What is the difference between a Rule and a Law? #9

Rules are created by humans and laws by God

The easiest way to differentiate a rule from a law is to ask whether it affects everyone or just one category of people. Gravity, for example, affects everyone, whether you’re rich, poor, young, old, black, or white — because it’s a law. On the other hand, if you go to a country, and they say that every morning you have to bow to a statue, for example, it’s not a universal law, but a rule of that particular country. Another way to make that distinction is to study what happens when you violate that law or rule.

When we have broken a law, God does not have to punish us

When you go to buy a vehicle, a Mercedes for example, it comes with a manual, telling you what you need to do, to keep it running smoothly, and what you need to avoid doing, which can cause breakdowns.

Now, let’s ask ourselves the following question: if the manual says that you have to put gas in the vehicle to make it run properly, but you decide to put orange juice in, and the vehicle breaks down, who is going to suffer? You or the CEO of Mercedes? It’s you of course because you didn’t respect the laws guaranteeing the proper functioning of the vehicle. That’s why those who have respected have their vehicle in good condition. Whether you respect the laws of the car or not, the CEO of Mercedes remains the CEO of Mercedes, because it is not his fault: it is you who decided to ignore the laws that were communicated to you.

When we obey a law, it is for our own good

When God asks us to obey the laws He has established on His earth, it is for our own good because whether we obey or not, it does not change anything to His divinity. It is because He wants to see us succeed, like any good manufacturer, that He asks us to obey the laws. God was God before us, while we are here, and even when we leave this earth, despite the various people who have obeyed and disobeyed Him during all these thousands of years.

We live with the consequences of our decisions, not with our decisions

It is often said “when you make a decision, you have to live with it” but is that true? Isn’t it true that making a decision is done in minutes when the consequences can take years? You can take time to make a decision, but the consequences will last longer. Let’s use the following analogy to make it easier to understand: the decision is like a door, while the consequences are like the room the door gives you access to.

Do you know anyone who lives in a doorway? On the other hand, we live in rooms to which doors give us access. Use this image when you want to make a decision: see the decision as to the door and the consequences as the room. Before selecting the door, analyze the room. If you know people who have already made that decision, ask them what the room looks like — if you do not like the room, don’t choose that door.

Suppose you want to choose between two job offers: instead of spending all your time, analyzing the different advantages offered to you in the two places (the quality of the 2 doors), it is better to ask people who have already held the two positions offered to you. This will allow you to know the life you are going to lead (the room), by choosing one or the other offer.

This is why it is important to read books, participate in conferences, seminars, etc. This allows you to benefit from the experiences of others, in order to make your future decisions.

An intelligent person learns from his experiences, while a genius learns from the experiences of others

As you read the various laws that will be shared in this blog, imagine how your life could be impacted by their application. You can also study the lives of the people around you to better understand how knowledge or ignorance impacts the quality of our lives. It is not by chance that the devil is called “the prince of darkness” (1). The Greek word that we translate into English as darkness is in fact the word άγνοια which also means ignorance. He likes it when one is ignorant because one cannot claim what one does not know. Likewise, when we refer to God as the light of the world (2), it is because the Greek word that we translate as light is the word γνώσης, which also means knowledge. God wants us to know the truth, in order to apply it.

(1) For we do not have to fight against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against authorities, against the princes of this world of darkness, against evil spirits in heavenly places.

(2) I have come as a light into the world, that whosoever believeth in me should not abide in darkness.

Natural consequences versus personalized consequences

As we just saw above, when we break a law, no one has to punish us, because nature itself takes care of it. On the other hand, when we transgress a rule, it is not nature, but the instigators of the rule who are concerned about punishing us, to remind us not to violate the rules established for the good functioning of the country, the business, the family, etc. For example, when you violate the law of gravity, you fall naturally, without someone having to come and push you. On the other hand, if you decide not to bow down in front of the statue we talked about earlier, for example, the authorities of the place must personally punish you. I’m not saying this so that we can ignore all the rules put in place for the proper functioning of our society, but just to clarify a little more about the power of a law.

Question of the week: Are there any rules you currently adhere to that do you more harm than good?

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Thank you for reading me :-)

Resources

(1) Ephesians 6:12

(2) John 12:46