Natural Law

I was recently reading We Hold These Truths to be Self-Evident by Oliver DeMille. The whole book is based on natural law, meaning absolute laws of nature and principle, and how these laws are applied to government. It only took until Chapter 3 for the lightning bolt to strike the connection to our church’s sermon series about great questions of faith. The particular sermon that was the lightning rod for Chapter 3 was answering the question, “How can a loving God show so much justice?” Pastor did a great job explaining this seemingly conflicting view, but often times it takes personal connection to really drive the point home. Or just different words that make the connection. Or just repetition until my slow brain can comprehend what is being said. Anyway, somewhere in the sermon, he addressed the topic of Hell, and reading about natural law made something click in a slightly different way. 

Natural law (force) is meant to protect people (self-defense). Natural law is meant to stop the bad in order to protect the good. Force should never be used to force someone to do good (nature of free will). You are free to do whatever you want as long as it is good. God binds himself to natural law. He is just, upholding the law through his power; He is loving, wanting all people to obey the law which leads to ultimate freedom.

We are required to be perfect by God’s law, but we are not forced into one path of service. God supports the good, but restrains the bad. We are not even forced to obey (which would be good); we are only told not to break the law. Sin breaks the law by hurting God and others. God’s law requires that he protect us…from ourselves. The law restrains those that break it for the protection of others (good and bad). God wants to stop the hurt, the chaos. No one does good. Christ had to obey the law as our substitute, give his righteousness to the world, but then God needs to restrain those that reject his righteousness for the sake of those that have received Christ’s righteousness. Ultimately this rejection puts a person into Hell, because God needs to protect those who have obeyed the law (through faith in Christ’s substitution).

If God wants to make all things new to alleviate suffering forever; and if we are eternal beings of body and soul (we don’t just disappear when we die); and if we are not perfect and God is perfect; and if God enabled a substitution of perfectness in his Son Jesus Christ; and if some receive this gift of undeserved righteousness, but others reject this gift of righteousness and cling to their own imperfections; and if God is just (not a liar), upholding natural laws that bind unrighteousness for the protection of the righteous; then God must separate good from bad in order to create the ultimate good environment  (the necessity of Hell).

I also made the connection to parenting. For a while I have been questioning my practice of making my children obey me. In certain circumstances it seemed like the right thing to do, and in others, it seemed wrong. The study of natural law has helped me see the difference. When I uphold the law to protect others (self-defense), the force is right and good. When I force one of my children to do something good, I have taken the law too far. The law (parenting) is meant to restrain evil, so good can flourish freely. The law was never meant to force kindness, caring, love, and generosity. These are meant to flow out of God’s Spirit who is in us. When I discipline one child for the sake of the others, I show love to all my children (and my wife). When I forgive and give our children freedom to obey God’s law on their own. They are thankful (most of the time), and try their best. We all fail, and most times when they are not thankful to follow God’s law, it means I have not displayed God’s love correctly toward them in my discipline. Love by discipline, following my Father’s lead.

There is a lot here, and kind of jumbled. Much of it can be taken much deeper. I recommend reading DeMille’s book, which I started and finished in one day because I couldn't put it down.

I also highly recommend listening to the sermon that connected natural law (justice) to God’s love:  http://vimeo.com/99354475

Or read it here: How can a loving God show so much justice.pdf