The Grace of the Law: A Simple Prayer

Many Christians today are opposed to the Law of God (Torah) maintaining a significant position in their lives. Throughout the many posts on this blog you will see that I try to challenge this position. I believe that a clear reading of the Scriptures leads us to the truth that the Law, even for today’s Christian believers, is a good and wonderful gift of grace in the living a righteous life. Now, we cannot obtain righteousness or salvation from the Law, this is clear from the text and thus, the reason we need a Savior! Christ imputes his righteousness to us! However, after we become believers, how do we live our lives to the Glory of the Father? By means of the Law!

I was reading a Psalm from the Psalter of the Church of England (from the Anglican Book of Common Prayer) this evening and was reminded of this truth. There is a line in the collect (prayer) at the end of Psalm 1 that speaks clearly to this reality.

Psalm 1

Refrain: The Lord knows the way of the righteous.

1 Blessed are they who have not walked
in the counsel of the wicked, •
nor lingered in the way of sinners,
nor sat in the assembly of the scornful.
2 Their delight is in the law of the Lord •
and they meditate on his law day and night.
3 Like a tree planted by streams of water
bearing fruit in due season, with leaves that do not wither, •
whatever they do, it shall prosper. R
4 As for the wicked, it is not so with them; •
they are like chaff which the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked shall not be able to stand in the judgement, •
nor the sinner in the congregation of the righteous.
6 For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, •
but the way of the wicked shall perish.

Refrain: The Lord knows the way of the righteous.

Christ our wisdom,
give us delight in your law,
that we may bear fruits of patience and peace
in the kingdom of the righteous;
for your mercy’s sake.

For more from the Psalter: https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-worship/worship/texts/daily2/psalter/psalms1to25.aspx#1

It’s the second and third line that strike me! “Give us delight in your law, that we may bear fruits of patience and peace…” This ancient prayer speaks this truth clearly. If Christ gives us delight in his Law, it will bear the fruit of patience and peace. If we read through Galatians, it’s clear that these two fruits are two of the fruits that the Holy Spirit bears in the lives of the believers. This makes sense as, according to Ezekiel and Jeremiah, it is the Holy Spirit that is writing the Law of God upon our hearts of flesh. Besides this, what did Jesus tell us? If you love me, you will keep my Commandments. Lest we fall into the temptation of thinking that Christ had a different Law then the Father, let us remember that they are one and Christ only did what the Father told him, so they have to be the same. Lastly, as the prayer concludes, Christ may we follow your Law to produce your fruit for your mercy’s sake!

This can be fleshed out much more, and that will come in time. However, let us just see from this simple prayer the truth that we do depend upon the Law of God, not for salvation or to be made righteous, but for a righteous life bearing the fruit of the Spirit that reflects Christ.