The Law

I have been learning/thinking about the Law. Much of this comes from my discussions with Josh Proctor, with whom I am going through the LifeBuilders Curriculum. It also has some parts thrown in from BSF, Acts of the Apostles.

First, for purpose of this monologue, let's make a distinction between two different kinds of law.

The Law is the ten commandments. These laws where given to the Israelites by God to make them (and us) aware of sin. See Romans 7:7. This was, estentially, a standard of behavior that one could never measure up to.

The law, small case, is a standard of behavior. These standards are imposed on us from all kinds of different sources; our parents, the church, school, friends, government, and ourselves.

Prior to Jesus's birth, death, burial, and resurrection, all men lived by the standards of the Law (read Romans 1:18 - 3:31). If one did not meet the standards set forth in the law (sin), one (a Jew) had to offer a sacrifice to cover their sin before God. These sacrifices, by the way, did not clear one's conscience (Hebrews 9:9).

So, before I became a Christian at age seven, I lived according the the standards imposed upon me by my parents, school, and church.