GOOD ENOUGH!
Have you ever wondered if you're doing good enough to please God? When is enough, enough? Does it seem confusing to you? In John chapter 6 the people in the story had grown up under the law of Moses and had consequently lived under the typical "never good enough" lifestyle of failure and discouragement. Look at what they asked Jesus and see how Jesus responded.
John 6:28-29 NIV “Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”
They asked Jesus how to do all the “works” (plural) God required, and Jesus reduced all works into a single work, BELIEVE. His answer had nothing to do with the law but with faith in himself. God wants you and I to believe! There is nothing else needed. The righteous works that the law requires are a natural outcome of true faith in what Christ has done! The answer, therefore, is not in putting your effort into right doing but rather into right believing.
Rom1:17For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”
Gal3:11-14 Clearly no-one is justified before God by the law, because, “The righteous will live by faith.” 12 The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, “The man who does these things will live by them.” 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” 14 He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.
Believing alone is what enters us into the peace of God! The book of Hebrews implores us to make a colossal effort to enter into the rest that only faith can bring.
Hebrews 4:11 Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.
The disobedience the writer is speaking of here is the disobedience of unbelief. The children of Israel, because of fear, were unwilling to believe God and therefore go in and conquer the land God had promised them. Be sure, there is a promise land for you! And, just like the children of Israel, God is expecting you to believe him and conquer!
So what exactly is it that you need to put your faith in? Believe the good news that all your sin is paid for by the shed blood of Jesus Christ and that consequently you now are perfect before God and eligible for all his favor and blessing! Once you surrender to the truth that you are completely righteous in God’s sight, then you will have the faith to believe that God’s grand plans for you will indeed happen! When you are fully convinced that you are perfectly loved by God and righteous in his sight, there will be no obstacle too big and no devil in hell that will be able to stand in the way of the wonderful things God has in store for you! Only believing can enter you into the place of favor with God; and yes, only BELIEVING can make you...