Even God has to live by the rules
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT by Howard Stone, minister of Castletown and Community Free Church
There has been a big stooshie over number one tennis star Novak Djokovic being refused entry to Australia because his visa application had not been completed correctly. The authorities there argued that no-one is above the law. No matter how talented or famous an individual may be, he has to keep the laws of the land.
We all recognise the principle – when it comes to rules and regulations, they relate to everyone, whatever their position in life. They even apply to the law-makers themselves.
That same principle applies to God’s laws, the commands he has given for us to live by. There are no exemptions. Even God, who is the law-maker himself, when he came to earth, had to live in obedience to those rules. Consequently, Jesus had to love his Father with all his heart, soul, mind and strength. He was required to obey his parents, not to hurt others, to look lustfully at a woman, to lie, to steal or to want what others owned. And the good news is that Jesus – unlikely you and me – did keep the law, perfectly.
Because Djokovic had failed to keep the law, he was denied entry into Australia – at least initially. Failure to obey God’s law denies us access to God’s kingdom. However, Jesus’ obedience is credited to our account when we acknowledge our failure and follow him. On that basis we are given entry to God’s kingdom and are guaranteed permanent residence there.
There is no better place to reside – and that kingdom will last forever.
