Article July 3, 1995 Issue

Obeying God's law

Jean Bordeaux

We can certainly rejoice when we see laws enacted that help improve society, that gradually provide more security and safety to all, justice to the accused and protection to the innocent. It might be said that good laws are the result of spiritual inspiration since they express mankind's highest desires—to see God's promise of peace and goodwill on earth. They draw on the spirit of the Ten Commandments, the Golden Rule, and the Lord's Prayer, which acknowledges that God's kingdom is come (see Matt. 6:10).

Still, situations do arise when certain fundamental individual rights remain unprotected by society or are restricted. And in some cases there seems to be neither choice nor freedom of action within an established legal system. Such restrictive human law cannot actually hinder anyone from obeying God's law, even if one's genuine and humble obedience to God is considered to be outside accepted material norms. God's law is always good and fair because God is eternal good, and He loves His creation, including man, His beloved spiritual likeness.

The Bible story of Daniel, who was not hurt even when he was thrown into the lions' den, illustrates the safety that comes of quiet obedience to God's law. Divine law is supreme because its only origin is God, divine Principle. One can, however, neither ignore the laws of the country in which he or she lives nor attempt to twist their meaning for a personal, narrow purpose. But through obedience to God, we can find a way to balance our inner commitment to spiritual law with the demand to be obedient to present civil laws, as a young man I know found out.

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