The Law of God is a murderer so is it holy?

I know you must be saying, “That’s a provocative statement and question!” Does the Law actually murder people? Well, yes it does, but not like you might think.

To answer this all important question, we must turn to the scriptures for the answer(s).

The New Oxford American Dictionary defines law as the system of rules that a particular country or community recognizes as regulating the actions of its members and may enforce by the imposition of penalties.

Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words defines law as: Greek word is nomos. It means to divide out, to distribute. Also means that which is assigned.

Simply put, you break the law, you pay the price; whether that be a fine of some sort, could be jail time, or even worse if the offense is severe enough, death. And this is natural law.

So, what happens when we violate God’s Holy Law? Do we deserve to be punished, or should we be given a pass as some believe because God is “so merciful?” Often the proverbial “God loves me” expression is uttered when one loves their sin and are unwilling to confess it, for that would be an admission of guilt. They know, however, they’re guilty for their conscience will not excuse them.

Now, let’s make a comparison. Human law exists for our well being and safety to provide us with boundaries and limitations so that we do not harm someone or ourselves. For instance, we can’t drink and drive for we know drinking impairs judgment and sensibilities when one is under the influence of alcohol.

As a matter of fact, there were 10,839 Alcohol-Impaired Driving Fatalities in 2009 here in the U.S. according to The Century Council and The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) . 

Because you have transgressors of the drunk driving laws, over ten thousand innocent people lost their lives. That’s an alarming statistic hence the importance of enforcing the law and punishing the guilty who sinned against it. It’s obvious that drunk driving laws are good and necessary for our physical well being. For with knowledge of this law, drivers know the penalties if they violate it.

Even more so, the Law of God is good. Why? Because with knowledge of the Law also comes the knowledge of sin in our lives. The Law is a mirror that we look into. When we discover its demands and violate them, we’re guilty before God and deserve to be punished. We can never keep it because of the sin that’s resident within us. The Law is our schoolmaster; it’s an instructor to lead us to Christ and that’s as far as it goes (Galatians 3:24). The Law was never designed to save for by no deeds of the Law will any flesh be justified (Romans 3:20; Galatians 2:16). Its role is to condemn us, and break us down so that we’ll cry out to the savior for mercy and deliverance because it’s a yoke no one can bear (Acts 15:10). The bible says sin through the Law "worked all types of coveting of every kind for apart from the Law sin is dead. I was once alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment (when I was made aware of its existence and its force), sin became alive (I was made aware of my sin due to the revelation of the Law) and I died; and this commandment which was to result in life, proved to result in death for me; for sin taking an opportunity through the commandment deceived me, and it through it killed me. So then, the Law is holy and righteous, and good" (Romans 7:8-12). Sin then is the cartage agent (Forgive me, I work in transportation hence the phrase) for the Law; delivering unto them (the sinner) the commandment to slay them in guilt for, without the law, the sinner believes he’s alive and free to do as he pleases because there’s no written code to forbid his wickedness. Thank God for the Law for it crushes the sinful pride of man and it will hopefully stop him in his tracks once he realizes his sin is exceedingly sinful; an abomination to the Lord (Romans 7:13) and thus he will agree that the Law is good (Romans 7:16).

This is a masterpiece of Spirit filled instruction by the Apostle Paul.

God’s Law by condemning us is actually exhibiting love toward us albeit tough love. Think about it this way, God has to break us down with the letter of Law which kills us with judgment, sin, and self-righteousness before he can resurrect us with tender Law of grace. We won’t appreciate the Law of the grace of God in salvation until we suffer his tough love in his condemnation of our sins through the Law. To me, the severity of his love in righteous punishment also exudes a sweet smelling redemptive element. Why? God knows all things, knew the ultimate peril man is in so the condemnation of his sin must be swift in order that man can, in turn, acknowledge his sin, confess it, repent with contrition, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved.

Romans 7:4-6 shares this wisdom: Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the Law were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death. But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.

This makes the rescue mission complete.

Paul said it this way in II Corinthians 3:6, “The letter killeth, but the Spirit gives life.