Legislating Morality

Recently challenged by a brother in Christ about legislating morality I began to question if this was something God desires His people to do. Would God really have us hold unbelievers accountable to the ten commandments and other sins that God hates? Or were the ten commandments and other laws against sin just intended for those who are Jews and Christians?

How do we know what sin is even? If we did not have a law set before us, would we know something to be a sin? Most people would say that we realize what sin is even at an early age. Is it because naturally we know what sin is? I highly doubt that since the Bible says that our nature is sinful. Could it be that the parent of the child teaches them a law against sin? Most parents tell their child, "Do not lie to me! You are getting a punishment now." This is the enforcement and explanation of a law.

If we did not have laws then we would not know what sin is. By this very reason unless we form laws against certain things that our culture believes to be fine, like homosexuality or divorcing someone for any given reason, the people sinning will believe themselves sinless. They will believe themselves innocent and not in need of a Savior.

Law shows us our sin. Sin shows us that we are evil and imperfect in and of ourselves. This realization leads us to desire something to make us righteous and perfect. Eventually we learn that something is a someone named Jesus Christ. By giving our lives over to Christ and daily following after Him we leave behind sin and take on righteousness. Christ makes us good instead of evil.

But we can never find Christ unless we understand that we have sinned. Take the story of the young rich man for example. Matthew 9:16-22,

" Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?" "Why do you ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments."

"Which ones?" the man inquired. Jesus replied, " 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, 19honor your father and mother,' and 'love your neighbor as yourself.'"

"All these I have kept," the young man said. "What do I still lack?" Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

22When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth."

At first this young man is very confused. He has lived his whole life believing he was completely obeying the ten commandments. But when He saw Christ preaching the young man realized he lacked something and that something was eternal life. He then questions Jesus how to find it. Do you notice how the young man says he has kept those commandments Jesus mentions? But then Jesus point out how the rich young man's wealth had become his idol. Because Jesus asked him to sell it all and then come follow after Him. The young man then understand his sin and was very sad.

Without a law to help you to understand what sin is, how can you be repentant? How can Christ transform you or show you His need for you if you believe you are not living in sin? You cannot! Paul was of the same mind when he wrote Romans 7:7-13,

"What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, "Do not covet." But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from law, sin is dead. Once I was alive apart from law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death.

For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good. Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! But in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it produced death in me through what was good, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful."

The law was made in order that sin might be recognized as sin. Then it produces death in a person, which then produces life when they accept Christ. Its a process that is beautiful when completed. The path in which leads us to Christ is at first quite ugly and painful. But after dying because we sin we find real life in Christ. Then our lives become beautiful and full of hope.

We need to stand for laws that show homosexuality for what it is; a sin that God hates. We know to pass laws against divorcing for any reason a person prefers. We need to pass laws against every sin in the hopes that people will see that they are sinful and repent. This is a love that protects as mentioned in 1 Corinthians 13. Mainly because it protects one from sin and eternal damnation because it opens their eyes to their flesh.

Let us be wise and stand up for what is righteous in our nation! We need to legislate morality.