I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me
Believers, are you worried that you are not giving enough or doing enough in your work, home, church or community? Do you worry that you are doing and giving so much yet your prayers don't seem to make it anywhere? Let not your heart be troubled!
The Good Shepherd (our Lord Jesus) knows the best method and best time for sheep shearing, not the sheep. Sheep are helpless without their shepherd. Remember John 15:5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."
We are the sheep. He is our Shepherd. We don't know our left from our right; He does. We don't even know what we ought to pray for (Romans 8:26). Christ leads us on the path of righteousness because we don't know this path. This is why Isaiah describes the good things we do to get right with God (our righteousnesses) as filthy rags.
A sheep that tries to shear itself will end up getting hurt. A sheep that takes shearing lessons from another sheep or allows itself to get shorn by another sheep will get hurt. This is why people can get into trouble for doing good things that everyone agrees is "the right thing to do."
The good or bad things we do don't determine our right standing with God. Believing in Jesus Christ and receiving God's abundance of grace and His gift of righteousness is what does. Paul says clearly in Galatians 5:4 - "For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace."
Only with our Lord Jesus Christ's gift of no condemnation do we go and sin no more.
Believers, as the righteousness of God in Christ, depending on His gift of righteousness through Christ (and not what we do or don't do to give us right standing with God,) our Heavenly Father sees us as 100% RIGHTEOUS and because of this gift, we reign in life (Romans 5:17).
Here, the thoughts of the Holy Spirit become our action, and we bear much fruit. You will find yourself doing more, giving more, evangelising more, loving more and living right, yet not you but Christ in you, "...for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure."-Philippians 2:13.
Believe Right and you will Live Right!
The Good Shepherd (our Lord Jesus) knows the best method and best time for sheep shearing, not the sheep. Sheep are helpless without their shepherd. Remember John 15:5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."
We are the sheep. He is our Shepherd. We don't know our left from our right; He does. We don't even know what we ought to pray for (Romans 8:26). Christ leads us on the path of righteousness because we don't know this path. This is why Isaiah describes the good things we do to get right with God (our righteousnesses) as filthy rags.
A sheep that tries to shear itself will end up getting hurt. A sheep that takes shearing lessons from another sheep or allows itself to get shorn by another sheep will get hurt. This is why people can get into trouble for doing good things that everyone agrees is "the right thing to do."
The good or bad things we do don't determine our right standing with God. Believing in Jesus Christ and receiving God's abundance of grace and His gift of righteousness is what does. Paul says clearly in Galatians 5:4 - "For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace."
Only with our Lord Jesus Christ's gift of no condemnation do we go and sin no more.
Believers, as the righteousness of God in Christ, depending on His gift of righteousness through Christ (and not what we do or don't do to give us right standing with God,) our Heavenly Father sees us as 100% RIGHTEOUS and because of this gift, we reign in life (Romans 5:17).
Here, the thoughts of the Holy Spirit become our action, and we bear much fruit. You will find yourself doing more, giving more, evangelising more, loving more and living right, yet not you but Christ in you, "...for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure."-Philippians 2:13.
Believe Right and you will Live Right!
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