The End of the Law & the Ruthie Syndrome

If you've ever watched the TV program Seventh Heaven, you surely remember Ruthie. She's the cute little younger child that is always batting her eyes, and helping her siblings get into trouble, though she tries to stay out of it. Ruthie will often meet her parents' expectations with technical obedience, but her heart is in rebellion with her older siblings. This begs the question of whether obedience precedes faith or faith precedes obedience, but we won't go there now. Brothers Crow, Coker & I have already rode that horse off into the desert.

The Ruthie Syndrome is an illustration of the Old Testament (OT) Law. Under the OT Law with all of its dos and don'ts, the Hebrews were under the weight law. The law was the tutor and it was their curse. There was no way to live up to it. Man could not do it. And even if he could hold up to some expectation of the law, there was still the question of why. Was it merely and outward representation combined with a rebellious heart? This is the Ruthie Syndrome.

Christ is the of End of the Law. The word "end" has multiple possible meanings. It could be termination or fulfillment. In the case of the sacrificial system, Hebrews 10 communicates both. Christ fulfilled and made more meaningful the OT sacrifices that foreshadowed The Sacrifice to ended all sacrifices. Indeed to continue to sacrifice goats and bulls for sins, when the Son of God has been sacrificed for all sin is an abomination.

With the moral law, Christ fulfilled and ended the OT law at the same time. He made the OT moral commands more rich, in that He raised the expectation from mere outward appearances to the capture the innermost intentions of the heart. He also lived the law, exemplifying that which no man could accomplish without the Spirit of God.

Paul asks a great question in Galatians 3:2...

"Did you receive the spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you
heard?"

Christ' work on the cross liberates us from the weight of the law and draws our hearts to the spirit of the law at the same time. We are freed from sin, and become slaves to righteousness, out of heart felt conviction and love for God. Now the letter of the law need not be manipulated to make you feel better or accomplish your goal. It is the spirit of the law and the love of God's ways over mans' ways that makes us one with Him in spirit and in Truth.

America Bless God