Maybe we want to do good stuff because Jesus is good, and good things are good? Instead of trying to make God happy with us? Do you think Jesus just did good things because his father told him to, or was it also because they were good.
You keep pitting Paul against Jesus, and PAul against right living. You're right, Jesus and Paul preach a freedom from the law, but, and I quote...
Originally Posted by Galatians 5
For you were called to be free, brothers; only don’t use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love. For the entire law is fulfilled in one statement: Love your neighbor as yourself. But if you bite and devour one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another.
I say then, walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you don’t do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife,jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar. I tell you about these things in advance—as I told you before—that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, we must also follow the Spirit. We must not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
I don't really know how Paul could be any clearer. Patently, to not be under the law and to have freedom from the Law is not to have freedom to do whatever you like. You are under the Spirit, and the Spirit wills what is against the flesh. In other words, there is still such a thing as right behaviour and wrong behaviour, not because of what the Law commands, but because of what the Spirit desires.
You keep pitting Paul against Jesus, and PAul against right living. You're right, Jesus and Paul preach a freedom from the law, but, and I quote...
Originally Posted by Galatians 5
For you were called to be free, brothers; only don’t use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love. For the entire law is fulfilled in one statement: Love your neighbor as yourself. But if you bite and devour one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another.
I say then, walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you don’t do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife,jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar. I tell you about these things in advance—as I told you before—that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, we must also follow the Spirit. We must not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
I don't really know how Paul could be any clearer. Patently, to not be under the law and to have freedom from the Law is not to have freedom to do whatever you like. You are under the Spirit, and the Spirit wills what is against the flesh. In other words, there is still such a thing as right behaviour and wrong behaviour, not because of what the Law commands, but because of what the Spirit desires.
Replace every occurrence of "flesh" with "the law" in the passage of Galatians above. Paul uses "The flesh" to refer to all human traditions in general and the jewish tradition, all established and derived from the law of Moses. Thus: the spirit desires what is against the law and the law desires what is against the spirit...