My dear readers,

The Power of Laws

The power of laws has never been felt so vividly than these past weeks. The law keeps changing and all of us are forced to change with it. Laws are made to bind our conscience and control lives. Everyone in Singapore is to comply, no questions asked! Any non-compliance will result in strict penalties including hefty fines. Church, family, school, work and recreation have all been drastically affected. Due to these new laws, what were once regular taken-for-granted experiences have been metamorphosized into criminal acts. These include the following:

• Worshipping in church together
• Attending church prayer meeting
• Session and Board of Elders meetings
• Bible Study in homes and in church
• Fellowship meetings every Saturday
• Vacation Bible School
• Church Camp
• Family dinners together (unless we live in the same home)
• Visitations to minister to the infirmed who are house-bound or in the hospital
• Queuing with no one-meter spacing
• Entering shops without wearing a mask
• Opening shops that are considered non-essential
• Going to school
• Buying or selling without the ubiquitous masks on

The list continues on. The many taken-for-granted experiences are now considered a crime if anyone decides not to obey the laws because of a greater danger. These new laws are intended for our good and the good of society and are indeed necessary to curb the COVID-19 pestilence. Our disobedience can endanger the lives of many around us! Hopefully these laws will be lifted soon and our lives can get back to normal.

But the reality is that all of us have faced the power of what laws can do to our lives in a manner that we have never experienced before. For example, the ever-evolving strictness of the laws has impacted our relationship to everything and with everyone making it all seem very surreal and like a very bad dream. From the youngest (who can discern) to the oldest, from henceforth (even after these new laws are rescinded) our lives will never be the same again because of this present experience. This is true of the impact of all laws.

God gave us the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments have the same impact. They were given to curb our behaviour and to reveal to us that we have transgressed against God. The divine force and convicting power of the Ten Commandments can be felt as we read them. The following are the Ten Commandments in a gist (Exodus 20:3-17):

1. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
2. Thou shalt not make and bow down to any graven image.
3. Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain.
4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
5. Honour thy father and thy mother.
6. Thou shalt not kill.
7. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
8. Thou shalt not steal.
9. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
10. Thou shalt not covet anything that is thy neighbour's.

Before God gave the Ten Commandments, the people of Israel did not know how great sinners they were. For example, Cain, Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob did not know that they were great sinners until the Ten Commandments were given. These laws were given to help sinners know that they are great sinners before God. Man only knew that he sinned against other men. He did not know that he was a great sinner before God. There is no doubt that he knew he was a sinner. God’s creation shows that God exists and He is a very powerful God (cf. Rom 1:18-21). The fact that he dies in his sin shows that his heart convicts him that he has done wrong. He is afraid of death!

After God gave the Ten Commandments, the people of Israel realized for the first time that when they sinned against one another they were also sinning against God. For example, when an Israelite stole, he not only sinned against the victim but also against God. He could make restitution to his victim and make right his relationship with him, but he could not make right his relationship with God. He had nothing to make restitution with, for even his life belonged to God. Even if he had a life to give it was tainted by sin and could not be offered to God to make restitution.

That is why God sent Christ to die for us. Christ had to come from heaven to become one of us to die for us. He came to save us from sin and destroy the evil deeds of the devil. The devil’s deception caused man to fall into sin and unable to enter heaven. Hebrews 2:14-18: “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.” The power of the law condemns. But the grace of God in Christ saves to the uttermost!

Conclusion: The power of laws is real. We have been feeling this power these past few weeks. This is also true of the Laws of God. The power of the Ten Commandments drives us to Christ by showing sinful man his need to be saved from the sins he commits against the Holy God, his Creator. Man cannot save himself. He needs Christ to save him by sincerely confessing with his mouth and believing in his heart that Christ died for his sins and rose from the dead for his justification. Romans 10:9-11:“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.”