When you became a Christian, you learned that you were saved by the grace of the Lord Jesus. You had absolutely nothing to do with the process; it was all done by Jesus. Along with the forgiveness of sins, you received a peace that is beyond your description. You bask in that abundant peace all the time every day.
Not long after you became a believer, you learned the freedom that you have being under grace and not the law. The law commands you follow a set of rules, either to do this or that, or not do this or that. Along comes grace, and you realize that you no longer have to obey a set of rules and regulations, but now live under grace free from the law.
An unknown author sheds some light upon the freedom you now have, being under grace: “Freedom is not the right to do as a person pleases, but the liberty to do as he ought.” That quote puts your grace into perspective. Yes, you are under grace, so you do not have to obey the law of the Bible anymore. Although you do not have to obey the law, you do not have the freedom to kick your heels high and do as you please. You do not have to obey the law, since you are under grace, but you choose to obey the law, out of grace.
The Word of God, in talking about how to walk in the Holy Spirit, gives light about how-to walk-in grace verses the law: “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh, for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please” (Galatians 5:16-17). Yes, living in the Spirit means living according to Scriptures, not according to your desires.
So, grace does mean living it up. You live it up in the freedom you have in Christ, not according to the law, but in accordance to the freedom you have in the Holy Spirit. As a result, “you may not do the things that you please!”
