THE WORD: “That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” Romans 8:4
THE POINT: We’ve all tried it, keeping the law, that is. And the fact is, we’ve all failed. Our fleshly human efforts can never fulfill the righteousness of the law. Only the Righteous One—the Lord Jesus Christ—can fulfill the righteousness of the law.
Our sincere efforts and disciplined moral conduct will always fall short of the righteousness of the law. We may be able to keep the letter of the law, but certainly not the spirit of the law. The letter of the law, albeit a “form of godliness,” is not God!
Keeping the letter of the law, no matter how good it looks or sounds, is still nothing more than dead works—void of the life of God. Only the Spirit of God can accomplish the works of God . . . thus fulfilling the spirit of the law. The law Giver is also the law Liver, and that is true righteousness!
THE APPLICATION: Jesus Christ, the Righteous One, is the sole source of your righteousness. He makes you righteous in Him, and then He enables you to live a righteous life. As the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus begins to operate in you, His righteousness will be expressed through you.
Only the Holy Spirit can cause you to experience a full and meaningful life. Therefore, in order to have a fulfilled life, you must walk in the Spirit. This involves conducting your life in the power of the Spirit. As you walk in the power of the Spirit, the “righteousness of the law” will be fulfilled in you. Your life will manifest not only the “letter of the law,” but also the “spirit of the law.” And that is true righteousness—the righteous character and conduct of Christ Jesus Himself being expressed through you.
When you allow the Holy Spirit to order your steps, He will lead you the right way. He promises to lead you in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake (Psalm 23:3). And His way is always just right!
THE PRAYER: Heavenly Father, You gave us the law to instruct us in the best way to live. You also blessed us with a guidebook for living. Most importantly, You’ve shown us that Your righteous standard is beyond our ability. Therefore, You gave us the Holy Spirit to empower us for living. Only He can fulfill the righteousness of the law. Cause me to live in total dependency upon Your Spirit so that Your righteous purposes can be fulfilled in me.
By Dr. Lewis Gregory/https://www.sourceministries.net/go/
