Daily Archive

Jesus is the only One who can save people. No one else in the world is able to save us.” Acts 4:12 (NCV)

There is, within each of us a desire to believe in something greater than ourselves. Something more powerful. More passionate and loving. Something that can take us from where we are and bring us to new levels of freedom, hope and peace.

The world is full of answers. Full of people and systems that urge us to follow their way and buy into their system of beliefs. It doesn’t take long to realize that all of that comes with a cost. It could be our lives. It could be money. In most all cases it requires that we ‘do something’ to prove our worthiness.

The enemy’s game plan is to burden us down with rules and regulations. He is fully aware that Jesus came to give us freedom. His goal is to make sure that we never experience the freedom purchased for us on the cross.

He’s also aware of our desire to believe. It may come a surprise to many, but Satan is a great fan of religion and he wants each of us to hold strongly to religion. His personal favorite is atheism by the way, but he’ll settle for any of the other ones. The important thing is that you realize that salvation comes at a cost and if you are going to be saved you must follow the rules.

Religion is a monster whose hunger will never be filled by human activity. The demands are too steep and we are too weak. We fail. We try again. We fail again. We lost heart. We stop trying or try a different religion or relationship. The end result is that we sink into this pit of despair that says “It’s no use. There’s no hope. I simply can’t do it.” We lose. Satan wins.

Jesus didn’t come to earth to burden us with rules and regulations. His purpose for being here is to bring us freedom. He didn’t come to condemn us (John 3:17) he came to give us freedom (Galatians 5:1).

The battle for our faith tells us that we have to perform to be spiritual. The Bible tells us otherwise. Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us  “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast”.

There is nothing you can DO to be a good Christian. All the things we measure our ‘spirituality’ by (going to church, reading the Bible, praying, etc) aren’t supposed to be duties to make us better Christians. They are activities that deep our relationship with Jesus. He purchased our salvation on the cross. He sealed our eternal fate in his resurrection. He doesn’t ask for our actions. He only asks for our heart.

Satan would have you believe that you must do something to be spiritual. Jesus only asks that you take his free gift and live in freedom.

The Truth Statement in the battle for our faith is: Our spirituality is based on relationship not rules.

PRAYER: Father God, it’s so easy to get caught up in ‘doing’ and not resting in the fact that my spiritual life rests in relationship and not activity. The enemy is constantly reminding me of my failures and shortcomings in order to keep me in bondage. Forgive me for listening to him. Today I will live in the truth that my walk with you rests on relationship not rules. Thank you. Amen.