Christ, Law, and the Foundations of Justice

Devotional

Day 1: The Foundation of Law

Western societies have historically built their legal systems on biblical principles, which have provided a moral compass and a framework for freedom. These foundations have attracted people worldwide, offering a sense of justice and moral clarity. However, as societies drift from these biblical roots, they risk losing the freedoms and moral clarity that have long defined them. This shift can lead to a rise in tyranny and a sense of entrapment, as laws become increasingly disconnected from God's statutes. It is crucial to recognize the importance of maintaining a legal system that aligns with divine principles to preserve the freedoms and moral structures that have been a hallmark of Western societies. [02:13]

Deuteronomy 4:5-8 (ESV): "See, I have taught you statutes and rules, as the Lord my God commanded me, that you should do them in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, 'Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.' For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the Lord our God is to us, whenever we call upon him? And what great nation is there, that has statutes and rules so righteous as all this law that I set before you today?"

Reflection: In what ways can you actively support and advocate for laws in your community that align with biblical principles?

Day 2: Jesus and Politics

Jesus' teachings and actions were deeply political, centered on governance and power. His claim to be the King of the Jews was a direct challenge to earthly authorities, emphasizing that true authority belongs to God. This political nature of Jesus highlights the importance of recognizing His ultimate authority over all political systems and earthly powers. As followers of Christ, it is essential to understand that our allegiance is to Him above all else, and we are called to live in a way that reflects His governance and power in our lives. [09:22]

John 18:36-37 (ESV): "Jesus answered, 'My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.' Then Pilate said to him, 'So you are a king?' Jesus answered, 'You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.'"

Reflection: How can you demonstrate your allegiance to Jesus' kingdom in your daily interactions and decisions, especially in areas where earthly authorities may conflict with His teachings?

Day 3: Law and Grace

Understanding God's law is essential for recognizing our need for grace. Preaching God's law is not about promoting a works-based salvation but about highlighting humanity's sinfulness and the necessity of a Savior. God's laws serve to restrain evil and promote justice, and they reveal our shortcomings, pointing us to the grace offered through Jesus Christ. This understanding reinforces that grace does not negate the importance of God's statutes but rather fulfills them, offering us a path to redemption and transformation. [13:18]

Galatians 3:24-25 (ESV): "So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian."

Reflection: Reflect on an area of your life where you struggle to follow God's law. How can you invite God's grace into this area to transform and guide you?

Day 4: God as the Ultimate Lawgiver

God is the ultimate authority, and all human laws must align with His divine statutes. When civil laws contradict God's laws, they must be disregarded to maintain a society that honors God. This understanding is crucial for upholding justice and righteousness, as it places God's authority above all human institutions. As believers, we are called to discern and challenge laws that do not align with God's statutes, ensuring that our actions and decisions reflect His ultimate authority. [27:32]

Isaiah 33:22 (ESV): "For the Lord is our judge; the Lord is our lawgiver; the Lord is our king; he will save us."

Reflection: Consider a situation where you are faced with a law or rule that contradicts God's statutes. How can you respond in a way that honors God's authority while still showing respect and love to those around you?

Day 5: The Role of Civil Authorities

Civil authorities are God's servants, tasked with upholding justice and righteousness. They must operate within the boundaries set by God, ensuring that their actions align with His moral law. As believers, it is important to recognize the role of civil authorities and support them in their efforts to promote justice and righteousness. However, we must also hold them accountable to God's standards, advocating for laws and policies that reflect His divine principles. [29:02]

Romans 13:1-4 (ESV): "Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for your good."

Reflection: How can you actively support and pray for civil authorities in your community, encouraging them to uphold justice and righteousness according to God's standards?

Sermon Summary

In today's message, we explored the intricate relationship between Christ and law, particularly in the context of Western societies historically rooted in Christian principles. We began by defining law as a system of rules governing societal behavior, noting that Western nations have traditionally based their legal systems on biblical and ecclesiastical law. This foundation has contributed to the freedoms and moral structures that have attracted people worldwide to these nations. However, recent shifts away from these biblical foundations have led to a rise in tyranny and a sense of entrapment, as people feel increasingly constrained by laws that do not align with God's statutes.

