You’ve surely heard that old song; I remember it from when I was a teenager. I had no idea who did the song until I looked it up. It was written by Sonny Curtis of “The Crickets” (Buddy Holly’s Band). They recorded it in 1959 not long after Buddy Holly had died, but the song went absolutely nowhere. It’s still a good song if you ask me. Turns out it was later done, and brought to popularity, by “Bobby Fuller” in 1966 (click any of the highlighted links to watch video). There’ve been others who recorded it more recently if you’re interested: “The Clash” or “Green Day” and at least a dozen others.
Well so much for a little trivia but this blog’s not about the song, but about the song title. If you’re a regular reader of my blogs (and if you’re not….WHY ain’t ‘ya?! lol) you’ve probably picked up on the fact that I’m a music lover. I see a song title from time to time and think, “Now that’d be good blog title.” That’s the case with “I Fought The Law and the Law Won.”
There’s a growing controversy in religious circles today over “grace versus law.” It’s no small controversy by anyone’s standards. In fact, my opinion is that it’s one of the main, and most important, issues facing the church in this critical hour. It’s no new argument; It’s been going on since Jesus showed up. In fact, He’s the one that ignited the whole controversy to begin with….and it has only escalated since. Jesus ushered in this thing we call “grace.” It wasn’t just a teaching He did. No, it was much more than that. Grace displayed His very nature…and the very nature of the Father. And today, just like it did then, it ticked off the religious legalists to no end!
The Jews in Jesus’ day could not digest this grace thing. They were sticklers for the Law. They knew it well and even though they couldn’t keep the Law (no man could keep the law; no one has ever been made righteous by the Law; if you violated even one facet of the law you were guilty of violating the ‘whole’ law), it didn’t stop them from trying to enforce it on everyone else. But Jesus was doing something entirely different. It was centered on love…not just an ordinary, superficial kind of love but a love that is unconditional, indestructible and life-giving!
The Law says that you have to keep the long list of good things to do to be accepted by God. But grace says that you’re already accepted and valued by God, Himself. You’re His Sons and Daughters, by His own choice. It’s not a result of your own doing, but because of what Jesus did! He has already “fulfilled the Law!” (because you and I couldn’t!)
You can attempt to keep the Law, but you won’t get it done! If you ‘fight the Law’….the Law always wins…you always lose!
The only way you can win….is to accept, and LIVE IN, what’s already been done for you! That’s what we call GRACE!
