Sin has caused today’s evils. But soon Jesus will return and obedience to His laws will bring peace. Part 7 of the “Has God’s Law Been ‘Done Away’?” series.
From the time of Adam and Eve, mankind has chosen to disobey God. And today’s world has continued its downward spiral into lawlessness. This world has embarked on a path away from God as it tries to put the Creator totally out of the picture.
But the time is coming when God is going to put Himself definitely in the picture. And when He does, His law eventually will be the standard for everyone.
Sadly, before that happens, troubled days lie ahead. Jesus Christ said, “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened” (Matthew 24:21-22).
How could this world deteriorate to the point that human survival is at risk?
A choice
Centuries ago, God gave ancient Israel a choice. He told them, “I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore chose life, that both you and your descendants may live” (Deuteronomy 30:19).
To receive those blessings, He told them that they would have to “walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply” (Deuteronomy 30:16). If they did that—if they kept God’s commandments—His law—they would choose life.
But if they chose not to obey Him, if they chose not to “observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you. Cursed shall you be in the city, and cursed shall you be in the country” (Deuteronomy 28:15-16). That is, they had to obey His commandments—His law.
Since God does not show partiality (Acts 10:34), He will hold out this same option to all mankind. He made this same basic offer to Adam and Eve when He gave them the choice between the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil—the tree of death (Genesis 2:9, 16-17). And just as Adam and Eve chose death, so have their descendants ever since. This kind of lawlessness can only lead to devastation and destruction.
Most of humanity has refused to follow God’s commandments. As a result, Romans 2:12 explains, thinking themselves to be without law, they will “perish without law,” while those who live with respect to the law of God will be “judged by the law,” by how they kept the law. The next verse clearly explains that “not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified.”
However, because most of humanity has refused to obey God’s law, it is no wonder that this world will come to the point of almost utter destruction, facing “wars and rumors of wars,” famine, disease, earthquakes and much more (Matthew 24:6-7).
But at the darkest point of these terrifying events, “then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other” (Matthew 24:30-31).
Just administration of God’s law
Once Christ has set His foot on this earth, everything will begin to change. He will establish His rule as “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS” (Revelation 19:16), and “righteousness and justice [will be] the foundation of [His] throne” (Psalm 89:14).
At last, peace will be the rule of the day—a peace that will be brought about by the just administration of God’s law.
In that day, teachers of God’s law will no longer be sidelined, but people “shall hear a word behind [them], saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left” (Isaiah 30:21).
Those who teach God’s law will be visible, honored and listened to. God’s law will be administered in a loving, caring way for everyone’s benefit. From Jerusalem, those teachers will take “the law” to all the nations (Micah 4:3).
Today more than ever, we need to earnestly pray, as Christ instructed, “Your kingdom come” (Matthew 6:10)
This is the seventh article in a seven part series on God's law. For the other articles in this series, see:
This article series covered many basic, introductory points on why Christians should strive to keep the law of God today. Read the following sections of Life, Hope & Truth for further information on why and how a Christian is to keep God’s law:
