Those who who know God well enough know Him to be extremely tough on crime… tougher than any other authority in the Universe. God is not an old-n-slow, soft-hearted sentimentalist. On the Day of Judgment, in the blink of an eye, He will consign every unrepentant sinner to hell. God is holy and commands mankind to be holy! The Universe, everything animate and inanimate, belongs to Him. The matter of holiness must be taken seriously. or else!

Through Moses at Mt. Sinai, God handed down to the 2.5 million assembled Israelites 613 commands and regulations comprising of 248 do’s and 365 don’ts … all aimed at the promotion and function of godliness and holiness… for the well-being of His chosen people. The Israelites were to showcase their living God of holiness to the pagan nations of the world through their righteous living. Exiting Egypt after many, many years of slavery under pagan dominance the Israelites were not a righteous and holy people. However, in the power of the Holy Spirit and through obedience to the commands and regulations of God they would be molded and fashioned into the likeness of their holy God.

It may surprise you to know that life for New Testament believers is more demanding than for those who once lived according to the demands of the Old Testament. In the New Testament, there are in excess of 1,100 laws and regulations of do’s and don’ts to observe. In the Old Testament, for example, the act of adultery is a heinous crime… punishable by death. However, under the New Testament, Jesus declared, “anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matt. 5:27, 28). Jesus also said, “… if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell” (Matt. 5:22). Alas, the demands of New Testament living are far from being a cruisy stroll in the park!

As a consequence of the world’s rejection of God as their righteous and moral compass, mankind has strayed along paths of self-righteousness and worldliness… thinking, saying, and doing whatever seems right in their eyes. Parents in the home have gone soft on crime, teachers in schools have gone soft on crime, governments have gone soft on crime, and the judiciary has gone soft on crime. So where right now is the bulk of mankind? Mankind is in peril…spiralling down, deeper and deeper in the dark abys of rack and ruin!

Friends, we need to see that righteous laws and regulations are for OUR benefit. They are like carefully positioned railway lines… essential to the safe and secure facilitation of train-travel along the many and varied twists and turns through our dark, dangerous, devilish world.

Through His address to the church at Laodicea, Jesus says to you and me today, ”I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference” (Rev. 3:19). How do I feel about God being a firm disciplinarian? Friends, I am someone who openly welcomes God’s discipline as His discipline reminds me that I am His child and that He loves me with a love that keeps me safe, where I want to be. I’m glad that my God is fierce on crime!

(Concluding Part 4 next week.)

Best wishes
Bill