On Liberty

Just as there are the various laws of science, there are divine laws which are just as forceful and binding. There are several types of laws: (1) civil, (2) common, (3) religious, and (4) scientific. If scientific laws are regarded as divine law, then there are three types. For instance Newton's Second Law of Motion boils down to either natural or divine.

"Natural law" is based on the idea of fairness passed down by virtue of human nature, or divine will. Christians believe that natural and religious laws are the same. In fact, in all societies, civil law is based on religious law. There have been no great societies without religion, therefore, civil law, natural law, and religious law take on the same look because their geneses are the same. Unknowingly, even in evil empires, the law comes from religious institutions. For instance, National Socialism is derived from mythology, Christianity, and theosophy. Throw in a pinch of brutality and hatred, stir vigorously for a few years, and presto - Nazism was born. Nazism is based on religious laws, albeit the Christian part is leaving out the Christ.

"Scientific law" is always named as a law, it's field, and it's discoverer. Being a law, those laws cannot be attributed to the scientist. Those wise persons merely made an observation, tested it, and wrote it down. Let's look at the Newton's Second Law of Motion. Being a law, it is a system of rules which regulate behavior. Scientific laws always apply given the same conditions. Of course, the Big Bang Theory, was developed from the laws of physics but because the system behaved in a non-scientific way, the laws of physics were discarded for that belief, and only for that time. Ignoring the laws of physics - God's law of how things work, is excused by proclaiming a discontinuity - laws always apply except for this one time. Not realizing it, scientist legitimatized miracles. They subscribe the creation to a miracle, then fail to mention Who caused the miracle - the suspension of scientific law.

In scripture are various laws. Some are called out by name, and others are proclaimed. For instance, God used His law of relativity to create everything. Later on, Einstein put the pieces together, and credit him with giving credit where it was due. Although, not religious, Einstein said it all started with God. That does not make him a religious person, but one who recognized truth. Indeed, God took energy and turned it into mass, doing it in a his own time. E=mc² describes God's miracle, for indeed the creation was His first recorded miracle!

Note that the mass which God created came from a vast quantity of energy expended over an extremely short time. This "theory of relativity" is more so "God's Law of Creation". It takes care of the problem of time because for God, time is meaningless. It appears that God merely willed it, and nothing was turned into everything. His own energy created it, since it had to come from somewhere.

Another of God's Laws is unwritten: God gave of himself for us. That explains his energy loss to create. Jesus spoke of this phenomenon:

Luke 8:46 And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me.

That "virtue" is dunamis in the Greek - miraculous power. Imagine that if Jesus felt healing power being lost from his person, how much greater would have the creating power lost to create the universe and everything in it. Therefore, God gave himself for us - God's First Law of Creation. Essentially, everything must come from something or somebody. Life and its support mechanisms emanated from God Himself. I call this the First Law of God, an act of grace. He so loved the world because he created it. The creation is the source of love because God gave part of himself for us. To deny His creational abilities, is to reject God's love.

Then there are other laws: (1) The Law of God (of Christ), (2) the Law of Sin (and Death), (3) the Law of Faith,  (4) the Law of Liberty, (5) the Law of Righteousness, (6) the Law of the Spirit and Life, and added to those the many (7) Laws of Moses.

The Laws of God are ten-fold.  His commandments were forever:

Psalm 111:7 The works of his hands are verity and judgment; all his commandments are sure. 8 They stand fast for ever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness.

This song refers to the tablets of stone - "the works of his hands". They are "for ever and ever". Why did God write them on stone? Because they are His eternal Laws. Consequently, God's Laws are immutable. That's why they are laws! Unlike, the dumbfounded scientists who came up with a "discontinuity", God's Law have no such silliness - they stand forever.

Other Laws were for the times. After writing the Ten Commandments on stone, God proclaimed many "judgments". (Exodus 21).  God knew what would soon come up, and before people sued for decisions, God decided for them.

The first five books of the Hebrew Bible are referred to as the Pentateuch - and are the Law of Moses. Most of those "laws" are amplified in Deuteronomy and Leviticus, and are more "the sayings of Moses".  The Law of God ( the Ten Commandments) is included in Mosaic Law but Moses sayings are really not laws, but regulations. Jesus did not come to do away with the Law but fulfill it.

Matthew 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

Jesus reinforces the eternal nature of the Law. He wasn't speaking of Mosaic Law, but God's Law - the Ten Commandments, which commands are made up of loving God (1-4) and loving others (5-10). Indeed, Jesus is love, and he fulfills that commandment. His commands are the "how to" - The Greatest Commandment (love God) and the one like unto it (love others).

Galatians 5:14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

The Word in the flesh -  Jesus, fulfilled the Law with one Word - love! Righteousness was no longer about doing things but feeling things - love replaced obedience, yet obedience went from the work of duty to the joy of love. It went from a burden to an honor. We went from slaves to freedom in that we became free to either obey or not to obey, but never the freedom not to love!

We have been liberated from the Law of Moses, but not from the Law of God. The Law of Liberty is this:

James 1:25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

The attitude of people change. Rather than "have to" the perfect law of liberty is "get to". These are things relative to the regulations of Moses. I no longer am prohibited from piercings and tattoos - my bondage to the regulations are done away with. However, as a changed person, I know longer want to. My desire has changed.

We no longer are hung up on eating meats sacrificed to idols, but the Jews are. We don't partake of the meat, not because we must obey, but so that we aren't a stumbling-block to the Jews. Essentially, that is loving others because we don't want them to fail because of our own beliefs.

As for alcoholic drinks, I am free to drink all that I want short of drunkenness. However, I don't drink, not because it will damn me, but because I have lost the desire! Face it - alcoholic beverages are not Jesus Juice but the devil's brew. I spit in Satan's eye as I declare that I have no need for his drink. He delights in those who abstain because of obligation, but cringes when one loves to abstain.

It's not what enters the mouth but the importance of what we put into it. It's not how we mutilate our skin but the degree we self-indulge - doing what is right in our own eyes. These laws are still God's will but not if they enslave us. I find that it is not cumbersome to do the will of God. I don't do them so that I don't encumber myself!

The devil never makes us do anything! He gets way too much credit for a weak angel. He just created the Law of Sin and Death, and sat back and watched as mankind does his will without much instigation. The devil doesn't even tempt us. It's the things we pleasure which does. Satan just makes pleasure low-hanging and beautiful fruit. He's not even in the tree when we eat of the fruit. He sits comfortably on the sidelines as we do what we want to do! That is the Law of Sin: We do what we want to do, not what God wills that we do. It's not even Satan's Law of Sin because he didn't invent it. God did. That Law is a test for mankind. It separates people into two groups: those who love God and those who don't. Not following the Law of Sin is how we demonstrate to God that we love him, but we must choose freely.

It's great to know that I can leave here and not have to sacrifice animals for my sins. I can be forgiven by merely being sorry. Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice, once and for all our sins, and now since I'm no longer in bondage, I'm set free to sin if that is what I want. As a new creature, thank God, my wants have changed. The Holy Spirit did that when he entered me. He doesn't feel comfortable co-habituating with sin, so he removed sin from my life.