God’s Universal Laws

10/12/2025

Matthew 22:37-40: “Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.’”

I am constantly speaking about love. Love is truly all that matters. The Beatles got it right when they wrote, “All We Need Is Love.” Love is the greatest commandment. It is a universal law, meaning it applies universally to all people and situations, without exception. It is a law that holds consistently across time, place, and circumstance because it is based on reason, morality, and a fundamental order. It is my belief that every dispute, every argument, and disagreement can benefit from an infusion of love.

And there are other universal laws that govern our natural and spiritual worlds.  I spoke last week about four laws Christ brought us: judge not or be judged; condemn not or be condemned; forgive and you will be forgiven; by the measure you give is the measure you receive.  These laws are not mere rules but reflect God’s very character, His divine order, and His will for humanity. They apply to every person, in every place, at all times. Understanding these laws guides us to live in harmony with God and each other.

Of course, there are natural laws that science recognizes, such as the Law of Gravity, Newton’s Laws of Motion, and the Laws of Thermodynamics, among others. These are physical laws of the universe, and I am not speaking about those today. They deserve a mention, but I want to address spiritual laws primarily.

I have mentioned the Law of Love. Jesus distilled all the commandments and the prophets into two fundamental principles: love God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself. This Law of Love is foundational and eternal. It directs our moral and spiritual lives by inviting us to build relationships rooted in genuine care and justice. When we act through love, speak with love, we reflect God’s nature, because as 1 John 4:8 tells us – “God is Love.”

Beyond love, there are The Ten Commandments.  God gave Moses these laws as moral standards representing how we should live. They guide our behavior.  These commandments address both our responsibilities to God and to others – from honoring God’s name and Sabbath to prohibitions against murder, theft, and false witness. Psalm 119:142-144 affirms that God’s law is right, eternal, and perfect. “Your justice is eternal, and your instructions are perfectly true. As pressure and stress bear down on me, I find joy in your commands. Your laws are always right; help me to understand them so I may live.” These laws reveal our need for God’s grace by showing us the reality of our hurtful words and deeds. Romans 3:20 says, “Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.”

God not only governs moral conduct but also sustains the physical cosmos. Jeremiah reminds us that God established ordinances for heaven and earth, setting laws that cannot be broken. In Jeremiah 33:25 God tells us “…I would no more reject my people than I would change my laws that govern night and day, earth and sky.” These natural laws, like the law of biogenesis, that life comes from life, or the cause-and-effect relationships in nature, reflect God’s unchanging will and order. Studying creation reveals the invisible attributes of God, the natural laws governing the universe and the order that unfolds. Contemplating the laws written on our heart reveals His eternal power, divine nature, and just how great God is.

From Adam to Noah, God established covenants encompassing universal moral expectations and human accountability. The contract with Adam brought accountability for our choices, decisions, words, and actions, while the agreement with Noah after the flood reaffirmed responsibility for moral and honorable living for all humanity. These covenants bind us today, along with the New Covenant established in Christ, a covenant of grace, forgiveness, restoration, transformation, and eternal life, show that God’s laws are not isolated to one group but are meant for all of us.

God’s laws are eternal and never change and are made to apply to all the conditions and to all the relationships of the physical world and of the spiritual world. But the laws that apply to the operations of the material world are not fit to apply to the operations of the spiritual world. Although someone understands the laws of the physical world and their applications, it does not mean they are able to apply those same laws to the spiritual world and to spiritual things. That knowledge and application is not transferable.  

This is why scientists are stymied by the concept of God or a spiritual nature. Material laws can be measured and learned from the operations of the senses and the physical mind. But spiritual laws can only be learned through the exercise and the faculties of the soul. “God is spirit and must be worshiped in spirit,” says John 4:24.  We must worship God from the heart, led by Spirit, and grounded in truth rather than merely external rituals or find God through natural laws and things of the world.

Why give us these laws at all? God’s laws serve a few purposes. First, they reveal our shortcomings and misdeeds, so that we recognize our need for Christ in our lives. They act as a mirror reflecting our moral flaws and our need for salvation. We are not made right by the laws; they simply point us toward our solution.

And that is the second reason they exist – they guide us in living holy lives, pleasing to God and beneficial to one another. Galatians 3:24 says, “Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we could be made right with God through faith.” The laws provide moral and spiritual direction for holy living that pleases God and promotes harmonious relationships. 

The third reason for God’s law is it prepares us for the awareness of Christ within our hearts, who brings redemption, intimacy with God, spiritual renewal, empowerment by the Spirit, eternal hope, joy, peace, and victory over sin and death.

A fourth purpose for God’s law is to restrain evil and maintain order in society. It is to modify our behavior. In 1 Timothy 1:9-11, Paul tells us, “…the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers,…” and the list goes on. By setting clear boundaries, the universal laws of God help maintain order and justice in society, restraining evil behavior.

A final reason for God giving us His Law is that it unveils God’s holiness, uprightness, and justice, and sets a standard for His people. His Law is a template for how to live, think, act, speak, and respond while indwelling these bodies.

So, this concludes part one of God’s universal laws. It is my prayer that we recognize that the commandments discussed today are not burdensome chains but loving boundaries that bring freedom and flourishing. They unite moral conduct, spiritual devotion, and natural order under God’s loving guidance. By loving God and our neighbors, honoring His commandments, respecting His creation, opening our hearts to Christ, doing our part to avoid ungodly behavior, and reflecting God’s holiness and justice, we live as a Child of God and accept our accountability to Him.

This means recognizing that as God’s children, we bear His image and represent His name and reputation. We are entrusted to live according to His standards, being responsible for our choices and actions. Our love for God encourages us to pursue righteousness, seek purity, and live with integrity, not only for our own sake but also as ambassadors for Christ in the world. This accountability is both a calling and a privilege to reflect the love, holiness, and justice of our Heavenly Father faithfully in every aspect of life.