24 October | Youth
«Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.» Romans 7:12
Leonardo da Vinci is considered one of the greatest artists of all time. His best-known work is the Mona Lisa, which is exhibited at the Louvre Museum, in France. Anyone who knows his paintings knows that he used to draw some of his own features on the characters. Thus, his portraits gained a large nose, long hair, and a flowing beard.
All art reveals aspects of its creator and serves as an extension of the artist. This principle can be seen in the Ten Commandments, presented in Exodus 20. By writing the law with His own finger on two stone tablets (Exod. 31:18), God revealed to humanity not only His will, but also the essence of who He is. Ellen White commented: “The law of God is a reflection of His character” (Reflecting Christ, p. 158). It is interesting to note that both the law and the Lawgiver have the same attributes of perfection, holiness, justice, and beauty. We can say, then, that the law is a selfie of God’s character.
If we could summarize the divine law in one word, “love” would be the chosen word. The apostle Paul wrote: “for he who loves another has fulfilled the law,” and “love is the fulfillment of the law” (Rom. 13:8, 10). Love is the essence of the law, the summary of its principles. The first four commandments of the Decalogue relate to the love of God, and the remaining six commandments, to the love for others. The law and its author are defined by the word “love” (1 John 4:8).
However, as with all works of art, it requires some care. In his first letter to young Timothy, Paul warned, “but we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully” (1 Tim. 1:8). God’s law has been strongly opposed over the millennia. Among these misuses are legalism (thinking that obedience to the law can save) and liberalism (thinking that the law is no longer useful).
God wants us to have a proper relationship with His law. It was not meant to save; its function is to point out sin, be the standard of Judgment and lead us to the Savior (Gal. 3:21). I invite you today to contemplate the law of the Lord. In it you will see the beauty of Jesus’s love.