Our choices in life as a born again Christian must be on a voluntary basis with out intimidation or coercion. When ever we feel that God our Father is a task master or some one to fear; we live with feelings that; our obedience in trying to obey His commands are under the threat that He will allow some bodily or spiritual harm to befall us if we disobey Him. The bible is God's last will and testament that He left as a record of events in the lives of Jesus and the lives of people searching for purpose and it is not a rule book of rights and wrongs or do's and don'ts as most people perceive it to be.

Scripture tells us in 11Tim.3:16, "All scripture is given by the inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. In turn, that is what makes the man of God perfect and thoroughly furnished for all good works." (The key here is us being instructed in righteousness.)

Unless the born again Christian knows the difference between his righteous position in Jesus Christ verses reading the bible as a law book of rules and regulations, they never come to have the freedom to know what choices they can make as God's children. For most people, their behavior is controlled by them trying to obey God's laws, not because of its intended purpose, but because of the fear of the consequences if they don't.

No one can capture the favor of God by trying to keep his commandments.

In John 14:23, Jesus does say. "If a person really loves me, he will keep my commandments." However, Blind obedience without love will maintain order, but does nothing to enhance a loving relationship. Blind obedience without recognizing its value is destined for failure. Love gives the reason to obey and gives us value and worth. The hungering heart will seek with Passion the kingdom of God. The self satisfied heart is not aware of the dangers that come against God's children and will grow restless in their walk with God.

Before we became born again; there was a spiritual disconnect from God's Spirit because of our un-born spiritual nature and we were functioning under a mentality of laws which made us realize that; we were breaking them. God gave us His laws so that we could recognize that we could not keep them in our own strength because of being weak willed. It was also created to provide direction and structure for our lives. However, prolonged preoccupation with "do's and don'ts" distracts us from God's intended goals. I have learned that without the awareness and sensitivity of God's righteous Spirit flowing through my heart and mind; my mind drifts into a thinking mentality of faultfinding about myself and others. There must be a sure and sound foundation with in us as to God's holding power to us who are His children and no devil or circumstance we can encounter can ever pluck us out of His hand because; we are always totally accepted by Him as his child.

Now what I have said sounds like a contradiction however, our righteous position in Christ is a Spirit of release and approval which gives us a vision of what God sees in us that is already a completed work in His sight. When we reason with our own human understanding; we see things at a starting point, however, God sees things as they are completed and finished. This type of reasoning is in deed something that a born again believer needs to meditate on day and night because; we have to be weaned off of our way of reasoning and be persuaded to see things as God does. We must be flowing in our righteous spirit through the Holy Ghost and functioning with the mind of Christ that we received the day we became born again into God's family.

In 11Tim.1:7-12Paul says this. "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind. Therefore, don't be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner but; be a partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God. Who has saved and called us with a holy calling not according to our works, but according to His own purposes through grace, (God's unmerited favor) which was given to us in Christ Jesus before the world began.

But it has now been revealed to us by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death (us struggling to be obedient in trying to obey laws) and has brought us life and immortality through the gospel. I was appointed a preacher, and an apostle and teacher to the Gentile people and this is the reason I suffer. Never the less, I am not ashamed: for I know in whom I have believed in, and I have been persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed unto Him against that day."
When we do not commit and turn over our fears over to God, we can not be protected by Him.

When we flow in our Righteous Spirit it confirms to us that; the power of love is working in our lives and giving us the stability and a surety that; we are making sound minded decisions. When we try in our own strength to help God out in our maturing process, we make decisions in life with out the full counsel and approval of the Holy Ghost and we miss the true free choices that God wants us to make.

There is a process of emotional trials and suffering that a Christian goes through in life however, we need to be suffering for Christ's sake and not because we made bad choices that are causing us to be reaping the negative consequences of those choices. It is only as we abandon our selves in trusting God to be a loving Father to us as His children; that stops us from trying to live with a spirit of survival mode in working at taking care of our own needs.

There must come a surrendering with in us that; God is the Master Potter and we are the clay allowing Him to persuade us that; He looks at us as a completed product. This is an extremely difficult attitude to hold on too because; the spirit of judgment and condemnation is running ramped on the earth today constantly affecting our thinking. And it grieves me to say that this condemning spirit it is also coming from a large majority of born again pulpits across this country and much of our so called Christian TV Programming.

Unless God's children really know in whom they believe in and are rightly interpreting what the word of God is saying to them; there is no hope that the choices that they are making for their life are really the choices that God is giving them to make. When this mistaken concept exists; they will never have the assurance that their steps are being ordered by the Lord. When we know deep with in ourselves that our steps are truly being ordered by the Lord; only then can we really live in the peace of God and every choice step we take is owned by us. There must be operating in our life a spirit of release and a tender emotional dependency of feeling safe of resting in God's presence.

David the King stated. "Goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life because; I recognize that I walk in God's presence."