Grace, law and change

At the Gospel Coalition blogs, (well worth looking at), there was a post last week about the Gospel, the Law and (I think) how to change.

The writer Tullian Tchividian said some things that resonate with me. Here are a couple:

Long-term, sustained obedience can only come from the grace which flows from what Jesus has already done, not guilt or fear of what we must do.

Don't American [Christians] need to be shaken out of their comfort zones? Yes—but you don’t do it by giving them law; you do it, as Dane points out, by giving them gospel.

Brother Tullian says that the law, the standard of God's behavior, is important for Christians. We must not think though, that it gives us the power to do what it requires.

But what do I do when I see in my life things that don't match God's standard? Do I make rules for myself to change? No, I think that would be thinking the standard itself has the power to change me, or that I, myself, have the power to change. I need to seek God to change.

I think this comes back to my Faith and Circumstances theme. God has made many promises, including the ones that I will be changed. I can look at my life and circumstances, and conclude the promises can't be true. Or I can look at my circumstances, including the changes I still haven't made, and say "God, prove yourself in me, here and now. I need You."