Alan Dunn

You know the speed limit. You pay your taxes. But do you know the Law of God? Can you recite the Ten Commandments? It is surprising how many professing Christians do not know God’s Law. (See Ex 20:1-17; Deu 5:6-21)

We are concerned that modern notions of sin are often unbiblical. Christianity is thought to offer salvation from psychological, social, domestic, economic, political or mystical needs. But the gospel is good news for Lawbreakers.

If a man is savingly to hear the gospel, he must do so as a sinner. The gospel is the good news of God’s grace for believing sinners. This grace is freely given by God simply because He is Love (I Jn 4:8). His love is demonstrated in His Son who lived a sinless life and died as the sacrifice for sin in behalf of His people (I Jn 4:10). Grace is based upon the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. All who trust in Him, who repent of sin and follow Him, receive the legal benefits of His life, death and resurrection. They have His sinless perfection credited to them so that, in Christ, they are forgiven of sin, made legally right with God, and enabled to live in genuine heart obedience to the will of God.

Our problem is the problem of sin. Sin cannot rightly be understood apart from the Law – “sin is lawlessness” (I Jn 3:4). “I would not have come to know sin except through the Law” (Rom 7:7). The Law informs me that I am a sinner. The Law helps me to see how Jesus is sinless. Once my faith is in Christ, the Law then directs me how to please God, how to walk “uprightly”, how to love God and neighbor, for “love fulfills the Law.” (Rom 13:8-10)

“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Rom 3:23) But we do not think we are nearly as bad as we are. Sin hardens, blinds, deadens. Christianity is a sinner’s religion. If we would be saved, we must see something of the “exceeding sinfulness of sin” (Rom 7:13). Then, as sinners, we are urged to look to Christ who died to save sinners. Will you take the time over the next few weeks to read about the Ten Commandments and see what kind of sinner you are? As you come to see your sin, may you also learn to trust in the sole Savior of sinners: Jesus Christ.

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