In my denominational experience and reading through my denominational lens, this chapter was mostly just a place for head scratching and wondering if Paul might have been struggling with the same personality disorder that I was experiencing.

I had this incredible passion to live a holy life for God. But the harder I was trying, it seemed like the more I was failing.

In fact, there was even one month where I kept a list of days where I considered my walk with God to be successful and days where I considered my walk with God to be a failure.

When I got done with that month, my failure list was huge. My success list was pathetic. And I was just flabbergasted that my attempt to serve God effectively was just so incredibly dismal.

I knew beyond a shadow of doubt that Jesus was living in my heart. But there was also some knowledge that I was missing that would have helped me to navigate this mine field of constant failure in my pursuit of God.

And sadly, it is knowledge that most Christians are also missing because I see them walking through the same mine field and being continuously blown up. Just like I was.

What’s missing? Why couldn’t I be more consistent? More stable? Less prone to completely missing it?

It was because I had never been taught that I was no longer “in the flesh.” And most Christians aren’t taught this either.

This really is an enormous issue. And it is an absolute certainty that Christians who are struggling with guilt, condemnation, and a sense of being a failure in their walk with God are still living like they are walking “in the flesh.”

But Paul uses a verb tense that makes it clear that this is no longer the reality of the Christian. This action of living in the flesh is a continuous action. But it is a continuous action IN THE PAST and NOT in the present.

It’s how you used to be BEFORE Jesus. It isn’t how you are NOW.

Someone who is living in the flesh is concerned about rule keeping. But here is the problem we have when we live in the flesh: Rules don’t improve our flesh or make us a better person.

Rather, rules actually make it glaringly clear that our flesh has no power to follow the rules. Instead, the rules increase the power of our lawlessness and rebellion. This produces fruit in our lives. But it is the fruit of death.

Following the Law (rules) will kill you.

If you are a rule keeper, then you are living like you are still “in the flesh.” But it is impossible to serve God by being in the flesh!

Let me be a little more blunt. If you think that by following the Ten Commandments you are going to be able to please God, I predict you will have a 100% failure rate.

I’ll say it again. Trying to follow all of the rules (The Law) that you find in the Bible will actually kill you.

And until you move beyond being a rule keeper and into God’s grace, you will remain frustrated and defeated in your attempt to follow God.

As long as you remain in the flesh your sinful passions will always get the better of you. But Christians are no longer in the flesh.

All those years in a denomination, and nobody ever told me that it was the rules that were killing me. They actually gave more power to my sin.

But the Good News of the Gospel is that there is more grace at the cross of Jesus. And it is grace that produces the fruit of life.

The purpose of the Law is not to reveal God. It is to reveal sin!

But the grace that is found in Jesus reveals God. There is no failure in serving God when you are living in grace.

You can’t fail because Jesus already did all the work for you!