Taking time to bask in His declarations

My bent in life has always been to put pressure on myself to perform. It is the "well-worn rut" I fall into again and again. If something isn't working well for me in life, it is my tendency to establish for myself another law to follow, in an attempt to rectify the situation. At times I have made my transformation my primary goal in my Christian walk. In my quest for Christ-likeness, I have even gone so far as to overindulge a little more so that I would feel a little guiltier and thus a little more likely to repent and change.

Hum. That doesn't sound right, does it? No! That is not the Gospel and falling into the rut of self-salvation and performance does nothing to transform me toward Christ. It is the trap the Galatians had found themselves in:

Galatians 3:3-5 Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? Have you suffered so much for nothing- if it really was for nothing? Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?

The primary focus of my attention as a Christian should not be my obligations to him, but his declarations toward me. Only when I get the order right will my obedience flow out as a fruit of the Spirit. Only then will my obedience not be a work of human effort. He says I am welcomed, loved, and forgiven! My sins have been removed from me as far as East is from West (Psalm 103:12)! He rejoices over me with singing (Zephaniah 3:17)! It does not depend on my desire or effort, but on God's mercy (Romans 9:16)! There is now no condemnation for me for I am in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1), completely forgiven by Christ! The pressure is off, I am set free!

I have to repeat these truths to myself over and over again as I almost slip-up and fall into my law-making, self-condemning rut again. I have to preach the Gospel to myself and it's sweetness slowly releases me from the sin-snares of my own making.

It is not about me and what I do, but about Him and what He has done. What a relief! I pray the Gospel will seep into all the crevices of my life as I bask in his declarations, that I might know his joy, power, and love. Out of this place may I fulfill his obligations.