Daily Devotional for Tuesday, September 15

The Apostle’s Letters of Recommendation

“Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life,” 2 Corinthians 3:6.
Has anyone ever heard the phrase, “Following the letter of the law, but not the spirit?” Most know what that means. It either means just doing enough not to get arrested or actually gaming the system so we can violate the law’s principle without technically breaking it. Why would we do that? Maybe we do not like the law. Maybe it impacts us in a way we do not like. Maybe we think we are above it. Maybe we think our way is better. There are many reasons.
In a way, that was the problem with the Pharisees. Most of the Jews, but particularly the Pharisees, were well-grounded in the Law. They lived it, believed in it, and did their best to follow it. In addition to all of that, the Pharisees liked to use the Law and a club to beat others up spiritually. They thought their super adherence to the Law made them superior to others. They were experts in the letter of the Law.
The problem for the Pharisees was that their religion lacked spirit; it was all legalistic adherence to the Law. Their hearts were rotten to the core, and they did not love God or others. They were all letter and no spirit. I cannot help but think of the story of the Pharisee and the publican in the Temple (Luke 19); our Lord was clear about just who was justified and who was not.
If you think your good behavior, clean life and rule-following will save you, then you are being killed by the letter of the Law. On the other hand, if your hope is in Jesus alone, you have been given life by the Spirit. Which one are you?

Just a Thought
Following rules will never save you; only faith in Jesus will.

Wally Fry