I totally agree with your message. But I want to add that with the new covenant and our new natures, there is a difference now with how we read and hear God's laws. First of all, we have to decipher what in the written code, with all the rules and regulations, pertains to us now. The written code was a covenant between God and the nation of Israel. So we have to always keep that in mind when reading it. The Gentiles were never required to keep all the written code. Also, now when we read the written code or are convicted by the Spirit, there is no condemnation. We shouldn't read it or hear it with fear of losing salvation and being condemned, or with thoughts that God is mad at us if we are not measuring up to what we are reading or hearing. We shouldn't read it with an attitude of "okay God, I'll get to work on all this", because that doesn't work. Instead we approach it all with His grace, knowing that He is going to bring about the change in us, He is working night and day to perfect us, so we can now read it and hear it all with hope and gladness that what we read and hear in his law, will be done in us by His strength, in His perfect timing, according to His perfect will. It's a whole different approach than the Israelites had and that we are being taught in many legalistic churches, that God is waiting for us to get it all right, is angry when we are not, and will judge us all by it at the end. No, that is legalism, that's what Paul warned about, and it doesn't work. We grow by God's continual grace and mercy for us, His spirit producing fruit in us (fruits of the spirit is exactly that, fruits of the spirit, not fruits we've produced ourselves).

Does any of that make sense? We've got to truly understand what Paul was saying, that the law can't save us, only condemn us, like you said, show us all the dirt. But Christ cleanses all that dirt from us, and if we are trusting him with our justification, sanctification, and glorification, we can read and hear God's laws with hope and gladness. There is no condemnation for those in Christ. The spirit has sealed us, we are His, being perfected by the work of his grace. We rest from our works to accomplish all this, and instead trust His works to accomplish it all.

He doesn't love us because we are good, but he is making us good because he loves us, as C.S Lewis said.


1 John 4:16 (King James Version)

16And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

Romans 8:9
But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. 10And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. (KJV)


Romans 8:28-30
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 29For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. (KJV)

Galations 3:1-11

1O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?

2This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

3Are you so foolish, having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

4Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.

5He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

6Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.

7Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.

8And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.

9So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.

10For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

11But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.

Ok, nevermind, it's fixed now