Spiritual Laws:
Revisiting Divine Blueprint for Wholesome Living.
Lolu is an active, happy-go-lucky two-year-old. At home in Grandpa and Grandma’s place, Lolu was out on the pavement adjoining the front porch — throwing up and catching his ball. This day, Lolu was left alone with Grandpa who was kept busy running and trying to catch up with him. Suddenly, Lolu ran toward the edge of the pavement, some three feet high and above the street. Lolu’s foot was already in the air, about to step into a void when Grandpa in a twinkling, grabbed his hand and pulled him away from certain danger. It was a big relief for Grandpa that he was right there to stop him.
Two takeaways from this live experience are: 1) Lolu had no sense of danger. Absolutely! He was oblivious to the “Law of gravity.” He needed to be closely watched with a guard put around him. 2) I was reminded it is how our heavenly Father keeps watch over us, and stopping us from falling into the (invisible) mouth of the lion — lying in wait for believers in Christ to go off the track.
Unfortunately, many are falling victim to the cunning devices of the father of lies, and ruler of the kingdom of the air.
Gravity is the overarching law that holds all of us to the earth’s surface. It is constant and unchanging. We ignore it at our peril. So Scientists have developed equations to help us better understand the physical laws of our universe. We are constantly reminded that physical laws established by the Creator are not arbitrary. They serve to stabilize the planet and regulate human societies. They are predictable so we would not be taken off our guard. We have them reduced to as simple a mathematical calculation as 2 + 2 = 4.
Physicist James Overduin of Towson University, Maryland, says “Without gravity, the universe would be “completely flat and featureless.”
And hear this:
Beyond the law of physics, there’s more to what holds the universe together. The same God who established the law of physics also established spiritual laws — a different set of rules to guide human behaviors and relationships 1) to Him as Creator and 2) to fellow humans.
All humans are given instructions in the Bible so we would understand how the spiritual laws operate around us.
Here’s a fact:
The spiritual world is not as tangible as the physical world. The spiritual is hardly in human consciousness because it is invisible, inaudible, and cannot be touched by humans. Nonetheless, the consequences that come with violating spiritual laws are, in the long run, more devastating than the consequences of violating physical laws.
RULE #1: You Reap What You Sow:
The first and perhaps the simplest of the laws, physical and spiritual, is: “You reap what you sow.” This is given expression in our culture and common parlance as “What goes around, comes around” and “Chickens come home to roost.”
The apostle Paul puts it more starkly: “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” (Galatians 6: 7).
One of Job’s friends remarked, “Those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same” (Job 4:8).
Prophet Hosea told the people of Israel,
Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the LORD, till He comes and rains righteousness on you.
Hosea did not fail to tell the people:
You have plowed wickedness; you have reaped iniquity. You have eaten the fruit of lies (Hosea 10: 12–13).
What are they saying to us today? Do you want to reap good things in life?
You need to leave the realm of wishful thinking and begin to sow good seeds. If all that you see in your life are rotten fruits, take a step back and examine the seeds you are sowing. Probably you have been sowing the wrong seeds.
Jesus asks,
Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit. But a bad tree bears bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit (Matthew 7: 16–18).
No amount of prayers and motivational preaching will change your bad fruit to a good one if what you sow is a bad seed.
Quit deceiving yourself, please!
The Psalmist speaks explicitly on the character of God’s instructions in the Bible: Believers live their lives under the rule of God. Living under God’s law means intentionally submitting to God’s will. Jesus taught his disciples to pray to God, the Father, “Your will be done on earth…” Are you praying for His will to be done in your life? To be honest, is His will being done in your life? Are you listening to the voice of God or the voice of your peers?
This is what the Psalmist says about the Law of the LORD:
The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgment of the LORD are true and righteous altogether….(Psalm 19: 7–8 NKJV).
“Moreover, by them, Your servant is warned, And in keeping them there is great reward” (v.11).
This is what happens when you allow the law of the Lord to impact your life: 1) Your soul is refreshed and converted, 2) You are confident the LORD is on your side. You can speak in His wisdom anytime, anywhere and people listening can become wiser thereby, 3) God’s statutes (His instructions embedded in Scripture) sit well with you — giving joy to your heart. It is what happens to a converted soul; 4) His Commandments are seen for what they are — the words of a loving Father to His children — good for you as a member of God’s family.
Taking God’s commands to heart gives you peace and an insight into the meaning of God’s love. Your mind’s eyes are open and your heart receptive to the LORD’s command which in turn, inspires greater commitment and increases your desire to serve Him.
For Your Good.
Moses, as the first prophet to Israel, took time to explain what God wanted and why he gave His laws to the people: He urged the Israelites, “Keep the commandments of the LORD and His statutes which I command you today — for your good.” (Deuteronomy 10: 3).
As His chosen people, God’s laws through Moses laid bare to the Israelites the conditions under which He would be present in their midst. He defined for them the meaning of Righteousness and Sin, highlighting the difference between the two, and their rewards.
Righteousness is living in obedience to the law of the LORD — in right standing and alignment with His will and purposes in creation. Sin, on the other hand, is a transgression of the law (1 John 3:4) and rebellion against the Almighty (Deute 9:7; Joshua 1:18).
It is an act of wisdom and in our interest to obey the LORD’s commands (Deuteronomy 6: 17–18; 7:12–14.). His laws are not burdensome (Matt.11:30, 1 John 5:3, 2 Peter 3:15–16).
God’s laws, both physical and spiritual, are designed to protect humans from the consequences of disobedience and separation from Him, the source of Life.
The book of Romans tells us that through Adam sin entered the world, and so death was passed on to all men because the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23).
The Law — physical and spiritual.
What is a law? The New Oxford American Dictionary defines law as 1) the system of rules that a particular country or community recognizes as regulating the actions of its members and may be enforced at the pain of penalty (State law).
2) a statement of fact deduced from observation, to the effect that a particular natural or scientific phenomenon always occurs if certain conditions are present (Physical law).
3) the body of divine commandments as expressed in the Bible or other religious texts (Spiritual law).
Scripture says “Death is the wages of sin” (Romans 6:23), thus subjecting sinners to the “law of sin and death.” It also says, “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3: 23). So all men are in bondage of sin and death.
The law condemns man to death through sin — making him an enslaved sinner in need of a deliverer.
Prophet Malachi describes God as a refiner’s fire, purging his people like gold and silver, removing their impurities, and bringing them toward perfection (Malachi 3: 2–3). What is more, John 3: 16 proclaims: “God so love the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Jesus, the Son, paid the price!
And so, Paul expressed to the Philippians his burning desire to position himself in Christ, “not having my righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ — the righteousness that comes from God based on faith” (Phil 3: 9). Thus, all believers in Christ are no longer in the domain of the “law of sin and death” but are set free to live and be ruled by the Spirit of Life in Christ.
In other words, the “Law of the spirit of life” in Christ empowers believers to walk in the Spirit — and being led by God’s Spirit — are free from the law of sin and death.
So, brothers and sisters in Christ, enjoy your freedom — forgiveness, healing, deliverance, and victory are generously made available to you in Jesus.
