Self-Effort vs. Redeemed Effort (Part 3)

Under the law, the people constantly toiled to become righteous through their own efforts. Any blessings they received were conditional and based on their performance; they had to work for God’s approval. Under grace, everything has flipped: because of the finished works of Jesus and our faith in them, we’re no longer working for righteousness but from righteousness. We can cease Old-Testament self-effort; however, we still must make an effort to study the Scriptures, spend time in God’s presence, and declare His Word. Everything the people worked for in the Old Testament has now been made available to us, but it’s our decision whether or not to participate in Jesus’ finished works. When the world pressures us to fall in with its principles, we must make the effort to agree with the salvation God has given us. Believers have moved from getting closer to God by grinding, hard work, and drudgery to simply responding to the nearness we already have with Him.