PHILIPPIANS 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
Living a Christian lifestyle shouldn't involve battling to earn God's acceptance. That was the manner of the Old Covenant.
The word of God during the Old Covenant was, "Do correctly, and I will accept you and bless you."
The message of God's New Covenant is, "Because of your belief in Jesus, you have my love and acceptance. You are thus fortunate. Now that you are my child, I will work with you to help you do the right thing."
1 THESSALONIANS 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God will make it happen! We can rely on Him. Instead of relying on our efforts to be good, we must put our faith in God.
The bar for excellence set by God has never shifted. He wants and intends for each of us to be completely entire and flawless in every aspect. But the approach of the Old Covenant and the New Covenant are very dissimilar.
We had to live up to our obligations under the Old Covenant. You must... and you must not...
In the New Covenant, God has not lessened His demands. But He has said that He will be the one to fulfill them. In the section that follows that describes the New Covenant, God declares, "I will... I will... I will."
HEBREWS 10:17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.
The Good News of the New Covenant! It ought to bring you joy!
ROMANS 4:6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,
Don't interfere with God's work by rejecting His message of love for you. You reject God's gift through Jesus Christ when you strive to earn his approval by your performance.
ROMANS 10:3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
Don't turn away from God's gift and make an effort to uphold your own righteousness. Your own efforts to improve will never be successful. You can only be made perfect by God.
EPHESIANS 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
We were created by God, not by our own efforts. God's standard is beyond our ability to reach on our own. The Law was intended to demonstrate to us our shortcomings so that we would recognize our need for a Savior and someone who could assist us (Galatians 3:22-25).
ROMANS 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
God is constantly working in your favor! Although circumstances may not always be favorable, God is always working them out for your benefit.
In response, declare "God is working!" if you have thoughts like "There is no hope!"
In fact, it's appropriate to declare that "God is working" at any time. It aids in maintaining your attention where it should be.
SAY THIS: I know God is at work in my life
