Read: Galatians 3: 1-3
“For my determined purpose is that I may know Him that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him…” - Philippians 3:10 (Amplified)
As a baby Christian, I misunderstood His new life in me. I thought, “Now that I’ve found God, I no longer need to seek Him. Now I just need to be good enough to deserve His love.” So, I got up from my knees, sighed in determination, pulled myself up by my bootstraps, and went to work for God.
After ten years of striving, I finally heard what God wanted me to know. Our situation today is much the same as what existed among the foolish Galatians Christians, prior to Paul writing his letter to them. Having been born again by trusting in the finished work of Christ and the activity of the Holy Spirit within them, they had been seduced by Satan and the Judaizers - religious legalists who imposed rules and regulations on them to allegedly guarantee them spiritual maturity. Their definition of abundant life had withered to a desperate struggle in which they sought to keep trying to please God. These Christians lived in a constant struggle to please God by keeping the Law of Do's and Don'ts. Does that sound like anyone you know?
Paul hit the nail on the head in Chapter 3: 1-3..."1 Oh, foolish Galatians! Who has cast an evil spell on you? For the meaning of Jesus Christ’s death was made as clear to you as if you had seen a picture of his death on the cross. 2 Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ. 3 How foolish can you be? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort?"
That just about sums it up, doesn't it? We trust in Christ for Salvation, but then we try to perfect our selves by our works. Sanctification ~ the process of becoming holy and pleasing to God ~ is a LIFELONG process. There is no shortcut. We did not come to Christ by our works (Titus 3:4-6; Eph 2:8-10), it was a free gift from God. Therefore, we cannot sanctify our selves by our works either; it is also a free gift from God.
There is no striving in our walk with God. We do not need to spend time nor energy on trying to overcome the flesh or on trying to earn God’s love. The only striving that the Bible commands us to do is:
1.) to enter his narrow gate through Salvation2.) to enter into His rest.
Look at Hebrews 4:9-12… “So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God; for whoever enters God's rest also ceases from his labors as God did from his. Let us, therefore, strive to enter that rest."
We cannot be good enough, holy enough or spiritual enough to deserve God’s love. We already have God's love, which does not depend on our behavior. If the Christian walk depended on us, then we would have no need for Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. He died because we can never be good enough to earn God’s love.
It’s tough to enter the rest of God. That’s why it takes effort and striving. Once we’re there, however, we can actually stop striving and rest. God gives us His unconditional love freely as a gift. We only have to open our hearts wide and receive His gift of love. When you realize the truth of this concept, you will sit in your quiet place and feel His love cascading over you like a waterfall.
Jesus completed the work of our perfection on the cross. Now we only need to allow Jesus to help us make a conscious effort to walk in obedience to His Will, regardless of the circumstances around us. Now, the focus of our purpose in life is to follow hard after God, to drink as a hart from the waterbrook, to come into an intimate relationship with the Lover of our soul.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, whom do I have in heaven, but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail; but God, You are the strength of my heart and my portion forever. (Psalm 73:25-26) You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever. (Psalm 16:11)
Thought for the Day:
I have seen You in the sanctuary and beheld Your power and Your glory. Because Your love is better than life. - Psalm 63:2-3 (NIV)