Coherency

Here is some of my daily reading thoughts and excerpts.

"Most of us are not spiritually coherent, because we are more concerned with being coherent externally.

Restate to yourself what you believe, then do away with as much of it as possible, and get back to the bedrock of the Cross of Christ. If we get away from brooding on the tragedy of God upon the Cross in our preaching, it produces nothing. It does not convey the energy of God to man; it may be interesting, but it has no power. But preach the Cross and the energy of God is let loose."
- Oswald Chambers (My Utmost for His Highest; November 25)


"(So people come up to me and ask me...)I know that all God's commands are spiritual, but I'm not. Isn't this also your experience? Yes. I'm full of myself after all... I've spent a long time in sin's prison. What I don't understand about myself is that I decide one way, but then I act another, doings thing I absolutely despise. So if I can't be trusted to figure out what is best for myself and then do it, it becomes obvious that God's command is necessary.
But I need something more! For if I know the law but still can't keep it and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotagin my best intentions, I obviously need help! I realize that I don't have what it takes, I can will it, but I can't do it.
The answer is, thank God, that Jesus Christ can and will." - Paul (Romans 7)

So this leads me back to a great question: How in the world do I live out my Christian life? Obviously a trait of Christianity is the fact that we "don't have what it takes" so then what is the point? Doesn't this lead us to live a life of Christian despair? What and where is the balance? How do I live?