One of the main examples that help us understand how the spirit of the law applies to the Christian is that of circumcision. It’s not a new concept but was introduced in the Hebrew Scriptures, what Christians call the Old Testament. Circumcision of the heart is more important to God than the flesh.
“Moreover the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live.” (Deuteronomy 30:6 NASB)
Some argue that circumcision was not only a sign of the covenant, but also a health law that drastically reduced the frequency of cervical cancer among the wives. However, the circumcision of the heart was more important then and now. Paul explained how important circumcision of the heart is to the Romans.
“For circumcision is indeed profitable if you keep the law; but if you are a breaker of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. Therefore, if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision? And will not the physically uncircumcised, if he fulfills the law, judge you who, even with your written code and circumcision, are a transgressor of the law? For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.” (Romans 2:25-29 NKJV)
If we see the cutting off of a piece of flesh as a metaphor for cutting off the sinful desires of the flesh, then we can better understand the following:
“In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.” (Colossians 2:11-14 NIV)
This is further explained in the following:
For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. (Romans 8:13 ESV)
So here is a metaphor explaining how the whole law applies to the Christian. The Christian life is one where the misdeeds of the sinful body are put to death. This is a heart matter, not a letter-of-the-law matter. Why? The letter of any law, be it modern civil law or God’s law, allows for too many loopholes. The Christian is not interested in escape clauses in order to avoid God’s will, but wants to obey God more fully, which includes the spirit or intent of the law, which is love.
Loving Neighbor
Let's take a look at the second of the great commandments, love of neighbor.
Matthew 22:39-40 The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”
The second great commandment is to love our neighbor as ourselves. Now that’s a tall order. Think of the corrupt politician, the dirty homeless person, the guy who tried to scam us on a phone call, the woman who slandered our name all over the community, and the war criminal who killed our neighbors across the sea. How difficult is it to love our neighbor, when some of our neighbors may have hurt us very badly.
In politics we often hear of patriotism. It’s a good thing to love our neighbor across our own country. But, we don’t often hear the word jingoism used in church. It’s the dark side of patriotism, whereby we love our country, but hate everyone else. Yet, Jesus put it bluntly, that we are to love even our enemies, because they too are our neighbors.
Matthew 5:44 But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you
Proverbs 25:21-22 If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; For you will heap burning coals on his head, And the Lord will reward you.
Proverbs 24:17-20 Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles; Or the Lord will see it and be displeased, And turn His anger away from him. Do not fret because of evildoers Or be envious of the wicked; For there will be no future for the evil man; The lamp of the wicked will be put out.
Obadiah 1:12-13 “Do not gloat over your brother’s day, The day of his misfortune. And do not rejoice over the sons of Judah In the day of their destruction; Yes, do not boast In the day of their distress. Do not enter the gate of My people In the day of their disaster. Yes, you, do not gloat over their calamity In the day of their disaster. And do not loot their wealth In the day of their disaster.
Is that difficult for us to grasp? How can we love those who are persecuting our Christian brothers and sisters in other countries? How can we love those who illegally cross our borders? How can we love those born locally who bring drugs and crime to our neighborhoods? It sounds impossible, but Jesus does not give us any opt-out clause. He simply demands it.
Thank God for His mercy, because I don’t know anyone who does this perfectly, or even near perfectly.
Loving God
Before we get into the topic of loving God deeply, let’s do a little housekeeping. Mark 12:30 seems to add a word, “you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.” Where does the extra word come from? When the Bible was translated from Hebrew to Greek in the Septuagint version that Jesus often quoted, the translators understood that broad one-word concepts in Hebrew were sometimes much better explained with two words in Greek, which may have had narrower meanings. It’s just being thorough in translation.
Why do we often have plaques of the Ten Commandments on our walls, but not so often a plaque with these two Great Commandments? Is it because even as Christians we are still more oriented towards the letter of the law than the Spirit of the law? So, does an understanding of the Spirit of the law begin with knowing that some commandments outside of the ten, are actually more important, because they summarize the Spirit of the law, the whole law and the rest of the Hebrew Scriptures? Let’s look deeper.
Heart
Matthew 22:36 “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart”
How do we love God with our heart? Jesus taught a lot about the heart. Those with pure hearts are happy (Matthew 5:8). Where our treasure is spent indicates the condition of our hearts (Matthew 6:21). What’s in our hearts comes out in what we say (Matthew 12:34). A good heart produces good things (Matthew 12:35). Hard, calloused hearts cannot understand Jesus’ word (Matthew 13:15). We can honor God with our lips even if our hearts are far from Him (Matthew 15:8).
