How shall we understand and apply God’s Law today?We learn God’s Law as the Spirit guides us throughout His Word.

 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 1 Corinthians 2.12, 13 (ESV margin)

Just a reminder of what we have previously said. We must read and study the Law in its original setting and context, with a view to understanding clearly what God intended in the way of applications for His people.

Then we must bring the light of other Scriptures to bear on seeking to discern the spirit of the Law for today. As we search through the Prophets, the Wisdom literature, the Gospels, and the remainder of the New Testament, we are looking for further instruction from the Spirit that might lead to some more specific application of this or that commandment or statute to some area of our lives or times.

But we will not be able to use this discipline – which is called the analogy of Scripture – if we do not have a good foundation in the Law and in all the Word of God. So each of us needs to adopt some means of regularly reading the Scriptures and of learning to relate them to one another with respect to particular questions, issues, or personal needs or situations.

But if we will not devote ourselves to such discipline, then we can be sure we will quench the Spirit Who seeks to bring all the Word of God, beginning with the Law, to bear on our sanctification and life (Jn. 6.63).

And if we choose to quench the Spirit, we cannot expect to acquire His mind or know His power; indeed, we will be thinking and acting like those who prefer the mind of flesh to the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2.16).

To understand and apply the Law of God today we need the fullness of the Spirit, and to submit to His wonted ways of teaching, and a sound and growing understanding of all the counsel of God in Scripture. Then, as we study the Law, we will have all we need for Spirit Who teaches us the deep things of the Lord to bring these out of His Law in relevant and transforming ways.

T. M. Moor
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