How Do You Read God’s Commands?

God... condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.Romans 8:3-4This is good news. The reason Jesus came is that you may be able to live a new life that is pleasing to God. And this life is made possible for you by the power of the Holy Spirit.A man was serving time for theft. In prison, he heard the good news of Jesus Christ and was wonderfully converted.When he was released, the man knew that he would face a great struggle. Most of his old friends were thieves, and it would not be easy to break the pattern of his old way of life.On his first Sunday of freedom, he slipped into a church. The Ten Commandments were on a plaque at the front, and his eyes were drawn to the command that seemed to condemn him: “You shall not steal.”That’s the last thing that I need, he thought. I know the battle I’m going to have. As he kept looking at the plaque, the words took on a new meaning.He had read these words as a condemning command: “You shall not steal!” But now it seemed that God was speaking these same words as a liberating promise: “You shall not steal.” God was promising that the Holy Spirit would make it possible to overcome his old way of life.When you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, God will give you His Holy Spirit so that you can live a life that is pleasing to Him. His power will make the difference between a struggle in which you are destined for defeat and a battle in which you will have ultimate victory.In what area of your life do you need to believe God’s promise of victory through the power of the Holy Spirit?