BAD associations spoil useful habits. You reap what you sow. (1 Corinthians 15:33; Galatians 6:7) Either physically or spiritually, each statement is an example of a fundamental truth—a principle—and each one provides a basis for laws. Laws, though, may come and go, and they tend to be specific. Principles, on the other hand, are broad, and they can last forever. Thus, God’s Word encourages us to think in terms of principles wherever possible.

Webster’s Third New International Dictionary defines a principle as “a general or fundamental truth: a comprehensive and fundamental law, doctrine, or assumption on which others are based or from which others are derived.” For example, to a child one might give the law, “You must not touch the stove.” But to an adult the statement, “The stove is hot” would suffice. Notice that the latter is a more fundamental statement. Because it governs what one may do—perhaps cook, bake, or turn the stove off—it becomes in a sense a principle.

Life’s key principles, of course, are spiritual; they govern our worship of God and our happiness. Some, though, retreat from the effort required to reason on principles. They prefer the comfort of a rule when faced with a decision. This is unwise and contrasts with the example set by faithful men of old in Bible times.—Romans 15:4.

Look Behind the Law

Of course, laws play a vital role in a Christian’s life. They are like sentinels that help to protect us, and at their core are many important principles. A failure to perceive these principles may cool our love for the related laws. The ancient nation of Israel demonstrated this.

God gave Israel the Ten Commandments, the first of which forbade the worship of any god other than Jehovah. That Jehovah created all things is a fundamental truth behind this law. (Exodus 20:3-5) But did the nation live by this principle? Jehovah himself answers: “‘You are our father’ [said the Israelites] to a block of wood and [they cried] ‘Mother’ to a stone. But on me [Jehovah] they have turned their backs and averted their faces from me.” (Jeremiah 2:27, The New English Bible) What callous and unprincipled folly! And how it hurt Jehovah’s heart!—Psalm 78:40, 41; Isaiah 63:9, 10.

Christians too have laws from God. For example, they are to avoid idolatry, sexual immorality, and the misuse of blood. (Acts 15:28, 29) When you think about it, we can see underlying principles, such as: God merits our exclusive devotion; we are to be faithful to our mate; and Jehovah is our Life-Giver. (Genesis 2:24; Exodus 20:5; Psalm 36:9) If we both perceive and deeply appreciate the principles behind these directives, we see that they are for our own good. (Isaiah 48:17) To us, God’s “commandments are not burdensome.”—1 John 5:3.

While the Israelites at one time ignored God’s commandments, by Jesus’ time their “doctors of the law,” the scribes, had gone to the other extreme. They had formulated a mountain of rules and traditions that obstructed pure worship and buried godly principles. (Matthew 23:2, NEB) People felt resigned to failure, hopelessness, or hypocrisy. (Matthew 15:3-9) And many of the man-made rules were inhumane. When about to cure a man with a withered hand, Jesus asked the Pharisees present: “Is it lawful on the sabbath to do a good deed?” Their silence shouted no, making Jesus feel “thoroughly grieved at the insensibility of their hearts.” (Mark 3:1-6) The Pharisees might come to the aid of a stranded or injured domestic animal (a financial investment) on the Sabbath but never to a man or a woman—not unless it was a matter of life and death. Indeed, they were so obsessed with human rules and technicalities that like ants scurrying about on a painting, they failed to see the whole picture—the divine principles.—Matthew 23:23, 24.