The Spirit of God's Law

The thing I have discovered is that no mater how many "rules" I set for myself or "boundaries" I put in place so that I don't sin, I still sin. I have never been able to live within the realm of "what I believe is the right thing to do". The more I try and set rules for myself the more I find myself breaking them... its the classic Romans 7: "law shows us our sin". Society may deem us "illegal" just for existing, but I think every member of society, if their full secret heart's counsel was exposed, would find themselves condemned by society, so that's no big deal for me. Like newgeorge, I have wrestled with the life or death thing because of law... only for me it is God's law I struggle with. In my case it was more because I struggle to see HOW I can be what I believe God wants me to be (ie: a functionally married man). To put it simply. Law expects me to do what I find myself unable to do. I struggle to know how to live with that. I understand grace enough to know that at judgment day I shan't be condemned but I'm still learning about grace being sufficient to carry me through the failures of the here and now. If I am to be judged by law then I'm sure to be 'illegal' and 'condemned', but fortunately salvation is by grace through faith. It is a GIFT from God given through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. It is a gift that teaches me today to live more righteously than I did yesterday and... no matter how many times I fail... to keep trying and never give up. I bow my head in shame and gratitude. Blessings Cat.