NCAA Football Rules & the Law

Galatians 6

　
The NCAA has new rules this year about targeting hits to the neck or head. If found guilty a player will be ejected from the game immediately. The reason for the rules comes out of the recent emphasis in football about concussions and brain injuries. Purists of the game, particularly those who don’t play but sit and watch, complain about how rules are ruining the game.

The fact is, rules are a necessary part of the game. Of course, you can obey this rule and all the other NCAA football rules and never be a good enough player to make it to the NFL or become an All-American or even All Conference.

Like in football, the Law is important but it doesn’t get you into Heaven. In fact, there was a big tension during the first century within the church. There were those who believed that you still needed to follow the Law with all of its rules including circumcision. They were the purists who thought Paul was diluting their religion.

Then there were those, like Paul, who said that the Law wouldn’t do anything for you. What you really needed was the grace and freedom that came through the person of Christ.

It’s interesting then, if not ironic, when Paul refers to "the law of Christ" in verse 2. What does Paul mean by this? For someone who emphasizes grace he seems to be contradicting himself. Maybe he gives us some insight when in verse 15 he writes:

"Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation in Christ".
Eugene Peterson puts it this way in The Message:

"Can’t you see the central issue in all this? It is not what you and I do- submit to circumcision or reject circumcision. It is what God is doing, and He is creating something totally new, a free life!"
Therefore, when you are tempted to stand on rules rather than relationship; when you are tempted to judge others according to your own religious rules; keep your focus on Christ and see what God is doing! Remember that God is not restricted by rules but is focused on faith.

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=galatians%206&version=NIV;MSG
http://www.biblegateway.com/audio/mclean/niv/Gal.6