It seems like everyone is always trying to impress those around them. Whether it be on Facebook or in person, we like to tell people all of our good exploits. Sadly, many Christians do the same thing. We feel like we need to show God that we deserve his love. Thankfully there is no need to prove yourself to him. We can live in his grace.
Romans 11:6
“Now if by grace, then it is not by works; otherwise grace ceases to be grace.”
Grace is a Free Gift
Grace is a hard subject for some people, but Paul makes it easy. If we are going to live under the grace that Jesus made available to us we need to know that we aren’t judged based on our works. The Old Covenant was all about being as good as the Israelites could be, but the New Covenant was about Jesus’ righteousness being given to us. There is no need to prove yourself to God anymore.
Serve with the Right Motive
When we make it about our efforts, we nullify the grace in our lives. Some people believe they are saved by their good works and that is precisely why Martin Luther split with the Catholic church and started the Protestant movement. We are urged to do good works for Jesus once we are saved, but those are an expression of our worship to God and an act of service those who we are doing them too. We never make God love us more by the good works we do.
No Need to Prove Yourself
If you are feeling guilty because of the sin in your life and you feel like you need to do something good to make things right, stop. That won’t change one thing between you and God. There is no need to prove yourself. Instead, come to Jesus with all of your guilt and shame and let him remove that and replace it with his grace and righteousness. You won’t regret it.