I think sometimes, we Christians are scared to keep God’s Law today because we feel we are being legalistic. I hear the word “legalism” a lot in the church. People say things like, “Well, I want to do better at reading my Bible, but I really don’t want to be legalistic about it.”

The other thing I’ve been hearing a lot in the church today is the proclaiming of God’s Grace. Now this is one that I cannot find a lot of criticism. We must proclaim God’s grace and preach the Gospel of Christ to ourselves daily so that we do not fall into legalism. However, sometimes the preaching of grace and the overlooking of God’s law will cause us to fall into the trap of a false view of Christian liberty. The liberal church describes Christian liberty this way: “It is the freedom to do whatever we like because we are not under the law but under grace!”

This morning, read from Revelation 12 and 13 and was struck by a few verses that helped me understand the importance of God’s Law to all Christians and mankind. Towards the end of chapter 12, right after Satan was defeated by Michael and his angels, the text says this about Satan and the Christian Church:

“Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus” (Rev. 12:17).

Satan made war and tempted those who do two things: keep God’s Word and hold fast to the testimony of Jesus. It made me begin to think of just how important it is even today to have God’s Word and Law written on our minds and to be obedient to the Lord while relying on God’s grace.

Lastly, I then read from the Westminister Larger Catechism to give me clarity on God’s Law:

Question 97: What special use is there of the moral law to the regenerate?

Answer: Although they that are regenerate, and believe in Christ, be delivered from the moral law as a covenant of works, so as thereby they are neither justified nor condemned; yet, besides the general uses thereof common to them with all men, it is of special use, to show them: How much they are bound to Christ for his fulfilling it, and enduring the curse thereof in their stead, and for their good; and thereby to provoke them to more thankfulness, and to express the same in their greater care to conform themselves thereunto as the rule of their obedience.

The next question explains that the Law of God is expressed in the 10 Commandments. We are to keep God’s Law today not so that we earn our salvation but to show “more thankfulness.” It is God’s Law that points us to the cross and says, “you can’t keep these commandments without the righteousness of Christ.”

We are not condemned because of what Christ did for us. This is our hope. This is the Gospel, “Christ died for sinners!” It is this hope that causes us to obey His Word daily in all areas of our lives. Instead of saying, “Oh! I don’t want to be legalistic about it” in the near future, I hope we can begin to think of the positive benefits of obeying the Lord. We should be able to say, “Oh how I love thy law! It is my meditation all the day (Psalm 119:97).