Yes the law has a spirit. That is not to say that the law is a living being such as the Holy Spirit, or that the law is conscious of itself. The law is a set of principals and precepts that reveal the character of God. Gal 3: 24 The spirit of the law is a characteristic of the law. The law was created in the spirit of holiness. In many cases the word spirit can be used in place of the word intent. Someone could say something like, “He helped his brother in the spirit of brotherly love.” Which means that he helped his brother with the intention of showing and/or demonstrating brotherly love or even with true love for a brother at heart. The law was given with the spirit of holiness. Holiness cannot have one jot or tittle of sin mixed in with it or it will no longer be holy. So in itself, the law has a characteristic of purity. It cannot be kept if it has the slightest stain of sin mixed in with it. Paul the apostle had something to say about the spirit of the law.
2 Corinthians 3:6 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.
The Pharisees and the Sadducees wrote their own law in a book known as the Mishnah or the Talmud. It had a multitude of laws which placed a hevy burden on the people and the clergy with empty ritualism and formalism. Jesus reproved them saying that they neglected the weightier things of the law {Matthew 23: 23} and that they excused major transgressions of the law {Matthew 23: 24}.
A good illustration of this concept was given when Jesus cited the practice of declaring “{Corban}.” The Jewish religious leaders taught that if someone declared Corban, they were no longer responsible to honour their father and/or mother. In other words, if they didn’t like their parents, they could take the money they were to use to support their parents and give it as a gift to the temple. It was a precursor to the Catholic Church’s practice of “Indulgences.” It allowed a Jew to purchase the right to sin.
The Talmud has all kinds of worthless ceremonial requirements having to do with the washing of hands and the prohibition of eating meals with Gentiles. The Jews placed these Talmudic laws above the law of God. They expended great effort in the minutia of defining every letter of the law regarding ceremonial requirements and ritualism like the washing of hands and the prohibition to dine with Gentiles. This is what Paul meant when he said, “the letter killeth.” On the other hand, the spirit of the law, which they neglected, was to love God with all your heart, mind and strength and to love your neighbour as yourself.
At this point it should be noted that when Jesus was giving the sermon on the mount, he took the law to a much higher level and/or standard. When Jesus said that the Pharisees and the Sadducees were straining a gnat, he was illustrating the hypocrisy of their ritual washing of pots and cups. They went through so much trouble to wash the pots and cups as a representation of their dedication, sincerity and piety towards the true worship of God. Yet in comparison, in their neglect to love their brother they were swallowing a camel’s worth of sin.
On the other hand, they made rules for themselves which allowed the practitioners to transgress the laws of God with impunity. In other words they created a system where they could so called, “get away with” whatever they wanted, all the while maintaining the appearance of keeping the law.
Before we look at how Jesus brought the law up to a much higher level and/or standard, let’s take at something He said which was simply and categorically definitive:
Mathew 5: 17-19
17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
There is no higher authority in the Christian church than Jesus Christ who also was a prophet. In first Corinthians 14:32 Paul said, “And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.” Point being is that Jesus is the Prophet of prophets, the truth and nothing that anyone can ever say will change the truth of what He said. His word is immutable. Notice what else He said:
Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
So what we have established here is that the law of God is immutable, unchangeable and that it most certainly is still in existence at least until heaven and earth pass away. Furthermore, He said that anyone who breaks the least of His commandments will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven, but “Great” will be called those who teach and do the least of His commandments. With certainty the Bible teaches that it is the will of Jesus that all men should keep the law of God.
So what does all this say about the Spirit of the Law? It clearly shows that keeping the law is not a matter of meaningless ritualistic tasks. Moreover, it shows that it is not a matter of “getting away with” doing the least that is required just to get by. On the contrary it means that the Spirit of the Law is to take the Law to a much higher caliber of elevated character than is even described in the Law. This is what Jesus did in the great sacrifice of His life here on earth. This is what Jesus meant when he said, “greater works than these shall he do; because I go to my Father. {John 14:12} We are to be conformed into the image of Christ. {Rom 8:29}
Furthermore, He said that He has kept all his Father’s commandments and that we were to follow Him.
John 15:10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.
Luke 9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Mark 8:34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
Time and again Jesus told his Disciples to follow Him. He was our example. He kept his father’s commandments and said we were to follow Him. You may ask what commandments he was speaking of. Let’s see what Jesus’ answer was when a certain ruler asked what he must do to inherit eternal life.
Luke 18:18 And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
19 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God.
20 Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother.
What these verses show is that the Commandments that Jesus referred to were none other than the Ten Commandments. We also know that in His question, “Why callest thou me good?,” Jesus was signifying that He is God. If Jesus is God, then are not the Ten Commandments His commandments? If Jesus is God and the Ten Commandments are God’s commandments and we are to follow Jesus who kept his Father’s commandments, then are we not to keep the Ten Commandments? If we are predestined to be conformed into the image of Christ, then are we not to keep His Father’s commandments just as He did? The answer to all these questions is a resounding YES! The Spirit of the law is to go to the extreme, lay down our lives and sacrifice all for love of God and our fellow man just as Jesus did.