Where Do You Stand with God?

You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law.Galatians 5:4There will always be something in your flesh that says, “Just give me the rules. Tell me what I have to do.” It feels safer than the unlimited liability of love. Do you see that in yourself?Can you see how you could lose your freedom in Christ by returning to the law? Can you think of something you do that makes you feel more accepted by God?Salvation by quiet time: I feel more accepted by God because I have said my prayers.Salvation by worship: I feel more accepted by God if I feel moved in worship. If I don’t feel moved, it makes me wonder about my relationship with God.Salvation by service: I feel more accepted by God when I am serving Him. That missions trip really made me feel near to God.You see where this takes you. You lose your freedom and go back into slavery—the slavery of guilt if you didn’t have your quiet time, the slavery of trying to get the feeling in worship, the slavery of endless activity in the hope of pleasing God.If you start to reckon your standing before God from the discipline of your prayers, the experience of your worship, the dedication of your service, or anything else you do as a Christian, you are going back to the slavery of the law and alienating yourself from Christ.Your righteousness, your standing before God, does not rest on your prayers, your worship, your service, or anything that you do for God, but on the righteousness of Christ crucified for you.Preach to yourself and tell your soul, “I am a son (or daughter) of God, not a slave. I will live this day in the freedom of the Spirit.”