foolish self salvation

Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?

Galatians 3:3

It is foolish to stray from the gospel. But religious thinking easily tempts us away from pure saving faith in Jesus alone. We can easily begin to succumb to the pride-building false gospel that we can be good under our own power. We begin to live by the wrong formula: Jesus + my works = a good life. The logic is exactly what Paul describes here: “Jesus saved me, for sure, but now I must live a good life under my own power.”

Oh Lord! This is foolishness! We cannot save ourselves for we are lost and helpless in our sin. How do we think that trusting in our efforts will keep us pleasing God then? We MUST trust Jesus to keep us. We must work only in His strength, for His glory, through the Spirit of God’s enablement, as He continues to grow and mature us!

Lord Jesus,

I have begun to follow You only because You alone have saved me. I can only continue to follow You as You will lead me. Forgive my broken, sinful, Pharisaical infatuation with my own works! Lead me by Your Spirit through Your Word to follow You by Your sustaining power!

Amen