I like to think I'm a good and responsible man. I keep my yard trimmed, my car clean, and my desk orderly most of the time. I pay my bills on time, watch my credit score, and take my vitamins. I voted on Tuesday, went to Bible Study on Wednesday (after all, I am the pastor), and visited the elderly from the congregation. I love my wife and my kids, don't curse, pay tithes to my church, and read my Bible. How 'bout a high five for the good guy? Yet, I am not perfect and I never will be while I am still on this side of Heaven! I am tempted to doubt, wrestle with pride, and fail to love too often. Even though I know my sins and flaws well, there is a not so subtle temptation to think that God might love me just a little more if I try harder to do the right things.
There is a major problem with all that 'being good' as a basis for hoping for God's favor. He says, 'If you hope to please me with your own righteousness, know this - the standard is perfection. And, the fact is that there is no one who can reach it." God does not grade on a curve. He does not give extra credit for good intentions or longer prayers. So long ago, I abandoned my own goodness as a reason to hope for God's favor and as a basis for being a citizen of the Heavenly Kingdom. I accepted the gift of God's favor, provided freely to me by Christ Jesus, and found confident hope for life now, for death when it comes, and for eternity! The Scripture says that because of God's gift of acceptance we rejoice - in the good times and the tough times equally - because our hope transcends our circumstances. Read it!
"By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us—set us right with him, make us fit for him—we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus. And that’s not all: We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand—out in the wide open spaces of God’s grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise. There’s more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next." (Romans 5:1-4, The Message)
Some Believers live an 'up and down' spiritual life because they accept that it is God's grace that allows them to hope for a home in Heaven, but hang onto their own goodness as a basis for enjoying God's blessings now. When life is going well, they conclude that it must be because they are being 'good enough.' When they hit a rough spot on the road, the Devil exploits their faulty theology by making them think it must be punishment for some sin. They redouble their efforts, go to church; try so hard to be nice - so God will grant them some relief. If He doesn't, they get discouraged, or worse - become angry at Him - because "He is so unfair!" Don't jump to the wrong conclusion here. Our actions do have consequences, both good and bad. The Lord wants us to grow in grace and live good, pure lives. But, we never trust in our own goodness to earn for us, what He wants to give to us freely - salvation, acceptance, and hope!
Here's what the prophet Jeremiah said about this.
"Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn their hearts away from the Lord. They are like stunted shrubs in the desert, with no hope for the future. They will live in the barren wilderness, in an uninhabited salty land.
But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit." (Jeremiah 17:5-8, NLT)
Are you truly righteous, or just religious? Righteousness is a gift of God through grace alone! It is so precious, no amount of our time, money, or efforts can buy it! God reserves it for those who will respond to His offer of grace with faith. "Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It’s God’s gift from start to finish! We don’t play the major role. If we did, we’d probably go around bragging that we’d done the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing." (Ephesians 2:8-10, The Message)
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A friend of Jesus! Oh, what bliss
That one so weak as I
Should ever have a Friend like this
To lead me to the sky!
Friendship with Jesus!Fellowship divine!
Oh, what blessed, sweet communion!
Jesus is a Friend of mine.
Joseph Ludgate- Public Domain
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