law that leads to redemption

Text: Exodus 20:1-26, Romans 7:7-25

There’s a long list of phrases my mom always said that I promised myself I would never say should I become a parent.

“If ‘so and so’ asked you to jump off a bridge, would you?”

“Just wait until your father gets home!”

And the worst of the worst:

“Because I said so!”

That always felt like such a copout. I vowed that I’d have a more concrete reason for what I’m sure my kids feel are silly rules for our household. Because I like to think that our house rules, much like the Ten Commandments as given to Moses by God in Exodus, are rules that have an invaluable purpose.

As Paul explains in Romans, the Commandments are a perfect expression of God’s will for His children. There’s no guesswork. Simply put, we can’t be trusted to figure out what is best for ourselves; our very human nature prevents it. We just don’t have what it takes. And like Paul admits, we have this uncanny ability to dress up the things we shouldn’t do and make them look like things we should do.

Enter my mind for a moment:
“Wanting designer skinny jeans like my girlfriend has just motivates me to work harder. And really, if I put in some extra time working hard on a Sunday, it just gets me closer to that pair of skinny jeans. Me talking to our other girlfriend about how much our friend paid for those jeans?  We’re both Christians, so in a way, it’s just a form of fellowship!”

Yes, sin will get the best of us. Even with rules in place (and most certainly without rules in place), no one can defeat it.

Except for one.

Jesus.

He overcomes every broken commandment. Those we broke as children. Those we broke as adults. Those we have yet to break as participants in this fallen world.

Jesus is greater.

Because if God asked Him to hang on a cross, He would.
Because He can’t wait until we get home to our Father.
Because God said so.