It's the Law!

Now we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. ²⁰ For "no human being will be justified in his sight" by deeds prescribed by the law, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin.... For there is no distinction, ²³ since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God...                         
                                                                –Romans 3:19-23 (NRSV)

We legislate lots of laws...how we ‘expect’ people to behave.  Sometimes people follow the law; sometimes they break it...and there are consequences.

God’s law is meant to let us know what’s expected of us.  It’s meant to instruct us in the ways of God, the ways of life.  Often it shows us where we have failed...that we are not heading in the direction of life, but of death.  All of us fall short.  As the Confession & Forgiveness reminds us:  “we are in bondage to sin and cannot free ourselves.”

If that was the end of the story, we’d be a hopeless lot.  But we know there’s more.  That’s both good...and challenging.  God still has expectations...it’s how we get there that is the light at the end of sin’s dark tunnel...  Talk to God about laws...expectations...and tunnels...