Law Religion vs Grace

[Wynona]

I run into this thinking all the time in on-line forums.

The distorted thinking is if you read in the law to do right and then you purposely try to do that right you are working to save yourself. It's a horrible, horrible misunderstanding of Romans 14:23...

"...everything that is not from faith is sin."​

The mere suggestion of the law in a discussion about obedience suddenly makes obedience now a matter of your own 'works' and not faith. I run into this erroneous thinking all the time. I call it 'automatic Christianity'. Somehow obedience has to be this automatic thing that just happens 'by the Spirit' or else it's you trying to work to save yourself. Of course the net effect of such thinking is you end up doing nothing, or very little, and you rationalize your lack or absence of works in the name of avoiding the works gospel.

Yes! Exactly!!

I was so confused about sanctification because I thought I only had to trust more and more in God's grace and then I'd be Holier. I was taught that by famous radio minister. I thought if I made an effort to be Holy than that was works-based righteousness.

It doesn't work that way. You do have to try. Sanctification is the hard work of dying to your fleshly desires. It is not automatic.

Trying too hard is not usually the issue. In many cases, its not trying enough. "You have not resisted to the point of shedding your blood."