Employ the Immutable Law

February 9

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law," Galatians 5:22, 23.

Law. What would the world be without it! Man requires perimeters to remind him of the borders of propriety that he must not transgress. Even though he has an ‘inner compass’ that points him in the direction of right living, he has the proclivity to transgress his inborn indicator, so external restrictions are required.

Governments are replete with minutia—legislation that applies to every avenue of life, to every area of involvement of not only man’s interaction with other men but with the intents of a man’s mind and heart.

God’s scribes, the (approximately 40) authors of the Bible, appeared able to peek into the future to see our time. In so doing, they seemed to recognize an age when laws would be so restrictive they would virtually bind men’s hands.

And they were wise enough to see that even in an age such as ours, certain things could not be legislated away. If we indeed have the Christ as our Savior and Lord, we will abide by the law He fulfilled in our behalf. We will adhere ourselves to His immutable law of love.

We will love our enemies, Matthew 5:43.

We will have the joy of praying for those who despitefully use us, Luke 6:28.

We will abide in His peace that passes understanding, Philippians 4:7.

We will evidence the long-suffering of the Lord which is described in II Peter 3:8 which says, “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: with the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead He is patient, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

We will gently lead by our example as the Lord gently leads us as a shepherd does his flock, Isaiah 40:11.

As His goodness and mercy follow us all the days of our lives, Psalm 23:6, so will our goodness and mercy be extended even to those who disdain our kindness.

Our faith will be that of a grain of mustard seed, which can speak to mountains and remove them, Matthew 17:20.

As His meekness makes us great, Psalm 18:35, so may our meekness lift up those whose lives touch ours.

And Philippians 4:5 assures us that our temperance will be known to all men.

As we employ the immutable law that Jesus fulfills in us, no law of man can cause us to transgress in any way. No law of man can deny us the fruit of the Spirit which is the embodiment of “Christ in us, the hope of glory,” Colossians 1:27.