The Law of The Spirit

Meditations for Ragamuffins

August 24, 2023

The Law of The Spirit 

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.”

Matthew 5:17 

In the St. Louis Museum of Westward Expansion, there is this excerpt taken from the journal of Lansford W. Hastings, Overlander:

“We had proceeded only a few days travel, when the American character was fully exhibited. All appeared to be determined to govern, but not to be governed . . .”

I believe Hastings got it right; we Americans are a rebellious lot. We don’t like anyone to tell us what to do. However, we also have strong feelings about law and order; we don’t subscribe to anarchy. This disposition toward rules heavily influences our Christian experience. We have ways of measuring our discipleship and the health of our churches. That’s not a bad thing when it helps us achieve Godly goals. However, we want to be careful to measure the things God wants us to measure.

Jesus fulfilled the requirements of the law. Now, as the Apostle Paul so eloquently put it, it is for freedom that Christ has set us free from the requirements of the law. (Galatians 5:1) Religious law paved the road toward a right relationship with God. The problem was that for mortal humans, it was a never-ending road; we could never reach our destination. Then Jesus came and completed the journey for us. Now we have realized the destination of a right relationship with God the Father Almighty by grace through faith. However, Jesus did not set us free to live lives of anarchy. Again, the eloquence of Saint Paul: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death” (Romans 8:1-2 NRSV).

The laws of God are available to help us along our journey to make the life in Christ our way of life. However, they have been replaced as the means to our right-standing with God. Now our right-standing with God is made certain by the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.

My Takeaway: As our lives are governed by the law of the Spirit, which is love and compassion in Christ Jesus, there is only one measurement I need to be concerned with: how visible in my mortal flesh is the love and compassion of Jesus?

But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit. (Romans 7:6)

 Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2023 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.