The law of the LORD is perfect

Psalm 19:7-11

"The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul;
The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;
The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;
The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous all together.
More to be desired are they than gold,
Yea, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb,
Moreover by them your servant is warned,
And in keeping them there is great reward."


I went to a very interesting MOPS meeting yesterday. For those of you who might not be familiar with MOPS, it stands for Mother's Of Preschoolers, and it is a quasi-Christian organization that seeks to reach out to, well, mothers of preschool aged children. I say quasi-Christian, because it can be either extremely Christ focused, or extremely world focused, depending on who is attending and what the women in leadership set as priorities. I attend MOPS mainly to encourage other Christian moms, to be encouraged myself by other Christian moms, and because there are plenty of non-Christian moms who come and I love the opportunity to spend time around them in a setting that encourages sharing of truth.

Yesterday was one of the best meetings we have had all year. A pastor's wife spoke to our group about pulling back from the "muchness" of life and focusing on our soul's relationship to God. It lead to some GREAT discussion in the small groups that we split into after she spoke. In my group, we spent some time talking about the "dos" and don'ts" that often seem to be the whole of the Christian faith to those who are outside of it. And sadly, they often seem to be the whole of the Christian faith to those who actually are believers.

Let me try to say this as clearly as I can. The law of the LORD is perfect. God means it when He commands us to live a certain way. He was not kidding or making gentle suggestions when He revealed Himself to mankind through the law, the testimony, the statutes, the commandments, and the judgments that He inspired Holy men to write as Holy Scripture.

BUT--if you stop there, if you make the law your entire Christian experience, you are being robbed of the real joy of knowing and loving God. The law has several very important jobs. One thing it does it point out our sinfulness; when we see the perfection that God has commanded us to, and then we contrast that with our ability to actually achieve that perfection in and of ourselves. The law also provides us with great protection from the natural and unhappy consequences that result from breaking the law. It also serves to illustrate the Holiness of God. It makes for healthy relationships between people. I could go on and on about the greatness and perfection of God's law. Like the Psalmist, I have come to an awareness that makes me want to cry, "Oh, how I love your law!" (Psalm 119:97)

But consider what Paul says in Philippians 3:8

"Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him,"

Do you think that the passion Paul expresses here has anything to do with a list of "dos and don'ts"? Think about what Paul is saying. He has suffered the loss of all things. And guess what else? He counts that loss as rubbish. You can't get much more profound and passionate than that. Imagine saying that. "I have lost everything that I had in this life, and I think all of those things are trash and garbage compared to knowing Christ." Whoa.

Consider what David says about the LORD in Psalm 16: 11

"In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore."


Pleasures forevermore. Fullness of joy. Nothing stale or stick-in-the mud about that.

So, are you someone who has reduced the knowing and loving of the Most High God to a list of things to do and things to avoid? Or, are you someone who has always thought of Christianity as a bunch of rules? I really hope not. If you are, get out of the shallow end. The deep end is where all the best stuff is.