Verse by Verse

Kendrick Diaz: 00:01

Hey, everyone. I'm Kendrick Diaz, and this is verse by verse, a short podcast all about exploring the insights and lessons of the inspired word of God. Some who claim to read the Bible and believe what it says hold the assumption that the apostle Paul was awfully critical of god's law. They've been told that, basically, Paul's great contribution to the theology of Christianity was showing how the law was a curse, a burden, and that it's really not necessary to observe it anymore. You can pretty much throw it out.

Kendrick Diaz: 00:34

It's simply not true. In today's episode, we're gonna read a scripture that tells us what he really thought about god's law. In Romans chapter 7 in verse 12, I'm cutting into a thought here. The apostle Paul says, therefore, the law is holy and the commandment holy and just and good. Those three descriptors pretty much prove that Paul esteemed god's law.

Kendrick Diaz: 00:59

So let's go through each of them. Now the first thing he says about god's law is that it's holy. Throughout the bible, this word describes things that are different from the rest, things that are set apart for a special purpose. Now Paul wasn't the only one to recognize the unique nature of god's laws. In fact, 100 of years earlier from when Paul wrote this, the psalmist, who was most likely David, said that god's testimonies gave him more understanding than all his teachers.

Kendrick Diaz: 01:29

That's because the law, god's law, reflects eternal values. Man's laws, on the other hand, they're subject to change and amendments and revisions and even sometimes complete overhauls, and they follow an ever evolving society. But god's laws, on the other hand, are different than that. They're timeless. The next thing he says about god's law is that it's just, or other translations say righteous.

Kendrick Diaz: 01:55

That is the law and commandments define moral excellence. Again, I'll refer to David. In Psalm chapter 19 and verse 7, he said, the law of the lord is perfect, converting the soul. In other words, he's saying it's transformative. Do what it says and it'll change you.

Kendrick Diaz: 02:14

It'll show you what true righteousness looks like. Now for the last word Paul uses to describe the law, he says that it's good. In other words, god's law is for our welfare, for our benefit. Now today, people are so mixed up about what good really is. They don't truly know what's in someone's best interest.

Kendrick Diaz: 02:34

Their idea of good is rooted in their own limited human reasoning, tainted by society, shaped by personal experience. But god knows what is good. He is the authority, and he expresses what is good through his law. So if it doesn't conform to his commandments, then it's not good, regardless of how anyone might justify it in their minds. I wanna tie all these concepts together and leave you with something to think about.

Kendrick Diaz: 03:00

Paul wasn't just describing god's laws here. He was describing god himself. Think about it. God is holy and just and good. So these laws are just a reflection of who he is.

Kendrick Diaz: 03:14

They express his character. And we know that because when Jesus came to earth, he told his followers, if you've seen me, then you've seen the father. And we know Jesus obeyed every single commandment. But on that note, do you know what isn't holy and just and good? Sin.

Kendrick Diaz: 03:33

Sin is unholy, unjust, and evil. The apostle Paul never would have permitted breaking god's law and committing sin because he understood that that would be directly contrary to the character of god. Christians are supposed to strive to emulate god in every way, and that means conforming to the commandments that reflect his holy, just, and good character. See, the law isn't something to be afraid of. Paul never shook his fist at it.

Kendrick Diaz: 04:04

Instead, he invited the Romans and all of us by extension to see the law for what it really is and to be in awe of it. If you wanna learn more about how relevant god's laws are to you, be sure to download our free booklet on the 10 commandments. The link will be in the show notes below.

Kevin Scarbrough: 04:21

Verse by Verse is a companion podcast to the daily bible verse blog, which you can find on the Life, Hope, and Truth Learning Center. Check out the show notes for more.