When You're Led

One of the most difficult things for a real Bible student to reconcile is the conflict between the law (works) and the spirit (grace). If this was merely a theoretical or theological conflict, I doubt it would present much of a problem. The complication arises because this conflict is in our very selves, and it is impossible to distance ourselves from it. Our very lives hinge on a resolution.

There are a number of things we know about the law. We know it is good and perfect. We know that if we could keep it perfectly, we would be righteous. We know it was given by God. We know that it was given to a people who were extremely immature and disobedient and ignorant of God's ways, and we know that at least some parts of the law (divorce, for instance) were a concession to the hardness of the people's hearts. We know that the law is for the disobedient and rebellious and immature.

Of the spirit, we know that it, too, comes from God and brings to us knowledge of His heart. It is the confirmation of His love and approval toward us-confirmation that we are His sons and that He is our father. We know that by the spirit we have access to every good thing. We know that if we walk in and by the spirit, we will not gratify the lust that is in our flesh, which is at the very root of sin. We know that by faith (which comes by the spirit) we have been made righteous.

We know that the consciousness of the law in fact increases our desire to sin.

And we know that God has set us free.

I ran a report yesterday on the first twelve months I've lived in my own home. There are three major areas into which my money has gone during that time: paying the principle on my mortgage (a miraculous and enormous sum); giving tithes and offerings; and paying income taxes. When I looked at the amount of money I made, and subtracted these three things, I was blown away by how little there was left over-which had to be the amount I've "lived on."

More amazing yet, I haven't felt pinched.

My first thought was, "If I had budgeted that amount to live on each month, I bet I'd have felt terribly cramped." That, you see, is the difference between living by the law and living by the spirit. By the spirit, I went through a tight place, only vaguely aware that I was doing so because I was so tickled by the good things that were happening financially. Under the confines of the law, I'd have busted out into a spending spree a long time ago.

If you are inclined to live by the law, I am perfectly willing for you to have my part in it, too. I don't want it anymore.

I prefer to be led by the spirit.

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