We delved into the political nature of Jesus, emphasizing that governance and power were central to His teachings. Jesus was crucified for claiming to be the King of the Jews, a profoundly political statement. This highlights that politics, at its core, is about governance and power, areas in which Jesus was deeply involved. The message underscored that Jesus is the ultimate authority, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, whose rule extends over all political systems and earthly authorities.

The discussion also addressed the perceived conflict between law and grace. It was clarified that understanding God's law is essential for recognizing our need for grace. Preaching God's law is not about promoting a works-based salvation but about highlighting humanity's sinfulness and need for a Savior. God's laws serve to restrain evil and promote justice, as seen in the absence of abortion laws leading to the loss of countless lives.

We concluded by affirming that God is the ultimate lawgiver, and any civil law must align with His divine statutes. When civil laws contradict God's laws, they must be disregarded. This understanding is crucial for maintaining a society that honors God and upholds justice and righteousness.

Key Takeaways

1. The Foundation of Law: Western legal systems have historically been rooted in biblical principles, which have provided moral guidance and freedom. As societies drift from these foundations, they risk losing the freedoms and moral clarity that have long defined them. [02:13]
2. Jesus and Politics: Jesus was deeply political, as His teachings and actions were centered on governance and power. His claim to be King of the Jews was a direct challenge to earthly authorities, emphasizing that true authority belongs to God. [09:22]
3. Law and Grace: Understanding God's law is essential for recognizing our need for grace. Preaching God's law highlights humanity's sinfulness and the necessity of a Savior, reinforcing that grace does not negate the importance of God's statutes. [13:18]
4. God as the Ultimate Lawgiver: God is the ultimate authority, and all human laws must align with His divine statutes. When civil laws contradict God's laws, they must be disregarded to maintain a society that honors God. [27:32]
5. The Role of Civil Authorities: Civil authorities are God's servants, tasked with upholding justice and righteousness. They must operate within the boundaries set by God, ensuring that their actions align with His moral law. [29:02]
** [29:02]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:07] - Introduction to Christ and Law
[00:30] - Questions on Law and Conscience
[01:35] - Definition and Foundation of Law
[02:13] - Western Nations and Biblical Law
[03:16] - Moral and Civil Law
[04:34] - God's Laws as a Blessing
[06:15] - Shifts in Western Nations
[07:06] - Bringing God's Law to Civil Law
[07:44] - Authority and Law
[09:09] - Jesus and Politics
[11:28] - Jesus' Authority Over All
[13:18] - Law, Grace, and the Gospel
[14:32] - Preaching God's Law
[16:13] - The Role of God's Law in Society
[21:19] - Historical Lessons on Law
[27:32] - God as the Ultimate Lawgiver
[29:02] - Civil Authorities as God's Servants
[31:00] - Obeying Law and Authority
[47:00] - Conclusion and Call to Action

Bible Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:

Matthew 27:11 - "Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, 'Are you the King of the Jews?' Jesus said, 'You have said so.'"
Revelation 17:14 - "They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful."
Romans 13:1-4 - "Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment."

Observation Questions:

How does the sermon describe the historical foundation of Western legal systems? What role did biblical principles play in this foundation? [02:13]
According to the sermon, what was the political significance of Jesus' claim to be the King of the Jews? [09:22]
What is the relationship between law and grace as explained in the sermon? How does understanding God's law highlight our need for grace? [13:18]
How does the sermon define the role of civil authorities in relation to God's law? [29:02]

Interpretation Questions:

In what ways does the sermon suggest that Jesus' teachings were political? How does this understanding affect the perception of His authority over earthly systems? [09:22]
How does the sermon explain the necessity of preaching God's law in understanding grace? What implications does this have for the modern church's approach to teaching? [13:18]
What does the sermon suggest about the consequences of civil laws that contradict God's laws? How should believers respond to such laws? [27:32]
How does the sermon interpret Romans 13:1-4 in the context of civil authorities being God's servants? What responsibilities do these authorities have according to the sermon? [29:02]

Application Questions:

