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We are free from living lives bound by sin! And even better, we don't have to live life feeling the guilt and shame of mistakes we've made! When we choose to walk in the Spirit, we are guaranteed life and peace. When we choose to walk in the flesh, we are completely unable to please God. So basically, when I allow myself to get into condemnation, I have put myself in the position to NOT please God. All of my wanting ot make up for what I've done, feeling bad about it, etc.- it doesn't make anything better. I can't do enough good works to "earn" God's love. It can't be earned! It was freely given to me. When I choose to walk according to the Spirit, I'm free from all condemnation, feeling like I don't measure up. It's my job to (by the Spirit) put to death the deeds of the flesh. This takes an obedience on my part. The desire to sin may be there at times, my flesh may have occasions that it rises up and wants to make decisions for me- but all in all, I live by the Spirit! I can say "Dad- help me out!" Sin puts such a wedge between us and God that it causes me to not want to come to God. I remember getting in trouble for stuff as a kid- when I did something wrong, my dad was the LAST person I wanted to see. That meant I'd get in trouble, there would be consequence. But it's easy in times like that to feel unloveable. God (and my dad!) never saw me that way. Yeah, there may be consequences for my actions, but He never loves me less for messing up. Satan would love to convince us that we can't go to God in times like that but how ridiculous! Living by the Spirit means, no matter what, yep, even when I've messed up- I get to call Him Father. He never stops being Dad to me.