Romans 7:5-6 says, “For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death. But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.

Released from sin, held by God.

Released from the law, held by the Spirit.

Released from destruction, held by eternal love.

Released from the curse, held by grace.

We can't seek to please God by our works for Him, but rather we need to seek to please Him by our love for Him.
A person can work at a job for money or for love of the job itself.

The work we do for God need to be from an overflow of love for God, and not for the "credit" we mistakenly believe we might earn.

Relating to God by work and not by love is called legalism.

How can we tell the difference?

First, obedience from a heart of love is not legalism. Fear of displeasing God is good. We want those we love to be pleased with us.

Honoring our parents or obeying the law of the country because of love for God is good. It shows love for God, because Jesus said that those who love Him will obey His commandments. So obedience does not automatically equal legalism.

However, we must know the difference between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant to fully understand legalism and grace.

Before Christ came, the first covenant remained in place. This covenant was established between God and His people, the Israelites. In this covenant, the Ten Commandments were given and a temple was the meeting place for God and people.

There were about 632 laws in this covenant to be obeyed.

Yet this law was not kept. Not once did the country give a one year Sabbath rest to its land. People still worshiped idols and dishonored their parents.

Instead of  being followed, the law revealed to people that they were unable to obey.

Romans 8:2 “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.”

Galatians 4 - What I am saying is that as long as an heir is underage, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. 2 The heir is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. 3 So also, when we were underage, we were in slavery under the elemental spiritual forces of the world.

Before becoming an adult, a child is bound under rules and laws just like a slave.

4 But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. 6 Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.

8 Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. 9 But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable forces?

Paul is writing to the Galatians because they have started following the Old Covenant law.

9 Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?

Before Christ came, everyone who followed God was bound under a law. They were bound to obey this law, just like a child is bound to obey the laws of his or her parents. But when a child becomes an adult, moves out, gets married – it would be weird if that child obeyed the laws that were in place for him when he was a child. Geneva is not allowed to jump on my parent’s bed. But if my parents want to jump on their own bed, they are free to do so.

10 You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! 11 I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you. … 19 My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you, 20 how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you!

21 Tell me, you who want to be under the law, are you not aware of what the law says?

A very common misunderstanding among Christians is the purpose of the Old Testament law.

Galatians 3:24 “Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.”

The purpose of the law was not to make us law followers, but to show us how much we need a Savior.

We are now under the new Covenant. This covenant releases us from the requirement of fulfilling the law because Jesus died, because He was made a curse for us, because He fulfilled the law for us, and because our righteousness is imputed—given—to us freely.

2 Corinthians 3:6 “He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant. This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life.”

Under the New Covenant, we are not bound to the laws of the Old Covenant. Those laws were fulfilled in Christ.

Hebrews 8:6-13

But now Jesus, our High Priest, has been given a ministry that is far superior to the old priesthood, for he is the one who mediates for us a far better covenant with God, based on better promises. 7 If the first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no need for a second covenant to replace it. 8 But when God found fault with the people, he said:

“The day is coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. 9 This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and led them out of the land of Egypt. They did not remain faithful to my covenant, so I turned my back on them, says the Lord. 10 But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their minds, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God,     and they will be my people and I will never again remember their sins….”

13 When God speaks of a “new” covenant, it means he has made the first one obsolete. It is now out of date and will soon disappear.

Every commandment from the Old Testament has been fulfilled in Christ. We are righteous, good people because Jesus was good, and He gives us His righteousness and obedience by faith.

Acts 13:38-39 “Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and everyone who believes in him is declared right with God—something the law of Moses could never do.”

Romans 4:1-5 “Abraham was, humanly speaking, the founder of our Jewish nation. What did he discover about being made right with God? 2 If his good deeds had made him acceptable to God, he would have had something to boast about. But that was not God’s way. 3 For the Scriptures tell us, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.”

4 When people work, their wages are not a gift, but something they have earned. 5 But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners.

Romans 4

13 Clearly, God’s promise to give the whole earth to Abraham and his descendants was based not on his obedience to God’s law, but on a right relationship with God that comes by faith. 14 If God’s promise is only for those who obey the law, then faith is not necessary and the promise is pointless. 15 For the law always brings punishment on those who try to obey it. (The only way to avoid breaking the law is to have no law to break!)

16 So the promise is received by faith. It is given as a free gift. And we are all certain to receive it, whether or not we live according to the law of Moses, if we have faith like Abraham’s.

Galatians 3:10-13 But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under his curse, for the Scriptures say, “Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the commands that are written in God’s Book of the Law.” 11 So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” 12 This way of faith is very different from the way of law, which says, “It is through obeying the law that a person has life.”

13 But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”

The Bible says that if you want to obey the law, then you must obey it perfectly or you are guilty of all of it.

However, you do not need to obey the law. In fact, trying to obey only makes you a debtor because you cannot do it.