Law and Grace: I Corinthians 9

Thoughts from the commentary I'm using right now, from I Corinthians 9:20ff:

"At this point a brief word of explanation is necessary.  As a Jew, Paul had been born under the law.  He sought to obtain favor with God by keeping the law, but found that he was unable to do so>  The law only showed him what a wretched sinner he was, and utterly condemned him.  Eventually he learned that the law was not a way of salvation, but only God's method of revealing to man his sinfulness and his need of a savior.  Paul then trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ, and in so doing he became free from the condemning voice of the law.  The penalty of the law which he had broken was paid by the Lord Jesus on the cross of Calvary.

"After his conversion, the apostle learned that the law was not the way of salvation, nor was it the rule of life for one who had been saved.  The believer is not under law but under grace.  This does not mean that he can go out and do as he pleases.  Rather, it means that a true sense of the grace of God will prevent him from even wanting to do these things.  Indwelt by the Spirit of God, the Christian is raised to a new level of behavior.  He now desires to live a holy life, not out of fear of punishment for having broken the law, but out of love for Christ, who died for him and rose again.  Under law the motive was fear, but under grace the motive is love.  Love is a far higher motive than fear.  Men will do out of love what they would never do from terror."  (Believer's Bible Commentary, William MacDonald, p. 1777)