Talk Topic: The Laws of God Are Not in the Fine Print
 

This talk should take about 7 minutes

The Laws of God are Not in the Fine Print

In the days when Jesus walked the earth, the people of Israel had thousands of laws that governed everything from what personal and public relationships they could have to what and how they ate. These laws were proscribed in the written and oral traditions of the time and all of them were said to have come directly from God. As you can well imagine there was a large group of people who explained, mitigated and enforced all of these laws. Today we might call these people lawyers, policemen, and teachers. Back them they were the scribes, Pharisees, and tax collectors.

The leaders of the Israelites believed that these laws were essential to the well being of the nation and discussed and debated them constantly so that they fully understood every nuance and permutation of each law. It was in this spirit that Jesus was asked, “What is the greatest of all the commandments?” His answer, "The first is: to love the Lord thy God with all of thy heart, with all of thy soul, with all of thy mind and with all of thy strength. And the second is like unto it: Love thy neighbor as thyself. There are no commandments greater than these." (Mark 12:30) puts all of Gods laws into perspective. It gives us a measuring stick to judge ourselves and live our lives for the greatest glory of God.

The laws are simple. They are not complicated. All we need to do is honestly and completely love God, and be completely honest and straightforward, and charitable to everyone. Don’t look to God to excuse your behavior. You are responsible for what you do. Think about what you are about to say or what action you are about to take and ask “How does this honor and glorify God?” You are God’s creation and although he wants the best for you, don’t forget you owe him everything. The same is true for everyone else. It is not our duty to regulate other peoples lives, all we are commanded do, is set a good example and let everyone see the benefits of living the word of God.

The Laws of God are not in the details, they are in broad strokes. The Laws of God are made for our benefit. Let’s start with the commandments; they are based on loving God and each other. When we follow them we respect God, each other, and ourselves. This is a powerful combination for creating an atmosphere where life is a blessing. The fact is that all of the Laws of God make life better.

Maybe you find that your co-workers laugh at you for your straight-laced attitudes, and believe that you are “screwed up’ and never have any fun. They’ve got it backward, and don’t have any idea what they are missing. The laws of God bring joy. Every law is a guide for a healthier spiritual, mental, physical, or emotional life. The laws of diet, Sabbath, tithing, and behavior all combine to give you a longer, healthier, happier life.

Dietary laws keep you healthy and in good shape. Just as you must keep you car well maintained to get years of trouble free service from it, you must also keep your body well tuned. A healthy body will have the energy needed to meet all of your needs and wants. This is just one example of how God’s laws will benefit you in all aspects of you life.
The laws of Sabbath and tithing develop your spirit and your mind. They open up channels of communication with the Father. Every effort you make to open yourself to God makes it easier to talk with him and understand him when he speaks. Communication with The Father also improves our ability to communicate with each other. These laws build self-confidence and self-respect. And bring out your ability to express yourself in a large variety of situations. They teach honesty, humility, and social conscience.

I am certain that you have heard someone say, “I don’t have to go to church to worship God. I can worship any time and place that I want.” In one sense they are right. They can worship God on their own, and should, at all times. But this attitude is selfish. They are not sharing their love of God with others, and cannot be strengthened by the love God of others. This is tragic. They are condemned to face their weaknesses by themselves, an almost sure road to unhappiness and disappointment. It is possible to travel the road of life alone and maintain a meaningful relationship with God, but it is so difficult as to be nearly impossible. I don’t recommend it at all. While it is hard to walk the road of life alone it is easy to travel it with company. When you fall there is someone there to pick you up, and you are never lonely. The person who travels alone either believes that he will never stumble, or has the strength to lift him/herself by his/her own bootstraps. This is foolish. The laws of Sabbath create community and strength. They are a true blessing.

Behavioral laws teach us how to regulate our actions so that we can spend our time enjoying the blessings of life. They are a guild so that we do not burden ourselves with unhappiness. The Ten Commandments are easy to follow, even if you can’t remember them in order. All you really need to know it the first two, Love God and love your neighbor. The rest, don’t steal, don’t kill, don’t covet, and their variations are all example of how to help yourselves obey the first two commandments. See, I told you they were easy. If you still can’t remember the details of the commandments just remember this, “LOVE.” If you love honestly you will want the best for everyone, even those who do terrible things. Love will bring peace and happiness to your life.

The Laws of God are not in the details. There is no need to debate the fine points. Each of the laws is simple, it you have to debate that something is legal, remind yourself that the laws are for your benefit, and act accordingly. The Laws are not about what God needs. They are for us. As we follow the Laws we grow stronger, and healthier in every aspect of our lives. And not only do we ourselves benefit but our friends and families also benefit from our actions.

For the rest of this Sabbath day I ask you to think about these three things:

1. The Laws of God are for our benefit.
2. Every one of the Laws of God are based on Love
3. As you live the Laws of God your life will prosper
Oh yes, and don’t forget the Laws of God are not in the Details.