Working Your Way into God’s Favour
Galatians 2:15-16 … we know that a person is justified not by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ. And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by doing the works of the law, because no one will be justified by the works of the law.
Have you ever tried to work yourself into God’s favour? You try and you try to do the right thing, but still, you just mess it up. Well, if you’ve been there, you’re not alone.
There’s a fine line between responding to God’s grace, and falling into the trap of trying to work your way into His favour. Here’s how it happens.
At some point, you realise what an amazing thing God did for you, by sending Jesus to die for you on that cross. Amazing! And so you turn your life over to Him – lock, stock and barrel.
There’s a joy, a euphoria almost. But then life gets back to normal. You go about your day-to-day business and you slip back into your old habits. The sin that’s been robbing you of joy and peace for most of your life creeps back … and guilt sets in.
So, you say to yourself, “Self, you have to do something about this. There are standards here. There are rules. I shouldn’t be doing this … and I shouldn’t be doing that.” You start to work at it, harder and harder and harder … and before you know it, you’re pedalling so hard that it’s just about killing you.
Yet still that old sin just keeps on tripping you up. My hunch is, you know exactly what I’m talking about.
Jesus promised you freedom, but this doesn’t feel like freedom. That’s because it’s not. Have a listen to what the Apostle Paul writes about trying to follow a set of rules:
Galatians 2:15-16 … we know that a person is justified not by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ. And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by doing the works of the law, because no one will be justified by the works of the law.
I am my father’s son not because I followed a bunch of rules, and worked my way into that position. No, I’m my father’s son because he’s my dad and I’m his son. And as I grew up in that relationship, my behaviour matured and improved as a response to his love. Not because I was good at following the rules – which by the way, I wasn’t.
The moment you and I put our faith in Jesus, God becomes our Father. And the more we grow in that relationship, the closer we get to Him, the more we experience His love, the more our behaviour changes.
It’s not about following a bunch of rules. It’s about trusting Jesus, and as we experience His love, allowing His love, His grace, His mercy to change us, to set us free in a way that following a bunch of rules never, ever will.
That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.
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