Octopi

Octopi

Do you live by the law or by grace? I don't want the spiritual answer, or the one you think I want to hear, I want you to be honest with yourself and with God.

For the first 15 years of my Christian walk, I would never have considered myself legalistic. In my mind, legalists were people that wore long skirts, no makeup, and no jewelry, didn't drink, smoke, dance or play cards. I could spot them a mile away, or so I thought.

What I didn't realize was that legalism can be so much more subtle than that. Legalism is attempting to gain justification (salvation), approval, or acceptance from God by what we do. When in truth none of these things can be gained by anything we do. "...knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified." Galatians 2:16
Now is contrast to that, it is grace that saves us. "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." Ephesians 2:8-9

"...for you are not under law but under grace." Romans 6:14

As we endeavor to pursue the experience of grace in our daily lives, it seems that we are like Octopi with 8 tentacles (arms really, not technically known as tentacles). Some of our arms have a firm grasp on grace and in those areas we are walking in freedom but at the same time, some of our other arms have just as firm a grip on the law and in those areas we are walking in bondage.

Our spirit is already perfectly righteous, because it is the Spirit of Christ in us but our flesh is in the process of being sanctified by God unto Himself. "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me" Galatians 2:20; "Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Thessalonians 5:23

God is in the process of conforming us into the image of Jesus Christ. "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord." 2 Corinthians 3:18 In this process, God empowers us to grip progressively more and more grace and less and less law.

Diane