Da Word... 240! Law or Faith?

You've got people who want to follow rules and regulations to the T, and then you've got people who are a little more relaxed and applying the law to where it is intended.   There are dangers on both sides.  The former tends to get EXTREMELY uptight, self-righteous, and dogmatic.  The latter tends to line step and potentially use the law only when it is convenient.  And when it's not, simply toss it.  How do faith and law interplay?

17 What I mean is this:  The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise.  18 For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on a promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise.

- Paul (Galatians 3:17,18)

Here, my man Paul is discussing the promise Pops above made and the emergence of the law.  You see, Paul was a rules and regulations to the T person before da Christ knocked him off his horse, literally.  I mean he was one of them dogma followin' uber scholars and in fact hunted followers of the Way (those following the teachings of Christ).  But since his transformation, he became a champion of Christ.  And with that, and understanding of the bigger picture.

Paul, is awesome.  Very clever in his arguments.  Here he makes it painfully obvious that the law could not possibly be the path through which the promised inheritance would come!  It in no way could be the thing that imparted life, or could be a savior.  Why?  Cuz Pops above credited to Abraham righteousness!  And the law, heh heh, didn't appear until 430 years later when Pops gave it to Moses!  See, it was faith.  Why then was the law created?

The law came about to help us from falling off a cliff.  It was given as a guideline.  It was never intended to be the end all be all.  Life is about so much more than the law.  What God was promising was WAY MORE than some laws.  God was promising access to the mystery of life, the splendor of the universe.  But until that time, the law would help us move in that direction.  Paul states that the law was put in place to lead us to Christ. 

And what did Christ teach?  Homie was spittin' love, mercy, and grace.  See, Pops gives us life freely.  There is no way we can earn it.  We can't possibly do enough good things to get the reward.  No.  We're too flawed; there is no freaking way!  So instead, Pops just gives it to us.  And if we decide to head in the direction that Pops is going, we begin upon a journey that will blow our minds!  Focusing on the law only begets self-righteousness.  By instead focusing on loving one another and loving Pops above, we naturally do the things that the law states!  See, if we focus on the big picture, the goal, the community, the relationships,  we don't leave enough room in our minds for the bad stuff to grasp a toehold.  Faith is the key.  Where the law contradicts love and faith, love takes precedence.  Even Christ healed a cripple on the Sabbath (something supposedly against the law).

As iron sharpens iron, love your fellow man.  Seek to uplift.  Use the law as a guide.  Rely on faith. Trust Pops.

G-bless,

   - patrick