I believe that we cannot come to Christ on our own and that we cannot live the Christian life on our own. I also believe that we cannot fulfill our Christian obligations without the help of God. Some people might argue that the bible has commands that imply we have a part in our Christian growth, but my question is: does the bible intend to say that because there are commands, this means that we have a role in our Christian development?I always consult scripture when trying to understand the context of a particular passage. The question is, what does scripture teach is the only tool by which we can be sanctified? Paul says to mortify the flesh by word and Spirit. I do not believe the apostle is saying that we need to have a specific scriptural answer for every situation in our lives. He is saying that we must learn scripture so that we know how to apply it. So the apostle is saying that scripture not only tells us what we are to do, but it also opens up the causes and ends of doing something.It is not accurate to say that the scripture is merely a handbook on how to incorporate Christian principles into one's life. Rather, it provides an explanation of who we are and how we can be transformed into that image. The question then becomes: if we do not obey, is it too simplistic to say that we are not willing to obey? The scripture does not just offer us a choice, but it teaches us how to think, empowers us to live in Christ's power, and gives us a healthy disposition. So if we are given new life, does this mean that we have the power to obey without depending on God?The scripture provides us with an explanation of who we are, in order to help us discern what is true and what is false about ourselves. So there is a strong assertion made by God, which we can rely on. When I say that every word of scripture is a legal word, I mean that everything that God has said must be given careful consideration.If a commandment from God is not followed, it has no legal authority over anything. This means that there is no room for interpretation when it comes to following God's commands – either we meet the highest standard that is acceptable to God, or we will be punished. There is no middle ground with God.This is why we believe that we need a complete substitute. The idea of a substitute is not a crutch that we can turn to, but a legally binding transaction that has been stamped with a seal. See, if we believed that we are able to obey then we would not really believe we need a substitute. The very definition of a substitute is the He takes our place and meets the demands of the law. My point is that the idea of substitution is not a crutch that we can turn to. Its a legally binding transaction that has been stamped with a seal.When we say that we obey Christ because he met the demands of the law, we are actually prosecuting all other methods of meeting those demands. We are demanding justice, and in this sense, God's word is not a manual but a rock that we stand on, even though we do not keep the law on our own in the legal sense. However, God must be absolutely just at all times, so substitution is too wonderful for us to imagine.