The Law of the Lord is Perfect

“The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul:“
Psalms 19:7

One of the great tragedies of the modern-day church is how little attention they give to the Law of God. It’s a relic of a by-gone age. We now life under grace! It’s a tragedy because it has allowed for many false doctrines to creep in that otherwise would be held at bay by the Law. It’s a tragedy because the early church didn’t have the New Testament. They had the Old Testament and managed to live based off that. Ask a Christian today to explain what they believe and they will probably spend 90% or more of their time quoting the Apostle Paul to you. Paul, mind you, consistently used the Old Testament to establish his doctrine, but good luck finding a Christian who tells you what they believe based on Paul who could go back to the Old Testament to find the foundation for what they believe.

It’s a great tragedy because it’s done with the idea that the Law is no longer relevant to us today. It was for the Jews. It was for the people before Christ. In doing so, we have ignored the statement of the Psalmist: the Law of the Lord is PERFECT.

The word for ‘perfect’ there means just that – perfect. It’s complete. It lacks nothing. I ask you, dear reader, if the Law is perfect, then why should we even contemplate the idea that it’s no longer applicable or relevant to us today? If it’s perfect, shouldn’t we be burying ourselves in it’s words too? Or was that just for Paul, James, and Peter? When was the last time you read the Law?

What is particularly interesting is that when the Psalmist declares, ‘The Law of the Lord is perfect’, he adds something else to it: ‘It converts the soul’.

The word for ‘convert’ means ‘to return, bring back, restore.’ The following are multiple ways you can translate this verse, all meaning the same thing:

The Law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the person.

The Law of the Lord is complete, returning the soul.

The Law of the Yahweh is without blemish, bringing back the soul.

There is the idea implicit in the text that the Law of Yahweh is able to save what was lost. It can bring back the wayward. It can bring restoration.

How does that happen? The secret is in understanding the Law. The Law is the Word of God. The Word of God. When Jesus came, He kept His own Law and continued on with His Law. It’s a fascinating study if you look into the legality of salvation and redemption: God never broke His Law. It explains why God was manifest in flesh. It explains why He rose from the dead. It was all according to the Law.

The Law of the LORD is perfect! When did you last read the Law?