The Bible Is Not a Religious Book, It's a Law Book
Dr RJ Sing, 32 min
Originally preached as “God's Kingdom Laws: Transform Your Life Today!”
Sermon outline
The Bible is the law book of the kingdom of heaven, and God's goal has always been to write His laws on our hearts so that living His way becomes natural to us.
Main text
- Matthew 4:17
- Matthew 4:23
- Matthew 6:33
Opening
He picks up his teaching series on the Kingdom of God, reminding listeners that earlier lessons covered territory, kingship and other parts of the kingdom, and that most of us have focused on church rather than the kingdom. He rereads Matthew 4:17, 4:23 and 6:33, and at the end names this lesson Part 5, Session 2 of understanding the kingdom concept of law, following on from Session 1.
Laws are built into every fabric of creation
Everything in the natural realm works by inherent principles, and the same is true of the spiritual realm. Like any government, the kingdom of heaven has laws to protect it and make sure it runs according to God's intent and plan, and those laws were in place long before the first human beings arrived.
“The Kingdom of Heaven is like any other government, in the sense that it has laws to protect it, and assure that it operates according to God's intention and God's plan.”
- Matthew 6:33
Don't challenge the Manufacturer
Job, in his pain, tried to tell God how things should be run, and God answered by asking whether he knew the laws of the heavens. God wants to adjust our thinking so we think like Him. It is foolish to challenge His laws, and laws carry their own built-in penalty when broken.
Illustration: A car with a petrol engine will only run on the fuel it was designed for, however much you wish otherwise; and stepping out of a second-storey window will not defy the law of gravity.
“It does no good for a product to challenge the manufacturer.”
- Job 38:1-5
- Job 38:33
The King's word is law in His kingdom
When the King's word is written down it is a testament, and when it is spoken it is a commandment. Moses told the people all the Lord's words and laws, they agreed to do them, and Moses wrote them down.
“Remember, the king's word is law in his kingdom.”
- Exodus 24:3-4
What is law? Torah and nomos
Torah means law, direction and instruction. The Greek nomos gives us the word 'norm': whatever a society gets used to becomes normal, then expected, and in practice becomes law. That process is dangerous because a society can end up normalising evil, and he names issues in Western culture as examples. God's laws protect the whole community, because sin always has a ripple effect beyond the person involved. For citizens of the kingdom, the Bible is the decreed law we are pledged to obey.
Illustration: The sin of one man, Achan, brought defeat on all Israel at Ai, and victory came only after his sin was dealt with.
“It is a mistake to think of the Bible as a religious book.”
- Joshua 7
- Joshua 8
Ethos: God's laws were meant to be customary
Ethos means custom, the unwritten laws that often shape behaviour more than laws on the books. It should be customary for us not to lie, steal or covet, and to forgive and love. God never meant to write His laws down: there was no written law in Eden or for Abraham. Rebellion made written law necessary, but His goal never changed, and it is fulfilled in the new covenant, where He writes His laws on our hearts.
“The king of heaven's intention was to write his laws on our hearts and in our minds so that no one would have to teach us.”
- Jeremiah 31:33
Natural law versus written law
First, written law is only needed when natural law is absent. Second, written law exists to restore natural law to the conscience. Third, natural law is the spirit of the law, the original intent of the lawmaker, which is always higher and broader than the letter. Laws produce society, and bad laws do not cause a nation's decline but mirror a decline already underway, so kingdom citizens must regain the spirit of the law.
Illustration: God never had to command Adam to be generous, because giving was natural to him, made in the image of a generous God. Only after the rebellion did mankind need a law to restore the concept of giving.
“Written law is necessary only when natural law is absent.”
Putting it into practice
- Read the Bible as the law book of the kingdom of heaven, not as a religious book.
- Stop arguing with God about how He runs things and let Him adjust your thinking.
- Refuse to let what society normalises become your standard.
- Let God's ways become natural and customary in your life, written on your heart.
Closing
He sums up the lesson in a list of principles, repeating that natural law is the fundamental operating principle of the kingdom of heaven. He blesses his listeners, then invites those who do not know Jesus, and those who have walked away like the prodigal son, to raise their hands and stand as a point of contact, and leads them in a prayer of salvation and recommitment. He ends by saying it is his ultimate joy to teach God's Word, as a shepherd feeding the sheep.
Declarations he led
- Dear heavenly father, I now make a commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ. I accept him as my Lord and Savior. I believe with all my heart that my sins are forgiven, washed away by the blood of Jesus Christ. I am now reconciled to God.
- I'm a new creature. Eternal life is inside of me. I am now a brand new creature. My life has changed. My mind has changed.
In his words
- “It does no good for a product to challenge the manufacturer.”
- “The law carries its own built-in judgment in it.”
- “God's laws have personal application with national ramification.”
- “The Bible is, ladies and gentlemen, a legal book.”
- “Natural law is the fundamental operating principle of the kingdom of heaven.”
Every scripture in this message
- Matthew 4:17
- Matthew 4:23
- Matthew 6:33
- Job 38:1-5
- Job 38:33
- Exodus 24:3-4
- Joshua 7
- Joshua 8
- Jeremiah 31:33
- Luke 15:11-32
- John 21:15-17