Sunday, January 11, 2015
Bring It In
Continuing my study of "The Law" from Psalm 19
The third definition of "perfect" is:
The third definition of "perfect" is:
"entirely without any flaws, defects, or shortcomings"
In that context, the law of the Lord in Psalm 19 is "entirely without flaws, defects or shortcomings."
I feel like there is a little bit of a "DUH" factor here. But let's look further.
I'm taken to James 1:25-27
"But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it - not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it - they will be blessed in what they do. Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves and their religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."
Just before James says this he commands the reader to "... humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you."(James 1:21b)
In many places through scripture we read about having the word written in our hearts, and we know that through the Holy Spirit, the very heart and mind of God now live within us. He gives us his mind to understand and live out his word in our daily lives.
Together, the written Word, scripture; the Holy Spirit; and you (me/us) combine to form a sort of trinity in the application of God's Word, of his intent in our lives and in the world.
In this light we can see that without our own examination of the Word, without "looking intently into the perfect law" as James says, the law does nothing more than simply exist. It is when we pick it up, examine it, think on it, and remember to live by it that it becomes truly perfect in our lives.
Reading the written word, as it is, we can nit-pick apart the Biblical laws of old. By our contemporary standards, the Levitcal law handed down throughout the old testament is full of what we would consider today to be defects, shortcomings and flaws. There are scant few who feel that stoning to death is the appropriate punishment for a sassy-mouth child. But in our context, with our understanding, in our study of scripture we grasp the concept of that law, see it for the time that it existed and parallel it into our lives today. If never corrected (taught/disciplined) the sassy-mouth child grows up without respect for his/her elders & authority and becomes a sassy-mouth gossiping adult.
We bring the law into ourselves and through the Holy Spirit, and our lives, we give the law its perfect meaning. But we have to take the important steps of bringing it in, and looking intently into it. Without those actions, the law is full of shortcomings, flaws and defects. It is only made perfect when it dwells within us.
I'm taken to James 1:25-27
"But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it - not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it - they will be blessed in what they do. Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves and their religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."
Just before James says this he commands the reader to "... humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you."(James 1:21b)
In many places through scripture we read about having the word written in our hearts, and we know that through the Holy Spirit, the very heart and mind of God now live within us. He gives us his mind to understand and live out his word in our daily lives.
Together, the written Word, scripture; the Holy Spirit; and you (me/us) combine to form a sort of trinity in the application of God's Word, of his intent in our lives and in the world.
In this light we can see that without our own examination of the Word, without "looking intently into the perfect law" as James says, the law does nothing more than simply exist. It is when we pick it up, examine it, think on it, and remember to live by it that it becomes truly perfect in our lives.
Reading the written word, as it is, we can nit-pick apart the Biblical laws of old. By our contemporary standards, the Levitcal law handed down throughout the old testament is full of what we would consider today to be defects, shortcomings and flaws. There are scant few who feel that stoning to death is the appropriate punishment for a sassy-mouth child. But in our context, with our understanding, in our study of scripture we grasp the concept of that law, see it for the time that it existed and parallel it into our lives today. If never corrected (taught/disciplined) the sassy-mouth child grows up without respect for his/her elders & authority and becomes a sassy-mouth gossiping adult.
We bring the law into ourselves and through the Holy Spirit, and our lives, we give the law its perfect meaning. But we have to take the important steps of bringing it in, and looking intently into it. Without those actions, the law is full of shortcomings, flaws and defects. It is only made perfect when it dwells within us.
