I witnessed a tiny piece of history today. I heard a lot of banging in my workspace which is in the basement of our college library. I found students carrying microfiche machines to the dumpster. It is the end of an era. For decades we have used microfiche machines to retrieve data from old newspapers and other documents. Now that everything is digitized and on computers, microfiche machines are merely dust collectors. They have gone the way of typewriters, of which some of my college students have never used!
Recently I had a student try to convince me that God’s law had become a dust collector and only had historical value. His logic went something like this. Because Jesus died on the cross and we are now saved by grace the law lost its purpose. He was partially correct. Jesus did die for us and we are saved by grace. And while the purpose of the law was often misconstrued by some as a means of salvation, the real purpose of the law has been eternal. It is a fence. It protects us from the fruit of stupid behavior. If I lie about someone I am setting myself up for lies to be told about me or a libel suit. Each of the commandments protects us from disastrous reprisals by others plus the deterioration of our own characters.
The very idea that God’s law is a dust collector and a relic from the past displays a tremendous lack of understanding. God’s law is based on the two principles that are the ultimate standard for daily living. A prescription for happiness is to enjoy the gift of salvation while keeping God’s law. If you do you will never be sorry.
Written by Roger Bothwell on October 8, 2010
Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574
Rogerbothwell.org