You Can't Please God through Your Performance

Ephesians 2:8-9

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.

Today God is not accepting religious works; he is accepting your faith based on what his Son did at Calvary¹.  That’s what the book of Galatians is about.  Our apostle Paul has to correct² believers, those who have put their trust in Jesus Christ; but who left³ the message Paul preached⁴ and went back to the law of Moses.

The law is anything you, in your own power, try to perform to please God.⁵  If you’re not resting in what God has to say through the books of the apostle Paul⁶, and allowing that doctrine to work⁷ in you, you’re under a performance-based acceptance system.⁸

Now it may not be the law of Moses and the 10 commandments; it could be your own little standard of perfection, or your pastor’s, or your mom’s, or your dad’s; but, it is some type of performance to get the blessing.  You know that’s not where the Spirit of God leads you.  The Spirit of God says that you’re not under law; you’re under grace. 

…for ye are not under the law, but under grace.  [Romans 6:14]

Grace is all that God is free to do for you through the death of his Son at Calvary:

G od’s

R iches

A t

C hrist’s

E xpense

Paul says that we ought to rest in the Lord Jesus, not just as our Saviour for our sins (justification), but during our Christian walk (sanctification) as we learn the doctrine written down in the 13 books of the apostle Paul, rightly dividing them from the scriptures written to Israel in the future and to Israel in time past.  That is how God begins to work in you.

Transcribed from this YouTube video…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQBJBLxWReM&feature=em-uploademail 

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¹ For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: [1 Corinthians 15:3-4]

² All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: [2 Timothy 3:16]

³ I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:  which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. [Galatians 1:6-7]

⁴ If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.   [1 Corinthians 14:37]

⁵ Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.   But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.  [Romans 4:4-5]

⁶  But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:  whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. [2 Timothy 1:10-11]

⁷  For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe. [1 Thessalonians 2:13]

⁸ Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day, to do them.[Deuteronomy 7:11]