I Am Subject to God’s Law

 

Who Am I? Part 3

 

Introduction

There are some in the religious world who view the bible in two ways. The Old Testament is a book of Law, and the New Testament is a book of Love. The latter, meaning that since the Old Law was taken out of the way and nailed to the cross (Col. 2:14), we aren’t under any sort of law even today.

People will go one step further and state that God’s love is unconditional. We’ll look at both of these aspects and show, from scripture, that there is law and God’s love does come with conditions.

 

God’s Conditional Love in the Old Testament

When you follow the story of Abraham (Gen. 12ff), to Isaac (Gen. 17ff), to Jacob (Gen. 25ff), to his 12 Sons, you know that God had plans for a special people; His chosen people. He gave them the law; initially the ten commandments and others as well (see Leviticus) as they were His chosen people because He loved them.

It's not that He didn’t love the rest of creation, but He chose this specific group as His Son would come out of the Jews when the time was right. However, His love was conditional as the children of Israel had to abide by His Laws or there would be consequences.

Decades later, the children of Israel went after the nations around them; worshipping the foreign gods and the idols that were a part of it. If God’s love is unconditional, they why did He want the children of Israel to repent?

The prophet writes, “Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?” says the Lord GOD, “and not that he should turn from his ways and live?” (Ezekiel 18:23). And again, “Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord GOD, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’” (Ezekiel 33:11)

We see in chapters 10 and 11 of Ezekiel that God’s glory not only left the temple, but left the city of Jerusalem, and the kingdom of Judah. This proved that God’s love was conditional in that they refused to listen so He gave them over to the Babylonians for captivity.

 

God’s Conditional Love in the New Testament

In a previous article, we talked about God’s love towards us. But we can see that it is also conditional in the New Testament as well. As with the unrepentant Jews (of old), God gives up those who won’t obey Him. As the apostle Paul writes, Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen (Romans 1:24-25). He goes on from verse 26 to the end of the chapter to state, twice more, that He gave up those who would not follow his word.

Some might read this and say, “Yes, but he was talking to the Gentiles.” True, but in chapter 2, He was speaking to the Jews and, in chapter 3, He was speaking to both. And, overall, the letter to the Romans was that of the churches in Rome. Yes, Paul was speaking to Christians! This shows that not only was there law in the New Testament, but it also shows that God’s love IS conditional!

If God’s love is unconditional, then why did He give up those who won’t repent of sin? Why did He allow them to continue believe their own lies (2 Thess. 2:11)? Why will He allow some to go to Hell? (Mt. 25:46) God doesn’t send anyone to Hell but, at the same time, He doesn’t prevent the decisions that people make which put them there.

 

Conclusion

Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” (Matthew 7:21-23). We must obey God’s law because He gave it to us and expects us to follow it.