The Bible Class

LESSON I. Definition of the Law of God

Questions to Lesson 1^*

A law is a rule of action. It tells us what we must do, and what we must not do. If we had no law, bad men would steal, rob and murder without fear of punishment. So we must have a law. BIC 3.1

A good law shows what is right and what is wrong. But men do not agree about what is right. One man would have the law one way, and another, another way. Each one would desire to have a law to please himself, and no man’s judgment is good enough to make a law that would be just right in everything. But God, our Maker, knows exactly what is right for us to do, and he has made a law that is perfect. David was one of the holy men of old who spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit; [2 Peter 1:21;] and he said, “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.” Psalm 19:7. BIC 3.2

Then God has given us a perfect rule of action-a perfect law; and if we obey it, we shall do just right. A perfect law cannot be made better by altering it; in fact, to alter such a law would make it imperfect. If you alter that which is just right, you make it wrong. A boy writes a word of ten letters on a slate, and spells it perfectly right. Let him rub out or change one letter, and it will be spelled wrong. So if we change one commandment of the perfect law of God, it makes it imperfect. It is no longer the law of God. He has said, My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. Psalm 89:34. He never made a law and afterwards altered it. To say that he has done so is speaking against his wisdom and his truth. He is too wise to make a law that needs altering, and his truth is pledged that he will not do so. BIC 4.1

But he made some laws for man after he had sinned, which were intended to last only till Christ should come and die upon the cross. These never were altered, but their time was out when Jesus died, and they died also. They were given to point sinners forward to the death of Christ for forgiveness, and when he died they could be used no longer. These laws required the killing of animals in sacrifice, which sacrifices were types, emblems or shadows of the death of Christ for sins. If men had not sinned, these laws never would have been made. But the law of God, which is the subject of these lessons, was made for man, before he sinned, and if he had not transgressed it, he would have needed no Saviour to die for him, and, consequently, no sacrifices to point to Christ’s death. BIC 4.2