Proverbs 2.20
“So you will walk in the way of the good and keep to the paths of the righteous.
The new life to which the Lord calls us is a particular kind of life. There are principles, commandments, and standards to which we must adhere. “Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ.” (Philippian 1.27)
Our salvation is a matter of faith through grace. Once we have trusted in Christ, however, the next step of faith is to obey his commands. As Jesus says in the gospel of John, our obedience to him is a reflection of our love for him. “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” (John 14.15)
It is essential to understand that the Lord’s admonition for us to live in accordance with his standards is quite different than how the world approaches this topic. We live and work in a world of competitive performance and achievement. Whether sports or business or entertainment, we are constantly being evaluated. If we perform up to expectations, we are praised. If we perform below expectations, we are criticized.
It is relentless, non-stop scrutiny and commentary.
Because of this competitive, critical environment, many people seek their identity in how they perform and what they achieve. If they do well and achieve much, they feel good about themselves. If they do poorly and achieve less than expected, they feel bad about themselves.
Sometimes this mindset is self-inflicted; other times it is the result of external expectations and pressure; much of the time it is a combination of both. But if we are constantly seeking to prove ourselves, and we allow our identity and self-concept to be tethered to approval or criticism of our performance, eventually we will suffer emotionally and spiritually.
Jesus calls us to a different way of living and working. In God’s design, our identity is not found in how we perform or what we achieve; rather, it is found in our relationship with him. In God’s kingdom, we work and perform and achieve, but we do so because of who we are in Christ.
In his kingdom we are not defined by what we do and how we perform. Instead, Christ liberates us to work hard at our jobs, striving and giving our best in order to produce results, but without losing our true identity in the blind pursuit of achievement.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:8-10)
Trust God, get saved, then do good work.
That is the Lord’s plan. Pretty clear isn’t it? Don’t allow anyone to distort this simple truth by making it complex or confusing.
More tomorrow …
