Intensity of the Flesh driven by a Mentality of Law

“Even when we are pursuing gospel aspirations, we can do so with the psychology of law.  It shows.  It makes us unhappy in ourselves and a royal pain to live with.

Let’s remember there are two kinds of spiritual intensity—that of the Spirit and that of the flesh.

The zeal or intensity of the flesh is driven by the law, the zeal of the Spirit gets lift-off from the gospel of grace.

When we find ourselves driven, angry, prickly, tense, trigger-happy, etc., that is the intensity of the flesh driven by a mentality of law, and that’s when it is time to humble ourselves, laugh at ourselves, reevaluate, and then get going again, but this time more chastened, more self-suspicious, more relaxed in the all-sufficiency of Jesus Christ our wonderful Lord, whose yoke is easy.

It really is.  Really.”

- Ray Ortlund