Many people of God have been taught they need to keep themselves holy, put God first, serve God with their best effort and walk in His perfect will in order to please Him. With this teaching, many are trying with their own strength to live holy life but falling into self-condemnation time after time. There are those who aren’t happy with their ‘state of life’ because they think they aren’t fulfilling the purpose of God in their lives. There are also those who are drained from much service in church’s activities while trying to juggle the time for their career and family. Is that what Christian life is all about?
Can you please God by trying to be holy?
It is said in Romans 8:8, “So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” If you understand that the word ‘please’ here in Greek is actually ‘arĕskō’=to be agreeable’, you will stop ‘trying’ to be good and holy with your own effort. It basically means, if you are being carnal-minded, you cannot agree with Him. You cannot agree that Jesus had done it all for you on the cross and that He had made you a saint in the eyes of God. You cannot agree that He can live His life through you, change your value and your behaviour. You will try to achieve things with your own effort as anything that needs your effort will be very appealing to your flesh.
So what are the things that you can do to please Him? Hebrew 11:6 says, “But without faith it is impossible to please (in Greek, ĕuarestĕō = to gratify, to satisfy, to make happy) Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Here, the word ‘please’ serves the right meaning. The other way of phrasing this scripture is that, He is pleased when you are in an intimate relationship with Him and in total dependence on Him. He doesn’t need you to exercise great faith by your own self-effort. He just wants you to rely fully on Him.
Can you please God by putting Him first in your life?
Many Christians are taught to put Christ first in their life, then only comes the family, ministry, career, etc. They are even taught to give their ‘Isaac’ (things or persons they love more than loving God) to God like Abraham was asked to give his son as a sacrifice (which Jesus had fulfilled). This has caused much fear to many believers. They fear that if they love their children or spouse or things they own more than God, He will take them away! Be set free from this bondage, people of God! Colossians 3:4 says, “When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.” Apostle Paul also said in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Jesus doesn’t want to be in your priority list! Take Him out of your list today! He is in you and you are in Him! He wants to live His life in you and through you.
Can you please God by giving your best to serve Him?
In Acts 17:24-25, Paul said, “God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things.” God doesn’t need your service! Serving is an act of love. Serving is an overflow of your intimate relationship with Him. Serving is a gift from God (e.g. spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12:1-11). He allows you to participate in the things He’s doing in this world. So, God doesn’t need your best service! If you are performance-orientated, you tend to evaluate yourself whether you have been doing enough, comparing & competing with others, resulting in restlessness and deprived of His shalom peace.
Jesus said in John 15:4-5, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” He wants you to come to the realization that nothing you do can amount to anything. Your best can never be His best. He wants you to come to an end of yourself, that you cannot do anything without Him so that He can work His best in you and through you!
Can you please God by walking in His perfect will?
Apostle Paul said in Romans 12:1-2, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” If you take the word ‘present’ in this scripture literally in English, you will be very legalistic to yourself, trying to live a holy life with your own effort so that you can know God’s perfect will for you. But the word ‘present’ here in Greek is ‘paristēmi’, i.e. ‘to yield, stand aside’ and the root word is ‘pariēmi’, i.e. ‘to let by, relax’. It means you only need to yield yourself to Christ, let Him be the One that transforms you and leads you to walk in His perfect will.
It is also said in 1 Thessalonians 5:24, “He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.” And in Philippians 1:6, “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;” You see, you don’t have to strive or worry if you will ever ‘walk in God’s perfect will’. The burden is off you! God is the One who is responsible to make sure that you walk in His perfect will. You just need to focus on Jesus!
Conclusion
What is salvation and eternal life in Christ? Jesus prayed in John 17:3, “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” Your Christian life is not about doing things for God but what Christ has done for you and through you. Rest in Him and allow Him to do whatever He wants in you and through you.