Reflect on the current legal systems in your country. Do you see evidence of biblical principles in them? How does this affect your view of justice and freedom? [02:13]
Consider the political nature of Jesus' ministry as described in the sermon. How does this influence your understanding of His role in your life and in society? [09:22]
How can you balance the understanding of law and grace in your personal faith journey? Are there areas where you might be leaning too heavily on one over the other? [13:18]
Think about a time when you felt conflicted between obeying civil law and following God's law. How did you resolve this conflict, and what did you learn from the experience? [27:32]
In what ways can you support civil authorities in upholding justice and righteousness while ensuring their actions align with God's moral law? [29:02]
Identify a specific area in your community where civil laws may not align with God's statutes. How can you engage in meaningful dialogue or action to address this issue? [27:32]
Reflect on your role as a citizen and a believer. How can you actively participate in shaping a society that honors God and upholds justice? [29:02]

Sermon Clips

In the west, and when we say west because everybody's west of someone else, we live in a sphere, but when we say west what we're talking about are those cultures, those countries, those nations that historically had a Christian foundation. Doesn't mean that everyone was ever entirely Christian, we understand that, but they had a certain Christian eyes. [00:01:47]

So, if you look at immigration patterns over the past hundred years, nobody's fleeing to atheistic countries. Nobody's fleeing to countries ruled by sierra law, Islamic countries. If people want to move, they want to move to, whether they know it or not, western countries that are founded largely upon biblical law. [00:04:58]

Jesus was the most political person to ever walk the face of the planet. Jesus was highly interested in matters of governance and power. In fact, he was nailed to a cross for claiming to be king of the Jews, which offended both the Jews and the Romans. [00:09:26]

Jesus declares himself to be king of kings and lord of lords. So, Jesus declares himself to be the ruler of all political establishments and all political systems. If you're a king, you're a politician. If you're a lord, you're a politician. But you have a boss to answer to, and your boss is not the democratic will of the people. [00:11:00]

There's no conflict at all in the scripture. We aren't, we obviously understand very well as biblical Christians that you don't get to heaven by obeying God's laws, but you do go to hell by breaking them. And so, you need to understand what God's laws and expectations are. [00:13:56]

We preach the moral word of God into culture in order to remind people first of all that they're sinners and they're in need of a savior, and I don't think we've done a very good job of that in all honesty in the modern church, because the temptation is to go to church and we immediately want to go to grace, mercy, and love. [00:14:33]

God is the ultimate law giver, and any law or rule or edict that we put in place in any sphere of life cannot contradict God's law. A husband who's the spiritual leader over his wife can never ask his wife to do something that violates God's law. [00:27:34]

Anyone who's in a position of authority is a servant of God. You're a king, yeah, but you're not the king of kings. You're a father, yeah, but you're not the father of fathers. You're a pastor, yeah, but you're not the great pastor of the church. Ultimate authority is reserved for God alone. [00:28:43]

The biblical idea is that people who are in positions of authority, including rulers and kings, serve under God as God's deacons, as God's servants. If God says it's right, then they reward the righteous. If God says it's wrong, then they punish the evil doer. [00:31:00]

Without God as the ultimate lawgiver, you end up with a state or another god wielding unlimited authority, unlimited powers, arbitrary court rulings, lobbyists influencing the law, and the media peddling their worldview. In the old days, the media, the reporter would come up, hey, tell me what's going on, I'm here to report the facts. [00:47:08]

When nations deny God's law, they become immoral. If there are weak laws, there's weak morals. If there is no law or no morals, none of God's law, there's no morals. But when there's strong law under God, they're strong morals, and we benefit and the world around us benefits as well. [00:48:31]

We need to teach this truth, remind politicians of it, live it, and if you run for office or you are in office, you need to adopt this worldview. History has told us that failed legal systems are always legal systems tied to the denial of God's law. [00:48:50]

Ask a question about this sermon

Chatbot

Transcript

What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?

Were there any personal stories shared?

Christ, Law, and the Foundations of Justice

Devotional

Day 1: The Foundation of Law

Day 2: Jesus and Politics

Day 3: Law and Grace

Day 4: God as the Ultimate Lawgiver

Day 5: The Role of Civil Authorities

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Chatbot

Christ, Law, and the Foundations of Justice

Share