Knowing Him! Trusting Deeper, Not Trying Harder!

Hello, my Friends!

Many sincere believers find themselves caught in a cycle of striving, trying harder to please God, overcome sin, or live up to a perceived standard. While diligence is commendable, the foundation of the Christian life isn't built on increased human effort but on a deeper reliance on God's grace. Grace isn't about trying harder; it's about trusting deeper.

The Exhausting Path of Self-Effort

Trying harder often stems from a misunderstanding of our relationship with God under the New Covenant. It can subtly place the burden of righteousness back onto our shoulders, echoing the “oldness of the letter” (Romans 7:6 NKJV) rather than the “newness of the Spirit.” This path inevitably leads to frustration, a sense of inadequacy, and often, a cycle of failure and condemnation. Why? Because the law, or any system based on human performance, wasn't designed to produce righteousness but to reveal our need for it (Galatians 3:19, 24). Relying on self-effort focuses on our limited strength rather than God's limitless grace.

Grace: Receiving God's Unmerited Favour

Grace is the heart of the Gospel. It's God's unearned, unmerited favour bestowed upon us through the finished work of Jesus Christ. Righteousness isn't something we achieve; it's a gift we receive “apart from works” (Romans 4:6 NKJV) through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9 NKJV). Christ fulfilled all righteousness on our behalf (Matthew 3:15 NKJV), and through His sacrifice, we are declared righteous – made acceptable to God not by our performance, but by His provision (2 Corinthians 5:21 NKJV). Understanding this shifts our focus from doing to believing, from earning to receiving.

Trusting Deeper: The Power of Surrender

If trying harder isn't the answer, what is? Trusting deeper. This means actively relying on Christ's life within us, empowered by the Holy Spirit. It involves:

  1. Recognising our Identity: We must “reckon” ourselves “dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:11 NKJV). Our old nature bound to sin died with Christ; we now possess His divine nature (1 Corinthians 6:17; 2 Corinthians 5:17).

  2. Yielding to the Spirit: Instead of fighting sin in our own strength, we “walk in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:16 NKJV). This is an act of surrender, presenting ourselves to God as “instruments of righteousness” (Romans 6:13 NKJV), allowing His life to flow through us.

  3. Resting in His Sufficiency: Acknowledging our weakness becomes a platform for God's strength (2 Corinthians 12:9 NKJV). Trusting deeper means relying completely on His grace and power to work in and through us, rather than our own willpower or discipline. God truly works in the currency of our surrender.

Living from Victory, Not for It

Grace liberates us from the pressure to perform. Because of Christ's finished work, believers are already “perfected forever” in their standing before God (Hebrews 10:14 NKJV). Our journey isn't about becoming righteous but about living out the righteousness we've already been given. Transformation occurs not through striving, but through beholding Christ and allowing the Spirit to conform us to His image (2 Corinthians 3:18 NKJV). This is a process fueled by trust and dependence, not tension and effort.

Let go of the exhausting burden of trying harder. Embrace the freedom found in trusting deeper. Rest in the finished work of Christ, rely on the power of the Holy Spirit, and discover the joy of living through His abundant grace.

Be blessed today, my friends, He delights in your trust and longs for you to walk in the freedom He secured for you.

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