When we got born again, we immediately became children of God and our spirits were made as righteous and holy as His; but that didn’t negate the need to learn to think differently. Before we were saved, we were slaves to the mindset that we had to work hard to earn approval from others, or even from God. That was under the old Law of Moses, which focused on doing; now that we’re under grace, the focus has shifted to believing. This shift in thinking is a gradual process, and a transformation by the renewal of our minds is only possible through constant study and meditation on the Word.

Some of what God promises us through Jesus includes peace, joy, wisdom, abundance, prosperity, and deliverance. We claim these inheritances by the same faith that Abraham had, because these gifts are based on God’s grace toward us. Believing that God already approves of us, without the need for us to earn His approval, is a work of faith. By consistently employing our faith, we eventually see the manifestations of these promises in our lives.

The change from doing to believing is illustrated in the responses to the question the rich young ruler asked Jesus before His death and resurrection, and the question the jailer asked Paul and Silas after Jesus’ resurrection. Jesus recited a long list of law-based requirements for the young man to do, but Paul and Silas simply said, “Believe.” By faith, we have access to the grace in which we now stand. This puts us in a position to receive God’s best for us.

When we come up against the inevitable challenge to what we believe, we work hard to maintain our stance without being pushed out of it. We’ve been freed from having to depend on what we do, and we can now rely on what Jesus already did on the cross. The knowledge of God’s truth sets us free.

Prayer:

Lord, under the law the people had to work hard to escape punishment and judgment, but Your Son’s death and resurrection changed all that. We thank you that all we need to do now to receive abundant life is to believe on Jesus and what He did for us on the cross. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Scriptures:

• Romans 12:2
• Romans 4:16
• Matthew 19:16-19
• Acts 16:30, 31
• Romans 5:2
• John 8:32