Galatians 2:17-20 (Msg)
17Have some of you noticed that we are not yet perfect? (No great surprise, right?) And are you ready to make the accusation that since people like me, who go through Christ in order to get things right with God, aren't perfectly virtuous, Christ must therefore be an accessory to sin? The accusation is frivolous. 18If I was "trying to be good," I would be rebuilding the same old barn that I tore down. I would be acting as a charlatan.
19What actually took place is this: I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and it didn't work. So I quit being a "law man" so that I could be God's man. 20Christ's life showed me how, and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with him. Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not "mine," but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

This is such a liberating passage! How awesome it is to know that I don't have to try to impress you or God, I don't have to try to be perfect. I just need to live like Christ. It's not my own ability but Christ who lives in me! So many people get caught up in the what-to-do, what-not-to-do and feel like they are failing. The church, who is suppose to love and accept all, has made so many rules and regulations that people feel guilty and condemned every time they fail. Usually people run away from God and the church when in fact that should be the very place they run to! What would happen if we quit telling new believers to stop doing all these things? What if, instead, we told them what to pursue? 2 Tim 2:22 Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Instead of telling us to run away or stop, it says to pursue.... Just like with little kids, instead of always telling them "no" and "don't do that" you get better results if you redirect them to something else. I think we (the church) need to teach people how to be passionate for God, how to live for Him, how to seek Him and His ways. When we pursue the things of God, our focus is all on Him and not on all the things we do wrong or things we shouldn't do. The things that we have made an issue out of (drinking, smoking, swearing, etc) won't matter because that is not our focus. You will always go in the direction you are focused on, whether good or bad. So, if our focus is on God the other things in life will fall in line. People will make changes on their own, not out of guilt. And they will be changes that last a lifetime, not just a month!