Chapter 12—Its Principles of Government
Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and
good.
Romans 7:12
.
The law of God, from its very nature, is unchangeable. It is a revelation
of the will and the character of its Author. God is love, and His law is love.
Its two great principles are love to God and love to man.... The character of
God is righteousness and truth; such is the nature of His law....
In the beginning, man was created in the image of God. He was in perfect
harmony with the nature and the law of God; the principles of righteousness
were written upon his heart. But sin alienated him from his Maker. He no
longer reflected the divine image. His heart was at war with the principles of
God’s law.... But “God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten
Son,” that man might be reconciled to God. Through the merits of Christ he
can be restored to harmony with his Maker. His heart must be renewed by
divine grace; he must have a new life from above. This change is the new
birth....
The first step in reconciliation to God is the conviction of sin.... “By the
law is the knowledge of sin” (
Romans 3:20
). In order to see his guilt, the
sinner must test his character by God’s great standard of righteousness. It
is a mirror which shows the perfection of a righteous character and enables
him to discern the defects of his own. The law reveals to man his sin.... It
declares that death is the portion of the transgressor. The gospel of Christ
alone can free him from the condemnation or the defilement of sin. He must
exercise repentance toward God, whose law has been transgressed; and faith
in Christ, his atoning sacrifice....
In the new birth the heart is brought into harmony with God, as it is
brought into accord with His law. When this mighty change has taken place
in the sinner, he has passed from death unto life, from sin unto holiness, from
transgression and rebellion to obedience and loyalty....
The followers of Christ are to become like Him—by the grace of God
to form characters in harmony with the principles of His holy law. This is
Bible sanctification.
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