Letter of the Law

Read: Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. (Matt 5:17-18)

Jesus was accused by the pharisees of breaking and trying to destroy the laws given to Israel by the prophets. In reality, far from trying to break or destroy the laws, Jesus was trying to separate what was from God and what was man made tradition. For instance, the Pharisees insisted that Jesus and His disciples wash their hands before a meal to avoid being "unclean". Jesus pointed out that a man was made clean by what was on the inside and not what was on the outside. He was trying to help them to see that it's about pureness of heart and not pureness of hands.

While many things have changed over the years man is still busy building traditions around God's word and passing them off as God's laws. Many would have us believe that all dancing, all make up, all movies, all card games, all drinking, all smoking and some forms of music, are automatically condemned by God and His word. While it is true that anything that we as Christians participate in should be tested by God's word, it is also true that moderation and motivation also play a major part in determining whether Christians should participate or not.

Prayer: Dear Lord: Help me to be careful to always follow the spirit of the law instead of the letter of the law. Please remove my selfishness and guide me in making my decisions on what I should and should not do based on my love for you and how it effects those around me. In Jesus name, amen.