The law

When I was 14 or 15 I wanted to live like a Christian.

Trying to live up to that standard wore me out, and I eventually gave up. I now truly understand that what I did was a false acclamation of what was later to be.

I was trying to live up to this "holy-holy-holy-girl-type-of-life". I mean, I totally made the conscious decision and effort to delete all the music by *insert outrageous-industry-puppet-artist's name*, and even cleaned out my MySpace page (do you guys remember MySpace!?) Well, at that time, that girl (i.e. me) was calling herself a Christian. 
 
My 14-year-old-self's Christian soap opera came to a halt, and boy let me tell you, it is a mess when one realizes that all the self-attained "work" done to live up to the Christian "ways" just won't cut it. 

At some point in our life, we realize that Christianity either "isn't for us" or it is. 

We realize that we either thought that being a Christian meant living to attain the law, or we come to realize that we are so full of darkness that we have to receive Christ, and by grace we can do anything the law says because it can only be done by Him who is inside us.

I'll give you another different example of doing something in our own effort:

Have you ever had a day when you tried doing something just as good as when the Lord had empowered you to do that same thing?

I have. 

When I sing I know it's the Lord doing it through me. 

I once got convicted of being proud of the gift I had been given. My pride led to the worst singing audition I'd ever had. In that moment of pride, I had already pictured myself on that stage, and doing a lot of things, but had to be brought down and reminded that this wasn't my voice, it was His.

In other words, I had to calm down. 

It's the same way with the law. We either calm down, and realize that Christ can do it through us, or we can just ignorantly head on  own way thinking that we can live life independently of God and try to race up to certain aspects by ourselves.

Friends, let's continue to  encourage each other and pray for each other in times when we think we are better than the law, or when we can't realize the Grace that has been set before us. Let's pray for each other when we think that we can "live like a Christian" without God's enabling strength.

We surly can't do this ourselves! But thank God He is alive and wants us to be set free! Amen! The same way you say: "Lord, I can't stop stealing, or I can't stop using your name in vain, or coveting...etc" is the same way we go to Him with anything else. We lay it down at His feet, knowing full well that even if we tried, we could never achieve it because our natural state is already wretched and craves the things contrary to the law. Let us continue to encourage each other to lay it all at the feet of the cross.

Once again, keep the faith, and love like you've never loved before.

With love always,

FAITH by Promises