Breaking free from the bonds of religion

  • Amber Rice Miller
  • May 12, 2014
  • 425
                        
Summary: Do you mix the old covenant of the law with the new covenant of grace? The two don’t mix. Read and see what this means. The other days the boys and I were at a local business, enjoying the free donuts they provided at their anniversary sale. A gentleman approached me, asking if I was Amber. After I confirmed that I was, he shared with me that he reads my articles and had gone through some of the same things I did. We didn’t get much of a chance to talk, as taking care of three young boys doesn’t exactly yield itself to easy conversations with others. He went back and sat down, and I started thinking about our discussion. What was it that he went through? Did he suffer tragedy like I had? Had he been under religious bondage like I had been? I wasn’t sure, but what I did know was that it had affected him. I could see that in his eyes in just the brief moment we talked. Thankfully, as we were getting ready to leave I had a chance to talk to him again. He started sharing that he had been very works oriented and had based his relationship with God on his performance, just like I had. He suffered from condemnation his whole life, because as I have stated before, our works can never be good enough. Then he said something that made me so happy, I wanted to jump and shout for joy. He commented, “But I have learned that it is all about Jesus. It is all about what He has done for me, not what I do for him.” Oh, a more truthful sentence has never been spoken! He was right on, and I was so thankful that he understood the truth, and the truth had set him free! See, religion has it all backwards. Religion says you receive Jesus, then you have to work to please God. You have to live righteously, or you will not be accepted or blessed. That is mixing the old covenant of law with the new covenant of grace. It is like putting new wine (grace) into old wineskins (the law). Those two don’t mix. And it is putting the burden back on us, in turn making light of the incredible sacrifice that Jesus made for us. When you think you have to do things for God, you’ve taken away from what Jesus has already done for us. HE is our righteousness. Let me reiterate what I have been saying all along, and what this dear man has learned as well: It isn’t what we do for Jesus, it is about what Jesus has done for us. We put faith in the one who has done for us what we were never able to do on our own. Our own good works can and never will be good enough. Don’t receive Jesus as your ticket to heaven and then try to depend on your own goodness. That is a slap in the face to our Savior! Our faith in Jesus is what makes us righteous in the eyes of God, not our works. Although you may be able to brag and receive praise from man about all your “righteous” actions, you will not earn praise from God for it. You will earn praise from God by putting complete trust in His Son for righteousness, instead of your own efforts. Romans 4:2-5 says: For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture says? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness. I love those verses. It couldn’t get any clearer than that! I encourage everyone to mediate on those scriptures. Stop trying to earn right standing with God, but believe and rely solely on the one who has done the work for you and has made you righteous in the sight of God! When you realize that Jesus has done everything for you, and you don’t have to earn your righteousness, it will forever change you. Grace does that to a person. It will make you want to live a holy life, but now with the right motives. It is no longer to get right with God, but because you are right with God and have done nothing to deserve it. Your heart will overflow with thankfulness towards Jesus. I can verify this from my own life and I can guarantee that precious soul that spoke to me would agree as well. Stop looking at yourself and what you have to do and start looking at the one who has done it all for you - Jesus! (Questions or comments? Amber can be reached at amberdeemiller32@gmail.com)


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