God’s Moral Law
God’s moral law is the totality of his timeless and universal commandments and principles for living. Its nature is the reflection of God’s goodness. The law may be summed up as “Do Good.”
The qualifiers “timeless” and “universal” are included to avoid confusion with commandments God gave that were limited to particular people, at particular times, to serve a particular purpose. For instance, as part of the Mosaic Law, God forbade the Israelites from eating the fat of oxen, sheep, and goats:
The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, You shall eat no fat, of ox or sheep or goat.” (Leviticus 7:22–23)
This commandment applied only to the Israelites during the time of the Mosaic Law. After the Mosaic Law was fulfilled and abolished by the work of Christ, the Israelites were free to eat fat. The Law itself had been abolished and there was no timeless or universal conflict between eating fat and God’s moral code and principles.
Even the Ten Commandments, as part of the Mosaic Law, were abolished when the Mosaic Law was abolished. But, the Israelites weren’t then free to worship false gods, make idols, take the Lord’s name in vain, disrespect their parents, murder, commit adultery, steal, bear false witness or covet. Nor are we free to do those things.
Rather, all but the fourth commandment–Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy– (Exodus 20:8) are also part of God’s timeless and universal moral law. Though the Mosaic Law was abolished, the prohibitions remain in effect as part of God’s moral law. We are prohibited from engaging in such evil things even if the Bible doesn’t have a specific commandment prohibiting them because they violate God’s moral principles.
Saying God’s law includes his commandments and principles for living recognizes the above truth that his law is more than a list of rules. It’s gracious of God to spell certain commandments out for us, but the absence of a specific commandment doesn’t relieve us of the obligation to honor God’s principles in all things. We’re required not only to obey specific commandments, but also to incline our hearts toward him and his moral principles.
Some commandments tell us to do good in a specific way: bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you (Luke 6:28). Others command us to avoid specific evils: Do not speak evil against one another… (James 4:11a). Either way, specific commandments simply reflect God’s principles–they aren’t the sum of the law. Both Luke 6:28 and James 4:11a reflect the principle of love. When you follow God’s principle of love you do good.
Why has God given us his moral law? What’s its purpose? As a necessary reflection of his goodness, it requires no other reason for being, no other necessary “purpose”–it just is. The effectual purposes are glorifying God by reflecting his goodness, revealing our need for a savior because of our inability to be pure before a Holy God, and leading us to fullness of life.
Though the first two purposes are self-evident, many Christians fail to understand and accept the third, to lead man to fullness of life. It seems counter-intuitive. Like the Secular Humanists, they think of God’s laws as a restriction, holding them back from seeking pleasure. Recall that the Secular Humanists see ultimate fulfillment, the “good life,” as the life free of moral restraints, unsatisfied wants, and unfilled needs.
Paradoxically the life most fulfilled is the one most faithfully following God’s law. Following the command to do good, not evil, is the path to freedom and joy; doing evil is the path to slavery and sorrow (Rom. 8:6, 14-15). The Apostle Paul didn’t say “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,” (Ephesians 5:18) to deprive people of the joy of intoxication. Rather it was because drunkenness leads to a life of darkness and sorrow, whereas being filled with the Holy Spirit (letting the Holy Spirit direct your life), leads to a life of light and joy. The same can be said of God’s moral law in it’s entirety; it’s all to our benefit.