It naturally is so for everyone in the very beginning of the walk that all leading and action comes from the Spirit. That is why apostle Paul says "having begun in the Spirit". It is very important not to stray from this path into dead works. But what is the difference between dead works and works that testify that we are children of God who have true faith? The difference is in the origin of these works, whether they are our own strivings, or brought about by God and stirred up by the Spirit.
Philippians 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
When we give our life to Jesus, Holy Spirit gives us the initial pull and we think "I just cant do this anymore" and we discard a whole lot of sin without it being a chore at all - we are so strongly compelled by the Spirit of God and simply cannot do otherwise! God is irresistible - when I was called to testify to my family, the Spirit pressed that on me so hard that I felt like I must speak or die! There is no chance of disobeying. But what happens is that as we encounter various doctrines, we start fearing "am I 'good enough', will I make it into Heaven?" and start forgetting who does the work of our sanctification and that we have been made "good enough" already at the Cross - we just need to believe and put FAITH in God daily (part 1 deals with why this light burden that Jesus preached works so effectively; it is light but hard on the flesh though to walk by faith and believe what God can do, rather than by what is evidenced at present). Then we start doubting God's finished work and power to deliver. It is very hard for the flesh to believe that freedom from sin will come without work, especially if you see that nothing is going on yet and you're still succumbing, which is common when dealing with a stronghold, so it is easier to panic "I must do something" than walk by faith and not by sight. Then the person tries and tries to get rid of leftover eventual bad habits or attitudes, focuses on own thoughts instead of being receptive to the Spirit. This comes from man and the person will be constantly stressed and despairing, instead of coming to God in faith like in the beginning and trusting in victory and forgiveness - no matter how bad things look like. Man's way and effort is not destined to succeed. But when God does it, later you can look back at the ways you lived in and know, I'm not going back to this. You outgrew it.
God brought up to me that thought "the definition of insanity is to keep doing the thing that doesnt work and expect different results". So there are the two ways for us to walk, the way of faith and of legalism:
The way of faith:
"This is really overpowering me, God please help me overcome - in spite of how hard this pressed me, I believe You are able to deliver me according to the promise I received"
With receiving forgiveness for stumbles we give thanks to God, praise Him for His everlasting mercy and having no desire to abuse His blood of grace, we hope in victory over the enemy/sin and expect mightly deliverance and swift vengeance against devils to be brought on by the power of God through faith in Jesus.
Faith is the attitude that allows the power of God to work and delivered me every time without fail.
The way of legalism:
"Oh no, this is overpowering me, what to do now, why cant I get rid of this! :'[
This person beats self up, loses spiritual effectiveness in Christ because of heavy guilt and fear and unsuccessfully fights to get rid of it, then sinks in more guilt and fear and drifts further and further away from God, with eventual last stage where the person finally starts covering up sins and becomes a hypocrite to be able to survive one's own unclean conscience. In case the conscience doesnt get seared like this, suffering prolongues infinitely until the person is brought to despair and doubts, which bring unspeakable ongoing torment and this Christian is living in hell... been in this one."
This is the wrong solution, where a lot of people, including myself in the past, get stuck in. The person becomes their own judge and frantically examines themselves for errors. All the focus is on works and "obedience", not on God anymore. I did this too until the Spirit said very loudly into my spiritual ears: "STOP searching yourself for sins - it's MY job!" The Spirit who searches all things was angry at this and rightfully so. Man is not God. If He redeemed us, cant He at least have His glory? Legalism robs God of His glory. In legalism, we the men get to be even our own judges, daring to take the chair of Jesus!
This is all ineffective and stunts, if not reverses spiritual growth, killing the faith, in spite of the good intent which is the honest desire to be a good servant to Jesus, and as we know the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Jesus has made an atonement exactly so we would approach God and cry for help. If our work could do any good, there would be no need for Jesus. Striving to work causes us to continually fail and disbelieve the "sprinkling of clean conscience" (Hebrews 10:22), so that we lose our boldness and start running away from God, and not towards Him, in total shame and disbelief that we will ever overcome. Arent you tired of so much trying and losing? "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." --- Jesus
Very important to know this difference because it is the main difference between faith and legalism. I wrote this in love for those who might be struggling or stuck with some stronghold and they did all they could and it was not moving - this is the reason why it is not moving, that happens when we try to do it on our own. I have stumbled in legalism before, as I am a Bible believing Christian and a non-denominational, I had to study doctrines a lot to see if they line up with the Bible and read many resources, many of them were damaging, I discerned most with legalism being a rare exception. The reason why so many people get entangled into this is that every genuine believer is very concerned for their own salvation and they dont want to displease God. But we then forget that God is in charge of our salvation, that He finishes what He started and that our works could never please Him. Oh, and we forget that perfect love casts out fear, too. And also that the one who fears is not being made perfect in love, because "fear hath torment" (1 John 4:18). I want to be made perfect in love, not to have torment. (And I thought hell was the one supposed to have torment anyways, not the Kingdom of God and those in it!)
