Tag Archives: Works Righteousness

Clinging to Grace

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As Christians, it’s easy to become a bit confused when setting our minds to do right. Why? Because in attempting to rid our life of sin, we often turn to good works in the hope that they will somehow offset the sin demerits we instinctively sense accumulating against us. So it’s not hard to slip somewhat effortlessly into the very thing true faith should avoid at all costs—works righteousness.

Understanding this link between good works and sin is extremely important because Satan focuses his efforts to destroy us at this very juncture. He uses it as his primary strategy to rob us of all God has to offer.

If the devil can convince us to earn our way rather than simply receiving and walking in God’s free gift of grace, he will have succeeded in handcuffing us to the extent of “defrauding us of our prize”of freedom in Christ.(Colossians 2:18) And if he can accomplish that, he just may be successful in getting us to walk away altogether from the truth of the redemption God freely offers. His ultimate goal for all believers is apostasy—the abandonment and renunciation of our faith.

Excerpted from: Free from the Power of Sin: The Keys to Growing in God in Spite of Yourself

 

 

God’s Guidepost to Life

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We are inherently self-interested creature in this sin-riddled world, and our sin is blatantly exposed by the presence of law. This fact is undeniable: “the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.” (1 Corinthians 15:56)

What’s really sad about God’s law is not that it had to be imposed, but that it was so quickly interpreted as a means by which a person might earn his own righteousness—becoming the framework for man’s attempt to work his way to heaven. From the very beginning God had something far different in mind; law was to be a guidepost to His gift of life.(Romans 7:10)

Law was never intended to be the vehicle to bring us into right standing with Him, because ultimately God wanted to freely impart His own righteousness—and thus His life—to man.(Galatians 3:21) Consequently, man’s attempt to earn his own righteousness through works (what is commonly called works righteousness) can result in little else but pitting us head-on against God’s plan.

Paul talks about God’s people being held in custody under law—like children under a tutor—until the fullness of time came when Christ was to justify those who believe.(Galatians 3:22-24) Law had its purpose then, and still does now. But since freedom from law is the very essence of our freedom from the power of sin, we need to better understand the manner in which law relates to our righteousness in Christ now that He has come.