The law brings up different reactions from people. Some are indifferent, others are fearful. I personally know a few who are enraged by it. It’s as if law is a strict and unnecessary standard made to punish people.

I’ve always dreamed of becoming a lawyer. Watching how people react negatively to this concept has always troubled me. It’s a good thing that the Bible addresses this subject really well.

“We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. We also know that law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious; for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, for adulterers and perverts, for slave traders and liars and perjurers- and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine.”

1 Timothy 1:8-10

There are two things we can learn from this passage:

  1. “law is good if one uses it properly” According to this text (and real life), the problem with law is not in itself, but in the execution of it. Law was made to promote order and morality in the society. It is not something evil that seeks to destroy people. Thus, when we are given a list of rules to follow, we should not be mad about them. Instead, we must find a proper use for it and enjoy the good it brings later on.
  2. “law is not made for the righteous but the lawbreakers” If the law is made to address evildoers, righteous people need not to fear the law. Those who do what’s right by God’s standard, which is love, already way under the safe zone of law. After all, if I love God, I will obey Him. If I love my neighbors as myself, I will not do them wrong. If I truly follow God, I am on the righteous path away from breaking the law.

So, if you want to enjoy the positive effects of law and lose that fear or angst about it,

LIVE RIGHT.

And that’s my two cents on that.