I was a little afraid to return on the right track in the beginning, it's human desire to be in control and fear of things going wrong and sinning, the old fleshly mindset because we have been constantly defeated by sin in the past. But it cant go wrong with God and He said "dont be afraid, try My way and just believe", and I was "if it doesnt work I can always go back to striving and stressing, right - what do I have to lose? Ok, let's try just having faith!". And the very next day I decided to stop striving, I got rid of gluttony (sweet and junk food addiction), which crept back in during the "legalist" time. I faced the "I have to eat this" but this time instead of trying to overcome on my own, I said inside "not really, I've been set free on the Cross" and believed it. (I still couldnt resist eating some of it, but I believed deliverance would come quicker than I expected.) Did that about twice, and praised God for His swiftness, the desire to eat or overeat on bad food just vanished and I craved healthy food. This habit was driving me to despair, it was a constant source of guilt because it kept happening daily and I was unable to fight it myself - and it vanished - just like that! I'm pretty sure I started eating all that junk again to alleviate the guilt and stress... and the devil is a liar. He likes to add to the Word. I felt condemned even when I was just hungry and legitimately ate. In the same way legalism often invents many rules and traditions that God does not require.
If you're in this boat, please stop doing the same old thing and expect different result. It wont happen. I beg you to return to the Spirit and to that good spot when you were just saved and grew in Jesus and were daily conformed to where God wanted you to be and did what He wanted you to do, but didnt strive like now. We didnt expect to be justified, we did not expect reward, we did not think we were good for doing it, we did not think we were hopeless if we failed, but ran to Jesus and trusted for salvation. We're supposed to keep it up exactly that way to succeed. Jesus said to rest in Him. As a brother in Jesus remarked well, if you are still striving, then you cant possibly be resting.
Hebrews 4:9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. 10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. 11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
(click to continue to part 3, which is expounding more in detail on differences and practical distinguishing between our dead works from works of the Holy Spirit, with Scriptural illustration, to help us embrace the latter and cease from the former)
Philippians 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
When we give our life to Jesus, Holy Spirit gives us the initial pull and we think "I just cant do this anymore" and we discard a whole lot of sin without it being a chore at all - we are so strongly compelled by the Spirit of God and simply cannot do otherwise! God is irresistible - when I was called to testify to my family, the Spirit pressed that on me so hard that I felt like I must speak or die! There is no chance of disobeying. But what happens is that as we encounter various doctrines, we start fearing "am I 'good enough', will I make it into Heaven?" and start forgetting who does the work of our sanctification and that we have been made "good enough" already at the Cross - we just need to believe and put FAITH in God daily (part 1 deals with why this light burden that Jesus preached works so effectively; it is light but hard on the flesh though to walk by faith and believe what God can do, rather than by what is evidenced at present). Then we start doubting God's finished work and power to deliver. It is very hard for the flesh to believe that freedom from sin will come without work, especially if you see that nothing is going on yet and you're still succumbing, which is common when dealing with a stronghold, so it is easier to panic "I must do something" than walk by faith and not by sight. Then the person tries and tries to get rid of leftover eventual bad habits or attitudes, focuses on own thoughts instead of being receptive to the Spirit. This comes from man and the person will be constantly stressed and despairing, instead of coming to God in faith like in the beginning and trusting in victory and forgiveness - no matter how bad things look like. Man's way and effort is not destined to succeed. But when God does it, later you can look back at the ways you lived in and know, I'm not going back to this. You outgrew it.
God brought up to me that thought "the definition of insanity is to keep doing the thing that doesnt work and expect different results". So there are the two ways for us to walk, the way of faith and of legalism:
The way of faith:
"This is really overpowering me, God please help me overcome - in spite of how hard this pressed me, I believe You are able to deliver me according to the promise I received"
With receiving forgiveness for stumbles we give thanks to God, praise Him for His everlasting mercy and having no desire to abuse His blood of grace, we hope in victory over the enemy/sin and expect mightly deliverance and swift vengeance against devils to be brought on by the power of God through faith in Jesus.
Faith is the attitude that allows the power of God to work and delivered me every time without fail.
