Psalm 119:4 Wholly Holy

A lot of preachers and members of their flocks have shifted to a view of obedience that is very 21st century. 

In a culture that wants to embrace an anything goes approach to life, it's not surprising to discover many in the church embracing a rules aren't important attitude. I've even said myself, on more than one occasion, that it's important to realize that Christianity is NOT all about a bunch of rules. Because it's not.

And yet, it is, isn't it? 

You have laid down precepts that are to be fully obeyed.
Psalm 119:1-4

David is "so Old Testament", but the importance of obedience is not just an old covenant concept. 

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. James 1:22

Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. Matthew 7:24

The congregation in which I was raised clung to those absolute commandments of obedience like they were blue ribbons awarded to us simply because we refused to let go of them.

And then along comes Paul, who throws a major theological wrench into the whole discussion about the Law, and its purpose. Are we supposed to focus on obeying the Law? Or does the Law just serve to teach us a lesson?

I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead. Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. Romans 7:7-9

Paul says the purpose of the law is to demonstrate how hopeless it is to try to obey. And yet we are indeed supposed to obey the law. 

I used to read these verses and think, "OK, so God is just messing us?"

No, not at all.

He does expect us to be perfect! Jesus says plainly, "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly father is perfect." (Matthew 5:48).

And yet we see throughout the New Testament that God knows full well no one will obey the Law perfectly. 

As with many things in Paul's theology, we find ourselves almost on tiptoe, balancing between one truth and another. God leaves us in this position on purpose, because if we were able to achieve a perfect place to stand where we could achieve some sort of status in relation to the Lord, that would be our doing. 

Instead, the Lord wants us to always be aware of our inability to earn that status.

So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin. Romans 7:21-25