The Law vs. the Holy Spirit

As I have stated before, I knew I could not live up to the expectations of God, therefore, I left the church for 13 years. I had no anger at the laws of God. They seemed right to me, I just knew I couldn't call myself a Christian and not live by those laws. So I left. I left, that is, until I heard a speaker say, "Invite Jesus into your life and let Him live His resurrected life in and through you. Let Him use your hands, your feet, and your mouth to share His Good News of the Gospel." It was then the "the light" went on in my heart and said, "You mean I don't have to live the Christian life, Jesus will do it for me?" With this child like thought, I prayed to give my life, as best I could, to having this type of relationship with God.

I discovered it was the Holy Spirit who came into my soul the second I prayed to receive the Lord and sealed me as God's child (Ephesians 4:30). I could not study enough, desiring to understand just how this alliance worked. For at least 2 to 3 years I searched out everything I could get my hands on that would help me understand this Holy "Ghost" living His life in and through me.

For the past two postings we have looked at Jesus' take on the Holy Spirit (John 13-17). As I pondered, with the Lord, what to post today regarding the Holy Spirit, I came across a verse I had not seen before, and I want to explore it with you in light of my frustration of not being able to be a "good little" Christian.
Hang in there with me as we dissect 2 Corinthians 3:7-9. The Good News is on the way.

7Now if the dispensation of death engraved in letters on stone [the ministration of the Law], was inaugurated with such glory and splendor that the Israelites were not able to look steadily at the face of Moses because of its brilliance, [a glory] that was to fade and pass away,
8Why should not the dispensation of the Spirit [this spiritual ministry] whose task it is to cause men to obtain and be governed by the Holy Spirit] be attended with much greater and more splendid glory?
9For if the service that condemns [the ministration of doom] had glory, how infinitely more abounding in splendor and glory must be the service that makes righteous [the ministry that produces and fosters righteous living and right standing with God]!

What is this saying? If you remember when Moses came down from Mt. Sinai with the two tablets containing the 10 Commandments, his face glowed with the glory of God. In fact, he had to cover his face because the people were frightened (Exodus 34:29-35). Our verses are saying if the 10 Commandments were introduced to us with such fan fair, if you will, how much more infinitely abounding "fan fair" should be the introduction of the Holy Spirit.

Why? Notice how the Law is referred to as "the dispensation of death, the ministration of doom, the service that condemns us." On the other hand the Holy Spirit is referred to as "the ministry that causes men to obtain and be governed by the Holy Spirit, the service that makes righteous, produces and fosters righteous living and right standing with God."

This all brings us to Romans 7 where Paul struggles with the law, just as I had struggled with not being able to keep the principles and laws of God.
Romans 7:18 b "I can will what is right, but I cannot perform it. [I have the intention and urge to do what is right, but no power to carry it out.]
19For I fail to practice the good deeds I desire to do, but the evil deeds that I do not desire to do are what I am [ever] doing.
20Now if I do what I do not desire to do, it is no longer I doing it [it is not myself that acts], but the sin [principle] which dwells within me [[c]fixed and operating in my soul].
21So I find it to be a law (rule of action of my being) that when I want to do what is right and good, evil is ever present with me and I am subject to its insistent demands."

There is a sin principle living in us that overrides our desires to do what we know to be right and we are subject to that principle as we have no power to carry out what we know is right. We feel trapped in our pathetic selves along with experiencing a lot of guilt, as I did, and questioning God's goodness and love towards me, the great sinner.

Why is the Holy Spirit's coming such a big deal in God's sight and in Jesus' sight and hopefully in your sight. I always knew that Jesus came to earth, showed us how to live and took away my sins which meant I would go to heaven in the bye and bye. The bye and bye gets closer the older I get. Anyway, I wanted something relevant for today, not in the "sweet bye and bye.

One day I found myself like Paul, in Romans 7: 24, scream out in my heart, "O unhappy and pitiable and wretched man that I am! Who will release and deliver me from [the shackles of] this body of death?" It turned out to be Jesus' emissary; the Holy Spirit would set me free. From what you may ask? The Holy Spirit came to set me free from myself; to save me in the here and now from me.

Yes, Jesus did the work here on earth and paved the way for the Holy Spirit to come. Remember Jesus saying, "It is expedient that I go away for if I do not go away the Holy Spirit cannot come." But I would rather have Jesus here, you say.

In Jesus' physical body he could only be with just so many people at one time. With the Holy Spirit indwelling His people He can be with me right now, with you right now, wherever you live and with all believers across the world 24/7. What the law cannot do, save us from hell and ourselves, the Holy Spirit can do, living from the inside out of each of us, conforming us to the image of Jesus.

God announces how much more fan fair we need for the Holy Spirit's coming verses the Law! The law keeps us stuck in never being able to measure up to what we know is right. It is a ministry of condemnation. The Holy Spirit says, You can never measure up to God's laws, that is why you need a savior; a savior to save you from the consequences of not living up to the law.
We will all drown in the sea of laws. Look back at 2 Corinthians 3:9. The Holy Spirit produces and fosters righteous living and right standing with God! We do not produce and foster righteous living and right standing with God. The Holy Spirit will do the work of God in and through you. How? By believing God's word and taking by faith the Holy Spirit is initiating your growth as long as you desire to grow. Titus 1:2 says, "God is not a man that He should lie (about these things). Now all of this is a big deal and is the Good News of the Gospel.