Having been in college for many years, I recently started law school and have become well acquainted with how extensive our laws truly are. There are literally thousands of regulations that cover just about everything, and if there isn’t one, it can be made relatively quickly. I initially approached law school the same way I had every other graduate program: memorize the laws and facts, and I would do well on the tests. That approach didn’t work out that well for me in law school, because the exams were primarily essay-based. When I wrote an essay, it quickly became apparent whether I truly comprehended the law or merely recognized some words on a page. A lawyer must understand the law, not just know it. It’s the same way a pilot must know how to perform what’s in the manual in an emergency, or a chef must know when to go above and beyond in a recipe. The lawyer in this context knew the correct answer (What was written), but he didn’t comprehend the law, and here’s where we’ll hang our hat for the next 2 articles.
“What is written in the law? How do you read it?”
~Luke 10:26
The letter of the law tests memory; the Spirit of the law tests the heart.
Anyone who has earned a certification or degree in any field knows that it’s mainly predicated on our ability to give the correct answer. If we check the boxes and pass the quizzes and tests, we get the prize (the degree, certification, or recognition), and we move on. The lawyer in the context we’re looking at today apparently did just that. Now, he stands to test Jesus on the Mosaic law, only to be tested in return. When the lawyer answered our question for this week, he demonstrated theological knowledge of Lev. 19:18, and he checked the box. The problem was that knowledge alone can not produce righteousness or eternal life (according to Rom 7:10-12). Paul explains that the law is both holy and good but powerless to produce life apart from God’s Spirit. The lawyer proved he had knowledge. Jesus exposes that knowledge without transformation is ultimately empty.
The letter of the law kills, but the Spirit gives life. (2 Cor. 3:6) How we interpret the law becomes the actual test, even in law school today. Knowing God’s word without understanding His heart leads to distortion. The law was never intended to serve as a checklist for self-justification. Only the Holy Spirit can grant the understanding to live out the radical love the Law demands. We are called to serve in the “newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter”(Rom 7:6); Jesus only speaks Spirit and Life! (John 6:63). If we stop at knowing the law, we remain under self-condemnation; When the Spirit grants understanding, the law leads us toward life in Christ.
We live in an age of spiritual information overload, which poses a danger. We can quote verses, attend virtual Bible studies, and listen to sermons on demand with the click of a button. Yet we often avoid the accountability required to align our lives with the knowledge we receive practically. We have the convenience of hearing the Word at any time we want, yet we still struggle with wisdom, empathy, and genuine compassion in real-life transactions. We know what’s right, but we lack the power to be right, proving ourselves to be merely hearers of the word and not doers many times (James 1:22). Without the Holy Spirit, we interpret scripture as a mirror for excuse rather than a reason to change.
The question becomes clear: “Am I reading the bible to justify myself or to be transformed?
How I read this determines how I live. We’ve become masters at checking religious boxes, but it’s time to start examining our hearts and checking our fruit. It’s not about how much we can do to be “good enough”, it’s about reflecting the heart of God out of sheer love and gratitude for what He’s done for us individually and collectively. Paul called our transformed lives a reasonable act of worship (Rom 12:1). Understanding will come in the next article, but it starts now by surrendering our interpretation of this knowledge to God.
Time of Reflection:
** Lord, move me from information to transformation.
** Teach me to read Your Word through the Spirit, not self-interest.
Heart-Probe Moment:
**Am I using knowledge to obey God or justify myself?
References:
Luke 10:25-28
Lev. 19:18
Rom 7:10-12
2 Cor. 3:6
Rom 7:6
James 1:22
Closing prayer:
Holy Spirit, thank You for not dealing with me according to my shortcomings in this area. Open the eyes of my understanding as I read Your word, that I may understand it clearly and thereby experience internal transformation that leads to external reflection of Your heart. Teach me to live truth, not merely recite it. Amen
