ICS Daily Devotions
Approach God Based on Jesus’ Finished Work
Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV) But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Have you thought about what pleases God, and whether God is pleased with you? First, we must know that it is faith—faith in Him, faith in who He is, faith in what He has done for us and faith in His Word—that pleases God. Faith connects us with God from day one till we meet Him face to face. Also, we must know that while there is a judgment to come, and those who don’t believe in God will face the impending judgment at the great white throne, Christians will meet Jesus at the judgment seat of Christ for their rewards.
Titus 3:5 (NKJV) Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit
Many of us had a deep insecurity in our lives before we accepted Christ because when we didn’t know that the ultimate acceptance that brings complete rest in our souls comes only from God, we used various means to gain acceptance by men. However, God is the highest order and rules supreme in our lives. Therefore, Scripture says that our salvation is apart from works and has nothing to do with our ability to gain acceptance by God. We will never be good enough, and no amount of good works will earn us a right standing with God. The law only serves to reveal our weaknesses, and that we cannot fully observe the law due to the sin nature—if we break one law, we break them all.
Romans 8:33 (NKJV) Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.
Jesus died for the ungodly. It is purely the grace and the mercy of God that caused Him to reach out to us and save us. To be justified means to be made righteous or given the ability to stand right before God just like we have never sinned. Our faith in the blood of Jesus Christ has accounted us for righteousness. The moment we believe in Jesus’ justification for us, we are saved, and it has placed in our account with our name that we are righteous! Nobody including Satan will be able to bring a charge against you for all the sins in your life if it is God who has justified you based on the blood of Jesus Christ.
Our faith in God will be affected by whether we approach Him with or without confidence. Therefore, not using our own strength to come before God is the most fundamental part of our relationship with Him, because otherwise there will be no intimacy. Let us remind ourselves of this truth daily so we can keep entering into His presence to fellowship with Him.
Sermon Series: What Pleases God?
