Ephesians 2:12-13, “Remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”
It’s not about what you do but about what has already been done for you.
Now that’s a powerful statement. Easy to hear, but hard to live out. How many of us know that Jesus won it all for us on the cross? You memorized John 3:16 when you were a kid and you know full well that Jesus died on the cross to save you from your sin. Done. Finished. Nothing else you can do. But how many of us try to keep on doing? I know I do. It starts out as an obedience thing for me, like “I love God, so I want to read my bible every day.” Emphasis on “every.” Or, “I like to worship and want to praise God, so I go to church on Sunday.” Emphasis this time, on “I.”
How easy is it to get wrapped up in doing? We want to please God, so we try to do more or as much as we can… how human of us! The Bible couldn’t be clearer. In Ephesians chapter two, Paul is talking to the Gentiles, a people group we’d all most likely be a part of as not a traditional Jewish person. This book was written in a time when there was division based on if a person were Jewish or Gentile. Paul warns the Gentiles to not be too proud of anything they can do. He was saying, “You guys, without Jesus, you were not included as a member of God’s family, but after Jesus died for your sin, you’re now part of God’s family. Now you can have a relationship with God.”
It is so very clear that we are nothing without Jesus and we can do nothing apart from Jesus. Without Jesus’ blood, we don’t even have a chance at a relationship, so why is it so easy for us to try and turn it back to ourselves? Making it about how we act, when truly it’s all about how Jesus already acted for us.
Today, write down a list of ways that you are trying to earn your relationship with God. For me, it’s my desire to be perfect in my prayer and devotional life. It might look the same for you or it may be slightly different. What ever it is, write it out, look at the list, and pray about it. Ask God for clarity on how you can make Him the focus instead of yourself. Because remember, It’s not about what you do but about what has already been done for you.