[SoConPubbie]

The point being that when we let Christ live through us the natural result will be that we SEEM to be keeping the commandments of God. Our lives, hearts and spirit will and should conform to the spirit of Christ. It's not "us" keeping commandments....it's us letting Christ live through us.

This last comment is true, maybe it's just the way you are arguing the point.

No man, without faith in, and the application of Christ's sacrifice to his life, can obey God. For proof I present the whole of Roman's chapter 7.

Without the change of heart and forgiveness of sin that comes with the New Birth that is documented in the Gospel, man is hopelessly trapped in Romans chapter 7. It is only after man repents (chapter 7) and believes the Gospel and falls on Christ (Romans 8:1) that a man is free from the sin that had him bound and is then able to obey God and do good works. One absolutely comes before the other.

[DouglasKC]

This last comment is true, maybe it's just the way you are arguing the point. No man, without faith in, and the application of Christ's sacrifice to his life, can obey God. For proof I present the whole of Roman's chapter 7.

Absolutely.