God . . . made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of
the letter, but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the
Spirit gives life (2 Corinthians 3:5, 6).

Walking by the Spirit is not legalism, the opposite extreme from
license. Paul said: “If you are led by the Spirit, you are not
under the Law” (Galatians 5:18). Stringently striving to obey
Christian rules and regulations doesn’t enable the Spirit-filled
walk; it often kills it (2 Corinthians 3:6). We’re told in
Galatians 3:13 that the law is really a curse, and in Galatians
3:21 that it is impotent, powerless to give life.

Laying down the law–telling someone that it is wrong to do this
or that–does not give them the power to stop doing it.
Christians have been notorious at trying to legislate
spirituality with don’ts: Christians don’t drink, don’t smoke,
don’t dance, don’t attend movies, don’t play cards, don’t wear
makeup, etc. But legalism can’t curb immorality. In fact, laying
down the law merely serves to heighten the temptation. Paul said
that the law actually stimulates the desire to do what it forbids
(Romans 7:5)! When you tell your child not to cross a certain
line, where does he immediately want to go? Forbidden fruit often
seems to be the most desirable.

Neither will a Spirit-filled heart be produced by demanding that
someone conform to a religious code of behavior. We often equate
Christian disciplines such as Bible study, prayer, regular church
attendance, and witnessing with spiritual maturity. All these
activities are good and helpful for spiritual growth. But merely
performing these admirable Christian exercises does not guarantee
a Spirit-filled walk.

Does this mean that establishing rules is wrong? Of course not.
God’s law is a necessary protective moral standard and guideline.
But the means by which we live a life of freedom is not the law
but grace. Within the confines of God’s law, we are free to
nurture a spirit-to Spirit relationship with God, which is the
essence of walking in the Spirit.

Lord, help me encourage other believers to freedom in their walk
with You and not impose on them a religious code of behavior.

This daily devotional is published and distributed by
http://www.GOSHEN.net/ . It is written by Neil Anderson at
http://www.freedominchrist.com/ .