Where do Laws Come From, and/or Where Should they Come From?

By Buddy Hanson
Grace and Law Christian Worldview Resource Center

When non-Christians are the ones enacting laws, does something become “moral” just because it is “legal?” Hitler made it legal to arrest and kill Jews and confiscate all of their property, but that certainly was not “moral.” The only way to determine whether something is moral is to check to see if it conforms to God’s principles in Scripture.

The basic biblical word for law is tora (or torah). Tora means not only instruction or teaching, but, direction. Biblical law provides God’s direction on how to live. When God’s laws are taken away, so is the true meaning of life. Any society, therefore, that lives apart from God’s directions is destined to collapse, because without God’s transcendent law, there can be no ultimate meaning for any of its laws or purposes.

Only by following God’s revealed instructions will civil rulers be able to set society’s tone. It is the duty of each of us to speak the truth regarding the issues of the day and live the truth as best as God’s grace enables us so that we can provide a role model for those who are observing our lifestyle.

The difference between God’s rules and man’s rules is that God’s rules always work because He makes them work. This certainty about God’s providence helps Christians cope with current circumstances, because we know they are just a small part of His overall plan. This is a tremendous advantage over non-Christians who are slaves to current situations, and can only cry out with a frustrated, “Why me?” at such times. As Christians we must incorporate the following seven guidelines into our daily walk:           

• Relate our Biblical knowledge to situations and circumstances.
• Center our thoughts upon God, not man.
• Govern our life according to the Word of God.
• Base our faith only upon God’s Word, not what we may imagine is possible.
• Teach others to observe “all things whatsoever I command you.”      Matthew 28.20 
• Base church government and worship upon the principles in God’s Word.
• Do what we’ve been commanded to do, and refrain from doing those things God commands against.

Excerpt from Buddy Hanson's (Lord willing) upcoming book, Making your Daily Reads: Volume Three.

Learn about Making your Daily Reads: Volume One