Following the Rules vs. Following Jesus

Hello Friends, 

Today, I was led to read Romans 8: 1-4 NKJV that states: 

“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not  walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”

There is so much to unpack in these four verses. Here is a quick breakdown.

1. If we believe in Jesus, we do not have to live in guilt or shame. 
2. It is because of Jesus that the Spirit of Christ gives you eternal life, and we are saved from the power of sin and death.
3. We are not expected to live by the law because it cannot save us from death. Only the death of Jesus could save us from eternal damnation. Jesus came in human form and paid the price for our sins.
4. The demands of living by the law are no longer our responsibility. The only thing we have to do is live by the Spirit and not the flesh.

So what does it mean to live by the Spirit and not by the flesh? In everyday life, that means being in a committed relationship with Jesus, and we are no longer judged under the old law. We are free. We simply have to allow Jesus into our lives and let the Spirit take over. We are not expected to follow a set of rules as they did in the Old Testament. We are forgiven for being sinful creatures, which is our nature, because we live in a sinful world. 

Did you know that one of the leading causes of death in whales is drowning? The whales get entangled in fishing gear, preventing them from coming up for air. Since whales are mammals, they need air to breathe. That is why whales have to come up for air at least every 5-15 minutes during shallow depths and 8-50 minutes during deeper dives. Typically, whales stay above water for approximately two minutes before diving again. This is interesting to me. Whales dwell in the sea, yet they were not made to be of the sea. Still, they carry the tools of survival—blowholes to breathe, fins to glide, and smooth skin to move with grace through the water. This is how I think of us. Although we live in the world, we are not made to be of the world. We live in this world, but we were created to belong to the world. God has given us survival tools – His Word, His Spirit, and His grace – to help us navigate in an environment that is not our true home. He sacrificed His only Son through His great love so that we can rise above this world and not allow it to swallow us whole. 

So what does following Jesus and not following rules look like:

• Following Jesus requires following Him and His teachings, not a set of rules. This is a gift given to us by God through grace, not something we can earn by “doing the right things”. It is less about “I must follow this rule” and more about “I want to be in a relationship with Jesus”.
  • Being in a relationship with Jesus is like being in a relationship with anyone that you love deeply.
    • Feeling safe emotionally and physically
    • Open communication
    • Having their best interest at heart
    • Support and encouragement
    • Having fun
    • Encountering deep intimacy
    • Sharing shared values
• Following Jesus requires being transformed by grace and not performance. Our inner man changes because Jesus changes our heart from the inside out. We are not required to “follow the rules” to earn God’s favor. It is already given to us through His mercy, grace, and love. There is nothing that we do to separate us from the love of God. 
• Following Jesus requires us to be motivated out of love and freedom. Being led by the Spirit is being led by love, mercy, and justice, not living by literal rules. We are embracing the values he encompasses.
• Following Jesus is about having an ongoing discipleship. It is a journey. It means continually learning, transforming, and being guided by the Spirit, not the flesh (the world). 

For me, I am relieved by this. We currently live in a world where we have to follow rules day in and day out; at our jobs, our governments, the law, our children, school, etc. We are always under a lot of pressure to follow rules and regulations. It is wonderful that we are given grace, love, and mercy free of charge. And what’s even better, we are allowed a free trip to Heaven by grace and not by being “perfect”. Thank God for glory. 

This is probably a lot of information, so I appreciate you reading my thoughts. Please remember to pray for one another and love each other as Christ loves us.