Sometimes when a person views the Christian life, it simply can feels like a list of "do's"
and "don'ts." And ironically, many believers can fall into the trap of living like it's just a list of "do's" and "don'ts." We are by nature people who like to pay for our own price. Most people have a hard time accepting gifts in the payment form. And we are not quick to take a "hand out."
That is what makes Jesus's death on the cross for our sins so radical. It's saying in essence, the thing that you hold so close, your very life, was paid for and redeemed by Jesus.
"You mean I don't have to do anything to get Him to pay my price?" And the answer is, "Believe in Me." John 14...
I always have struggled feeling like I need to earn God's love. Be better. Do more. Live perfectly.
Well it's true that His word says, "Be holy for I am holy." And in some translations that says, "be perfect for I am perfect." But that holy living is not done in the name of, "Earning His love." For I will never be perfect enough to pay for my own sins. And when I strive, and search, and grasp to be better, please Him by making "sacrifices" and striving to be a little better than the next guy, none of this will add to my payment for my salvation, or earn me "more love" from God. The bills been paid, and the love tank is eternally full. It will not run out, or run dry.
You see we often view heavenly things, from an earthly perspective. In our world we have to pay for everything and there "is no such thing as a free lunch." SO surely there must be SOMETHING we must do to earn God's love?
The answer is simple. Believe in the One He sent.
Striving has ceased.
Works have ceased.
We surrender to the One who paid our debt, and took our place. This is what it means to believe. To say with our actions, and our words that He paid our debt.
So in here has lay my problem for so many years. I have always said with my mouth "Jesus paid my debt." But with my actions, I am always trying to earn His approval.
When in reality, all the approval I ever needed was given to me freely the day I accepted Jesus's payment for my sin.
I put myself under a microscope and if there is anything that appears unrighteous in my life, I take a tweezers and extract it. I try to be perfect. That is just not possible my friends.
Perfection is found in Christ alone.
I will never be able to act, respond, and be perfect.
Now I can seek Him for holiness, because He is my example, but I will not have to strive. Because holiness relies on Him to refine me, I look to Him for this type of growth.
I don't strive endlessly in vain pursuit of something that is unattainable in my own strength.
It's like this. I can flap my arms as hard as I can, even visualizing wings on my arms, I can strive this way for my entire life, but no matter how hard I strive, I will never fly this way.
However, I can board an airplane, calmly lay my head back on the seat, and take flight with no real effort, other than that a boarding pass had be paid.
SO it is with Jesus. He payed my boarding pass. I am on the flight. Were are mid-air because Jesus got me there. There is nothing I have to do stay there in the air except to remain on the plane. If I jump off the plane and start violently flapping my arms, well I will crash to my death. My striving will bring me nothing.
So keeping in line with air plane analogy, I realized the hard way that I was trying to lift myself off the ground with my own arms, and it was getting me no where. So I took the ticket that Jesus handed me the day I received salvation, I boarded the air-plane and here I am. Enjoying the flight. There have been bumps along the flight, because everyone faces turbulence in their lives. Sometimes great, sometimes light, but regardless...when Jesus sees the fear in my eyes, and comes and sits down next to me, puts His hand on my knee and says It's going to be OK, I'm in control.
My white knuckles release and I am able to lay my head down and rest again.
You see, nothing I sacrifice on this earth will amount to anything, unless it is a sacrifice He has told me to make. Nothing I strive with will add to anything, unless He points to me, and say, "I've got a job for you to do today!"
And then it's with excitement that I can jump from my seat knowing He has something for me! I love it when He does this.
We are to love our fellow passengers, and love our Pilot.
And even this, daily He will help us unpack what that will look like.
Striving has ceased.
I'm done flapping my arms. I feel like a chicken when I do this. Striving, working hard, and never really going anywhere near where I feel like I should be. Striving in the flesh will fill you pride, if you happen to lift off a few inches, it will tire you and it will also cause you to make a lot of sacrifices you would not be required to make had you just accepted His grace to lift you up high in the sky...
SO if you don't mind, you can now unfasten your seat belts and feel free to move about the cabin at your leisure, we have to now reached an altitude of 45,000 feet. Enjoy your flight.
"For it is by grace you have been saved, though faith and this in not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works, so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2:8,9
"O Praise the One who paid my debt, who raised my life, up from the dead!" -song
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