Young People's Group

Knowing How to Use the Law Correctly

by Mitchell Tan
June 10, 2016

UNDERSTANDING THE ORIGINAL PURPOSES OF THE LAW OF GOD

What are the original purposes of the laws of God? In order to understand this, it is important for us to go back to the book of Deuteronomy. Among others, three may be highlighted.

1. IT WAS MEANT TO GIVE GOD’S PEOPLE WISDOM AND UNDERSTANDING (DEUTERONOMY 4:6)

The law was meant to make Israel a wise and understanding people so that they would stand out among all the other nations.

2. IT WAS MEANT TO HELP GOD’S PEOPLE DO WHAT IS RIGHT AND GOOD IN HIS SIGHT (DEUTERONOMY 6:18)

God’s law was also supposed to guide His people to walk aright.

3. IT WAS MEANT TO HELP GOD’S PEOPLE AND THEIR CHILDREN BE BLESSED BY HIM (DEUTERONOMY 32:47)

The law of God was meant to help Israel and the generations to come be blessed by Him in all things.

IDENTIFICATION OF THE PROBLEM

“Desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm.”
1 Timothy 1:7

During the times of Paul, there were people who were ignorant of the original purposes of the law of God. They desired to be teachers of the law and yet they did not have proper knowledge concerning what they were teaching. On the one hand, they would make affirmations about the law but on the other hand, they were not fully equipped to explain it.

APPEAL TO KNOW THE LAW OF GOD

“But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully”
1 Timothy 1:8

The apostle Paul wrote to Timothy concerning how he had been taught about the law of God. This was his appeal to know the law of God.

1. THE LAW IS GOOD

The law of God is essentially good. There is nothing evil about the laws of God.

2. THE LAW IS TO BE USED LAWFULLY

We are meant to apply the law of God into life and ministry in a correct way. What we need to ascertain is the truth from the law. Paul wrote of the necessity to rightly divide the word of God (2 Timothy 2:15). When the law is used lawfully, it will do the following:

A. IT IS MEANT TO DEAL WITH TRANSGRESSORS OF THE LAW (1 TIMOTHY 1:9-10)

Paul made a list of sinners who had transgressed against the law of the Lord. It is meant to order the perpetrators to stop sinning or face justice.

B. IT IS MEANT TO HELP US UNDERSTAND SOUND DOCTRINE (1 TIMOTHY 1:10)

When people continually practise sin, we can see that such behaviour is not befitting of sound doctrine. When we apply the law of God correctly, we will have sound doctrine. Sound doctrine is in total contradistinction to all manner of sins. Young people, let’s make sure that we know how to apply the law of God correctly.

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