the law makers do what they want? By no means. Do I say: stop fighting for righteous laws? Not at all.
What do I say then?
A Change of Nature
Let’s build the kingdom.
The law was stopped in its effectiveness by human nature. The solution? God sent his son. Only when our human nature changes, the law will be effective. And human nature only changes by dying. When we accept Christ, we are a new creation. We are not subject to our old nature any longer, sin does not rule our life any more. If we only knew that and took it to heart!
In the new nature, the law is written on our heart. Internalised. It has become our desire, our standard to live by. We have changed, yet not matured. We have not recognised and do not believe the change, because externally, not much has changed. After a possible first period of euphoria, the problems and circumstances seem to be the exact same as before.
That is because we focus outward instead of inward. Thus, at first, the law still is the means to behave after. But now, it is not held back by our nature any more, or let’s say, less and less. It has become the teacher it is supposed to be. And it turns our focus inside as much as we allow it to.
If we camp in the law without accepting that everything has changed, we still resist it.
Fighting for Christian values and seeking redemption and change in laws based on them solely, means to hinder the kingdom from coming. Focusing on our personal change, so we might impress people by being different so much that they want what we have, that will bring the kingdom.
Jesus did not bring a new law—he came to fulfil and bring to fulness the existing one.
Jesus did not instantiate a new codex—he opened a door for the law to penetrate our heart by laying down his life.
Jesus did not write a new body of rules—he changed the hearts of primarily 12 people.
In a democracy, laws usually follow the beliefs and moral standards of the majority. That is not so much true for a republic as the US, but still mostly the trend.
The solution?
Change as many people until you have that majority. Then the laws will hopefully again start to represent Christian morals again.
But then, that will not be it. It will be such that the law from then on will help mostly those that follow Christ to mature, and open the eyes of some others to what truly is right and wrong. But right and wrong still is from the wrong tree.
The Solution
The true solution then is to keep doing what you are doing: growing deeper into Christ, internalising more and more his nature, believing more and more that you already are a son of God. And teaching others on the way.
So stop mourning the state of the nation—independent of which nation you are in. Change it. Change it by changing. Changing yourself.
You know how.
Pray, read the word, speak and be around people that do the same. Be hungry and thirsty for God. Allow people that are further on the way to help you.
It is not so much about what you are doing—that won’t save you. It is about what you believe, and that will shape your doing.
Did you know that if your brain thinks that there is no solution, it will not search for one? Let’s change our thinking by changing our believes.
What do you believe?