Church architecture is interesting to think about. My less than scientific observations have led me to conclude that the higher the church the more sophisticated the architecture and the lower the church the less sophisticated. For example, one does not normally expect to enter a cathedral-like setting when entering a Calvary Chapel and one does not expect to enter a gym when attending an Anglican church. These are not accidents or coincidences. One’s theological system will inevitably shape everything, including architecture. Therefore, you can tell a lot about a church and what they emphasize by giving the building a once over.

This week I drove by what looked to be a fairly typical low church building. What stood out to me was something placed prominently on both sides of the church’s front door. Easily as large as the door itself, two round tablets with five of the Ten Commandments written on each were placed on the front of the church building. Perhaps their tag line is: “_________Church: Where the Law is faithfully preached.” As I thought about it more I didn’t know what to make of it. Was this something to be thankful for or something to decry? I thought about Paul’s statements. “And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death” (Rom. 7:10). And, “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse” (Gal. 3:10). And, “Yet the law is not of faith.” But then I thought about the text of Ps. 119, the largest Psalm in the Psalter at 176 verses. Its form is that of an Hebrew acrostic, eight lines given about each of the 22 Hebrew letters. And its content is singular: praise for the law of God. As such, it reflects the wisdom tradition, celebrating the good gift of God’s law. “Your testimonies also are my delight…” (Ps. 119:24). It was then that I began to think upon Paul’s statement in 1 Tim. 1:8, “But we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully.” In other words, when the law is used in ways that it was never intended, things get messy.

It was then that I began to think upon Paul’s statement in 1 Tim. 1:8, “But we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully.”

A skill saw is a fine tool when you are cutting a 2 x 4. You are not, however, quite as excited when your doctor pulls one out to work on your lacerated finger. As we come to Ps. 119, then, we do well to keep these categories firmly in our minds and clearly before our eyes. The law is a good gift from God because it bridles our desires—and our neighbors who are deterred from taking my stuff when I’m not home! The law is a good gift because it, like a tutor, “bring[s] us to Christ” (Gal. 3:24). Like a taxi taking us to an airport, the law leads us to Christ. No one bound for Hawaii decides to stay in the taxi! Having been led to Christ by the law (Gal. 3:24), Christ then leads us back to the law. The law becomes our road map to sanctification. We don’t need to guess about what pleases God and what doesn’t. We aren’t in the dark about what is pleasing to him and what is not. Therefore, as we give our attention to Ps. 119 in the coming weeks, let us always be mindful to use the law rightly so that we might learn to say with the Psalmist, “O, how I love thy law, it is my meditation all of the day.”