The Law Is Good

Yesterday I made a case that it's ok to fail big because we do not live in fear that our failures and mistakes will nullify our eternal salvation. Today I want to make a case for following the law, even though it does not lead to eternal salvation. Because eternal salvation (aka "pie in the sky") is not the end goal. The destination is not the prize -- the journey is. Which means the things we do here and now matter. The relationships I nurture or break matter. The decisions I make that succeed or fail matter. The choices I make or fail to make matter. The law was written to give us guidelines for how to navigate those relationships, decisions, and choices in a way that has the most positive, and least negative impact. The pain we feel is real. The joy we experience is real. This journey is important, and we have to do the best we can to make the most of this amazing, unpredictable, magnificent life.

Narrative Lectionary Text: Galatians 3:19-22

Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring would come to whom the promise had been made; and it was ordained through angels by a mediator. Now a mediator involves more than one party; but God is one.

Is the law then opposed to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could make alive, then righteousness would indeed come through the law. But the scripture has imprisoned all things under the power of sin, so that what was promised through faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.