One of the problems every society faces is how to regulate behavior. It is obvious that unless people agree on rules of conduct, society would soon degenerate into chaos. Many of the rules have nothing to do with morality or ethics – they exist merely to create order. For example, traffic laws have nothing to do with moral right and wrong, but the reason we have traffic regulations is to balance an efficient flow of vehicles and pedestrians with safety. Similarly, land use regulations are intended to help cities grow in an orderly way. Building standards are intended to help people build structures which are safe and do not endanger others.
Another kind of regulation has to do with agreed standards which help everyone in doing business. For example, buying and selling would be much more difficult if we did not have an agreed set of weights and measures.
However, it is much more difficult for a society to regulate moral and ethical behavior. Most societies attempt to do this by means of elaborate rules which define what is right and what is wrong. For example, most societies have laws against theft and murder. The most famous of these laws is the Ten Commandments which God gave to the Jewish people. These Ten Commandments were part of the Law of Moses whose 618 laws regulated Israelite society.
Even though it was given by God, the Law of Moses shared the same weakness as all other codes of conduct. It was able to govern external behavior but could not change a person’s character. A person might comply with the Law out of fear of punishment for breaking it, but it had no power to control the desire to do wrong. For example, a person might refrain from adultery, yet continue to lust.
In Christ, the basis of morality is entirely different. Instead of attempting to control people by rules and regulations, the basis of ethics and morality for those who are in Christ is a new nature. The old nature which is attracted to sin and wishes to do what is wrong is replaced by a Christlike nature which has an inherent desire to do what is right. Rules are no longer needed to enforce righteousness. In Christ we are given freedom.
Some might mistake this freedom as a license to do wrong. The Apostle Paul discusses this in his inspired letter to the followers of Christ in the Roman province of Galatia. In chapter 5, verses 13 through 18, he writes: “For you, brothers, were called for freedom. Only don’t use your freedom for gain to the flesh, but through love be servants to one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, be careful that you don’t consume one another. But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you won’t fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, that you may not do the things that you desire. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.”
Throughout this letter, the Apostle Paul has stressed that the followers of Christ do not need to keep the Law of Moses. We cannot earn our salvation by works of merit. In fact, to try to do so is to turn away from the gift of salvation which God gives us through faith in Christ. If we cling to the Law, Christ is of no value to us. The Law keeps us in bondage. Christ gives us freedom.
But if we have freedom, what is there to restrain us from doing wrong? In short, it is the new nature which Christ gives us. Later in this letter Paul will point out that doing wrong is incompatible with the new nature we have in Christ. Here he points out that we are given freedom, not so that we may indulge in sin, but so that we can serve one another in love. Where there is love, there is no need for law. Why? Because love always has the best interests of the other person in mind. If everyone is genuinely working in the best interests of others, then there is no need to restrain anyone’s actions by rules and regulations. In fact, as Paul points out, the rules in the Law of Moses are an extension of the fundamental principle that we should love one another.
In contrast to love is selfishness. While love looks out for the best interests of others, selfishness tries to get ahead at the expense of others. Paul warned the people to whom he was writing that if they kept on putting self first, instead of serving each other, they would destroy each other.
Paul writes that if we live by the Spirit, that is if we allow God’s Spirit to direct our actions, then we will be able to avoid sin. In contrast, if we let our fleshly desires have free reign they will lead us into sin. The flesh desires gratification, the Spirit prompts us to love others. Therefore our flesh and God’s Spirit, who lives in those who follow Christ, are always in conflict. Our flesh pulls us toward sin while the Spirit pulls us toward righteousness.
The way to avoid sin is not to try harder to resist the desires of our flesh, but to allow ourselves to be led by God’s Spirit. In another place Paul writes, “…one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14 NIV) When we allow ourselves to be led by the Spirit; when we fix our eyes on becoming like Christ, then doing what is right will become the natural thing for us to do. We will no longer desire to do what is wrong.
Allowing ourselves to be led by the Spirit also resolves another conflict. Our fleshly desires always conflict with the boundaries put in place by the Law. However, when we are led by the Spirit the Law no longer applies to us because the Spirit always leads us to do what is right and good. There is no law against love. Instead, love fulfills the requirements of the Law.