Thursday 22nd Aug, 2013. TREADMILL OF PERFORMANCE Luke 18:9-14 “You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace”. (Galatians 5:4). Approaching salvation by keeping the law is quite different from being saved by grace. If we try to save ourselves by keeping the law and weighing our performance as the yardstick for salvation, Christ will then be of no value to us at all. The provision made by the Almighty Father for the salvation of mankind is the sacrifice of His son Jesus Christ. This salvation we are told is by grace and not works of righteousness. See (Ephesians 2:8-9). If the law was able to redeem us, Jesus would not have left His glorious throne for the cross. Galatians 5:1-6, explains our freedom in Christ and not in the law. Trying to work our salvation by works of righteousness, taken us out of grace. We encountered two people in today’s bible reading; the Pharisee who is deep into performance trap i.e. he sees his acts of righteousness as his way to salvation and looks down on the task master, who recognises his inability to get cleansed from his sins except by the mercy of God. Self righteousness which we see exhibited by the Pharisee is dangerous. It can set one on going on and on with works, like worling out on a treadmill to burn out calories that never seem to get burnt. Read again, Jesus’ words in vs 14 of Luke 14. “ I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be exalted”. “Treadmill of performance can cause pride in our achievements and cut us off from God”. The world poses before us all kinds of enticements, with subtle cultural pressures to make us want to do as others do in our works, boasting of what we think we have achieved by intellect or possession. Not so with the principles of Grace. Grace calls our attention to see Jesus as the center point of our salvation. The only source of wisdom and strength to overcome the performance trap. He removes the feeling that pushes us to keep trying hard to save ourselves by works. He takes away the sense of guilt and condemnation that tells us we have not done enough for God to forgive us. Anxiety and low self-esteem that are likely to cage us into oversensitive conscience is overcome by the power of GRACE. Galatians 6:14” May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me and to the world” what a glorious declaration from Paul, a man who had every opportunity to boast in the observance of the law. Now transformed by grace, He presents to us full work of salvation by grace and not law. How can we respond to grace in this age of uncountable doctrines about man’s freedom? The only one way I know is in John 14:6 which backs up John 3:16, brings out the main purpose of the appearance of grace. Prayer: Precious Jesus, please help me to stay in You and never fall away from grace in Jesus name. ! Amen! (2 Corinthians 5:1-10). For further study, kindly read: Galatians 6:12-16, John 3:16 and John 14:6.
Posted on: Thu, 22 Aug 2013 07:31:30 +0000
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