Latest / The Daily Word / June 19 – The Law Is Good
Transcript
- Robert Rosales: Good morning, good afternoon, or good evening, Lakeshore family, wherever you're at, in the midst of your day. Welcome to the Daily Word Podcast. I'm Robert Rosales, and alongside my wife, Yolanda, we have the honor of serving as campus pastors at our Gastonia location. This podcast is a simple space we share each day to slow down, open God's word, and pay attention to what He's saying. As a church family, We're committed to meeting with God daily, not out of religious routine, but out of a relationship, through scripture, through prayer, and by capturing what the Holy Spirit is stirring in our hearts and how it connects to our everyday lives. We're walking together through the life journal reading plan. And today we'll be focusing on the New Testament portion from that plan. When I invest time with the Lord, I try to keep things uncluttered. My Bible, my journal, something to write with, and a highlighter to mark what stands out. At times I'll also lean on a couple of trusted study tools to help me go a little deeper and stay grounded in the text, not to replace God's word, but to help me to understand and listen more closely. We also use the soap method, scripture, observation, application, and prayer. If you've never heard of it, it's a simple tool and a very practical way not just to read the word, but to respond to it. Now, before we jump into today's passage, let's take a moment to prepare our hearts with a prayer. Lord, as we open your word, we ask that you would open us. By your spirit, make your truth come alive in us. Give us ears to hear, hearts to receive, and courage to respond. Speak, Lord, we are listening. In Jesus' name, everybody said, Amen. Today's passage for June nineteenth is First Timothy chapter one, and I journaled from verses eight and nine. Let me read it to us out of the New King James Version. This is how it reads. But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully. Knowing this. That the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers. Notice Paul says, But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully. I like to give titles to my journal entry. And the title for this journal entry is simply this: The Law is Good. The Law is good. Now, let me bring a little bit of context and maybe some of the observations that I caught. The law, quote unquote, that the apostle Paul is referring to is primarily the law of Moses, God's revealed commandments given through Moses in the Old Testament. The Mosaic Law was of great importance to Paul. He was raised in the Jewish culture and religion, studied under the Jewish teacher Gamaliel, and lived as a Pharisee according to the law. His entire life had been focused on the law prior to his conversion to Christianity. In 1 Timothy 1 8 and 9, Paul is addressing false teachers in Ephesus who desired to be experts in the Old Testament law but not. misunderstood its true purpose. These teachers were distracting the church with speculation, myths, and meaningless discussions rather than producing genuine faith and love. Paul makes it clear that the problem was not the law itself, because the law is good if one uses it lawfully. In other words, God's law is good when it is handled according to God's intended purpose. Paul explains that the law was given to expose and restrain sin, not to promote spiritual pride or empty arguments. That is why he says the law is for the lawless and insubordinate, referring to people living in rebellion against God. The law reveals God's holy standard, confronts human sinfulness, and ultimately points people to their need for salvation through Jesus Christ. Rather than using the law for speculation or self-righteousness, Paul teaches that it should support sound doctrine and lead people toward the truth of the gospel. Paul's not saying that a person is saved by living according to the law of Moses, but is making a case for its use. Paul says the law is good if used lawfully. Now, further in my observation, I looked at Bibleref.com. And it says the word lawfully can be understood simply as legitimately or properly. In a very literal sense, Paul is saying that the law is good when it is used for what it was originally intended for. The law of Moses was of great benefit when used properly, but the false teachers in Ephesus had mishandled or Illegally handled the law, causing problems in the church instead. This is some other things that I wrote down. The law is used lawfully when it is used to point out sinful behavior, to bring conviction to the soul of man, not condemnation, conviction, to point to God's way of living and ultimately point man to his need of a savior through Jesus Christ. Paul also says that the law is not for righteous people. This does not mean the Mosaic law is of no use for the Christian, those righteous before God through Christ. It means a righteous person does not measure one's justification or right standing before God based on the law, but through Christ. The Christian should still have a desire to live according to God's moral laws. The big ten, right? Amen. Here's how this applies to my life. This is what I wrote down. Is God's law good for me? Question mark. I believe the scripture says yes. Not to bring me into salvation, but because I'm already saved. Second Timothy 3:16 says, All scripture is God breathed and beneficial. In other words, God's moral law has benefits for my life. It's something the Holy Spirit can use to teach me and remind me about what God says about how to live morally in an immoral culture. After all, by what moral standard can I use to measure the way I live? I shall have no other gods before the one true God. I shall not make carved images nor worship them. I remember the Sabbath and find my rest in Jesus. I shall not take the Lord's name in vain. I will honor my father and mother. I shall not murder, commit adultery, or steal. I shall not bear false witness against my neighbor. I shall not covet or lust after my neighbor's possession. This is the Christian moral law. I'm not saved by it. I'm saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus, according to Ephesians two, eight and nine. But it still does apply to my life and yours as a Christian. The moral principles reflected in the Ten Commandments continue to instruct and guide believers as they reveal what pleases God. Commands against murder, adultery, stealing, lying, idolatry, and coveting are reaffirmed throughout the New Testament. The law continues to expose sin, convict the conscience, and show humanity's need for Christ. In that sense, It still functions as a moral mirror. The New Testament also teaches that Christ fulfilled the ceremonial and sacrificial aspects of the Mosaic law. So Christians are not bound to Israel's ceremonial regulation, sacrifices, dietary laws, or civil code. However, Christians now relate to the God who made the law through the law of Christ, Galatians 6:2. Meaning that obedience flows from a transformed heart empowered by the Holy Spirit rather than from external regulation alone. The believer's motivation is not to earn salvation, but to love and honor God, our neighbor, as ourselves. Jesus Christ summarized the law's fulfillment in the commands to love God and to love your neighbor as yourself. Matthew 22, 37 through 40. So taking all of that and personalizing it, here's my prayer. Father God, thank you for speaking to me today through your word. Help me live in a way that demonstrates that the law is good. Holy Spirit, I submit my life to you today, fresh and anew. Empower me to live out God's way before the world. Lead me in truth and righteousness, and as you do, I promise that I will continually point people to Jesus. The one in whom salvation is found. I ask these things in Jesus' name. Amen. Lakeshore family, as you go into your day, my prayer is that you'll develop a hunger for God and His Word like you've never had before. As you do, God will open your eyes to the riches of His Word, giving you revelation and life-changing insight that will help you become everything God has called you to be, fulfilling your mission, purpose, and plan for our. Great Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Thanks for joining me today on the Daily Word podcast. I hope this encourages you to stay faithful in the Word and sensitive to the Holy Spirit's leading. God bless you, and we'll catch you again tomorrow.