So many people seem to think that walking in the Spirt consists of following
a bunch of rules and regulations. You know what I mean - a bunch of  
hard and fast do's and don'ts that are supposed to help us become the
Christians we aren't without following them.
 
The trouble with hard and fast set of rules is that they don't provide  any
form of satisfaction or down deep peace. In fact they seem to have the opposite  
affect for most of us.
 
I have to admit when someone tells me that I can't do something, the child in me
raises it's rebellious head and says "Oh yah, try and stop me!"
 
But Paul did say that walking according to the Spirit is not license: an undisciplined  
freedom that leads to an abuse of privilege. As Christian's we read, "You're not  
under law."   maybe you exclaim, "Wow, I'm free!" Most will agree with me that being  
led by the Spirit doesn't give us permission to do anything you want to do.
 
What appears to be freedom to some people isn't really freedom, but a return to  
bondage (Gal 5:1). God's laws from which we all seek to be free, are not  
given to put us into bondage, they are not restrictive, but are protective.
 
Walking by the Spirit is not LEGALISM, the very opposite or extreme of  
license. Paul said, "If you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law"  
(Gal 5:18). Striving to obey Christian rules and regulations doesn't have
anything to do with walking in the Spirit. Galatians 3:13 tells us that the  
law is really a curse and in Galatians 3:21 that it is impotent, powerless to give life.
 
When you have dear brothers and sisters in the Lord who lay down the law -  
telling someone that it is wrong to do this or that - does not give the hearers the power  
to stop doing it. If anything it puts the receiver of this set of opinions and such  
right back into bondage.
 
For more info on condemnation vs conviction, see under the Freedom In Christ
notes here in this Forum.
 
Far too many Christians are notorious at trying to legislate spirituality with don'ts:
Christians don't drink, don't smoke, don't dance, don't attend movies, don't
play cards, don't wear make-up -  and then add the list of do's -the list goes on and  
on and depending on who says what, what church you go to,  the list can be endless.
 
Here's the trouble with legalism. Legalism does not curb immorality or  
prevent most people from doing any of the above mentioned things. In
fact if what Paul says is true, then the law actually stimulates the desires
to do what it forbids --- see Romans 7:5.
 
You see folks a Spirit -filled heart can't be produced by following a laid
down set of rules and regulations. We can't demand that someone conform to a  
certain religious code of behaviour. In fact, when I look at you, why in the world  
would I want to be like you if you have a legalistic attitude - nothing Christ-like to  
emulate there.
 
Church attendance, prayer, Bible study, witnessing  should never be the tell  
tale sign of someone's spiritual maturity. They are of course good and helpful for  
spiritual growth. But just doing or performing  these things does not guarantee
that you are spiritually mature or have a Spirit-filled walk.
 
The Spirit-filled walk is neither characterized by license (freedom to do whatever you  
want without penalty), nor is it anything to do with legalism ...... in fact, in my  
humble opinion, legalism has a stench associated with it - it pushes people away  
rather than make them want to hear more.  What needs to  be desires and cultivated
within our churches and assemblies,  is LIBERTY.
 
Paul stated that we are "servants of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the  
Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life .... Now the Lord is the Spirit;
and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty" (2 Corinthians 3:6,17)
 
More to come on this subject