Issue 796 – Loopholes – July 5, 2022
I frequently hear people complaining about receiving a ticket for speeding. It seems to be inevitably the fault of the police officer for hiding too well or ticketing them when they were “only going .. kph.”
People spend large amounts of money to buy radar detectors to inform them that the police are there so that they can speed with impunity. When the police change radar bands or use photo radar, they are being unfair.
Seldom do these same people stop and realize that if they only kept within the speed limit, they wouldn’t get tickets.
Politicians have staff members whose entire job is to put “the right spin” on events or behaviours. Never mind the truth; let’s just spin things to our benefit.
Lawyers make big money by trading in loopholes. There is a reason we have Law courts, not Justice Halls.
We’re all sometimes like that. When something goes wrong, we like to pass the blame or look for a way around it. I sometimes joke that the most commonly used book of the Bible is Loopholes.
When we become uncomfortable with something the Bible tells us, we look for a loophole to not have to deal with it.
Yes, that applies to most people, but I am …
That scripture was only applicable in the Old Testament days. Certainly, portions of the Mosaic Law are meant for Israel only. Yet, it typically isn’t those sections we have a struggle with.
A common loophole in the world today is, “the Bible doesn’t really mean THAT.”
In that sense, things haven’t changed much since the Garden of Eden. The very first sin entered the world by following the path of “did God really say?” Adam and Eve were incapable of keeping only one rule.
We go to great lengths in our lives to justify ungodly, illegal or unethical behaviour. We often rewrite the country’s laws, so we don’t have to deal with the consequences of our behaviour.
God knew that, yet He gave us laws to obey anyway. Why?
For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. Romans 3:20
The Lord gave us the law, not so that we could find the loopholes, or rewrite it to suit ourselves. He gave it to us so we would look for Him when we found ourselves in a bind. It is a tool to point us towards His unfailing love.
What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead. I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died. The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me. For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good. Romans 3:7-11
As believers, our salvation is by faith alone, and even that faith is a gift of God. Still, we are called to obedience.
We may fool ourselves by looking for loopholes or spinning the truth. We might even fool other people for a season. There is no fooling God; He is wise to all our tricks.
Until next time, when you fall short, look to God instead of making excuses or passing the blame. May the Spirit convict you of the truth the next time you look for the book of Loopholes.
Hallelu Yah (Praise God)
Be blessed
Kevin.
Gleanings From The Word.
Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life.
Soli Deo Gloria (for the glory of God alone.)
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