“Thus we all always stand accused by it, Christian or no. You can go and meditate on it as much as you wish.” (Brigitte)
The law ‘always condemns’…I guess that makes sense – in some odd way – since the laws of the land stand to condemn and confirm – always. One could also say the law, depending on one’s view of it – also ‘always confirms’.
My point concerning the law of God (not the law of Moses or men) is that we have a duality in Christianity concerning what the ‘law’ actually meant to Judaism and how we use it.
On one hand, we have King David making praises to the law in his songs/psalms – the same person that stood accused by it for his actions of adultery and betryal (leading to a man’s death – isn’t that 1st degree murder in a way?). Yet, he writes a Psalm about the same law – saying ‘he loves it!’.
The condemnation is just – it’s the law being the law – penalty for one’s actions…this David could turn around after being found guilty by the ‘law’ – paying his price – and still praising it for the glory of the land of Israel (of which he was king – grew under his borders and what have you – damn right’s he was thankful!).
But in our faith we only see some religious aspect of the law – and that’s about it – and we take some of Paul’s reasoning…too far? The law still exists – exactly as predicted by Jesus in Matt 5 – why make that prediction exactly because who cares – the law stands only to condemn us?
But I get it in a way – the law does condemn us – it finds us guilty of our wrong-doings (that’s fair – so does USA and Canadian law – and we should not only be thankful it exists – thankful it allows us freedoms). But even in the guilt-finding there is equality – justice – equal to all…no exemptions (unless you have money – lol) – we come before the law punished equally for similar crimes. IN this sense the law is also ‘good’…as Christians we hate to admit this – but it’s very true.
The law finds us guilty of the things ‘we do’ to others or break in the name of disrupting community. This is good – or else we would not have direction for our lives and our children’s lives as to ‘ethics’. The law may set out the conditions of ‘guilt’ but also the conditions of ‘atonement’ (making right our wrongs against others). I see the good in having and abiding by the ‘law’…yes…as a Christian person!
The law condemns but it also sets out the conditions for which to govern our society, our freedoms, our foundational ethics, etc…how is it the law ‘always condemns’? It doesn’t…it also free’s.
***Comment taken from Old Adam – Brotherly Advice
Loosing My Religion 