The Spirit Of The Law

The opening of the golf season on the PGA Tour has been marred with controversy. The tour’s greatest star has been sidelined by scandal, and golf’s second greatest player has known controversy of his own. Phil Mickelson, while playing at Torrey Pines, was accused of cheating by a fellow competitor—the result of a wedge that Phil had chosen to put in his bag for the tournament. The PGA had changed its wedge rules but, to confront a loophole, Mickelson intentionally chose to use a wedge that conformed to the letter of the law but not the spirit of it. Far from seeking a competitive advantage, Mickelson was trying to force the governing bodies of golf to clean up the rules and close the loopholes. The issue? Could players be trusted to accept the spirit of the law instead of pressing the letter of the law.

Paul spoke of this in regard to matters of faith. In 2 Corinthians 3:6 he said that God is the One “who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” The letter of the law may produce conformity but it does not transform our hearts, spirits, and attitudes. The letter of the law may allow us to look good, but it does not give us life.

If we are to avoid the empty religion of outward conformity, we must recognize and embrace the spirit of Christ and what He says in His Word. Merely submitting to the letter of the law will never do, for the letter kills—it is the Spirit that gives life.

Bill Crowder, Sport Spectrum Chaplain