You're missing something important. You said this:
And that is true except when one is guided by the spirit.
Indeed. One might even expect to be guided into being at a minimum, truthful?
In the flesh, the law will do everything you described
"you" is not the observation of fact put on the table.
Indwelling sin always maintains it's adversarial relationship with the Law, exactly as Paul taught and showed.
That fact doesn't change based on 'external behavior.'
not because the law is bad but because in our nature we are slaves to sin.
Indwelling sin has a nature of it's own. Paul even went on to define that presence as not him, twice in Romans 7.
Paul did not lay out the expectations that indwelling sin would be anything other than what it is.
The more sin we know, the more sin we do. This to the person who is guided by the flesh, the law is terrible news. To the person that is guided by the spirit, its no problem because the spirit would not guide you into sin.
As prior noted. Being led into
the false understandings that measures of lawlessness are merely 'external' in nature is a common and patent lie.
Rom 8:4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
This text specifically says that what the law requires will be fulfilled or done in us who walk after the spirit and not the flesh. Those who walk after the flesh are slaves to sin.
No man walks apart from the presence of indwelling sin regardless of their feigned external legal obedience. Did I emphasize feigned/phony yet?
The law would oppose the one who is carnal minded and bring death to him.
The Law opposes indwelling sin, period. No persons indwelling sin changes it's stripes and magically becomes legal and lawful.
When believers speak honestly about this internal activity they would see the futility of their legal claims for what they are.
but rather than do that,
they are led into 'excuses' for the continuing facts of that 'internal' activity.
Again I reiterate that the problem is not the law,
Never said it was. I also believe the Law stands fully effective and fully against every sin and evil which same originates within, and does so at the working of the tempter within.
Law matters are not just about MANkind.
Satan is also promoted into actions by what? Yeah, the Word of God, wherever it is sown. Mark 4:15 (and many other like scriptures.)
but our sinful nature. God's plan is to give us grace to make up for when we fall and also to give us his spirit to guide us into paths of righteousness.
Grace has no applicability to indwelling sin, any of it's works OR any devil.
Since the activity of devils is clearly shown to be 'in MAN' in the Gospels, it is pointless to look at 'only man' in these equations.
Sin is intimately linked to SATAN and that can not be changed.
Paul in Romans 7 shows the delimna that happens in one who walks after the flesh and then the solution to the problem giving his own experience as an example.
It's not a question of just man. I don't think any of us realistically have any issues with the Law being against all lawlessness in whomever it is found and it is found IN ALL.
Re-gard-less of their feigned claims of legality.
The law cannot change anyone by itself because it is only head knowledge and Paul rightly says that through the law he knows what is wrong and right.
Paul concluded his summary on these matters in Romans 7 by showing us a present inviolate fact about himself, that evil was in fact with him when he sought to do good.
Even in the midst of good, in the midst of supposed 'legality' EVIL was present with Paul.
That fact didn't change for Paul and it doesn't change for any of us either.
Most of the time the battles become much more intense upon belief. And everyone falls into lying about the fact of their internal sins and they continually 'excuse' them and write them off as if they were not there
when in fact 'evil comes from and originates from within.' And does so in the forms of EVIL THOUGHTS.
Those are not written off under Grace. Nor are they 'legal.'
BUT when he wants to follow what is right in his head, his flesh opposes him and causes him to constantly do wrong. Then he says what shall deliver me from this cycle which only leads to death? Getting rid of the law? No! Paul says he delights in the law of God after the inward man but it is through Jesus Christ that and the Spirit of God wiill one be free from being a slave to sin and not being able to resist their sinful nature.
Anyone can blame the 'flesh' all they please. The flesh has no thoughts and mind of it's own. It is merely a compilation of organic matter.
Thoughts on the other hand DO have sources. Good from above, wickedness from the tempter.
Both of these operations and operators transpire WITHIN us all. So it is again pointless to see that these are merely matters of the individual when clearly they are not.
I am very glad that the LAW is against the lawless one and it will remain that way til the END of this present wicked and evil age.
Why legalists lend excuses to that internal working is another matter to question.
When children are being raised do you have to teach them how to be selfish or how to share? How to lie or how to tell the truth? Naturally we will all grow up with an affinity to sin whether we know it or not. So our problem is with indwelling sin. Bottom line.
Paul was not evil. Yet he had evil present with him.
Let's not mistake the 2. Paul certainly never claimed his evil present was legal and in fact defined himself, post/after salvation as the chief of sinners.
So much for phony legalism.
s
Your theology is different from mainstream. You've been taught that the ten commandments is the character ot God. The truth is; God's attributes reflexs His character. The bible teaches us that God is love. Which of the ten reflects love? The bible teaches us that God is Holy. Which of the ten commandment reflect His holiness? The bible teaches that God is grace. Which of the ten reflects grace?
