Law Breakers

I see many people texting and talking on their phones while driving. Although there is a law in California against texting while driving and talking on the phone without a hands free device, many choose not to obey that law.

Doing so is distracting people and many accidents have occurred, some of them fatal. There is also a law against drinking and driving, but many choose not to obey that law. Many innocent people have been hurt or killed because of the disobedience of some. People are breaking the law of the land everyday. I am not excluded, not always keeping the speed limit of 65 mph on the freeways for example. There is a law against using the car pool lanes for single drivers, yet some choose not to obey that law.

People that break the law are called law breakers. There are consequences for breaking the law, a fine and in some case jail time. The governing authorities will persecute law breakers and a just judge will not let a person go unpunished for breaking the law. It make me wonder, if people cannot obey laws set by men, how can they possibly obey the laws given by God? People are breaking God’s laws every single day. Just as we have laws given by the governing authorities, so has God given us laws to live by. The Ten Commandments given to Moses by God on Mount Sinai. They set the standard of God’s law by which men will be judged.

Many today argue that the Ten Commandments are outdated and do not apply to today’s modern society. I tend to disagree with that and I believe that God’s laws are perfect. The Ten Commandments can be grouped in two categories. The first four, man’s relationship to God. The remaining six, man’s relationship to the community. By these Ten Commandments, true theology and true worship, the name of God and the Sabbath, family, honor, life, marriage and property, truth and virtue are well protected. Many people when asked if they are a good person would answer, “Yes I am a good person”. Just as the self-righteous religious leadership of Jesus’ day thought that they were good and obeyed the law of God.

Jesus proved them wrong, they boasted about keeping the law perfectly. Jesus showed them how God looks at the law versus how man looks at the law. Jesus actually put a much higher standard on the law. Pointing to man’s heart rather than the outward appearance of keeping the law. Jesus said:“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. “I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. “For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.” Mat 5:17, 18.

Jesus fulfilled the law and kept it perfectly, He was without sin and He showed the Pharisees of His day what the law really meant. The Pharisees thought themselves to be righteous and perfect before God, but their supposed righteousness was nothing more than self-righteousness and pride. “For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” Mat 5:20

The religious leadership thought they obeyed the law and thus were ok with God. Jesus pointed them to the last six commandments. “You have heard that it was said to those of old, “You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.” The religious leadership answered Jesus by saying that they never murdered anybody. Jesus went on to say: “But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire.” Mat 5:22.

Jesus was saying that if someone hates another person, that they have already committed murder in their heart. The Jews of the time hated for example the Gentiles. The Samaratian or any others that were not of Jewish descend were hated. The idea was that God created the Gentiles for heating up Hell fire. Jesus went on to say: “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.” Mat 5:27.

Again, the leadership answered, “we never slept with another women, we have not committed adultery.” Jesus: “But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Mat 5:28. Again, Jesus points to the heart of man. They may not had any adulterous relations but they by just lusting after a woman, committed adultery in their hearts. Jesus went on with some other examples, showing them that it is a heart issue and that they all had broken the law. So even today many call themselves good from an outward perspective, not considering that God looks at the heart. “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.” Mat 15:19.
If people cannot obey simple laws like not texting and talking on the phone while driving, how can they think that they are ok with God when their day of judgment will come? None of us can keep the law perfectly. Christ has set the believers free from the law that was a tutor to bring us to Christ. He did what we could not do for ourselves. As believers we are forgiven of all transgressions by the shedding of His blood on the cross. He died for the sin of the world. By receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior by faith, keeps the believers from the wrath of God that will come upon all law breakers. If you are not a believer and you either think that God does not exist or that you can defend yourself on the day of judgment, please think again.

A just judge must judge just and fair and cannot allow lawbreakers to go free. A price/fine needs to be rendered. Jesus paid that fine. He took the punishment of our transgressions. By believing and asking for forgiveness, a person is declared justified before God. Not only that, God also imputed the righteousness of Christ on every true believer. Think of what will happen when the day of judgment comes and God declares you guilty and the punishment is eternal separation from God. “Why did I refuse to believe”? God loves every person, but He cannot allow sin in His kingdom. Jesus cleanses a person from all sin and unrighteousness. God does not want anybody to perish but have eternal life and come to the knowledge of the truth. It is a choice that every single person has to make. God does not force Himself on anybody. He has given every man a free will to choose.

Those who choose to reject Him will be eternally separated from the presence and blessings of God. Some teach that one day everybody will be saved. If that were true, why did Jesus have to suffer on the cross? Jesus Himself spoke more about Hell than anybody else in the Bible. Hell is a reality. Hell is eternal. The Apostle Paul wrote about what will happen to those who reject Jesus: “These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed.” 2Th 1:9, 10. It can’t get any clearer. Today, if you have not received Jesus as your Lord and Savior, think about it. Learn about Jesus and who He is. He loves you and He wants to have a meaningful relationship with you. Seek Him and you shall find Him. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16