True or False: Grace is harder than Law

[mfblume]

Originally Posted by good samaritan

I am not suggesting we have to fail (willfully sin), but it is a fact the we fall along the way.

I am not talking about failing willfully. I am saying we EXPECT to fail against our wills too much, and we will find a way to do it. Paul taught there is more victory than that. Yes, there are slip-ups. But Paul is trying to get rid of our EXPECTANCY.

You actually touched on it when you agreed we will not fulfil lusts of the flesh so long as we walk after the Spirit. But we can slip away from that and make excuses for ourselves. I am not saying we will perfect this in our walks. But I am saying there is MORE THAN WHAT WE EXPECT. And we can enter that through teaching.

Every time I have fallen I am not suggesting that I was without choice and was overcome. People will fall along the way and that is not a license or excuse. God will look inside the hearts of man and will know where we really stand with him.

I think it is somewhat of an excuse because it keeps us EXPECTING to sin. That is not the mindset Paul is trying to give. In fact he's trying to correct that. It's like the bottle's half empty as opposed to half full. While you say we will fail and can only expect failure, Paul was saying we can expect more victory.

I am not suggesting that it is futile to walk in the Spirit. If we do not walk in the Spirit we again be entangled in sin. I just don't agree in a literal perfect flesh own our own merits.

I am far from saying OUR OWN MERITS. I am saying it is SPIRIT empowerment that we hardly consider. [quote]
Because of Abraham's faith righteousness was imputed to him not literal perfection in his own life. Abraham had some trouble with honesty himself when the stakes where high.

Abraham never had the Spirit like we do, though. Again, yes there are times we slip, but we can live in far more victory than we do if we take Paul's words to heart and believe them.

Lying is not an exaggeration, but it is a reality.

I never said that. I said the exaggeration was in thinking we're lost as you mentioned.

This is one of the places where I see good people fall. The wrath of man, stubbornness, etc... are just a few places where people will fall. I am not looking to fall, but I understand the nature of the flesh.

I think you are looking to fall to a degree. You are expecting it. Paul teaches we can expect empowerment.

But all of this chat is useless unless we get down to what Paul was saying. And we cannot disregard it before we actually dig into and think it CANNOT be what he said.

We are warned to flee temptation, Why? Potential failure.

But resistance to temptation is what fleeing it is all about. And the Spirit can help us. This is why we pray for God to not lead us into temptation. He helps!

I read this morning in Sunday School "1 Cor. 10:12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." Paul warned of Israel's failures coming out of Egypt and it happening to us. He was not talking about sinless perfection, but instead Israel turning from God and going right back out in idolatry. A single mistake will not get us cast out, but being hard hearted, unrepentant, and stiff necked will.

He was talking a a rest in a place of victory. I am not saying sinless perfection. I am saying walk in the Spirit MORE.