Jesus doesn't want your performance
If we want to earn our way into heaven or salvation, we have to be perfect. That’s the standard you need to perform to. And none of us can make it.
Brothers, listen! We are here to proclaim that through this man Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins. Everyone who believes in him is made right in God’s sight—something the law of Moses could never do. (Acts 13:38-39)
Are you good enough? It’s a question we ask ourselves more than I think we want to admit. We all have this invisible, impossible standard we want to reach where suddenly we will achieve all of our goals and we can finally rest because we’ve earned a position of “enough.”
That’s why I think none of us can ever truly define “enough” even for our own lives. As long as we are striving for “enough,” we will be slaves to our performance. And if there’s nothing else you understand about following Jesus, let it be this:
Jesus doesn’t want your performance.
Jesus has no interest in what you consider “enough” because nothing we attain in this life can reach His level of perfection. If we want to earn our way into heaven or salvation, we have to be perfect. That’s the standard you need to perform to. And none of us can make it.
It’s all or nothing, guys, and if we are depending on our performance to make a difference in our eternal zip code, I’m sorry to tell you that nobody will ever be able to live “good enough” lives to deserve heaven. And if you can’t deserve heaven, there’s only one other neighborhood in eternity.
This is why Jesus died for us. He was perfect so we didn’t have to be (because we couldn’t be). His sacrifice transferred His perfect record (which IS enough) to our accounts, so when God looks at us, all He sees is Jesus.
Because of Jesus, we are enough. Because of Jesus, we don’t have to perform to the perfect standard that is necessary for salvation.
So stop.
That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do our best to live by godly principles. But you don’t have to perform for Jesus. That doesn’t mean you won’t struggle with sin, but it does mean you don’t have to overcome sin on your own. Jesus already overcame it for you.
Questions for Reflection
Why do you think we struggle with putting on an act for God?
How do you think Jesus feels when we pretend like we’re okay?
How would you define “enough” for yourself?
Weekly Memory Verse
