“You have heard it said…But I say to you…” Matthew 5.21, 22

The entire New Testament points us to Jesus Christ – as, indeed, do all the other Scriptures (Jn. 5.39). So when we are interpreting the Law, looking together with other believers at how the New Testament would counsel or guide us, we want to make sure that our understanding and interpretation are in line with the Person and mission of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus taught us that the Law is, first of all, a matter of the inner person. In our attempts to interpret the Law we must always bear this in mind. That is, we must study the Law to see how it addresses problems of the heart, mind, and conscience, and look to it for counsel concerning the kind of transformation that speaks to the soul of a person, and not just the external conditions of any particular situation. Paul said we could understand all the mysteries, even of the Law of God and how to apply it, but if we lacked love or did not promote love, we may as well just be quiet (1 Cor. 13.2).

Jesus also sent the Spirit to use the Law in our inner persons to convict us of sin, righteousness, and judgment (Jn. 16.8-11). Our use of the Law must be consistent with this purpose and mission of the Spirit. The Law of God, patched on by legislation to the old wineskins of a corrupt and dying age, will not accomplish the purpose of love. More likely it will create resentment, anger, and backlash.

This is not to suggest that we should not seek to apply the Law to matters of public policy; rather, like Jesus, we must address our efforts to the deeper matters of neighbor-love that well up from within our souls. We can legislate an action consistent with the Law, but unless we are able to show how that action is in line with justice, mercy, goodness, and love, we will not be applying the Law as Jesus did. We will not be exposing sin as it currently exists, expounding the way of righteousness, and warning of dire consequences (judgment) should we fail to make adjustments more in line with the holy and righteous and good Law of God.

Finally, Jesus lived and taught the Law with a view to the progress of His Kingdom (Matt. 5.17-19). This means that right application of God’s Law will, in every case, begin within the Church, which is the agent of the Kingdom. Only then, when we have begun to live in the wisdom of God’s Law, will the world be able to see that wisdom and desire it for themselves (cf. Deut. 4.5-8; Mic. 4.1-5).

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