Henry Krabbendam - James - World Evangelical Alliance

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(2) Delight in God’s Law
But there is a second guideline. Scripture indicates that there are two areas in life. The
first one is the area where man faces the law of God. Here, man has no freedom, no
freedom at all. He simply must obey! The second one is the area where there is no law.
Here, man has only freedom! This is where the second guideline emerges. Scripture
teaches that someone who delights in keeping God’s law (See Prov. 4:1, 3, 5-6a, 7, 9),
will by definition be pleasing to, and blessed by, God in the area where there is no law
in force (See Prov. 4:2, 4, 6b, 8, 10). Once again, when a daughter is obedient in the
house, she will be pleasing to her father as well, when she plays outside, regardless
whether she chooses the tricycle or the sandbox to amuse herself. The latter choice is
totally irrelevant in determining her acceptability to her father! Undoubtedly such focus
upon the law will result in a heart’s interest in books, such as The Ten Commandments,
Sanctification, etc. In the process this will continue to purify the desires of the
believer. In one instance a military officer was agonizing about two possible physical
locations to retire. They were thousands of miles apart. If he would designate one location,
he would be $5,000 out of pocket in relocating expenses, if he ultimately opted
to move to the other one. The first two guidelines sobered him up and led to a genuine
and deep repentance. He recognized that his approach was thoroughly man-centered
and happiness-centered. As soon as he pursued delight in God and his law as his first
twofold priority, the agony vanished. Ultimately he chose the location where he could
prosper in ministry, and never looked back.
The first two guidelines can also be used as an evangelistic tool. Imagine being
asked for advice at the height of the Vietnamese war by two young men with low draft
numbers. They decided to enlist in order to have the choice of service. Should they opt
for the Navy, the Airforce or the Army? Upon further inquiry you find out that one of
them is virtually an atheist without any discernible interest in either God or his Law
word. The second one, on the other hand, does take a great delight in God and his
word. The resulting counsel is not too difficult. You must tell the first young man that
for a hell bound sinner a specific choice of service branch makes no difference whatsoever.
He is and remains hell bound in whatever choice he makes. This, of course,
opens the door to an evangelistic outreach. Similarly, you must inform the second one
that his choice of service in the grand scheme of things is equally irrelevant. Wherever
he ends up, he is heaven bound, and will be a force for God and his Word! This paves
the way to the third guideline.
(3) Creative Imagination
Third, man is made in God’s image, and therefore possesses creative imagination. He
may and should always go as far as he can, as fast as he can, and as furious as he can,
but ... for the Lord! His bottom line is not, “I move or proceed, if God permits me,” but
rather, “I move and proceed unless God stops me.” In a nutshell, it is not, “Yes, if,”
but “Yes, unless.” The apostle Paul is a prime example of this approach. He aimed to
travel via Rome into Spain (Rom. 15:24, 28). He could hardly have gone any farther!
Many times he had intended to visit Rome (Rom. 1:13). He could hardly have gone
any faster. He was eager to go to Rome (Rom. 1:11). He could hardly have set a more
furious pace! He pushed onward, not if God permitted, but until God stopped him. In-