Certain Qualifications to Understand the Meaning of the Continuing Validity of God's Law Today

In Chapter 1 of Greg Bahnsen's book, "By This Standard: The Authority of God's Law Today", he clarified what he meant by the continuing validity of divine law for contemporary society. He believes that this validity includes socio-political morality as well as the individual and the state. By affirming this, he thinks that the law of God is not contrary, but consistent to general revelation, the order in the entire creation and human conscience. 

His basic assumption is that Christians are still under obligation to obey Old Testament laws unless the New Testament indicates otherwise. And concerning particular Old Testament laws inapplicable to us, it is not us that will determine them, but the New Testament. So in order to clarify this matter, Banhsen identifies eight necessary qualifications:

1.  Localized imperatives (command to go to war and occupy Palestine), cultural details (flying sickle blade),  administrative details (manner of tax collection, form of government, location of capitol), typological foreshadows (ceremonial laws, provisions regarding the land of promise such as family plots andlocation of cities of refuge), and other discontinuities are recognized. 

2. Exegesis of Old Testament laws and its application for today is not an easy task. Abuses exist and interpretations and applications vary.

3. This position should not to be mistaken as teaching salvation by obedience to the law, not to be mistaken as teaching that the law has power in itself to provide us to keep it, and not to be mistaken as an advocacy for external obedience to the law.

4. This position does not also promote the imposition of God's law by force to advance the kingdom of God for it does not show us the method for political change. Rather, the concern is the standard of political justice. 

5. Civil rulers are not under obligation to implement the entire law of God, but only those laws with social sanctions for not all sins (matters of private conscience and personal holiness) are crimes. 

6.  This position is opposed to mindless submission to authority and it recognizes the need for socio-political reform as part of church's reformational responsibilities. It is contrary to the use of sword, violence or revolution for socio-political change. 

7. By holding this position, Bahnsen does not emphasize political ethics and cultural mandate at the expense of personal ethics and evangelistic mandate. He does not undermine the Great Commission as the way to advance the kingdom of God. He upholds that the way to advance the kingdom is by preaching and nurture in the Word and by the power of the Holy Spirit.

8. And finally, Bahnsen recognizes that this position is simply one aspect of Christian theology and ethics. It is not the totality of Christian ethics. Motivational and consequential aspects are not included, but the normative aspect, the question of standard. 

Are you happy?

The first part of Psalms 1:1 says, "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked..." 

We need to clarify two words in this specific portion of God's word. These words are "blessed" and "wicked". 

Blessed in Hebrew is " 'esher ", which is more known as "happiness". The word "wicked" on the other hand is " rasha` " in Hebrew which connotes "hostility towards God". 

All people want happiness, but not all people are happy. Why is it then that despite people want happiness they are unhappy? I think it is because in our search for happiness, we disregard the "law of God". 

Most people have a distorted understanding of happiness. They think happiness can be obtained without regard for the law of God. They think the path to happiness is by following their own wishes and desires, their own laws.

Most people think that money, power, fame, pleasures, and forbidden relationship can make them happy. To obtain them, they resort to all kinds of means without regard for what is right and wrong. The result is that for a time, these people may appear happy for indulging themselves in sins and gratifying their lusts, but in the long run, they feel miserable, unhappy, and empty. 

Hostility towards God is the primary root of human unhappiness and misery. Such hostility is expressed in diverse ways. The most popular expression of this hostility in our time is the denial of God's existence.

A happy person is someone who makes it his duty to meditate the law of the Lord day and night. This is tough for our natural inclination is to continually depart from the law of God and so the path of happiness is not within our reach. 

We need the grace of God to annihilate that spirit of hostility towards Him and our inclination to depart from Him. We need the grace of God to create in us a new heart that delights in the diligent study of the law of God. This is the only way I know to live a happy life.