Law has been something humans have always struggled with. Using law to justify themselves before God, make society better, or look good before others. Law at its essence is good, for it seeks to do what is righteous. Criminals are punished and the innocent are protected. However, in reality this does not work out that way. Criminal end up making laws that overlook or cover up their wickedness and the innocent are punished, there is no justice. The reason is that all humans have a corruption within them that negatively reacts to law. This is the same issue we face in our Christian life when we try to live by law.
So then indeed the law is holy, and the commandment is holy even righteous and good. – Romans 7:12
It is good, but the issue is our sin nature uses it against us.
For the sin [nature] taking opportunity through the commandment deceived me and through it (the commandment) it killed. – Romans 7:11
So, how do we overcome this and do what is right?
For sin will not rule you, for you are not under law but under grace. – Romans 6:14
God freed us from the law so that we could live in newness of spirit, not in the oldness of the letter
But now we have been rendered ineffective from the law, having died in which we were being held, so that we are slaves in newness of spirit and not to oldness of letter. – Romans 7:6
Because of this, if we obey His commandment we are free from law. He instructed us to love one another, referring to other Christians, as He has loved us. For by this others will know that we are His disciples, not by how we keep the law.
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another. John 13:34,35
Whenever we put a negative law on ourselves it does not work out the way we expect it to. Take for example dieting. If you have ever been on a diet, you understand how difficult it can be, because diets are all about No. We cannot have certain things. What ends up happening in many cases is failure. Yes, some people are able to express self-control and maintain the diet, but it requires constant vigilance on their part. However, if we look at it with the intent of being health and determine what we were going to eat and do based upon that focus we would not have the struggle. Why, because our focus is on being, not abstaining. We want to be healthy, so what is going to get us to that goal. I can eat whatever I want, but does it help me get to my goal. Looking at change the lifestyle, not saying No.
When we deal with issues in our daily lives that conflict with our desire to live properly before God we need to come at them with an attitude of not looking at the do not, but looking at the being. I am a Saint. As one who is saved what actions in my life would manifest that? Rather than thinking about what not to do, today think about what you should be doing. Don’t use any negatives, only positive. What is the thing that I as a Christian should be doing in this situation? Now we do not want to stop there, that is, we will have desires we struggle with and need to put on the proper defenses against them that God has given us, but this is a really good place to start.