Where does a heart of love for God come from? In Romans 2:29 Paul explains to us that, “But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.” Even the Old Testament taught that it is our hearts that need to be circumcised, changed by the Holy Spirit. We don’t even have the capacity for that, but we can ask God to give us a change of heart.
Soul
Matthew 22:36 “You shall love the Lord your God with… all your soul”
The word soul is an often misunderstood word in English, because it inadequately translates various Hebrew and Greek words and causes confusion. In this particular passage the Greek word is psyché and means a whole lot of things not always associated with the word soul in English. In this context according to Thayer's Greek Lexicon, it means the seat of the feelings, desires, and affections.
What are our affections and desires? We can test that out with a quick quiz. When it is time for a church meeting do we look forward to being with the Body of Christ? Do we realize that under normal circumstances, we are only IN the church when we attend church? After all, church means those called out to a meeting. It is not the building. So, unless we are sick or elderly, or have some other legitimate reason for our absence, we are not in the church when we are alone.
Some claim exclusivity to what is the Church, and that only their church is the church of God, and that only their doors are the way to salvation. But that kind of bigotry is quickly dismissed by Jesus.
John 10:7-9 “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture… I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.”
Instead of forbidding other denominations, Jesus had a different word to say about the topic. Bigotry between Christian churches is simply not a Christian option.
John 9:38-41 John said to Him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we tried to prevent him because he was not following us.” But Jesus said, “Do not hinder him, for there is no one who will perform a miracle in My name, and be able soon afterward to speak evil of Me. “For he who is not against us is for us. “For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because of your name as followers of Christ, truly I say to you, he will not lose his reward.
Rather than worry about what others are doing, do we love God with all our feelings, desires, and affections? Do love God with all our souls? Do we want to hear God’s word expounded or would we rather hear a motivational speech, a man’s word, which passes as an excuse for a real sermon? Do we follow the example of the Bereans and study the Bible daily on our own, to make sure what we are hearing is so? Do we spend time in private conversation with God? Do we find greater joy in the assembly of our God than at a sports game or a movie?
Mind
Matthew 22:36 “You shall love the Lord your God with… all your mind”
Have you ever been asked, “Why are you always thinking, can’t you just check your brains at the door? Why don’t you just let the church do the thinking for you? Why are you always asking questions?” Believe it or not, God wants us to be thinkers. Much of Jesus’ teaching was reasoning, not mindless dictation. We simply cannot worship God with our minds if we fail to use them.
There are two extremes of Christianity as the pendulum has swung back and forth over the centuries. In his well-written “Chronological and Background Charts of Church History,” Robert C. Walton has an example of this on page 78 in a chart titled “The Pendulum Effect in Church History.”
He shows the pendulum swinging from an emphasis on emotions to intellect back and forth through the centuries. It swings from emotional Montanism to knowledge-based Gnosticism to emotional Monasticism to intellectual Scholasticism to emotional Mysticism to intellectual Reformation orthodoxy to emotional pietism and Methodism to intellectual liberalism and back to emotional Pentecostalism.
Yet, biblical Christianity is BOTH emotion and intellect, worshipping God with our hearts and minds. But there are also two other ingredients to consider. Will we ever get these things right? Thank God for His mercy.
Strength
Mark 12:30 “you shall love the Lord your God with… all your strength.”
We don’t have much strength one might say. But it does say that we must love God with all OUR strength, not His. But it doesn’t stop there. Our relationship with God involves both our efforts AND His help, because we are totally incapable of having the strength needed, but we must show that we want to love Him, and that requires us to do something, even if like the thief on the cross we only have enough strength to ask the Lord to remember us. He adds the strength that we don’t have.
Do we have perfect strength? Of course not, but He does, and in His loving arms is strength enough for the task ahead.
Why do we often have plaques of the Ten Commandments on our walls, but not so often a plaque with these two Great Commandments? Is it because even as Christians we are still more oriented towards the letter of the law than the Spirit of the law? So, does an understanding of the Spirit of the law begin with knowing that some commandments outside of the ten, are actually more important, because they summarize the Spirit of the law, the whole law and the rest of the Hebrew Scriptures? Let’s look deeper.
Heart
Matthew 22:36 “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart”
How do we love God with our heart? Jesus taught a lot about the heart. Those with pure hearts are happy (Matthew 5:8). Where our treasure is spent indicates the condition of our hearts (Matthew 6:21). What’s in our hearts comes out in what we say (Matthew 12:34). A good heart produces good things (Matthew 12:35). Hard, calloused hearts cannot understand Jesus’ word (Matthew 13:15). We can honor God with our lips even if our hearts are far from Him (Matthew 15:8).
