The Value of God's Law

The Law can reveal our sins but cannot free us from our sinful hearts.

By: Clint Fisher, Dean of students and families

In chapter 3 of Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family, Paul Tripp offers a perspective on the law that highlights both its benefits and its limitations. Interestingly, we often overlook its benefits and attempt to use it in ways that cannot truly bring about change.

Many of us have found ourselves thinking, “If I just say it again, they will understand,” or “Maybe I need to say it louder,” or “They just need to see how serious I am.” The list goes on. According to Tripp, we all have a particular tool we rely on repeatedly, hoping it will transform our children. Some use gifts, others resort to punishments, while some lean into psychological tactics like, “Why don’t you love me enough to...?”

If such tools could genuinely change a child’s heart, then Jesus' sacrifice would have been unnecessary.

STRENGTH AND WEAKNESS

The law can reveal our sins but cannot free us from our sinful hearts. When we fail to see the change we long for, we subtly replace God's law with our own, adapting it to fit our values, desires, or the need for peace and control. When this happens, the end result is often condemnation and rejection.

Yet, the law holds two profound strengths. First, it creates a sense of conviction, serving as a means of grace that helps us recognize our need for change. Second, it directs us to Jesus, the only one who can truly meet that need. It leads us to Christ! Imagine if every law we imposed helped reveal our brokenness and brought us to Christ for love and deliverance. How different our world would be?

Let us strive to help our children see their brokenness through the natural consequences of their actions while also experiencing our unconditional love and acceptance - a taste of the boundless love and acceptance found in Jesus.

We cannot change our children ourselves. However, God has given us great and precious promises so that through them, we may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption of this world. (2 Peter 1:4)