The differences between the practitioners of religious legalism and the recipients of God’s grace are clear. Those who practice religious legalism say, “I will obey God’s laws and do God’s will through my own strength.” Those who receive the grace of God say, “I will obey God’s laws and do God’s will through trusting in the strength that He alone can provide.” This is the difference between self-righteous religion and unrighteous rebellion, which are two sides of the same coin, and genuine righteousness found in a relationship with Christ through faith.


Andrew Murray wrote, “I was never taught that just as little righteousness as you have, just as little strength have you also, and just as much as you are dependent on the righteousness of Christ alone for salvation (justification), just so you are dependent on the strength of God alone for sanctification. I was not taught that, and that is the truth of God. If you are to live holy lives and work for God, you must learn: My only hope of being holy and working aright is the everlasting God in Heaven.” (With Wings As Eagles) Remember Paul’s exhortation, “Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.” He does not exhort us to be strong in ourselves, but to receive our strength from the Lord. He goes on to tell us, “God’s strength is made perfect in our weakness.”


Independence from God is a work of our old sin nature that has been crucified with Christ. Dependence on God is a work of the Spirit resulting in a new creation.


Jesus said to his followers, “Apart from Me you can do nothing.” But how often do we professing, practicing Christians try to live a life of holiness and godliness apart from trusting in His divine assistance? In other words, we read in the Bible what God expects from us and requires of us, and then we go about trying to do those commandments apart from trusting Christ to help us do them through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. If we succeed in doing some of His commandments through our own will power and resolve, it results in spiritual pride and a condescending attitude towards those who don’t behave as “righteously” as we do. Conversely, if we fail to do some of Christ’s commandments, we become discouraged and disheartened with ourselves and throw up our hands in surrender to our sins. This leads us to back slide away from Christ saying to ourselves, “The Christian life is impossible for me to live.”


If the truth be told, the Christian life is impossible for us to live without a total trust and dependence on the strength of God to live it!


Question: If that is true, where does that leave us as Christians? What are we to do next in order to be free and stay free from self-righteous religious legalism and unrighteous licensed rebellion against God?


Answer: “Abide in the Vine.” “Dwell in Him.” “Continue in His words.” “Follow Him.” “Let go and let God.” Learn to trust and rely upon God alone for your salvation. (Justification, Sanctification, Glorification) “Labor to enter into His rest.” “Live and walk in the Spirit.” “Have faith in God.” “Lean not to your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.” “Wait on the Lord and renew your strength.” Believe that, “He will perfect that which concerns you.” Believe that, “He that began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Christ Jesus.” “Account yourself dead to your own self-reliant human efforts apart from His amazing grace.” Throw your hands up and say, “I surrender all to Jesus and His ability to sanctify me wholly spirit, soul, and body unto the coming of the Lord.” Selah, Amen!