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For the Letter Killeth

"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

The Church has become dangerously shallow in spiritual matters. That is to say, there is little to no spiritual depth to most professing Christians. For most of those who still read their Bibles, it is usually nothing more than black ink on white pages, or at best, the letter of the law. Few actually take the time to meditate on the Spirit of the Word. David said, "Mine eyes prevent the night watches, that I might meditate in thy word."   Psalm 119:148

A good example is when Jesus said, "where two or more are gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them." So faithful, but shallow church goers come together, sing a couple "Mighty Warrior" songs, hear a dry fifteen minute message the preacher got online, then go home and say we did our part for God and He was with us, Praise God. That's the letter of the law.

But the Spirit of the law teaches us that Jesus meant much more when He said, in My Name. Where two or more are gathered together in the same spirit as Christ, the same mind, the same motive, the same heart, the same humility, the same love, the same reverence, there I am in the midst of them. The difference is the Letter which brings death, and the Spirit which brings life.

Paul in his epistle to Timothy said, "Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee."  1 Timothy 4:15-16  Why such importance on meditation of the Word, and not study and memorization? Because study and memorization in itself is the Letter of the law, or Gnosticism (salvation through knowledge). Meditation is the Spirit of the law, allowing God the Holy Spirit to teach and to lead us into all truth. (John16:13)

We have replaced prayer and meditation with a smorgasbord of self help workshops, programs, and "I'm OK, Your OK" lectures from those in the know. We have replaced the preaching of the pure Word with smooth, watered down mini messages so that no one is offended, much less challenged or convicted. We have indeed become the Laodicean church (laity ruled), because God is not a million miles from most of what goes on in the church today. We claim to be experts on the Letter of the law, but have no knowledge of its Spirit. We have forsaken Him who is the Spirit of Life and turned to idols.

"Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods? but my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit. Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the LORD. For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water."   Jeremiah 2:11-13

"The law is the letter," said John Gill in his Commentary, "not merely because written in letters, for so likewise is the Gospel; but because it is a mere letter, hereby showing what is to be done or avoided, without any efficacy in it, or communicating any to enable persons to obey its commands, to give life to its observers, or either to sanctify or justify any who are under it, or of the works of it; it is a mere letter, as observed by an unregenerate man, who only regards the externals of it, being unacquainted with its spirituality.

"The Gospel is the spirit, it contains spiritual things, and not things merely natural, moral, and civil, as does the law, but spiritual blessings and promises; it penetrates into the spirit and soul of man, and comes from, and is attended with the Spirit of God.

"The Gospel is the spirit, which giveth life; it is a means in the hand of the Spirit of God, of quickening dead sinners, of healing the deadly wounds of sin, of showing the way of life by Christ, and of working faith in the soul, to look to him, and live upon him; it affords food for the support of the spiritual life, and revives souls under the most drooping circumstances.

"The apostle may allude to a distinction among the Jews, between the body and soul of the law; the words, they say, are the body of the law; and the book of the law is the clothing; and besides these, there is the soul of the law; which wise men look into."

"...for the letter killeth (a mere pretense today), but the spirit giveth life." The Church needs a true Spirit breathed revival to bring us back to the fountain of living waters.

—  Randy Munter   Editor and Webmaster
(Reference used, John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible)

Form and Substance
by A. W. Tozer

Another substitute for discipleship is form and substance. Our Lord referred to this when He reproached the Pharisees for their habit of tithing mint and anise and cumin while at the same time omitting the weightier matters of the Law such as justice, mercy and faith. Literalism manifests itself among us in many ways, but it can always be identified in that it lives by the letter of the Word while ignoring its spirit. It habitually fails to apprehend the inward meaning of Christs words, and contents itself with external compliance with the text.

If Christ commands baptism, for instance, it finds fulfillment in the act of water baptism, but the radical meaning of the act as explained in Romans 6 is completely overlooked. It reads the Scriptures regularly, contributes consistently to religious work, attends church every Sunday and otherwise carries on the common duties of a Christian and for this it is to be commended. Its tragic breakdown is its failure to comprehend the Lordship of Christ, the believers discipleship, separation from the world and the crucifixion of the natural man.

Literalism attempts to build a holy temple upon the sandy foundation of the religious self. It will suffer, sacrifice and labor, but it will not die. It is Adam at his pious best, but it has never denied self to take up the cross and follow Christ.