Chapter 3 of the Cross Centered Life is about breaking the rules of legalism. The author, C.J. Mahaney, defines legalism as "seeking to achieve forgiveness from God and acceptance by God through obedience to God." I think it is important to obey the Lord's commands given in the Bible, but our salvation is based on faith alone not our works. We can't earn our way to Heaven.

The chapter goes on to explain that if a person thinks he can earn his way to Heaven then it is equivalent to telling God that Jesus' death on the cross was either unnecessary or insufficient, and that His plan didn't work - that the cross wasn't enough and that he needs to add his own works in order to be saved. This way of thinking must hurt God. He had to give His own Son to die a horrible death so that we could be saved and then we turn around and tell Him it wasn't enough, that I need to help too.

The author gives us the example of a man that he once saw on TV who was spinning plates on top of a flimsy stick. He started out with one plate spinning and then proceeded to increase the number of spinning plates until it seemed that he could not keep up with going back and forth to keep the plates spinning. Have you ever felt like you had so many things going all at once that you didn't know how you were going to accomplish everything without allowing something to crash? That is how many Christians feel. They become so involved in things that it becomes overwhelming.

I know that sometimes I get overwhelmed by trying to do things that I feel God would like me to do. I always end up not being able to handle it all and then I feel like God is disappointed in me. I forget the gospel message and put my trust in my own works.

The moment that a person repents of their sin and trusts in the Lord for his salvation, he is immediately justified in God's eyes. There are no degrees of justification. You are declared just once and for all.

After a person is justified, God works in their lives to make them more like Jesus and that is called sanctification. This is an ongoing process and will continue until the day God brings you home to Heaven. Its not a matter of then earning or maintaining your justification. You are already completely just in God's eyes and that will not change.

I remind myself often that I have been saved by grace. It is all of God and nothing of me. These thoughts cause me to praise and thank God for saving me. The Holy Spirit gives me the desire to study the word, and to tell others about salvation. I do those things because I want to, not because if I don't God will be mad at me.

I urge you to take a look at your life and decide if you are "going through the motions," trying to please God through good works. If you are, please stop and remember that God loves you so much that He gave His Son for you. He made it possible for you to be just in His eyes. Just put your trust in Him and forget about trying to please God with works.


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