Question: Who must obey the Law of God?

Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. Romans 3.19

Believers in Jesus Christ understand that they must learn to live as those who expect to be judged by the perfect Law of God, which is the Law that liberates us from the death grip of sin (Jms. 2.12). A day of judgment is coming when all people on earth will be judged by their works, as Jesus explained (Jn. 5.25-29). On that day all human beings will be judged by God as to whether their works were good. Until that day, the whole world is accountable to God for their works. Such judgment implies a fixed and knowable standard of goodness, available to all human beings.

In order to aid all people toward eternal life with Him, God has written the works of His Law on the hearts of all people, and provided them with a conscience to pique and confirm them in their moral choices (Rom. 2.14, 15). Soon enough we learn that we are incapable of living up even to our own standards, much less to the holy and righteous and good standards of the commandments of God (Rom. 7.12). Those who desire life receive such instruction and begin seeking a way out of condemnation, which way is only available through our Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 3).

In order to aid desperate sinners in finding salvation and righteousness in Jesus Christ, God sends His people into the world to live and teach His Word (Law) and to proclaim the Good News of Christ and His Kingdom (Mic. 4.1-8; Acts 1.8). We should include the Law in the proclamation of the Gospel, so that it might do its work of convicting men of their transgressions, so that they may gladly flee to Christ for relief and redemption (Gal. 3.19-22).

Salvation is obtained through obeying the Law of God, for no human being save One has ever obeyed or ever will obey the Law perfectly. In Jesus all who believe are saved and empowered by God’s Spirit for more perfect obedience of the Law (Phil. 2.13; Eph. 3.20). Apart from Jesus obedience is only partial and, though required of all men, by none is it capable of being fulfilled, and no obedience to the Law of God, however genuine and sincere, results in salvation or righteousness.

God judges the rebellion of human beings who, knowing Him and themselves as His creatures, nonetheless turn from seeking Him and obedience to His ways to become gods and laws unto themselves. Reluctantly, God pours out His wrath on all who turn away from Him and His Law, giving them up to deeper degradations and miseries of sin, resulting in death; nevertheless, through all their fleeing and rebelling, God ever strives with them by His Spirit to woo them back to Him by grace through faith (Rom. 1.18-32; Gen. 6.3).

Because God desires all people to know Him and the way of life He has provided in His Law (2 Pet. 3.9).

T. M. Moore

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