Rev. Timothy G. Muse

I've come to the understanding that most people do not understand the purpose of God's law. For many years, I did not understand it, but an experience with my son sheds great light on the subject.

When my son was first learning to tie his shoe, he called to me and said "Daddy, will you tie my shoe?" But as I went to help him, he pulled back and said "I can tie it myself". Rather than arguing with him, I said to him 'Go ahead, tie your shoe." (I knew he couldn't, but wanted him to come to this understanding, that he might realize his inability and look to me to help him where he could not do it himself.) After about five minutes and nine tries, he finally gave up, admitted his own inability to do what was commanded, looked up to his father and said "Daddy, will you tie my shoe for me?"

This is a good picture of how God uses the law. Many come to the Ten Commandments as if God gave his standard of righteousness that we might fulfill them and show him how "righteous" we are. But the truth is, no matter how hard we try, we always fall short. God has given the Ten Commandments to show us that we cannot do them, that we might raise our heads and look to him ... that he might provide a righteousness for us, that we cannot accomplish or provide for ourselves. That's what Paul says in Galatians 3:24 "So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith."

Mageth

Yeah, that's the way to raise your kids...give them rules you know they can't abide by and tasks you know they can't accomplish, so you can teach them some kind of lesson when they repeatedly fail.

King Rat

My dad didn't tell me, he showed me how to tie my shoe.

BDS

Of course now that there's velcro, the whole analogy goes out the window.

Mageth

God gives us shoes that are impossible for us to tie so he'll always have to tie them for us, apparently.

Velcro has been the 'savior' of many a poor child...and parent... Why didn't God give us some "Velcro" laws instead?

Mageth

Ya beat me to it...

King Rat

...and apparently homilies are a new form of argument.

Here's another fatherly homily for you: The Book of Job.

BeansRBad

It was a bad analogy anyway unless the good Reverend made some kind of rule or law that said, "My son must tie his shoe." I hope the good Reverend acted as a good dad should and threatened to throw his son in a barbeque pit for failing to tie his shoe.

THX1138

:thumbs:

So does that mean if I can't tie my shoes I'm gonna burn in hell? :devil3:

To hell with it! I'm going barefoot from now on! :devil1:

J

P.S. These :wave: new :Cheeky: emoticons :rolling: are :crying: cool!

Hedshaker

There's a massive difference here. The dad is real, the child is real. God is not.

This analogy sux :huh:

:down:

a big :thumbs: to the new smilies

Orbit