Day 9: By God’s Grace, I’m Accepted and Abounding in Every Good Work

Myth:

God’s love and acceptance of me hinges on my own righteousness, self-performance or self-effort “work.”

Spiritual Truth:

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you may abound in every good work.

2 Cor 9:8

to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved

Eph 1:6

Growing up, I was taught that the basis of God’s love towards me hinged on my performance, how I’m doing and how I’m relating with others. I needed to do works of mercy towards others, I needed to always be good, I needed to not commit any sin. And even if I did something good or worthwhile, I was under the impression that I still needed to do more, that I am obligated to do more. The question that keeps on bothering me, which I don’t really have the answer: How can I be sure I am doing enough with my performance to satisfy the requirements of God?

My life as a kid was bound with rules and regulations, dos and don’ts, especially in the realm of religion. Instead of having a relationship with God, I saw Him as a task master, a fault-finder and just trigger-happy to punish me for all my wrongdoings. It was ingrained in me that if I failed or fell short in my performance, God’s not happy with me, and that’s the reason why trouble came my way.

It was burdensome to my young mind, to wrap around the idea that I needed to be perfect and sinless – because despite all my effort, I cannot and will not attain perfection and sinlessness. In fact, the more I tried, the more I failed. ‘Twas indeed a struggle, in my relationship with God and in my relationship with others because I saw myself lacking and not enough.

Until one summer, when the goodness of God’s grace was introduced to me. I learned that by God’s grace alone, the unmerited favor of God, that I was totally loved, forgiven, and accepted. Because of my believing in and acceptance of Jesus Christ as my Lord, Savior and Redeemer, I am made new, birthed and born again, so that I am not bound in sin and to sin anymore, rather, I am one with the Father in Christ Jesus sealed by the Holy Spirit.

Gone is the condemnation and guilt that hounded me; gone is the never-ending desire to please God with my performance just so He can and will accept me; gone is the sin-consciousness, self-effort and self-righteousness. Now, in me, through Jesus, I am assured that I am victorious and an overcomer; I do good works as a result of knowing that I am loved and that God is pleased with me already; I am Son-conscious (looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of my faith), grounded and rooted in His finished work, and seeking only His righteousness. This has made a complete turn-around in my life. Having a vibrant relationship with God, I am also able to have a vibrant relationship with others. And everything that I do prosper, everything Spirit led and directed, as I become a blessing magnet,

It took a while before I started seeing the results, but as I kept going – in the journey of renewing my mind (and mind you, the journey keeps on going!), the rest are just falling into place: having a great career and financial stability, meaningful and productive relationships, an up-and-coming ministry, and living the much-more life that only having Jesus in my life affords. As I continue in this journey, I am just very excited and in great anticipation where I am going to be led, in whatever capacity the Lord calls me and asks me to do.

I pray that as I was freed from the bondage of wrong beliefs that held me back for so long, that whatever wrong belief(s) holding you as well will be removed and be cast out from your midst and your life. That your full potential as a Christ-believer be realized as the bondage are broken and removed in the name of Jesus, Amen!