Have you ever wondered if you’re doing good enough to please God? When is your good enough, enough? Has it ever seemed 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 its “never good enough” lifestyle of failure and discouragement. Look at what they asked Jesus and see how he responded.

John 6:28-29  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.” NIV

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. The answer that Jesus gave him is still the answer today. 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 giving your best effort towards right believing instead of right doing.

Rom 1:17 For 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.”

Gal 3:11-14  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 our greatest 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 did not go in and conquer the land God had promised them. This idea of the promised land wasn’t for them alone; it is also for you! You can be sure that God has a promise land for you also! 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 the shed blood of Jesus Christ pays for all your sin 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! Yes! Only believing can enter you into the place of favor with God, and yes, only BELIEVING can make you...

GOOD ENOUGH!