Many times a person who embraces Christ and experiences a true born again experience gets the idea that he is responsible to keep and obey the law. They do not really know that God in Christ has already totally set them free from the law. They think that the ought's / should's and the ought not's / should not's apply to them. Then they act independently from Christ and put forth many efforts trying to do good things while avoiding bad things.
Av they go about doing this they find out that the harder they try, the worse their own situation comes. They found out what Paul found out when he tried do this.
Rom 7:15-16, " For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.
Rom 7:19, "For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do."
They find out that only that they can not do the "good things" but they actually end up doing the "bad things" they are so desperately trying to avoid.
They also find out Like Paul that they have the will and desire but lack the power to perform these desires "for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not."
Why couldn't Paul do the good things and avoid the bad things that he truly desired?
Rom 7:23, "But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members."
Now a law is just something HOW A THING WORKS or how a thing functions. Law is the governing principal by which a thing or person functions properly or "the law of its being." While under a law a person CAN NOT function any other way. This is IMPOSSIBLE because this person is governed and ruled by this law
Now when you try to do good or avoid evil by applying the should's and should not's you will bring yourself under the Law of sin and death.
God never intended us to keep the law it was a only a teacher to bring us to Christ
Gal 3:24, "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith."
Do you see yourself alive but separate from Christ? Then you will make a law out of most anything. That is why freedom only comes when you know you are "dead" and crucified with Christ and you are no longer alive. Then and only then we can know it is Christ living in us and manifesting Himself as us.
When we think that we have a separate life from Christ we will automatically be under the law of trying to be good. Romans 6:11; "He that is dead is freed from sin." A dead person can't try to do anything. If we are under the law of trying to be good, we are acting as if we are not dead; we are acting as if we are alive apart from Christ, producing our own goodness or righteousness.
Likewise, if we are condemning ourselves for not being good, we are really expecting to have the power to produce goodness and are condemning ourselves for failing. That is a false expectation, because it is impossible for us to produce any goodness apart from Christ. There is no "good you," nor is there any "bad you." Christ is living and expressing Himself through His human branch, vessel, temple, wife, and body. Think about it. If we humans can produce our own evil, then there is a strong possibility that we can produce our own good, and if that is the case, then why would we ever need a Savior at all?
The Law of Moses is "I should not," and is called the ministry of condemnation. The law of Christ is "I Am," and is called Spirit and Life.
I think we would be surprised to know how much law we are unknowingly under. Personally, I tried to fix, change, and rearrange myself and anyone around me, although I attempted to be very passive about it. This kind of behavior seems nice, but ironically it is not. I never thought that I was a controlling person, per se, but I really was. I was what today's psychologist would call, "passive aggressive." I had a victim complex, being self-righteous and judgmental. I accused everyone of doing me wrong, because it was always the other person's fault, and never me.
If it is not personal laws we put on ourselves, we put religious laws on ourselves, as well. One huge law is trying to have enough faith. Actually we put "faith in our own faith" rather than in the Lord (which actually makes trying to have more faith just another law). We think if we give more money, we will be more successful. That kind of "if, then" mentality is conditional and not freedom, it's just another law. Sometimes we idolize our pet doctrines instead of the Person of Christ, making our way of interpretation, law. Sometimes our particular kind of spiritual jargon becomes law. Sometimes the uniformity of our dress or church affiliation is law. Sometimes our political persuasion is group law. Any demand on our human self to conform to church, politics, or a group mentality can be nothing but law. Do we realize that, "For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse" (Gal. 3:10)? We are actually under a curse when we try to keep all these laws.
The "Outer Law" was my "PERSONAL TRAINER"... training me that I am weak and need a Keeper. So, by the mighty keeping power of my Lord, I am a "KEPT PERSON", and perfectly maintained by my permanent "MAINTENANCE MAN". Now I free from trying to change or even maintain myself. I can rest in HIM!
The New Covenant has but one law. The Bible calls it the "Royal Law," the law of love: love God, love neighbor, and love yourself. When all this responsibility to love unconditionally falls on us, our hearts sink; for we honestly must admit to failure. We simply cannot love. Yet, why did we think we should try to be like Christ anyway? We would have to be God to love that way. That is the point! Only God Himself can selflessly love.
What we don't understand is that our human vessel hasn't the capacity to love unconditionally. We were created to contain Mr. Love, Himself; but we were not created to produce it. Love is not a commodity to get, it's not a "how to" self-improvement program or an earned achievement. LOVE is a Person. We humans contain, not produce. When we discover that we are radically replaced by Christ, that "We don't live any longer, Christ lives in us," then we know we live by receiving, and not by achieving.
Freedom means that we are free to, or free not to, because we are led by the Spirit of God. "For as many as are led by the Spirit are the sons of God" (Rom. 8:14); therefore, all the "I should's" and "I ought to's" of the law have no more claim on us. We are "dead to the law" in order that we can be married to another who raised us up from the dead, even our Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 7:4).
Our freedom from sin and death is not a result of finding a new way or method of functioning, or another learned behavior. No, that is back to self-effort again. It is a result of leaping by faith into the arms of our Savior and trusting in His work at Calvary that sets us free from this bound-up life. Jesus did it for us. He condemned "sin" and "death" in the flesh (Rom. 8:3).
So are you truly enjoying freedom in Christ?
If not just ask God to show why - it must be some law or idea that you have to make yourself better or to do better.
Are you struggling to get faith?
Basically, Christians are trying to get what they already have in Christ. They are trying to get into a room that they are already in. Christians are striving to improve themselves instead of resting in the power of His resurrection life. If we understood what the Bible declares to be true, then there is no self to improve. For a "dead man" can't be improved. "You are dead, and Christ is your life..." (Col. 3:3-4). God doesn't want improved nor recommitted people. He wants dead people. Why? You can't be raised with Christ if you are not dead.
The way for the Spirit's transforming power to be activated in us is by simply believing what God says instead of striving to become who we already are. Once we lay hold of the truth, the Truth (Jesus) will lay hold of us and by His Holy Spirit transform us into the new persons we already are, thereby causing us to spontaneously manifest righteousness.
We need a change of minds renewed to the sanctifying truths of the Gospel. Our carnal minds are polluted with lies from the Fall. Deep in our consciousness, redeemed man is still wearing the grave clothes from his former owner. We are like Lazarus coming alive out of the tomb. He was alive, but after four days, Lazarus's grave clothes stunk with death. As long as we live from these lies, we too are living with the stench of dead grave clothes. Take off your stinking grave clothes and put on Christ, who is your sanctification, your righteousness, and your glory.
Are you trying to add Jesus Christ to your life? Are you trying to apply His teachings to your life?
This is NOT TRUE CHRISTIANITY!
You do not apply Him or His teachings to your life at all. You have died and you have His LIFE.
He applies HIS Life to you and in you - it was an total exchange. You died - He lives. You no longer have a life - He is your LIFE!
Gal 2:20, "I am crucified with Christ: neverthless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."
Now look at this part, "yet not I, but Christ liveth in me." the I was replaced with the person of Christ.
If you are involved with any self effort He can show exactly what it is,
It is simple - just ask God to show you the reason and He will!
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