Counsel #2 — The Law Is Deep

Picture: Counsel #2 — The Law Is DeepCCW 55.1

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught that the Ten Commandments aren't just rules to keep; they're actually built on deeper principles that relate to every part of our lives. For instance, He explained that hatred is rooted in the same harmful principle as murder, and lust is connected to the same principle as adultery. The principle behind keeping the law is loving God and those around us. When the law was first given at Mt. Sinai, God’s people thought they could keep it, yet completely failed days later when they worshiped a golden calf. The Bible shows God’s people failing to keep His law on their own. With a fallen nature, there are endless ways we come short of keeping it perfectly. That's why the first step toward keeping God's law is to know Jesus personally, to let His perfect righteousness cover us, and His grace empower us.^{[78]https://www.adventist.org/the-law-of-god/}CCW 55.2

“Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.” Romans 7:12 NKJVCCW 55.3

“The law of God is His great standard of righteousness. Men may, with their finite ideas, erect a standard of their own, and claim that they are righteous; but it is God’s standard that will judge every man in that great day.” Ellen White in Letters and Manuscripts, Volume 12, Manuscript 34, 1897, par. 16CCW 55.4

Reflect: How does knowing Jesus change your ability to uphold God's law in daily life?CCW 55.5