WHAT GOD WANTS FROM US
Everyone at some point in their Christian life asks, “What does God expect from me?” There are so many extremes out there, parading under the banner of Christianity, that it becomes very confusing to know exactly what to do sometimes. And I’m telling you from the beginning, unless you commit yourself to keeping it simple and focusing on Christ you’re going to fall for a lot of foolishness.
On one extreme, there are those who have concocted man-made rules and think that they are going to be saved by keeping some kind of law. Others almost certainly believe, based on their actions and words, that God could not possibly care less how we live our lives. He is so loving—and they, rather than God, define what love is—that he would never get mad at anybody about anything. Man-made religion is toxic and ruinous. The gospel of Christ is simple.
What does God want? He wants your heart. He does not give laws to see if we can obey them or to show us who is in charge. God’s directions are given out of love because he knows what kind of life we need to live. And there is no law—in the Old Testament, in the New Testament, anywhere—that we can keep good enough to be saved. “I set not aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes by the law, then Christ died in vain” (Gal. 2:21).
There is a standard of purity and holiness that we are to strive to uphold in this lost and dying world (Titus 2:11-14). “Anything goes” won’t work in the Christian life. So if we are not saved by law, and yet, we are to obey God and live a certain way, how do we balance all of that out? Well, since it is a relationship with Jesus, it is actually very simple.
First, don’t ever trust in yourself. No one can keep the law of Christ “good enough.” Even if we could, we would still be undeserving servants (Luke 17:10). Salvation by law-keeping is not an option for sinners. It is much too late for that. If you think that on the day of judgment you will be saved because you have kept the New Testament “good enough” you are sadly mistaken. On your best day of law-keeping, you have not kept a fraction of God’s righteous requirements. The reason so many Christians are disappointed in themselves is because they made a huge mistake: they should’ve never trusted in themselves to begin with.
Second, remember that God’s salvation is bought and paid for by Jesus and it comes to us free of charge. Free means free. You cannot pay for it, you can only accept it. We do not follow the New Testament as best we can in efforts to earn anything from God. The service he will accept from sinners is that which comes from a heart of thankfulness for the salvation he accomplished in his Son. Unless our works emanate from a heart of total reliance upon what Christ has done, they profit us nothing.
Finally, God’s true child is faithful. Faithfulness is referred to in Scripture as “walking in the light” (1 John 1:7), “walking after the Spirit” (Rom. 8:1), and “abiding” in Christ (John 15:4). If Jesus is my Savior, he is my Lord. To be his disciple, I must continue in his word (John 8:31). There is no condemnation for the faithful Christian who is serving Christ out of an attitude of love and a desire to follow him until the end (Rom. 8:1).
Love Jeaus and follow him. A faithful follower of Jesus cannot be lost.
Dewayne Dunaway
