Our End is God's Beginning

What does it mean in everyday life to be delivered from the Law? It means that from henceforth I am going to do nothing whatever for God; I am never again going to try to please Him. 'What a doctrine!' you exclaim. 'What awful heresy! You cannot possibly mean that!'

But remember, if I try to please God 'in the flesh', then immediately I place myself under the Law. I broke the Law; the Law pronounced the death sentence; the sentence was executed, and now by death i - the carnal 'I' [Rom 7.14] - have been set free from all its claims. There is still a Law of God, and now there is in fact a 'new commandment' that is infinitely more exacting than the old, but, praise God! its demands are being met, for it is Christ who now fulfils them; it is Christ who works in me what is well-pleasing to God. 'I came...to fulfil [the law]' were His words [Matt 5.17]. Thus Paul, from the ground of resurrection, can say: 'Work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to work, for His good pleasure' [Phil 2.12, 13].

[Extracted from TNCL by W.N.]