If Ned Kelly is our national hero why don't we welcome 'illegals'?

Why do Australians boast about their convict ancestors but would be ashamed to mention convict cousins?

Are outlaw motorcycle gangs the pin to prick any romantic national ideas about lawlessness?

Most Australians would claim that freedom, tolerance and self-expression are our nation’s great virtues. If so, what place is there for law?

I preached Romans 7 tonight - it is all about the law.

I reckon most Australian Christians would see no relevance in the Law. Not so Paul. As he sets out the gospel he gives so much time and space to speaking of the way the law condemns us, exposes sin, is exploited by sin but is thoroughly good. Now written on our hearts by the Spirit, it produces a life of struggle and hope.

We dismiss all this talk of law at our peril. If you don't understand the importance of the Law you can't really get why the Gospel changes everything and why Jesus is so important.

My fear is that our culture - mostly gentile, and at least ostensibly anti-any-kind-of-law - makes it hard for us to take the Law seriously.

What do you think?