The Spirit of the Law

“Moreover He said unto me, Son of man, all My words that I shall speak unto thee receive in thine heart, and hear with thine ears.”  Ezekiel 3:10

God was speaking to the prophet Ezekiel as He commissioned him to go to the people of Israel and bring words of comfort while they were in captivity just as God had sent him to warn them prior to their captivity.  There are some instructions and commands that God gave in His word that were specific to the person, the people, and/or a particular period of time.  However, even though at times He spoke to a particular situation, His words are always helpful to those who take the time to study them.

God’s directions and precepts for ancient Israel are as valid today as they were then.  Of course, we are not under the law, but under grace because of Christ’s sacrifice, but the Ten Commandments will never be obsolete.  Jesus did not abolish the law, but fulfilled it (Matthew 5:17).  We are not saved by keeping the commandments; we are saved by the shed blood of Christ when we repent and trust Him.  Being born again does not exempt believers from following the spirit of the law.

When Jesus delivered His “Sermon on the Mount” (Matthew5-7), He was bringing the commandments of God down to a personal, simple level so that any who listened could understand how Creator God expects His creation to act and think as believers in the Lord.  Jesus expanded the commandments, giving more specific details about how a person was to conduct himself or herself throughout a lifetime.  For example, the sixth commandment forbids murder, but Jesus said that murder included being angry without a just cause against another, calling another a “loser”, or calling him or her a “fool”.  Words and/or names can destroy one’s spirit and his or her reputation.  The seventh commandment forbids adultery, that is, cheating on one’s spouse whom one promised to love and cherish for life.  Jesus said that just looking or thinking about another person lustfully was committing adultery in one’s heart.

Jesus touched on other subjects in His sermon.  He admonished us to love our enemies, not to brag about what we give or do for God, and to forgive others when they do us wrong.  He also urged us to not worry and fret because God was in complete control, to not judge others, to ask the Father when we have a need, and, of course, the Golden Rule–do unto others as you would have them do unto you.  Just imagine if everyone lived by these admonitions.  To live by them, we must listen with attentive ears, we must allow God’s words to penetrate our hearts so that what we think, do, and say reflect the Christ who lives within us.