P. Pilgrim
What would this world be like if there were no rules or regulations. Just think of the difficulties that there would be. If there were no laws, the world would be in anarchy. Throughout their lives mankind is ruled by practical and moral rules. In the book of Romans, the apostle Paul tells us that the law of God was written on the hearts of men at creation.
This knowledge of the law is manifested in their conscience. Romans chapter 2 verse 14, 15 “For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, … which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness,’. The holy scripture is teaching us that there is no partiality with God. All men are found guilty of sin because all men have the law of God written on their hearts.
Man knows what is right and wrong, he also knows when he breaks the rules for his conscience is triggered and tells him. God is merciful and is warning us that God finds us guilty of breaking his law and as a result his judgment will fall upon mankind. No man can claim that they don’t know the law of God because God has written it on the hearts and given all of us a conscience to awaken us to this moral knowledge in our hearts. Thus, all human beings have sufficient knowledge of what is right and wrong written on their hearts, so that their consciences can accuse them or affirm them. Many men know the laws of God but choose to ignore them or as Paul says in Romans 1 verse 18 they “suppress the truth”.
For the past 80 years the UK has implemented the driving licence test. They saw the need for a licence to register the cars and their owners capability to drive safely, via a practical test in 1935 but the test was suspended for the duration of World War 2 and didn’t resume until 1st November 1946. Driving was much more hazardous 80 years ago, statistics revealed that 7,343 people were killed on Great Britain’s roads when only 2.4 million vehicles were in use.
In 2022, 1,711, people were killed with just over 35 million vehicles on the road. People’s lives have been saved by the driving licence test. Teaching people the rules and how to drive safely has reduced the fatalities. In the beginning during the practical test, questions about the highway code were asked along with the practical driving test. However, in 1996 a theory test was introduced. Each improvement brought better safety results. But what would happen if people decided to ignore the rules for driving. The consequences would be horrendous; it would lead to countless fatalities and injuries.
Just like when men ignore God’s law there are fatal consequences. The apostle Paul says in Romans 6 verse 23 ‘For the wages of sin is death;’. That means the penalty of disobeying God’s law is death. The prophet Ezekiel 18 verse 4 warns ‘the soul that sinneth, it shall die’, therefore all men should die. But verse 23 of Romans 6 continues ‘but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.’ Even though man is guilty, God offers him the gift of eternal life. Jesus Christ is the way, he is the gift, by repenting of his sins and accepting the free offer of salvation from Jesus Christ man can know forgiveness and peace with God. Christ died on the cross so that those who trust in him can receive salvation. The law written on the hearts of man show he is guilty and by his own strength he cannot make peace with God. He needs Jesus Christ to help him. Have you asked Jesus Christ to help you? The book of Acts informs us that if we ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved,’ Acts 26 verse 31. Will you come today and believe on him? (pilgrimway101@yahoo.com)
