Your Best Efforts May Interfere With Your Relationship With God
Have you ever had a conversation with individuals who said they’re saved, and as the conversation progressed, they talk about how they try to follow the rules. “Well, I don’t lie or steal. I try not to cuss, but sometimes I slip.” In essence, they’re trying to be good. By trying to follow “the rules,” they lose sight of relationship.
Even with the best intentions, some fail to realize their best efforts fall woefully short of hitting the target. Instead of going deeper in their relationship with God, they become rule breakers. The harder they try to follow the rules, the more they fail to follow Him. They are putting undue burdens on themselves. They forget the part of the Gospel that says it’s what Jesus did; not what we did or didn’t do. They fell into the same trap by which the Galatians were ensnared.
Galatians 3:1-3 O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh (it would be worth reading the entire chapter)?
If you want to follow the rules, try this on for size: walk in love, you will fulfill them. By walking in love, you never think about hurting God or others.
Romans 13:8-10 Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. For this, “you shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, “you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
Scrapping Your Best Efforts
How many are wearing themselves out by trying to follow a bunch of rules? Where is the joy in that? Christianity 101 eliminates them. What are the basics?
Ephesians 2:8-10 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
Grace is God’s unmerited favor He bestowed upon us, which enables us to do the things of God we could never do in our own strength. By faith we receive His grace, whereby we are saved. As the result of being new creatures in Christ (see also 2 Corinthians 5:17), our new nature manifests the works which God had prepared for us before we were even born. What we do is the result of what He did; not the other way around.
Are you tired, and need rest for your soul? Then stop working, and enter into His rest. We walk by faith, not by works. Faith is based on relationship.
Hebrews 4:10-11 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from His. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
Is what Jesus did on the Cross, enough? The obvious answer is yes. Trying to be good is a form of unbelief. How can you make Perfection more perfect? If we are complete in Him, why would we try to make ourselves complete. Yes, there is a sanctification process by which we become more like Him. It’s a dichotomy. We are justified, whole and complete in Jesus; and yet, we are being conformed to His image. But who does the conforming or completing?
Philippians 1:6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.
By resting in Jesus, you are free to enjoy the relationship and truly walk in obedience to God. To obey means to believe with the intent to conform to His desires out of love. To obey is to believe what He says.
When you boil it down in terms of efforts, it comes down to this: it’s about surrender and submission. For some, works may be a byproduct of wanting to be in control. It’s time to let it go, and finally trust Him with everything. Everything! Surrender leads to obedience. Submission is a sign of sonship.
Romans 8:13-17 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together (Read the entire chapter for more clarity).