Where does a heart of love for God come from? In Romans 2:29 Paul explains to us that, “But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.” Even the Old Testament taught that it is our hearts that need to be circumcised, changed by the Holy Spirit. We don’t even have the capacity for that, but we can ask God to give us a change of heart.
Soul
Matthew 22:36 “You shall love the Lord your God with… all your soul”
The word soul is an often misunderstood word in English, because it inadequately translates various Hebrew and Greek words and causes confusion. In this particular passage the Greek word is psyché and means a whole lot of things not always associated with the word soul in English. In this context according to Thayer's Greek Lexicon, it means the seat of the feelings, desires, and affections.
What are our affections and desires? We can test that out with a quick quiz. When it is time for a church meeting do we look forward to being with the Body of Christ? Do we realize that under normal circumstances, we are only IN the church when we attend church? After all, church means those called out to a meeting. It is not the building. So, unless we are sick or elderly, or have some other legitimate reason for our absence, we are not in the church when we are alone.
Some claim exclusivity to what is the Church, and that only their church is the church of God, and that only their doors are the way to salvation. But that kind of bigotry is quickly dismissed by Jesus.
John 10:7-9 “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture… I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.”
Instead of forbidding other denominations, Jesus had a different word to say about the topic. Bigotry between Christian churches is simply not a Christian option.
John 9:38-41 John said to Him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we tried to prevent him because he was not following us.” But Jesus said, “Do not hinder him, for there is no one who will perform a miracle in My name, and be able soon afterward to speak evil of Me. “For he who is not against us is for us. “For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because of your name as followers of Christ, truly I say to you, he will not lose his reward.
Rather than worry about what others are doing, do we love God with all our feelings, desires, and affections? Do love God with all our souls? Do we want to hear God’s word expounded or would we rather hear a motivational speech, a man’s word, which passes as an excuse for a real sermon? Do we follow the example of the Bereans and study the Bible daily on our own, to make sure what we are hearing is so? Do we spend time in private conversation with God? Do we find greater joy in the assembly of our God than at a sports game or a movie?
Mind
Matthew 22:36 “You shall love the Lord your God with… all your mind”
Have you ever been asked, “Why are you always thinking, can’t you just check your brains at the door? Why don’t you just let the church do the thinking for you? Why are you always asking questions?” Believe it or not, God wants us to be thinkers. Much of Jesus’ teaching was reasoning, not mindless dictation. We simply cannot worship God with our minds if we fail to use them.
There are two extremes of Christianity as the pendulum has swung back and forth over the centuries. In his well-written “Chronological and Background Charts of Church History,” Robert C. Walton has an example of this on page 78 in a chart titled “The Pendulum Effect in Church History.”
He shows the pendulum swinging from an emphasis on emotions to intellect back and forth through the centuries. It swings from emotional Montanism to knowledge-based Gnosticism to emotional Monasticism to intellectual Scholasticism to emotional Mysticism to intellectual Reformation orthodoxy to emotional pietism and Methodism to intellectual liberalism and back to emotional Pentecostalism.
Yet, biblical Christianity is BOTH emotion and intellect, worshipping God with our hearts and minds. But there are also two other ingredients to consider. Will we ever get these things right? Thank God for His mercy.
Strength
Mark 12:30 “you shall love the Lord your God with… all your strength.”
We don’t have much strength one might say. But it does say that we must love God with all OUR strength, not His. But it doesn’t stop there. Our relationship with God involves both our efforts AND His help, because we are totally incapable of having the strength needed, but we must show that we want to love Him, and that requires us to do something, even if like the thief on the cross we only have enough strength to ask the Lord to remember us. He adds the strength that we don’t have.
Do we have perfect strength? Of course not, but He does, and in His loving arms is strength enough for the task ahead.
The Ten Commandments (9 and 10)
Let's look at the 9th and 10th commandments as most Protestants count them.
Lying
Exodus 20:16 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
False witness is not just verbal, but also the example we set as Christians. If we go to Church faithfully, but are known as swindlers in business, or filthy mouthed neighbors, or sleazes who undress women with our eyes, or opinionated bullies, or habitual liars, then we are bearing false witness to the faith we represent by not living it as we should.
Yet, we live in a world of lies. Science is a mixture of fact and the myth of naturalism, which denies even the obvious evidence all around for a God. Politics has become so untrustworthy that longtime faithful members of political parties are becoming independents. Advertising is assumed to be lies, because even if the truth is told, only advantages are told and disadvantages are not. History is continually being revised as the atrocities buried by past generations come to light.
