ETERNITY

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What Is the Christian Life?

"But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us — not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit. He poured out this Spirit on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that having been justified by His grace, we may become heirs with the hope of eternal life." ~ Titus 3:4-7

The Christian Life is just that — a life, not simply a set of rules. Sadly, a lot of churches preach Christianity as a list of dos and don’ts. Then faith looks like a formula: Jesus’ saving grace plus doing good things minus doing bad things equals righteousness. Most of us have enough problems without worrying about whether we’re following the extra-biblical rules of a church.

A man-made formula for righteousness runs counter to scriptural teaching. Not only did Jesus condemn the Pharisees’ heavy-handed religion, but He Himself offered liberty through grace:

"Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples: “The scribes and the Pharisees are seated in the chair of Moses (authority). Therefore do whatever they tell you, and observe it. But don’t do what they do, because they don’t practice what they teach. They tie up heavy loads that are hard to carry and put them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves aren’t willing to lift a finger to move them." ~ Matthew 23:1-4

"Therefore, if the Son (Jesus) sets you free, you really will be free." ~ John 8:36

Neither keeping God’s law by self-effort nor adhering to extra rules makes a person free. Legalistic believers are in bondage and growing ever weaker.

When a person accepts the saving grace of Jesus Christ, he or she receives a new life:

"Therefore we were buried with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in a newness of life." ~ Romans 6:4

This is not an uptight lifestyle of doing good works. A believer is a changed person — the same body but a transformed mind and heart. Christ lives through you. His Holy Spirit flows into your spirit just as sap runs in a grapevine. It’s like getting a spiritual blood transfusion! Strength pumps into places where weakness once prevailed. Why rely upon your frail self when the courage and power to follow God’s will are available through Christ?

I know what it feels like to burn out from trying to do good in my own strength. My desire for you is that you’ll surrender to the Lord. Depend upon Him to change you from the inside out, and trust that He will. Jesus is your life. He will never get tired of transforming you.

https://www.intouch.org/read/magazine/daily-devotions/what-is-the-christian-life