The way of legalism:
"Oh no, this is overpowering me, what to do now, why cant I get rid of this! :'[
This person beats self up, loses spiritual effectiveness in Christ because of heavy guilt and fear and unsuccessfully fights to get rid of it, then sinks in more guilt and fear and drifts further and further away from God, with eventual last stage where the person finally starts covering up sins and becomes a hypocrite to be able to survive one's own unclean conscience. In case the conscience doesnt get seared like this, suffering prolongues infinitely until the person is brought to despair and doubts, which bring unspeakable ongoing torment and this Christian is living in hell... been in this one."
This is the wrong solution, where a lot of people, including myself in the past, get stuck in. The person becomes their own judge and frantically examines themselves for errors. All the focus is on works and "obedience", not on God anymore. I did this too until the Spirit said very loudly into my spiritual ears: "STOP searching yourself for sins - it's MY job!" The Spirit who searches all things was angry at this and rightfully so. Man is not God. If He redeemed us, cant He at least have His glory? Legalism robs God of His glory. In legalism, we the men get to be even our own judges, daring to take the chair of Jesus!
This is all ineffective and stunts, if not reverses spiritual growth, killing the faith, in spite of the good intent which is the honest desire to be a good servant to Jesus, and as we know the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Jesus has made an atonement exactly so we would approach God and cry for help. If our work could do any good, there would be no need for Jesus. Striving to work causes us to continually fail and disbelieve the "sprinkling of clean conscience" (Hebrews 10:22), so that we lose our boldness and start running away from God, and not towards Him, in total shame and disbelief that we will ever overcome. Arent you tired of so much trying and losing? "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." --- Jesus
Very important to know this difference because it is the main difference between faith and legalism. I wrote this in love for those who might be struggling or stuck with some stronghold and they did all they could and it was not moving - this is the reason why it is not moving, that happens when we try to do it on our own. I have stumbled in legalism before, as I am a Bible believing Christian and a non-denominational, I had to study doctrines a lot to see if they line up with the Bible and read many resources, many of them were damaging, I discerned most with legalism being a rare exception. The reason why so many people get entangled into this is that every genuine believer is very concerned for their own salvation and they dont want to displease God. But we then forget that God is in charge of our salvation, that He finishes what He started and that our works could never please Him. Oh, and we forget that perfect love casts out fear, too. And also that the one who fears is not being made perfect in love, because "fear hath torment" (1 John 4:18). I want to be made perfect in love, not to have torment. (And I thought hell was the one supposed to have torment anyways, not the Kingdom of God and those in it!)
I was a little afraid to return on the right track in the beginning, it's human desire to be in control and fear of things going wrong and sinning, the old fleshly mindset because we have been constantly defeated by sin in the past. But it cant go wrong with God and He said "dont be afraid, try My way and just believe", and I was "if it doesnt work I can always go back to striving and stressing, right - what do I have to lose? Ok, let's try just having faith!". And the very next day I decided to stop striving, I got rid of gluttony (sweet and junk food addiction), which crept back in during the "legalist" time. I faced the "I have to eat this" but this time instead of trying to overcome on my own, I said inside "not really, I've been set free on the Cross" and believed it. (I still couldnt resist eating some of it, but I believed deliverance would come quicker than I expected.) Did that about twice, and praised God for His swiftness, the desire to eat or overeat on bad food just vanished and I craved healthy food. This habit was driving me to despair, it was a constant source of guilt because it kept happening daily and I was unable to fight it myself - and it vanished - just like that! I'm pretty sure I started eating all that junk again to alleviate the guilt and stress... and the devil is a liar. He likes to add to the Word. I felt condemned even when I was just hungry and legitimately ate. In the same way legalism often invents many rules and traditions that God does not require.
If you're in this boat, please stop doing the same old thing and expect different result. It wont happen. I beg you to return to the Spirit and to that good spot when you were just saved and grew in Jesus and were daily conformed to where God wanted you to be and did what He wanted you to do, but didnt strive like now. We didnt expect to be justified, we did not expect reward, we did not think we were good for doing it, we did not think we were hopeless if we failed, but ran to Jesus and trusted for salvation. We're supposed to keep it up exactly that way to succeed. Jesus said to rest in Him. As a brother in Jesus remarked well, if you are still striving, then you cant possibly be resting.
Hebrews 4:9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. 10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. 11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
(click to continue to part 3, which is expounding more in detail on differences and practical distinguishing between our dead works from works of the Holy Spirit, with Scriptural illustration, to help us embrace the latter and cease from the former)