performance – Page 4

625. Justified Now! Sanctified Eventually?

November 12, 2017 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

The religious business is well known for finding a way to put pressure on people to perform. The motivation to do so will vary by church denomination, but they all lead to robbing people of fully experiencing the grace and peace that God delivered to us through Jesus Christ. One script that is commonly found is the idea that believers are now justified through the cross, but being sanctified (set apart) is a lifelong process that gradually occurs through behavior improvement. It’s promoted in a way so that the responsibility falls upon us to seek self-improvement with God’s help, which will hopefully make us more holy, set apart, acceptable, etc. While improved behavior is a good thing, it shouldn’t be identified or confused with the work of sanctification, which God already provided by placing us in Christ Jesus.

602. God’s Love: Jesus Became Sin; We Became Righteous

June 4, 2017 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

Experiencing God’s peace and joy will be connected to gaining the understanding that His love for you has no strings attached. People often go through life wondering where they are positioned with God or they live in fear that God is angry with them. They have been smothered with teaching which proclaims faith, hope and love are based upon working at attaining a higher level of morality, an area where they are constantly falling short. God loves you because He loves you! He demonstrated this unconditional love through Jesus Christ dying for us, when all humans were still identified as sinners. He took our place by becoming sin, so we could receive His righteousness through belief, apart from works.

568. The New Covenant: It’s Not About Us

October 9, 2016 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

The Old Covenant which Israel was under would put the spotlight upon the people and their sin, behavior and dedication in trying to keeping the law. The New Covenant which began after the death of Christ would not be like the first covenant when the Israelites came out of Egypt. Many believers have the erroneous mindset that Christianity has to do with our performance getting better and sinning less in order to become more set apart and accepted by God. Fortunately, the second covenant is something God would make with Himself, because He could swear by no one greater. Whereas fault was found with the people not holding up their end of the agreement with the Old Covenant, it is God who will uphold the New.

555. Why Jesus Taught Two Covenants (Part 12): “What Must I DO to Have Eternal Life?”

July 3, 2016 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

This week we provide a perspective on the story of The Rich Young Ruler. He asked Jesus what he needed to do to have eternal life. Interestingly, Jesus did not say what we Christians might have expected — He did not say, "believe in me." He answered the law-based question with a law-based answer by telling the young man to obey the commandments from the Mosaic law. Why? Jesus was trying to show him the impossible standard of perfection the law demanded without any provision to be able to accomplish it. Have you ever walked out of church feeling worse than when you went in? It was probably for the same reason as the young ruler... The good news was missing.

540. Jesus Did More Than Enough

March 20, 2016 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

Are you busy working to try to establish or maintain acceptance from God? Is your idea of repentance tied into reducing your sin count so your good works will outweigh the bad? Do you find yourself feeling the need to ask God for forgiveness over and over again? Are you in a constant state of wondering where you stand with God? Our conversation this week will be a reminder that the gospel was never meant to be about us and our performance, but is entirely contained in the Person of Jesus Christ.

532. God Justifies the Ungodly

January 24, 2016 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

Sin is bad. It causes pain, hurts and destroys. We should exhort one another to live from the life of Christ in us which is based on perfect love. However, religion will attempt to convince you the work of Christ was not fully completed at the cross and will try to lay the burden of maintaining an acceptable relationship with God with your performance of works. As a believer in Him, you have been credited with the gift of righteousness. Our conversation this week centers around the result of Christ's finished work, the taking away of sin and what it means for us and our relationship with him.