The Holy Spirit teaches us and gives us of the Virtue of Christ so we can overcome every aspect of worldliness, lust, and self-seeking in our personality.

The individual who is striving to keep the letter of the Law, such as not working on the Sabbath, must look down from Christ and in that part of his life live after the flesh. It is not the Spirit of God who is guiding him, in many instances, but his desire to be righteous by means of a religious act.

This does not mean that God despises, or we are to despise, believers who observe the Jewish feast days or dietary laws. These regulations are entwined in their faith and we are not to offend such weak believers if at all possible.

However, all righteousness gained by the observance of days, dietary laws, or any other ceremonial act is loss for Christ.

And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: (Philippians 3:9)

The new Christian is to observe carefully all the commandments issued by the Lord Jesus and His Apostles, especially in the realms of immorality, anger, covetousness, and sorcery. When we are having a problem we are to come boldly to the throne of grace in order to obtain help in our hour of struggle.

If we do not make every effort to obey the Lord and His Apostles, claiming instead that we are "saved by grace" as today's ignorance teaches, we will never be able to enter the salvation of the Lord. We will not be made a partaker of Christ.

Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. (John 14:23)

We must keep the Word of the Lord and His Apostles if we hope to gain the rest of God, the fullness of salvation, which is the dwelling in us of the Father and the Son.

For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. (Romans 8:6)

The Christian who keeps his mind on the things of this world instead of praying constantly and looking to the Holy Spirit for every thought, word, and action, will soon be abiding in spiritual death. Life and peace come as we commit every behavior, every decision, to the Holy Spirit and thus are able to live a holy, righteous life in the sight of God.

Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. (Romans 8:7)

Our natural mind is in a warfare against God. Our natural mind can never be in subjection to the eternal moral law of God. It is as our mind is transformed that we are able to prove God's will for our life.

To be continued.