Only Believe

I'm still meditating on the cross and the concept of trading my life for Jesus'. It's mind-bending stuff.

I've been somewhat incapacitated since October when I was in the hospital for some respiratory and chest stuff. Since then I've not been able to exercise, clean house, etc. Anyway, the lifestyle change has shown me just how dependent I am on meeting certain self-imposed expectations. For the first month or so, I really didn't deal well with a "useless" me. It drove me nuts.  I realized how quick I am to disqualify myself when I don't measure up to my own standards. Usually, I'm able to slide by okay, but after all the health stuff, I've recognized that I've got lots of "boxes" and not enough "checks."

Anyway, I'm over the hump now and I'm seeing just how many dumb things I've leaned on to try and earn my confidence before God. No wonder Paul calls it rubbish and poop. Nothing and no one holds a candle to the sinless perfection of Jesus. So who cares how you eat or whether or not you exercised or what time you wake up in the morning or how clean your house is?!? None of it qualifies you for salvation--sozo (healing and restoration for your spirit, soul, AND body.) Simple faith is the only requirement.

I repeat, THE ONLY THING WE NEED IS SIMPLE FAITH AND TRUST IN JESUS. That's the golden ticket to unlock all of heaven to us. It's mind-blowing. It's no wonder that we so often get all tangled up in religious garbage somehow trying to earn favor from God.

It just doesn't make sense! It's all free, but if we try to work for it we bring ourselves under the curse of trusting in the strength of man rather than trusting in God. Jeremiah 17:5-9
Galatians 1 addresses this stuff very clearly. Paul was deeply concerned that the church would be duped into believing that Jesus' death on the cross wasn't sufficient and that they somehow needed to add some rules in order to measure up. If Jesus had left anything undone He wouldn't have said, "It is finished."