Letter or spirit?


Heavenguard
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Letter or spirit of the law, that is. This came up in another forum I started going to, and I began to wonder what the LDS view of the matter is.

Personally, I'm a "spirit of the law" kind of person. There are many things I do not take literally from the Bible. (Ie. I don't believe God literally created the world in 6 24-hour days, but I do not think it impossible for him to do so. My understanding is God gave that understanding in order for us to understand that God is creator, the source of all things, and God period.)

In a Bible study discussion, my friend once said that we hide behind the "spirit of the law" in order to rationalize our way out of the more difficult commandments, and he gave the example where Jesus said to not invite your friends to your party, but the homeless and the poor instead, which is something nobody does.

I have some more thoughts on the matter, but I don't want to throw it all out right now, because I want a discussion, not a monologue :)

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The "letter of the law killeth, but the spirit giveth life" according to Paul.

The key is one must be following the guidance of the Holy Ghost in order to live the spirit of the law. If a person struggles with having the Spirit as a constant companion, then the letter of the law becomes a very good guideline to follow for the times when we are clueless as to what to do spiritually.

IOW, there is room for both, as few of us really experience the "constant" companionship of the Holy Ghost, and can always use the letter of the law to guide us in those instances.

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There are a couple of good threads discussing laws that VisionOfLehi started. Let us take the Law of Tithing for example. The letter of the law is specific. We are to pay ten percent of our increase to the Lord. So many questions have been asked regarding the meaning of "increase" but when we are asked by or bishop if we are full tithe payers he does not ask us to qualify it. The spirit of the law is sacrifice. Are we sacrificing ten percent of what we consider increase?

Is our gross income increase? Is our net income our total increase? Is a tax rebate increase? What about an inheritance? I have my own personal ideas on the matter and that is between the Lord and me, but I would rather err on the Lord's side than Mammon's. I want to be able to look at Him in the eye when I stand before Him one day to account for all my deeds.

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I think the confusion that comes to many about this topic is that in the New Testament, most of the time they refer to works of the law they are referring to the Law of Moses. Since Christ was to be the great and last sacrifice, the Law of Moses was fulfilled. Included with this is the need for circumcision.

Today we have clear vision of these differences. But, at the time of Christ it would take a Jewish convert a total change in belief in order to believe that the Law of Moses was no longer needed. In fact, the church let them continue to practice both, if they chose. That they followed the Law of Moses didn't matter as long as they followed Christ's Laws as well. Christ's Law was know as the opposite of the Law of Works, the Law of the Spirit or Grace. This can be compared to a Christian who accepts the Book of Mormon and converts to the Church today. It is a big life change and take a paradigm shift in basic beliefs for many. This same dilemma presented itself to the Church under Peter, just after Christ left them, but it was to accept the New Testament with Christ's Laws. The Jewish converts expected Gentile converts to live both laws as they did. Peter and Paul (mainly) taught them they only needed to live Christ's laws, and whether they live the Law of Moses was their choice, since Christ's Law was a higher law.

If you read the New Testament with this understanding, then where most are confused about works and grace, you can see and understand the truth.

So, when you see "we are not saved by works, but by grace," in the New Testament, what it is really saying is that "we are not saved by the Law of Moses, but by the Law of Christ," or not by the Old Covenant, but the New Covenant (the New and Everlasting Covenant). If this one truth was not twisted or lost then I bet the number of Christian religions today would be cut in half.

Edited by Justice
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I truly believe in the spirit of the law. Skal mentioned above a wonderful example. Attitude and the attempt to justify the actions we take make a huge difference in how we live by the spirit of it. Do we live by the "law" which can be interpreted in so many different ways...or by the spirit of the law which helps us feel the sacrifice?

Edited by pam
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The "letter of the law killeth, but the spirit giveth life" according to Paul.

The key is one must be following the guidance of the Holy Ghost in order to live the spirit of the law. If a person struggles with having the Spirit as a constant companion, then the letter of the law becomes a very good guideline to follow for the times when we are clueless as to what to do spiritually.

IOW, there is room for both, as few of us really experience the "constant" companionship of the Holy Ghost, and can always use the letter of the law to guide us in those instances.

I agree. Thank you for your words. ^_^

There are a couple of good threads discussing laws that VisionOfLehi started. Let us take the Law of Tithing for example. The letter of the law is specific. We are to pay ten percent of our increase to the Lord. So many questions have been asked regarding the meaning of "increase" but when we are asked by or bishop if we are full tithe payers he does not ask us to qualify it. The spirit of the law is sacrifice. Are we sacrificing ten percent of what we consider increase?

Is our gross income increase? Is our net income our total increase? Is a tax rebate increase? What about an inheritance? I have my own personal ideas on the matter and that is between the Lord and me, but I would rather err on the Lord's side than Mammon's. I want to be able to look at Him in the eye when I stand before Him one day to account for all my deeds.

Wonderful example. Thank you. ^_^

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