SEEKING WORTHINESS NONSENSE
Why is it so hard to believe that forgiveness from God comes at the beginning of our relationship to Him through Jesus, and that that is the starting point of our Christian walk? The beginning of our journey is not the “pursuit of achieving worthiness to get into Heaven”, because that would render Jesus’ sacrifice as meaningless. Nowhere in the Bible does it say we must do this ‘seeking worthiness’ nonsense, so where do we get the notion from?
Would Christianity be easier to comprehend if we could digest the fact that Jesus’ death and resurrection completely capitulates our need to prove anything, and firmly roots into reality the command to live our lives trusting in our faith, granted through grace, and not through works? Faith without works is dead, yes. But works doesn’t earn salvation. It’s not a two-way street on the ‘works’, it’s just an admittance that if we truly have faith, our behaviors, choices and actions will show visible, noticeable changes, and those changes are the works. Relationship to Jesus Christ spawns the desire for those works. It has nothing to do with a flawed and nonsensical desire to do something for the sake of proving a point. Remember, let’s be conscious to whether or not our actions are trying to earn us brownie points with God, or if what we’re doing has nothing to do with garnering attention to ourselves and has everything to do with reflecting who God is to the world.
SIN, AND GOD’S FORGIVENESS
Bad news: we could never do enough. Never. We are flawed to our core with sin. Every single one of us (Romans 3:23). There’s no exceptions, except Jesus of course. That’s why we need Him, because He’s the only one who ever lived perfectly. That’s why His sacrifice is better than anything anyone could ever do, or will ever do. That’s why we don’t have to try to earn what He’s already earned for us. That’s why forgiveness was available before we even began believing. But it’s when we receive that forgiveness, when we consciously understand and spiritually take into ourselves that that forgiveness is real and personal, that change occurs.
When you tell someone you’re sorry, you can tell when that person forgives you, or when they’re just saying they forgive you but quietly resent you still. You can just tell. Body language, vocal intonation, countenance. It’s all there to tell you the truth behind the words. With God, forgiveness is very real, and the truth of that—His response, is all in the Bible (1 John 1:9). It tells us that we are saved in Christ Jesus for all our sins, that we are cleansed white as snow (Isaiah 1:18). That’s forgiveness! Now, if you really believe that, are you going to keep doing the very things you knew you needed forgiveness for?
WALKING INTO A NEW FUTURE
If we were to be really honest with ourselves, we could admit we can get lazy when it comes to pursuing what it means to have a relationship with Jesus. The reason I say that is because it goes hand-in-hand with how we live out how it feels to be forgiven. Put it another way: If we have a healthy relationship with Jesus, we aren’t shying away from the Bible or ignoring seeking out God’s voice in prayer. No, instead we’re walking away from our past and towards a new future in Christ. If we are walking with Christ, we know where we stand with God, and we don’t feel the need to walk with our head down. We walk with boldness, in confidence of our salvation, and with a compassion that comes from knowing we’re cared for in the deepest sense by the most powerful being in the universe.
NOTHING TO FEAR, NOT EVEN FEAR!
The only thing stopping us from receiving the truth of our forgiveness in Christ is our shame. The biggest lie of Satan is that Jesus’ sacrifice means nothing, and that our current imperfect means we need to keep trying. But in actuality, the only thing we need to keep doing is to continue turning to Jesus, constantly, throughout the day, in big and small ways, in big and small situations, seeking wisdom, counsel, and direction. Jesus isn’t pushing us away or telling us we’re not enough, He’s inviting us to eat with Him, to share our lives with Him, and He’s forgiving us for our past! No shame. It’s all love! He told us to fear not, because He has overcome the world (overcome every reason we have to be afraid of walking with Him).
Every single horrible thing that could ever happen—He has overcome it already. There’s nothing to fear. We nurture fear with personal beliefs that the world is scary. The world is scary only if we see it through the lens that Jesus’ resurrection is powerless or altogether never took place. But it’s written by eye-witnesses that it was factually an event that took place. There is nothing in this world to fear, not even fear itself! If we have Jesus, we have the most terrifying power in our possession through the Holy Spirit.
BECOMING WHAT THE DEMONS FEAR
Demons are afraid of Jesus, of prayer, and of Scripture. There is no darkness that the light doesn’t shine into, revealing everything the principalities of the dark are trying to do. We have the most powerful weapon in existence: prayer and Jesus Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit. There is nothing to fear when the scariest things that could happen are Christians calling the oppressive demonic forces out of their hiding places and back to the fires of Hell. The scariest thing in existence is the power of Christ being used by Christians to devastate the power of Hell from its grasp on our lives. Suddenly, the word scary has been changed in its place in the conversation, given the lie we tell ourselves that ‘scary’ is how the principalities of darkness can ruin the lives of humans. That’s not scary, that’s gullibility. That’s a person not in faith and living vulnerable to spiritual attack.
GOD’S GLORY IS MORE INVALUABLE THAN OUR DESIRES
Also, if we wouldn’t rate the quality of our lives based on possessions or status, then what is there to ruin? If our health deteriorates, we’re much closer to life with Jesus in Heaven than we ever were before. It doesn’t matter what other people think of us, it only matters how much faith we have in what God wants for us. How God wants to use us for His glory is more valuable than anything we could ever own or achieve on our own accord. So what exactly can the darkness take away that the Lord God of Heaven can’t replace and restore even more? Have you ever read the story of Job?
And all of this is the reality of a Christian who accepts Jesus as Savior and Lord over their life, immediately. Once we accept we are forgiven and we invite Jesus into our lives to permeate every area, everything changes. We have the power of prayer and the anointing of the Holy Spirit at our disposal, to rid of evil in our lives and to pursue goodness, grace, hope, joy, peace, prosperity, love, and forgiveness. There is nothing that can stop us because God is in control, and His will will be done. Pray for His will into your life, in Jesus name, and it will be done! That’s what comes with relationship with Christ!
PERSPECTIVE SHIFTS MAY BE IN ORDER
Imagine that type of lifestyle, rather than the type where everything you do is part of a list of things you hope will make God want to love you more. Instead, we can take advantage of the fact that we are children of the one and only true God of Heaven, who loves us unconditionally, unsparingly, and infinitely. This same God wants to make our paths straight and lead us straight to the Kingdom of Heaven through every step in our lives. The question really is: are we letting Him do that, or are we trying to be in control? We don’t need to be in control if we have Jesus in our lives. He’ll tell us and show us exactly what to do! It’s not complicated. That’s the Christian walk. No shame or guilt. Yes, we are still sinners, but Jesus’ sacrifice already paid for every last sin we could ever commit. Focus on the destination, not on the mistakes that caused us to stumble along the way. If He is your Lord and Savior, your rock and redeemer, then life is only going to get better. If it doesn’t look that way, perhaps a change of viewpoints is in order. Perhaps a change of perspective. But never is life bad when God is in it. There’s much joy and gratitude to be had when the Holy Spirit resides in us.
Let’s live the way God intended us to. No fear, no holds bars, no hesitation, no doubt! Just faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no one’s else’s name by which anything can be done. Let God do the talking, we are merely vessels for Christ. Let it be so, in Jesus name!
