Order and Law

When disorder comes into our lives, we obviously aren't paying any attention to God's laws for us. You may think the 10 Commandments are not for today, but think again. When God gave these commandments to Moses He never intended that they would go out of style. God is the same today, yesterday and tomorrow. Once God says something, it becomes law.

When Christ came on the scene, He did away with the old way of doing things. He became the new law, we now go to Him for atonement instead of through the blood of an animal sacrifice.

As we come to Christ and confess with our mouth that He is our Lord and Savior, that relationship must continue to grow and mature. It's one thing to have Christ in your life and quite another to have a personal relationship with Him. Today, we seem to think it's ok to have a casual relationship with someone because making commitments is too difficult and final! This doesn't make it right however.

There are Christians carrying on a casual dating relationship with their Lord today. Due to lack of understanding, they prefer to know Him when it suits them. It's a relationship of convenience. When He calls, we think nothing of saying, "Not tonight, I'm washing my hair." We think we can turn Him on and off at the switch of a button. Don't be mistaken, God says He will not be mocked nor will He be tempted.

A true Christian believer who has made Him Lord over all, has stepped into a commitment or a marriage if you will with Him. It's a covenant relationship where they have submitted to Him wholey and to do His will in their lives, not the other way around. It's a lifetime of sacrifices. But one of worthwhile results. It's undefiled in every aspect. If only marriages were faithful there would be alot less divorces, separations, and abuse. When we say, "I Do" to Christ, we must remain faithful to Him. We can't step out on Him when our carnal urges peak.

This is known as compromise. Today compromise is running rampid and temptations are coming at us from every angle. Sadly, we have become numb to them and worse acceptable to them. We shrug our shoulders and calmly say, "Hey, whatever." But just know this, that no matter what you compromise, know you are not your own person, you belong to God. He gave you a free gift of salvation and does expect order in His laws in return.

A Christian's main duty is to be an example to others in everything they do, say and how they behave in circumstances. They are put under the preverbial microscope. When a Christian compromises, it doesn't show anyone who Christ is in them. What would have happened if Christ compromised in the garden and told His Father He wasn't going to hang on some ol' cross for all us sinners? But thank God, He didn't.

Sometimes we allow others to do our thinking for us, we think that gets us off the hook. It's easier to go along with the flow...or is it? In doing wrong things and compromising things, it sets us up for paying the price of the consequences. That is a fact of life, in this one and the next. How do we know if we're not suppose to do something? Christ sent a Comforter, the Holy Spirit to lead us and guide us in the way we should go. We need to pay more attention to Him rather than what anyone in the world thinks, says or does.

When we listen to the world, we lose control and order and eventually the law. Let's look at an example to this. Moses came down from the mountain after receiving the 10 Commandments from the Lord only to find the Israelites out of control. They had gotten impatient and made a false idol and were commiting acts of sexual misconduct. Aaron who was left in charge, let them get out of control because he compromised his position. By doing this God allowed them to be a derision and an object of shame to their enemies. (Exod. 32:25)

Even God won't come to our rescue when we lose control of His laws. Why? Because we have turned our backs on Him and have made ourselves the gods we obey, and we no longer need Him. The biggest sin is trying to solve something on our own without asking Him for His help. His first commandment is "Thou shalt have NO other gods before or besides Me." He wants to be included in every aspect of our lives because He loves us so much.

Paul explains more about the dangers of compromise in Rom. 7:14 "We know that the Law is spiritual; but I am a creature of the flesh (carnal, unspiritual) having been sold into slavery under (the control of sin.)"

Without the Holy Spirit in our lives, we are naturally sinful. Sin is our master that we bow down to unless we choose to be set free by the blood of Christ. Otherwise we are helpless.

Rom. 7:15 "For I do not understand my own action, (I am baffled, bewildered). I do not practice or accomplish what I wish, but I do the very thing I loathe (which my moral instinct condemns.)"

What Paul means is when we compromise, we aren't practicing what we know to be otherwise right, but instead we will do the wrong thing because our hearts are naturally wicked in the flesh.

Rom. 7:18 " For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot perform it. (I have the intention and urge to do what is right, but no power to carry it out.)"

By acting out in the flesh, even though we know what we ought to do, we just aren't capable of doing it unless we are guided by the Holy Spirit. You know what they say about "good intentions".

Rom. 7:19 "For I fail to practice the good deeds I desire to do, but the evil deeds that I do not desire to do are what I am (ever) doing."

In other words, without God's law, we will just naturally continue to sin. We cannot be righteous on our own. Believing otherwise is a compromise!!!

The enemy is roaming around out there just waiting for those of us who compromise God's Word and Law. Wecannot put God in a box and bring Him out when we need Him. Either we take these vows seriously and enter into a covenant relationship with Him and break off the casual dating scene or we can expect Him to hand us over to our enemies and be put to shame. He can't bless us when we compromise. Think about that.

God doesn't care about our so called "good deeds". Unless there is faith connected to them they are all futile and will gain us nothing in the end.

Ephes. 5:11 "Take no part in and have no fellowhip with fruitless deeds and enterprises of darkness, but instead (let your lives be so in contrast as to) expose and reprove and convict them."

Is God trying to reach you? Ask yourself what do you compromise? Do you have a marriage relationship with Christ or is it a casual dating experience? How can you change it? One way is to get alone and quiet with Him and ask Him to show you the order in His Law and get strong in His Word. He has an answer to every question. Know what His commandments are and how they apply to you.

Remember, a Christian's duty is not all about asking questions, it's up to you to find out the answers and then act upon them. Listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying to you. Don't shut Him off, or you will be found in a very compromising position!!!

Vivian Gordon is called to teach God's Word and bring those who have an ear to hear and to listen and act upon what His Word is telling them for their lives. She believes that strength in the Word is having the power in this life to do God's will in preparation for the next.