Michael Kyker.com

Have you ever messed up? I mean a whopper, a doozy…I mean got yourself in a real tight? How we respond after we mess up is crucial. There are only two responses in the life of the believer…to take the religious road or the gospel road. And, trust me, there is a big difference.

Here is the fundamental difference between religion and the Gospel.

Martin Luther’s fundamental insight was that the principle of ‘religion’ is the deep default mode of the human heart. The heart continues to work in that way even after conversion to Christ. Though we recognize and embrace the principle of the gospel, our hearts will always be trying to return to the mode of self-salvation, which leads to much spiritual deadness, pride and strife, and ministry ineffectiveness.

I can’t tell you how much I see this working in my own life at times and the lives of other believers. Why is it that still after knowing that God has called us by His love, His Grace, and His son….that we still try “do” things to please God?

Think about this statement for just a minute…

The gospel is “I am accepted through Christ, therefore I obey” while every other religion operates on the principle of “I obey, therefore I am accepted.”

Is it important to be obedient to the things of God…for sure…this is what Isaiah 1:19 says.

For us to become disobedient would speak to the lack of love or ever more so a lack of a regenerative heart. One true characteristic of someone in love with God is the constant regeneration taking place in the life of that believer. He shows us things on a consistent basis that need to change or be adjusted…however…it still does not mean that you are not accepted until you are fully obedient. It is true that your fulfillment as a Chrisitian is tied to your level of obedience, but you are accepted because He loves you.

I hear all the time…statements like “When I get my life straight I will”…It bothers me because when I hear a statement like this it means that we have taken the regenerative work of God out of His hands, and we have now become the driving force behind our own change. This is why we get stuck.

It is an acceptance issue.

We feel that we can’t be accepted by Him because we are not holy like Him, perfect like Him, worthy like Him…because we haven’t been fully obedient to Him. We dropped the ball…or so religion says. Paul talks about God’s acceptance here.

We are loved first, accepted second, and called to obedience third. (Gospel)

Not the other way around….obedient first, then accepted, and once accepted then loved. (Religion)

I thank God that He loves me even when I mess up, drop the ball, or disobey. My heart may break when I do…but it never causes me to question whether I am accepted by Him or not. That is the difference between being Gospel oriented in my response towards failure and being religious about it.