I think throughout time the main issue has never been whether or not we should keep the law. I think it's always been about how we approach our relationship with God. Our motive should be to please Jesus our Saviour in whatever we do. Keeping the law does fall within that to a degree since it's basis is to have respect for God and for others. However, I see in the gospels the story of those who were motivated by selfish reasons of attaining their own righteousness and were therefore hard and legalistic. To me that's missing the point.
I think Jesus made a very telling statement when He said, "the sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath." I think that could safely be expanded to say the law was made for man, not man for the law. In other words the law is a guidepost, not a hitching post. There are times that doing something that seems to contradict the law is the right thing to do, like healing a man on the sabbath, because the whole idea behind the law is for the betterment of man.
So to get back to the main point, I think it's pretty clear from scripture that we are saved by grace, not by the works of the law. Being saved by grace we can no longer be condemned for our mistakes past, present, or future since Jesus paid that price for us. However, if we are truly motivated to please our Saviour out of utter gratitude for the price He paid for us to be free from condemnation, we will always strive to walk in love for our Saviour, and therefore for our fellow human beings.
To me, this is what is meant by walking after the spirit (Jesus) and not after the flesh (ourselves). It doesn't mean we will never make mistakes since we are still living in a fallen world with mortal bodies subject to fleshly desires. But it does mean that over time we will be growing and maturing in our relationship with Jesus and becoming more and more like Him.
As concerning salvation, I think that's an altogether different matter. Like I said above, I think scripture points strongly to the fact that we're saved by grace. I do believe once accepted it's also pretty clear that it's a done deal that cannot be altered one way or the other regardless of what we do or don't do.
I think Jesus made a very telling statement when He said, "the sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath." I think that could safely be expanded to say the law was made for man, not man for the law. In other words the law is a guidepost, not a hitching post. There are times that doing something that seems to contradict the law is the right thing to do, like healing a man on the sabbath, because the whole idea behind the law is for the betterment of man.
So to get back to the main point, I think it's pretty clear from scripture that we are saved by grace, not by the works of the law. Being saved by grace we can no longer be condemned for our mistakes past, present, or future since Jesus paid that price for us. However, if we are truly motivated to please our Saviour out of utter gratitude for the price He paid for us to be free from condemnation, we will always strive to walk in love for our Saviour, and therefore for our fellow human beings.
To me, this is what is meant by walking after the spirit (Jesus) and not after the flesh (ourselves). It doesn't mean we will never make mistakes since we are still living in a fallen world with mortal bodies subject to fleshly desires. But it does mean that over time we will be growing and maturing in our relationship with Jesus and becoming more and more like Him.
As concerning salvation, I think that's an altogether different matter. Like I said above, I think scripture points strongly to the fact that we're saved by grace. I do believe once accepted it's also pretty clear that it's a done deal that cannot be altered one way or the other regardless of what we do or don't do.
