Using the Law Legally

As I urged you when I went to Macedonia, remain in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach other doctrine or to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies. These promote empty speculations rather than God’s plan, which operates by faith. Now the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith. Some have deviated from these and turned aside to fruitless discussion. They want to be teachers of the law, although they don’t understand what they are saying or what they are insisting on. Now we know that the law is good, provided one uses it legitimately. We know that the law is not meant for a righteous person, but for the lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinful, for the unholy and irreverent, for those who kill their fathers and mothers, for murderers, for the sexually immoral and homosexuals, for kidnappers, liars, perjurers, and for whatever else is contrary to the sound teaching based on the glorious gospel of the blessed God that was entrusted to me.
(1 Timothy 1:3-11 Holman Christian Standard Bible® ©)

Paul wrote to Timothy that the ten commandments and the rest of the law given to Israelis through Moses was given because of their ungodliness and rebellion. The law was not given to righteous people. Since, by the righteousness of Jesus, we are righteous, we were not given the law. Instead, we were given His Spirit. That is how His righteousness has been imparted to us.

Since you are righteous, walk in His Spirit. Listen to His desires and His directions. Value things as He states their values. Stand in your place as a citizen of the Kingdom of His light and His righteousness. Even when you make a mistake, stand back up in the identity that HE declares is yours. Be awesome.