via TJC
"sin is lawlessness"
1 John 3:4 ESV
There are some weird laws on the books across America. Many seem ridiculous; others seemingly unnecessary. For example, it is illegal to throw urine out of your car in Oregon. Of course you shouldn’t be chucking pee out your window while driving down the interstate. I would assume that went without saying. So why make it a law then? Well, because it is in our nature to make excuses. You see, our default setting as humans is disorder. We behave impulsively, doing what feels good in the moment. Even with volumes of laws that spell out every stupid little thing to avoid doing, there are still those among us who toss urine out the window and then say, “You never told me that I couldn’t.” In His infinite wisdom, God knew we would be full of excuses. Without exception, every one of us has felt justified in making what later became obvious was a bonehead decision. He knew we would need His expectations spelled out for us. So, He did.
The Bible catalogs the very nature of God. It is His desire that we reflect and imitate Him in all we do. Behaving in ways that are contrary to God’s nature is called sin. The Bible makes it clear, we were given God’s law so we would be without excuse (Rom 3:19-20). Even with the rulebook, God knew we would utterly fail at such a lofty task as imitating His perfect character. So then, God’s law was also given to us to make our need for help clear (Gal 3:19-22). We are unable to govern ourselves; our standards are too low. We need God’s divine assistance to bridge the chasm between our best efforts and his standard of excellence. We need Jesus. Without Him, we are doomed to a life of chaos and lawlessness.
Daily Battle Order:
Reflect on what the Bible says about sin being lawlessness. Consider times in your life when things have seemed chaotic. Think about excuses you have made to justify what was obviously sin. Be honest about who’s standards you’ve been judging yourself by. Realize you cannot meet God’s standards without God’s help. Confess your need for a savior. Pray for more of Jesus in your life; that everyday people would see more of him and less of you.
Really good picture of how the law helps me to see my need for help meeting Gods standard (that feels ridiculous if I'm trying to meet it on my own). Too many people are focused on the law and not the savior. Meeting the standard is simple with Him. Then just doing my best to live in a way that points people to him can be a pleasure and burden.