None of us can possibly know all knowledge about everything, so it is quite logical that we will inevitably believe some lies, and when we tell those untruths to others, we are bearing false witness, even if unintentionally. Even the most careful among us cannot help but believe and pass on some lies. It’s the nature of being finite. Perhaps that’s why the songwriter was inspired to compose in Psalm 116:11 that, “all men are liars.”
Thank God for His mercy.
Covetousness
Exodus 20:17 You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.
To covet means simply to desire or take pleasure in, and the context means something that is not ours. At the feast of tabernacles people were encouraged to eat “whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth…” (Deuteronomy 14:26 KJV). God wants us to take pleasure in things that we rightfully own or can buy, when we have gotten those things without swindling our neighbor, or stolen. When we have earned something through honest work, ethical pricing, equitable trading, paying fair wages to our employees, and have worked diligently for our employers, then we can rightly enjoy whatever our soul lusts for.
However, if our neighbor owns things through dishonest means or swindling, because of an unjust last will and testament, or some other form of greed or injustice, then those of us who are deprived or been swindled still have a command not to covet. Covetousness causes nations to go to war and steal land or encroach on another’s fishing rights. Covetousness causes people to engage in dishonest forms of capitalism, and causes the business environment to be a dog-eat-dog, distasteful place to be. Covetousness causes murder, adultery, and theft. This tenth command, as most Protestants count it, is an introduction to the spirit of the law.
How many of us want something that someone else owns? Yet doesn’t the Shepherd’s Psalm 23 encourage us, “I shall not want?” Is it really saying that, “I shall not have any need to covet what is not mine?”
But, we are all tempted by covetousness. If a fancy car drives by on the road, or we see a beautiful house, or something alluring is advertised, or a member of the opposite sex walks by wearing clothing that advertises the human body, do we have a difficult time not lusting? Can we learn to be satisfied? Paul did. He said, “I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.” (Philippians 4:11 NASB) Thank God for His mercy.
Lying
Exodus 20:16 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
False witness is not just verbal, but also the example we set as Christians. If we go to Church faithfully, but are known as swindlers in business, or filthy mouthed neighbors, or sleazes who undress women with our eyes, or opinionated bullies, or habitual liars, then we are bearing false witness to the faith we represent by not living it as we should.
Yet, we live in a world of lies. Science is a mixture of fact and the myth of naturalism, which denies even the obvious evidence all around for a God. Politics has become so untrustworthy that longtime faithful members of political parties are becoming independents. Advertising is assumed to be lies, because even if the truth is told, only advantages are told and disadvantages are not. History is continually being revised as the atrocities buried by past generations come to light.
None of us can possibly know all knowledge about everything, so it is quite logical that we will inevitably believe some lies, and when we tell those untruths to others, we are bearing false witness, even if unintentionally. Even the most careful among us cannot help but believe and pass on some lies. It’s the nature of being finite. Perhaps that’s why the songwriter was inspired to compose in Psalm 116:11 that, “all men are liars.”
Thank God for His mercy.
Covetousness
Exodus 20:17 You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.
To covet means simply to desire or take pleasure in, and the context means something that is not ours. At the feast of tabernacles people were encouraged to eat “whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth…” (Deuteronomy 14:26 KJV). God wants us to take pleasure in things that we rightfully own or can buy, when we have gotten those things without swindling our neighbor, or stolen. When we have earned something through honest work, ethical pricing, equitable trading, paying fair wages to our employees, and have worked diligently for our employers, then we can rightly enjoy whatever our soul lusts for.
However, if our neighbor owns things through dishonest means or swindling, because of an unjust last will and testament, or some other form of greed or injustice, then those of us who are deprived or been swindled still have a command not to covet. Covetousness causes nations to go to war and steal land or encroach on another’s fishing rights. Covetousness causes people to engage in dishonest forms of capitalism, and causes the business environment to be a dog-eat-dog, distasteful place to be. Covetousness causes murder, adultery, and theft. This tenth command, as most Protestants count it, is an introduction to the spirit of the law.
How many of us want something that someone else owns? Yet doesn’t the Shepherd’s Psalm 23 encourage us, “I shall not want?” Is it really saying that, “I shall not have any need to covet what is not mine?”
But, we are all tempted by covetousness. If a fancy car drives by on the road, or we see a beautiful house, or something alluring is advertised, or a member of the opposite sex walks by wearing clothing that advertises the human body, do we have a difficult time not lusting? Can we learn to be satisfied? Paul did. He said, “I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.” (Philippians 4:11 NASB) Thank God for His mercy.
The Ten Commandments (7 and 8)
Let's look at the 7th and 8th of the Ten Commandments as most Protestants count them.
