God's Law in the Modern World: The Continuing Relevance of Old Testament Law

Those who promote the applicability of God's Law in the modern world are often written off without a hearing. Two pragmatic considerations tend to dominate theological discussions of the Law.

On the one hand, Law advocacy represents a call to a radical commitment to the Word of God in every area of life, and that is out of step with both fundamentalism and modern evangelicalism. Theologically, fundamentalism tends to be both pietistic (dwelling on the inner personal life and the private Christian walk) and retreatist (withdrawing from consideration of the large social issues). On the other hand, neo-a evangelicalism tends to be faddish (being drawn, belatedly, into the secular humanist cultural wake) and ambivalent (too prone to "reinterpret" the Scripture when it runs contrary to contemporary "science"). 

Those who advance God's Law in modern ethical discourse are calling Christians to consider the larger issues of life for the historical long run, as well as the personal questions of the daily Christian walk. But the fundamentalist's doctrine of the any moment coming of Christ discourages such a long-range view. "Why polish brass on a sinking ship?" Proponents of the Law of God call upon the Christian not only to consider the implications of the Christian faith for the larger question of a Christian culture, but also to act upon that consideration from a biblical perspective. But that is too antiquarian and naive for the neo-evangelical. Advocates of a Bible-based ethic demand deep biblical study and committed, determinative action. And all of this in an age of comfortable pews.