April 5, 2020
But we know that the law is good, provided one uses it legitimately. 9 We know that the law is not meant for a righteous person, but for the lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinful, for the unholy and irreverent… 1 Timothy 1:8-9a
My mother and I were once at a college football game and as were walking to the concession stand, I noticed that a chain-link fence gate had a padlock on it. What struck me, however, was the fact that anyone could easily just climb over the fence or even the gate and gain access to the fenced off area. I pointed that out to her and she replied: “locks are for honest people.” Such a simple reply to an inquisitive boy made in passing. But, some forty years later, I have never forgotten it.
When we lay that mindset on today’s verses, we can see what Paul was talking about. A padlock on a fence, meant to keep people out, is of no use to the fence jumper except to clearly show that they have broken the intent of it when they jumped the fence thus doing what they were not supposed to do. It serves as a judgement to the fact that what they did was wrong. The law is not for the righteous because it has been fulfilled by Christ. A lock on a gate is only good if one respects it and the law is good, provided one uses it legitimately and the people were not but they were quick to try to teach it to others, pretending that they were. Verse 5 says that “the goal of our instruction is love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith.” As followers of Christ, we need be careful when trying to hold some-one else accountable from the wrong side of the fence…
Pray for those on the Prayer List
Pray for the Mayor
Pray for the Police Dept.
Pray for those who are sick