Far from being a buzzkill that directs us away from “freedom and fun,” the Law of God causes us to actively live out our lives in such a way that we both pursue and grasp joy from the Lord within our lives.

Before I had come to truly embrace the doctrines of grace, I remember being incredibly hung up on the idea of the perseverance of the saints. I simply could not understand how it was remotely possible that a Christian could be saved and then would never need to fear losing their salvation. After all, if a Christian was secure in their salvation, then was it not also true that the Law simply did not matter to the Christian? The Christian, once saved, could simply live like a Pagan and be fine, right? And, if that was the case, then it was clear that Calvinism was wrong.

Of course, I had not rightly understood these doctrines because I had not understood the Bible. When I finally came to understand them biblically, and embraced them, I realized that Calvinism does not make the Law less important to the Christian, but more important. This is because the Christian loves God, and the Law is simply a reflection of who God is. For the Calvinist, morality is not based on a fear of losing salvation but is instead something that springs forth from the love the Christian has for Jesus. Or, to phrase it slightly differently, obedience in the life of the Christian is not born from a heart of fear, but a heart of love.

Consider, as an example, how King David spoke of the Law of the Lord in Psalm 119. In verses 97 and 98, he wrote, “Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day. Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me.”

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