How good do you have to be?

I recently got stopped and ticketed for having expired tags. Not my favorite thing in the world to happen, but such is life. Question for you: When was the last time that a cop stopped you and came up to your window and said, "Hi, you didn't do anything wrong, and I just wanted to say 'thanks!'" Or, "I'm here to present you with the motorist lifetime achievement award!" It simply doesn't happen that way, and not just because most cops are jerks. It's because the only function of law is to condemn. Does that mean there's something wrong with our laws? No, they are doing their job just fine. We are the problem. As it turns out, it's quite difficult to function in society without knowingly or unknowingly breaking a rule at some point in your life. I had no idea that my tags were expired, but the law doesn't care about my ignorance. The written code is inflexible, and without mercy.

*awkward transition to religious implications*

I was fascinated to hear recently an interview with a Rabbi who was complaining about the Christian idea of grace. His analogy was of a Nazi working in a concentration camp. This person committed countless atrocities, and for arguments sake, comes to faith in Christ and receives forgiveness, i.e., is justified in God's sight. The Rabbi was infuriated that Christians believe that such a person could be forgiven. He said something along the lines of "if a person like that could be in heaven, then I would rather be in hell!"

The idea of self-righteousness is so ingrained in legalistic religion that I sympathize with the Rabbi. But I pray that God will show him and all others who are counting on their performance the true meaning of being under law:

"because by observing the law no one will be justified." -Galatians 2:16

"Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin." -Romans 3:20

"Now it is obvious that no one is justified in the sight of God by the law" -Galatians 3:11

"for the law produces wrath" -Romans 4:15

"I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death." -Romans 7:10