God’s Law: Where Life Happens

Bible Story: Genesis 2; Romans 13; Matthew 16 (Click to watch in ASL on Bible.is)

Before, we focused on how the Law is used. It is used to stop evil, show our sins and lead us in the ways of God. Now we will see what the Law establishes as areas of our life. These areas are church, family and government.

Jesus has established the church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. (Matthew 16) What is the church? It is all true believers in Jesus Christ. (John 15) What does the church look like? God has appointed pastors as His servants to give His Gospel, Baptism and the Lord’s Supper to His dear children. (Acts 20) So it is that there are Pastors and People in the church and in this way the church is a family of brothers and sisters that come to receive the gifts of their heavenly father through the pastor as His servant. (Acts 2) This is clear in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd commandments.

Next, God establishes the family when he speaks of the unity between a father and a mother in Genesis. (Genesis 2) He tells them to be fruitful and multiply. Later God would tell all people, “Honor your father and your mother.” (Exodus 20) So it is that God established father and mother as the authority over their children. They are to care for their children physically and spiritually and their children are to respect them. (Ephesians 5)

Finally, God establishes government when Paul states that all authority on earth has been given by God. (Romans 13) This is a clear pronouncement that all rulers who have been given authority are truly God’s servants to punish evil and support good. This is connected to the 4th commandment because it is fathers and mothers that give their authority to the government to protect them. So it is that the government must punish evil and support good and citizens must respect the government. (Titus 3)
Here you have all of the areas of life in a nutshell. From this, it is clear that we have more work to do then we could ever accomplish in a lifetime. Do not think that you do not know God’s will. You know exactly where you belong and what to do next!