Marsha's Musings: Proper & Improper Use of the Law

My Quiet Time:

Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted. (1 Timothy 1:8-11 ESV)

Wow.  So far in this chapter, Paul has charged certain ones that they should not teach any other doctrine, nor devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, but to be good stewards by faith of the truth.

Then we saw what the purpose of this commandment was: love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith.

Other symptoms of wondering off into other doctrine includes, idle talk, and desiring to be teachers of the law without understanding neither what they say nor the things they affirm.

So we learn in today's passage that these people do not know the proper use of the law.  The law is there for the lawless, disobedient, ungodly and sinners, etc. (read the list).  In Galatians 3:24 we learn the law is our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ. But after we come to faith in Christ, Galatians 3:25 tells us we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

Yet, we have those who self-righteously take it upon themselves to hold their fellow Christian's feet to the fire, by hammering them with the law.  A good example of this would be as follows:

A person has a terrible night of sleep on Saturday night because of circumstances outside of his control.  He knows if he gets up to go to church that morning he is just going to fall asleep in the pew and be miserable.  So he elects to stay at home and sleep in and come in to the later hour of church.  After church one of the other church members walks up to him and asks, "Where were you first service?"  The person replies, "I had a terrible night of sleep last night so I decided to get an extra hour of sleep and just come to the second hour." The other church member says, "I can see that you would rather stay home and sleep in bed then be in church on the Lord's Day then."  Of course, we know that this person is thinking of "Remember the Sabbath to keep it holy" and "Not forsaking the assembling of yourselves together as the manner of some is..."  This actually happened to someone I know.

This person seems to not have read Matthew 12:1-8 where Jesus profanes the Sabbath by picking corn with his disciples.  They were hungry.  The Pharisees got after Him and He replied, "But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath day."

My daughter has been getting scheduled at work on Sunday.  There are those who have given her grief over this because they think she is breaking the Sabbath law.  She works at a nursing home, making life more pleasant for the elderly.  Jesus says, "I will have mercy, and not sacrifice..."  Yes, she is getting paid, and jobs are hard to come by.  Scripture also says that a man shall not eat if he will not work. So while she is obeying scripture earning her way in life, she is also providing a work of mercy for these of our older generation. She may be missing church at our church, but she sees to it that she gets to either a midweek service elsewhere or attends a Bible study so that she still is able to assemble with other Christians for mutual encouragement in the faith. However, we still have those who wag the finger.

These are just two examples of how people misuse the law and often in the process of their self-righteous pronouncements of judgement on others, they inflict untold spiritual damage to those they aim it at.  This is why there are many who walk out of the church do not care to return.  This is why we have so many walking wounded in our churches.

Have I inflicted wounds on others due to self-righteous misuse of the law?  What kind of attitudes do I need to change?  Do I judge others this way in my heart but just don't say anything?  This is rather convicting.