Flesh vs. Spirit
Devotions:
“For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” Romans 8:3-4 KJV
Here is the crux of the matter. If we try to be pleasing to God through the works of our flesh to keep the law. Our flesh is weak and cannot perform the righteousness of God. God has performed what is necessary to fulfill His righteousness for us and in us by His Spirit. This is why it is necessary for us to know the leading of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. As we follow His leading we fulfill the righteous law of God. That Law is already fulfilled within us by the new birth. As we follow the leading of the Spirit we then manifest what is already in us. Jesus is our fulfillment of the Law in us and through us. We then keep our eyes on Jesus as our complete satisfaction before the Father.
When we yield to the flesh we will fail and fall into condemnation. But there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. He took our condemnation and judgement that we would be given His righteousness. Our salvation is all God planned and God worked. This is the grace of God. Our part is to receive it and to respond to what he has already done. It is by faith that we enter into the grace in which we stand.