Do You Have To Be Told Everything?
Paul’s first letter to Timothy talked about how some people had “swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling;” from the gospel. He elaborated on how people were hanging on to the law and trying to apply old teachings to new ones. He went on to explain, “Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm. But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine; According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.
When I read this, my thoughts turned to why people have such a hard time moving on from old ways, but mainly that Paul said that the law was not made for righteous people. The question that came next was: What are the laws that govern the righteous? That is what I want to discuss today. I will talk about it line by line.
“But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully”. Maybe a better way to say the same thing is that the law is good if you understand the intent of the law. If I am interpreting that line correctly, when a person performs the actions of the law for the right reasons, knowing that it is a means to an end that is not explicit in the law, it benefits them. However, if the law just becomes a set of rules, there is little benefit.
I think this attitude is best illustrated in the Jewish religion. Over time, the Israelite leaders managed to distill the law down to just 613 commandments. I heard one prominent Jew explain that adherence to them was based on action, not intent. The particular discussion was on the subject of adultery and that pornography was acceptable as long as the person didn’t act on it. I found that impractical and unlikely because we all know that actions have their beginnings in thoughts.
I do not believe the Jews are alone in this type of thinking. How often have you said or heard someone say, just tell me what to do, and I will do it? Or, more likely, that because no one said we can’t do something, it implies that it is okay. The thing that is absent in either argument is the intent or purpose behind the action. Both of these scenarios can be attributed to either lazy thinking or self-justification. People seem to want clear guidelines that are spelled out. That is called the letter of the law and is a problem because interpretation of the law can be tricky.
Next, Paul explains the law was not intended for righteous people and gives a long list of who it was intended for. The list covers about every kind of evil you can imagine. So then you have to ask what it is about a righteous person that makes the law unneeded. The first thing that comes to mind is that a righteous person would perform the actions of the law of their own accord without having it spelled out for them. Another attribute of righteous people is that they seek and receive personal revelation and inspiration. A person who reads or hears truthful speech and connects to it will naturally act accordingly.
Paul’s last point is, “and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine.” The doctrines we ascribe to are sometimes flawed in subtle ways. Again, I think that comes down to interpretations we use to justify personal behavior that may fall into the grey areas of life.
Jesus taught a higher law accompanied by examples meant to encourage us to make choices based on the foundational principles of the law. In other words, he shifted the emphasis from the letter to the spirit of the law. The effect it has on us is that we bear more responsibility and accountability for our actions. The blessings of more responsibility come in the form of personal growth and meaning.
In a previous message, I discussed the eternal rewards we can have based on the law we are willing to abide. The law of Moses was preparatory for the law of the gospel and used explicit language, rites, ceremonies, ordinances, and symbols. The law of the gospel is more implicit, but still uses rituals and ordinances in the covenant-making process. However, I believe the celestial law is entirely unspoken and requires us to make a personal connection with Heavenly Father through His Son Jesus Christ.
Abiding a celestial law is vital to becoming like the Savior. That means we must observe how Christ lived, believe what he said, and do as he did. This is not a casual commitment and does not come by way of commandment; it is more like surrendering our will to God’s. This does not mean we abandon tending to the necessary tasks of living and performing our roles and responsibilities, but our motivations and priorities become more Christlike. The highest law has no letter, only spirit, and divine connection. 2 Nephi 32:5 says it this way, “For behold, again I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way (meaning Jesus Christ), and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do.”
The most important and impactful things we will do in our lives are not things that have to be spelled out for us. They are not found in general instructions, procedures, and protocols. We will not access them on FaceBook or Instagram. No artificial intelligence knows them. They cannot be spoken in General Conference and are not explicit in scripture. They originate in the light of Christ and are directed by our conscience and the Holy Ghost. Our focus must come directly from heaven and find a place in our souls if we are to fill the measure of our creation.