The tragic events at Bondi on December 14, 2025, have deeply affected Australia and people around the world, especially Jewish communities. In the wake of profound grief, we have seen a swift legislative response to antisemitism from our Federal and State governments. Parliament has introduced laws aimed at curbing hate speech, strengthening firearm controls, and establishing a Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion. It has been rushed, which has demanded swift responses from several faith groups and leaders concerned about the limits and necessary clarifications around genuine faithful differences in our worldviews. The fact is the law has its limits, but that doesn’t mean nothing can be done.
The Limitations of Laws
The state has God-given power as is stated Romans 13:1-7.
Romans 13:1 – Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.
However, legislation, while necessary for civil order, has no power to transform our hearts. And since “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart”, it is vitally important that our hearts are transformed. For many who had the Law were lawbreakers – their hearts were not in it. Romans 2:29 even states that the transformation of the heart does not come from the law. That’s NOT to say that the Law or the law of the land has no purpose.
What Laws Can Do
The Scriptures teach us that the Law given to Moses was never intended to be the final cure for the human condition. As Paul writes in Galatians 3:24, the Law was our paidagogos, a “schoolmaster” or guardian. It shows us our sin and points us to our desperate need for a Saviour. Civil laws may restrain behaviours, but they cannot remove the hatred, pride, or brokenness that resides within us all. One might then wonder how can we possibly change…good question.
If Not the Law, Then What?
We believe that true change comes through faith in Jesus Christ. In our own strength, we fall short of God’s glory. Yet, as new creations in Christ, we are called to live differently. We move beyond the “letter of the law” and grow into the Perfect Law of Christ, a law written on the heart, motivated by love, and empowered by the Spirit. In this, we fulfil the law and surpass the righteousness of the Pharisees. We fall short, but by God’s grace, we can continue in a life of repentance and growth.
Let’s pray for the nation, for those who are hurting, and for those whose hearts need Jesus.
