Thoughts for Today: (From Pocket Testament League)

Day 561: Aware of the Law -- Do You Know What it Says?

Romans 3:19-20

Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.

Yesterday my older daughter Krissy and her husband Ariel brought a new dog they are considering adopting over to our house to get our opinion. "Biscuit" is a very cute French Bulldog who is around 2 years old, loving, yet completely untrained. He doesn't know how to walk on a leash or any other basic commands including sit, stay, down, etc. Perhaps worst of all he is not potty trained. The former housekeeper said this of Biscuit: "He is a very bad doggy. He makes lot's of work for me -- he goes potty everywhere."

At this point most of you are probably thinking: "Send him back," but then you don't know my daughter -- she loves animals -- especially those in need. She asked me to see if I could get him to obey some commands. I put him on a leash and within a very short time I realized he couldn't hear -- he was deaf. I started giving him visual commands. Within minutes he was walking obediently under the leash and sitting upon request. It wasn't that Biscuit was a "bad doggy", he just didn't understand the rules -- once he knew what was expected of him, he was more than happy to comply.

If only mankind was as compliant to God's law. In our passage today Paul explains, the Law was given "so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God." In other words, if we (like Biscuit) were unaware of the Law, then how could we be considered Law breakers? However, we have been given the Law and choose to break it regardless. Therefore we have no excuse and are held responsible for our transgressions by God.

All the more, this tells me, we ought to use the Law in evangelism, otherwise how will people know they need to be saved.   The world tells people, either they are a good person, or they have the power within themselves to change.   The law is a mirror to show us the exceeding sinfulness of sin, and our utter helplessness to change ourselves.

God bless...