11/25/24 Word Count – 1,408 Reading Time – 6.26 minutes

We are creatures who were created as individuals with free will that reflects our own personality and character. Because we are spiritual beings as well as physical beings our free will, character, and personality are driving forces within our spirits as well as our bodies. Proverbs 25:28 says, “He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down and without walls.” A city that is broken down and without walls does not protect its inhabitants very well. Ultimately, laws should be there to protect people. When we look at the laws that govern our universe we see that they protect us from the forces of the universe. Our planet is a near perfect habitation for creatures like us, that is, creatures composed of carbon based matter. Our planet earth is the only planet we know of that is habitable by organic life forms and provides for all our needs. We breathe its air, we eat food that grows here thanks to the minerals in the soil and the light from the sun, we drink water that is perpetually captured and recycled for us to drink, we can tolerate (sometimes even enjoy) the temperatures on planet earth, and upon or within the earth are the materials that have enabled us to build and prosper. Our broader environment is not nearly as beneficial to organic life. If the roughly 62 mile thick layer of gasses that separates the surface of the earth from the ravages of space were to suddenly disappear we would experience such things as the water on the surface of our bodies boiling, the inability to breath, eardrums would pop, and we would probably burn up or freeze, depending on whether we were on the side of the earth facing the sun or being blocked from it. We could expect to remain conscious for about 3 minutes if we held our breath (but our lungs would explode) or 15 seconds if we exhaled.

It is the laws of physics that prevent us from being obliterated. The laws of things like gravity, thermodynamics, inertia, electricity and magnetism, relativity, planetary motion and a handful of other laws governing physical things contribute to providing a habitable environment here on earth. If any of these laws were broken, even by the slightest, all organic matter on planet earth would be toast.

Laws are a necessary hedge against chaos. If they are so critical to the maintenance of the habitable environment on earth is it too much of a stretch to imagine that laws would be necessary for the organization of all constructs? We have laws of nature, laws of science and mathematics, laws of grammar, and social laws. Our laws impact our ability to survive and procreate, create and build, communicate and form groups.

In truth laws are more of an explanation than rules. The laws of physics do not cause the behaviors of the elements, they merely explain what characteristics are exhibited that contribute to the conditions. In the absence of free will the elements and processes involved in maintaining the earth’s atmosphere happily adhere to the behavior that results in the organization of the matter in our universe that produces the conditions we experience here on earth.

Adding free will to the mix means elements can choose their own paths. God has a plan for us. He has a reason for us to exist in physical form. The environmental stability offered by planet earth is necessary to the fulfillment of God’s plan because it enables humans to exist in physical form. Molecular elements with free will would be counterproductive to God’s plan. Ultimately, matter is matter. Our physical make up is essentially the same as all particles comprising the universe. From an organizational standpoint I think all matter is subject to the same laws. Or more precisely, all matter in our universe behaves the same relative to other matter. For that reason, I believe free will is a component of the spirit within us rather than part of our physical make-up.

The yin and yang, or in western terms, the polarity we are faced within the spiritual and physical worlds in which we live is simply God’s will versus not God’s will. In basic terms God’s will is defined as good and not God’s will is defined as evil. Free will means that we must choose the direction we wish to take. The Bible explains that God’s will is for us to eventually experience joy. The backstory and path forward that leads to joy are illustrated in the Bible. What we understand as laws or commandments in the Bible are more like explanations of the behaviors necessary to reaching the goal of the joy as it is defined in the Bible.

For most of us there is a constant tension between the urges of the flesh and the ideology of the spirit. When we go to the gym or do other types of physical training we typically have a goal in mind that is the product of our spirit. We want to look better, or feel better, or perform better. Because our bodies are physical matter and because the normal state of physical matter is perpetual decay, it is not our bodies that are telling us to go to the gym. Even though our bodies will show signs of the physical decay that is taking place, and we feel the discomfort of physical decay, the decision to try to counteract the decay is made because of perceptions and emotions that are more a product of our minds being influenced by our spirits.

When we take on the challenge of improving our bodies by going to the gym or engaging in other forms of physical exercise improvement is made by placing the body in a state of tension. Muscle growth occurs when the work it is required to do progressively increases. It occurs to me that planet earth is a spiritual gymnasium. We who have chosen to direct our lives toward God’s will by doing good can utilize the facilities to buff up our spiritual bodies in expectation of what may lie ahead beyond our physical existence.

“No pain…no gain” is a popular phrase in the gym. Just showing up at the gym doesn’t generate improvements. You have to pick up the weight and move it around. When you do that you will feel tension in your body that can be uncomfortable. But if you do it faithfully and follow a strict guideline of which exercises, how much weight, how many sets, how many reps, proper form and how often, you will make gains, you will improve and you will progress toward your goal.

Training programs are specific. You can go to the gym and begin flailing around with random weights in erratic motions for whatever length of time you choose at variable intervals, and you will probably either make some progress or injure yourself. Efficient weight training requires adherence to specific principles and thought-out routines. The truly dedicated will include strict dietary programs to support their training efforts. These are the laws of a good workout routine.

Just as the person who has an interest in living a healthy life will adhere to guidelines that govern their physical behavior, so too will the person who has an interest in living a healthy spiritual life follow guidelines that govern their spiritual behavior. For Christians the Bible provides the source of the guidelines for spiritual growth and training techniques to achieve the joy expressed in the images of the afterlife portrayed. And even though they are called commandments and laws, they are really training protocols that we are free to choose or ignore. If we follow them we are promised good results but if we choose not to follow them we are warned of the consequences.

God desires for everybody to achieve the joy promised to those who follow His commandments(or sign-up for His training program). But there is an element of evil and it is necessary to filter out that element or else it will spoil the joy to be experienced those who chose the good path. God points the way to eternal joy through His laws, and Jesus has come to earth in physical form to walk the path, to follow the training program and Jesus has shown us not only the way but the eventual outcome.

For some laws represent a line in the sand, meant to impose restrictions and stifle free will. To me the reality is that God’s laws are more of a guardrail that keeps us from falling to our death over the precipice of evil. In the end, good or evil, its our choice.