stop working for -- start working out

"Faith in Jesus Christ is when you stop working for your salvation and start working out your salvation."

What do I mean by this?

True faith in Jesus Christ is a faith in a person. I am trusting that all of the details of my salvation are taken care of in Him. Every prayer that needs to be prayed, every attitude that needs to be right, every thought that needs to be subdued, every motive that needs to be corrected... Everything was done in Him. Every ceremonial obedience, every bit of adherence to the Law of God, every ounce of Love for God, the sum of the love for our neighbors was accomplished in Christ. He did it ALL.

So, in faith, I stop working for it. I stop working to be righteous. I stop working to be accepted by God. No longer do I do anything because I believe that God will look more favorably on me because of these actions. My one, and I mean ONE, hope is that God the righteous and good judge of the universe will look upon Jesus Christ as my very own righteousness!

Now I begin to work!

I work now, not for these things, but because of these things. I work, not for what I will get, but for what I have already received. I work, not because of debt alone, but because of a debt of gratitude. I am eternally thankful.  The more I trust that he did everything and that I did nothing for my salvation, the more I want to do.

So, I plead with you today to abandon being good for goodness' sake.  Give it up.  You can't be.  Stop working for your salvation, put your faith in Jesus Christ and start working out your salvation.