The apostle John wrote by inspiration the definition of lawlessness. “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4 KJV). “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness” (1 John 3:4 NKJV). Robertson wrote respecting the tense of the verbs in 1 John 3:4 that the verse includes “the habit of doing sin.” James penned by inspiration the two ways in which sin develops in one’s life—commission and omission (James 1:14; 4:17). One commentator made the following comparison between law and a student’s classroom ruler: “The crookedness of a line is shown by juxtaposition with a straight ruler” (Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary). That is precisely the relationship of human conduct to law—man’s or God’s law.
The law about which the apostle John wrote and the two basic ways that persons can sin, about which the brother of our Lord penned, pertain to the law of Christ—variously also called the New Testament or the Gospel. Yet, the procedure and result—becoming a lawbreaker or a lawless person—is equally true respecting the laws of men as well. However, it is no religiously insignificant matter for one to be guilty of violating the law of men, since, generally speaking and without regard to the nature of a political system, God requires everyone living today to obey governmental laws (Romans 13:1-7). Therefore, the attitude of people, manifested in their reaction to law, bears on their attitude and conduct regarding the law of God to which we are amenable.
Bonnie and I travel thousands of miles monthly by car as we typically visit up to two congregations per Lord’s Day, to acquaint them with our missionary efforts or provide biblical teaching on an array of subjects. Consequently, as we travel, my automobile has become a sort of constipation of the highways as most traffic anywhere near us passes us. Whereas I attempt to conform to the speed limits posted along our routes of travel, virtually no one else abides by them. This is not an article wherein I propose to argue about the weight of speed limit laws compared to the law of God upon the pages of inspiration.
At the same time, though, no circumstance speaks any more loudly to my mind as to the widespread disregard for law than the rampant lawlessness visible on nearly any highway in America. Even good brethren assume that a law of the land is not really a law of the land—unless it is painfully enforced (e.g., traffic fine, which also may raise one’s automobile insurance rates). To me, that view of law is horrific, because it implies that one cannot know for sure what the law is until he has been punished for violating it. Most Christians would not presume to believe and to act accordingly respecting the Gospel of Christ.
Though flagrant violation of traffic laws may be a prime specimen of lawlessness, of course, we are aware of many other examples of general lawlessness. Fraud, robberies, cheating on income taxes, stealing, fornication, adultery and murder are among the sins from which spring forth the headlines in our newspapers and radio or television broadcasts. Undoubtedly, we live in a lawless time, among a lawless population in an increasingly lawless nation; sometimes, governments legalize what formerly laws prohibited (also attempting to regulate and tax such).
General lawlessness, irrespective of the form in which it may manifest itself, must materially affect attitudes respecting any law—including the law of God to which we are amenable, namely the New Testament. Personally, we need to obey law, manifesting in our compliance with law, respect for the medium of law. We need to encourage Christians and non-Christians alike to comply with laws under which they live. We and others by obeying laws (popular or not) that do not conflict directly with New Testament instruction (Acts 4:19-20; 5:29) prepare in ourselves the appropriate attitude for properly responding in obedience to divine law. Contrariwise, demonstrating the disposition to disregard manmade laws ill prepares Christians and non-Christians alike for appropriately responding to the laws of God.
Works Cited
Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament. CD-ROM. Seattle: Biblesoft & Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament, 1997.
Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary. CD-ROM. Seattle: Biblesoft, 1997.