Adultery
Exodus 20:14 You shall not commit adultery.
This is not just a command only against the physical act, but in the spirit of the law, Jesus warned in Matthew 5 against careless glances, which by extension would include pornography and wearing attire that places temptation in anyone’s way, and careless touches, which could include lingering during a “holy kiss” (Romans 16:16; 1 Corinthians 16:20; 2 Corinthians 13:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:26) or a “holy hug” as is often custom in the west. He also warned against careless divorce, which would also lead to adultery.
Our society’s values are geared towards adultery rather than seeking to prevent it, by mixing genders in the workplace. In the name of equality, we put temptation before men and women and endanger the most precious building block of our society, our marriages. The wise and upright Christian must be constantly on guard because this world has thrown caution to the wind.
Now, there is probably not a man or woman on earth who has never looked or touched and lusted. Thank God for His mercy. Thank Jesus for His sacrifice.
Theft
Exodus 20:15 You shall not steal.
Avoiding theft is something that is hard to obey, even in the letter. How many of us have stolen honor from someone to whom we ought to have given it? How many of us have stolen even just a moment of work time from an employer, or just and fair wages from an employee, because they were too shy to demand it, or because corrupt employment law did not demand it? How many of us have stolen from our future spouses the purity of a monogamous sexual relationship, because we have been with other partners before marriage? Do I need to go on?
How many manufacturers steal from customers daily in either the quality of merchandise or the price charged? How many food processors steal from the health of their clients by including potentially dangerous chemicals or producing packaging that contributes to our environmental garbage pile that we all live in?
How many steal from God by robbing Him of honor? Do we cheer loudly at a sports game or respectfully salute at a veteran’s parade, but yawn when God’s Holy Word is preached, or roll our eyes when a song with good and holy words is not sung in our favorite music genre? How often do we rob the church of joy by tearing it down with nit picking criticism instead of building up the church and those weary souls who lead us? How often do we excuse stealing from the poor and needy, which is a God-given mandate through the entire Bible, but instead Christians excuse voting against welfare or vote for politicians who want to oppress tired and hungry illegal immigrants escaping crime and poverty in their homelands?
Can we avoid stealing in spirit? I doubt it. We are experts at giving ourselves excuses. The reader may have found an excuse or two as the above examples were listed. Thank God for His mercy, and thank Jesus for the cross.
Adultery
Exodus 20:14 You shall not commit adultery.
This is not just a command only against the physical act, but in the spirit of the law, Jesus warned in Matthew 5 against careless glances, which by extension would include pornography and wearing attire that places temptation in anyone’s way, and careless touches, which could include lingering during a “holy kiss” (Romans 16:16; 1 Corinthians 16:20; 2 Corinthians 13:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:26) or a “holy hug” as is often custom in the west. He also warned against careless divorce, which would also lead to adultery.
Our society’s values are geared towards adultery rather than seeking to prevent it, by mixing genders in the workplace. In the name of equality, we put temptation before men and women and endanger the most precious building block of our society, our marriages. The wise and upright Christian must be constantly on guard because this world has thrown caution to the wind.
Now, there is probably not a man or woman on earth who has never looked or touched and lusted. Thank God for His mercy. Thank Jesus for His sacrifice.
Theft
Exodus 20:15 You shall not steal.
Avoiding theft is something that is hard to obey, even in the letter. How many of us have stolen honor from someone to whom we ought to have given it? How many of us have stolen even just a moment of work time from an employer, or just and fair wages from an employee, because they were too shy to demand it, or because corrupt employment law did not demand it? How many of us have stolen from our future spouses the purity of a monogamous sexual relationship, because we have been with other partners before marriage? Do I need to go on?
How many manufacturers steal from customers daily in either the quality of merchandise or the price charged? How many food processors steal from the health of their clients by including potentially dangerous chemicals or producing packaging that contributes to our environmental garbage pile that we all live in?
How many steal from God by robbing Him of honor? Do we cheer loudly at a sports game or respectfully salute at a veteran’s parade, but yawn when God’s Holy Word is preached, or roll our eyes when a song with good and holy words is not sung in our favorite music genre? How often do we rob the church of joy by tearing it down with nit picking criticism instead of building up the church and those weary souls who lead us? How often do we excuse stealing from the poor and needy, which is a God-given mandate through the entire Bible, but instead Christians excuse voting against welfare or vote for politicians who want to oppress tired and hungry illegal immigrants escaping crime and poverty in their homelands?
Can we avoid stealing in spirit? I doubt it. We are experts at giving ourselves excuses. The reader may have found an excuse or two as the above examples were listed. Thank God for His mercy, and thank Jesus for the cross.
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