Rom 8:3-4 (NIV) For what the law was POWERLESS to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God DID by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so He condemned sin in sinful man, IN ORDER THAT the righteous requirements of the law might be FULLY met in us, who do not LIVE according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.

The Holy Spirit’s character is written on our hearts. He is inspiring godly Christian living. He creates desire to be pleasing to God. The law creates a fear that we had better not be displeasing to God. There are two types of fear that we need to be aware of. One is the fear that the law creates. If somehow, some way we don’t live up to the requirements of the law; we are going to be rejected by God. And, try as we may, we keep failing year after year.

The other is a fear of God. This isn’t a fear of punishment. It is a concern for failing someone we love. The Holy Spirit is providing us with a love that wants to please God. Rather than spending all our time fearing that we are going to fail God, we are anointed by the Holy Spirit with love. With love we spend our time not wanting to be a disappointment to God. I know that doesn’t sound a lot better than fear. But, it is a step forward. It is the difference between, if I don’t stop doing this I am going to get zapped, to, if I don’t stop doing this I am going to hurt the heart of God. It is a simple but huge change of motive.

When this motive carries from our Christian life to our ministry, we do everything we do so as to be pleasing to God rather than fearing being punished or rejected by Him, if we don’t. We aren’t being motivated by dread and worry about failing God; we are motivated by wanting to please Him and be honored by Him. This isn’t coming to the PERFECT place in Him; but, it is a necessary step into that perfect place.