Episode Transcript
[00:00:09] Well, hey, friends, welcome to a brand new week of the weekday podcast. We're so glad you're here. If we haven't met yet, my name is Bobby. I serve as one of the pastors at Sugar Hill Church. And all week long, we're going to be trying to answer the question of why trying harder isn't getting us or you or me closer to God. And today's episode is called you Can't Earn what's Already Been Given. And it comes from Romans 8:1. Paul says it this way. He says, therefore, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. So let me start with a question, and maybe it's a little uncomfortable, but how did last week go? How did last week go? And did it change how you felt about coming to God? If it was a good week, you prayed more, you kept your temper in check. You didn't go back to that thing that you said you wouldn't do. You probably walked into the this week feeling like you and God are solid.
[00:00:57] But if the week was rough, if you lost it on somebody or you said something you regret, or you went back to a habit you promised yourself you were done with, then maybe you've been keeping a little more distance, quieter prayers, longer gaps, that low grade feeling that God might be a little disappointed in you right now. Now, that pattern has a name. It's called keeping score. And it's one of the sneakiest ways religion creeps into our lives. And it slowly turns our heavenly Father into a scorekeeper. Now, here's some context that helps me understand how deep this goes. By the time Jesus walked on the earth, religious leaders had built up over 600 rules around God's original law, 613 to be exact. Rules about what you could carry, how far you could walk, and what kind of knot you could tie. They had taken a relationship with God and they turned it into a spreadsheet. And the most religious people of that day had a perfect spreadsheet, and they still dismiss Jesus entirely. And that's what scorekeeping does. It makes your relationship with God entirely dependent on your performance. Have a good week. You feel close. You have a bad week, you feel distant. And you spend your whole spiritual life riding that wave, never quite sure of where you actually stand with God. So one of the reasons I love Romans 8:1 is, Paul doesn't say there's no condemnation for people who had a great week. He doesn't say there's no condemnation for people who cleaned up their act. He says there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ.
[00:02:21] That's it. In Christ. That's the whole thing. That when you give your life to Jesus, you aren't handed your own record with a few grace points tacked on it. You're handed his record, his perfection placed over your name. God does not look at you and see your worst week. Instead, he looks at you and he sees His Son.
[00:02:40] So today, whatever you are walking around carrying, let this land somewhere deep. The scoring is done. You. You don't have to earn what's already been given. In fact, you cannot earn what Jesus has already paid for. Have a great day. We'll see you back here soon.
