When Faith Meets the Law: Unlocking the Power to Live Like Christ

Have you ever heard someone say, “I just can’t live like Christ. It’s too hard.” Or maybe you’ve even thought that yourself? It’s almost as if people believe that being a Christian means trying—and failing—to live up to an impossible standard. But here’s the truth: you were never meant to do it on your own.

The reason we can live righteously isn’t because we’re trying harder, but because we’ve already been made right through faith in Jesus. That’s what changes everything.

"What, then, can we boast about? Nothing! And what is the reason for this? Is it that we obey the Law? No, but that we believe. For we conclude that a person is put right with God only through faith, and not by doing what the Law commands... Do we, then, nullify the Law by this faith? Not at all! Instead, we uphold the Law." 

(Romans 3:27-28, 31 GNTD)

See the difference? Faith doesn’t just bring us into right standing with God—it upholds the Law by transforming us from the inside out. The very faith that justifies us is the same faith that enables us to live according to God’s standard.

Think about it. There was probably something you struggled with before knowing Christ. Maybe it was a habit you just couldn’t break, no matter how hard you tried. Then, after receiving Christ, you realized you no longer desired it. What changed? You didn’t just wake up one day with more willpower. It was Christ working in you.

"But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you."

(Romans 8:10-11 MSG)

So, because you’ve been made right, you can live right. Not by your strength, but by the Spirit living in you.

The Assignment of the Holy Spirit

This is why I struggle to accept when people say, “I can’t live up to Christ’s standard.” That statement is rooted in a mindset of self-reliance instead of faith.

You were never called to live like Christ by your own ability. That’s why the Holy Spirit was given to us. Through yieldedness and faith in His transforming power, He empowers you to live like Christ. Saying you can’t live like Christ is actually limiting what the Holy Spirit can do in you. He works in the areas where you allow Him to work. If you don’t believe transformation is possible, why would you yield to it?

Imagine telling your dad he can’t buy you a car, even though he’s fully capable. You’re saying that because you don’t fully understand his capacity. The same goes for the Holy Spirit—we limit Him when we measure His ability by our own weaknesses.

But here’s the thing: the Holy Spirit wasn’t given to make us feel better about failing. He was given to empower us to live out God’s standard.

"In his Son, Jesus, he personally took on the human condition, entered the disordered mess of struggling humanity in order to set it right once and for all. The law code, weakened as it always was by fractured human nature, could never have done that. The law always ended up being used as a Band-Aid on sin instead of a deep healing of it. And now what the law code asked for but we couldn’t deliver is accomplished as we, instead of redoubling our own efforts, simply embrace what the Spirit is doing in us."

(Romans 8:4-5 MSG)

The Power of Faith Over Flesh

Why do we say “I can’t” when we should be saying “Through Him, I can”? Living like Christ isn’t about willpower—it’s about faith. When you say you can’t, it’s because you’re focusing on your ability rather than God’s.

"A person who works is paid wages, but they are not regarded as a gift; they are something that has been earned. But those who depend on faith, not on deeds, and who believe in the God who declares the guilty to be innocent, it is this faith that God takes into account in order to put them right with himself." 

(Romans 4:4-5 GNTD)

Think about it. When you believed that you were one with Christ, did you physically see yourself being united with Him?

No. You believed by faith. So why is it so hard to believe that faith can also transform you into His likeness? 

When you say it’s impossible to live up to Christ’s standard because of the flesh, you’re actually exposing your focus. Are you looking at the power of the flesh and it's desires, or the power of the Holy Spirit in you?

But here’s the truth: "The righteous will live by faith." (Romans 1:17 NIV) 

Faith isn’t just for salvation; it’s also the key to righteous living.

So, the real question is: are you living by faith or by sight?



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