I have a simple question. I walk in grace, a slave to righteousness. I find I keep the law though not intending to or listing the law. Am I a law keeper or am I walking in grace?
I think there is a spiritual dimension where our righteousness is derived from our walk and not from just reading a set of rules and trying to blindly follow them or some derived version of them.
Unfortunately you know your walk in grace is off, if you find the law shows up failures or short comings.
The law is structured to help resolve serious social issues within a rural community, but does not work in other types of society. ie would we now force a rapest to marry their victim and never divorce them? I think not because our economic situation and social structure has changed. It does not mean you cannot see the justice in this, but also its limitations.
Death for murder is fine if clear-cut cases, but where testimony is the only evidence, and the guilty party could have been elsewhere, things get very grey. Prison works where people are housed safely, and the seriously mentally ill people can be specially looked after. That is bringing hope to people through repentance and also bringing justice to those so far gone they need isolation.
I would question not is perfection our aim, is why would we sin? Sin is a brutal thing which causes harm to others. Yes we fail, but surely inbetween we walk in righteousness? It sounds to me rather than walking in Jesus's acceptance people feel so rejected because Jesus is other, very far away, and they need to know the in fact His love is fantastically close. We are much harder on ourselves than God is. In the important areas we slip up, but in the minor knat issues, you are lost unless you word it just right....sure thing..... The important issues, God loves you, warts and all, really all of you, as you are, and will work with you....Now that is grace......