Articles
The Laws of God and Human Well-Being
The duty all men have to obey the word of God finds its origin in the authority of God Himself. That is, God is our Creator; He is the ultimate source of what is true and right. He, specifically His Son, will be our judge in the final day to make an eternal assessment of our faith and whether that faith was of the proper composition to secure redemption. We should focus on obedience to God simply because He is God and we have unquestioned respect for Him.
Beyond these truths, however, is another fascinating element of the nature of revelation and the practical effects of living by it. In short, it works. What I mean is that the more we learn about what damages the physical health, mental psyche, emotional stability of a human being the clearer it becomes that God’s laws are designed for our well-being. In other words, God doesn’t issue arbitrary rules and random standards with no real connection to life. To the contrary: His laws are designed to bring us the best possible good in a world that is fallen, broken and polluted.
Here are a few examples:
1. “‘Be angry, and do not sin’: do not let the sun go down on your wrath” (Eph 4:26). Harboring anger and allowing it to build into grudges and bitterness not only often escalates into violence but will deteriorate one’s physical and emotional health. Psychologists, workplace counselors and self-help authors are consistently telling us to resolve our anger, that we choose to be angry and that choice is independent of what was actually done to us. All of which is true, but God said it first.
2. “But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced them-selves through with many sorrows” (1 Tim 6:9-10). This is a particularly pointed truth for a consumer based society. Materialistic messages are ubiquitous, from advertisement for products to lawsuit advocacy, from ever changing fashions to investment in gold, from lotteries to exotic vacations. The message is clear and consistent: Money buys happiness. But the truth is: Money usually buys misery. “But wait,” interjects the material apologist, “it’s not the money itself but the love of money.” Yes, I know. But many inordinately love money and won’t admit it to themselves. We watch celebrities, politicians, athletes ruin their lives via covetousness and shake our heads over their repeated folly. We clearly observe that the love of money destroys, but God said it first.
3. “‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’ … So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate” (Mt 19:5-6). First, Jesus advocates marriage over uncommitted, serial fornication. Secondly, Jesus reinforces the God’s plan that marriage be a permanent arrangement. We hardly need to review the societal as well as emotional and spiritual damage done by ignoring these directives, for many have experienced these corrosive effects in their own families. Unfortunately, we are a people who insist on having our own way and rationalizing the consequences, so we plow ahead with casual sex, no-fault divorce, blended families, celebration of homosexuality, etc. We then wring our hands over the damage done, but God said it first.
We might not always be able to see the reason for God’s law, but the benefit is there. All we need do to discover it is to break His laws. And when we do, we learn another of God’s truths: “For whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life” (Gal 6:7-8).
