Episode 30: Galatians 5:1-12

Have you ever been in a relationship where nothing you did was ever good enough? If you have, you know it’s frustrating, exhausting, and often heartbreaking. The eventual outcome is that we stop trying, or worse, become bitter toward others and doubtful of our own self-worth.

If you’re experiencing the pain of a no-win relationship, here’s some good news: You never have to work to earn God’s acceptance. In fact, it’s impossible to earn it (Ephesians 2:8-9). Human nature leads us to think we have to obey certain rules to get God to accept us. But obeying rules doesn’t draw us close to God; it makes us slaves to the rules.

The Bible says when we were God’s enemies He sent Jesus to save us. He loved us when we didn’t care about Him. He loved us when we were doing sinful things. Through Jesus, God brings us into His family. The Holy Spirit changes us on the inside and makes us children of God, not robotic rule followers (Galatians 5:1).

What does matter to God is that Christians demonstrate their faith by showing to others the same kind of love He first showed us (Galatians 5:6). He wants us to love people who are far from God just as they are. He wants us to love them enough to point them to Jesus.

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