What’s the Truth About “Step Up and Get Done” Religion

[StriperAddict]

What’s the Truth About “Step Up and Get Done” Religion
by Mike Q. Daniel | Aug 26, 2022

Whenever an author or communicator compels us to “step up” to or to be more dedicated to,

perform more diligently, or strive more steadfastly to do what God desires/requires so that

we might experience, as a result, what God wants for us, it is always paired with the silent poison of personal failure: if we DON’T step up, if we do not perform, if we are not dedicated enough, then we will not gain what God has for us, and if unaltered, probably aren’t saved in the first place!

This double-edged sword of performance is…

…known as “lordship salvation” — our making Jesus Lord and living successfully under His lordship — and some of the best communicators and authors of our day are extremely compelling about the love of God being the motivation for the performance of man.

But God’s love is not motivation for meritorious performance; it’s for trust.

And our life with God is not transactional but relational. Life with God under the New Covenant isn’t what we do for what we gain, but a relationship we live in with God as our Heavenly Father because of Christ’s work by grace.

Again: Life with Christ is never transactional, but relational. Always.

If we could earn God’s favor, then Christ died for nothing.And this message of step up and do more and be better –this transactional lie of religious effort, that if we do more we gain more of God or proximity to God or something better from God, undermines the glory of God’s grace and the sufficiency of Christ’s indwelling Life.It’s dangerous, because those teaching it are so good at it.

Friends, If it’s not truly grace — from being His child to walking in His righteousness — it’s not Truth.

Paul said, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me… “ (Galatians 2:20a)

Life isn’t up to you to get right, but up to you let Christ live through you. He lives through us by grace as we let Him by faith. He lives. We let. He continues…

“The life I live in the flesh is by faith in Him who loves me and gave Himself for me.” (v. 20b)

If you could do what God requires, then Christ didn’t have to.

If Christ did what God requires, then you don’t have to.

To judge our Christian life by how well we do defies Christ’s sufficiency
and devalues His grace on our behalf.

We need not fear grace as enabling sin, because grace trains us in righteousness and empowers Christ’s life lived through us. We don’t avoid sin because of condemnation — we are freer than that, and can never be condemned. We avoid sin as God renews our mind to the truth of Christ’s Life, because we are compatible by grace with Christ by His blood.

What suits Him suits us. What isn’t compatible with God, is no longer compatible with us.

Sin doesn’t suit us any more. We can be deceived and immature in old flesh patterns of sin, but it will never satisfy our soul. We’ve been made new in our inner being.
Friends, If it’s not union life — co-crucified, co-resurrected, and co-ascended with Christ by grace (Ephesians 2:4-6), and living at rest in His finished work — it’s not Gospel.

Jesus did it all. He did it perfectly.

And even though we still have flesh patterns and can fall prey at times to the enemy’s schemes,
our identity is secure in our rebirth in Christ by grace, not behavior.

We now get to enjoy the favor of God, and the closeness with God, and the life with God that only Christ could ever merit.

When Jesus said, “I am… the life.” (John 14:6) He meant your Life.

—mike.
[ Mike Q. Daniel Ministries ]

 

[brutally honest]

“But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” - 1 Cor. 9:27

“Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.” - Luke 13:24

“ … work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” - Phil. 2:12

“Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” - Matt. 7:14

“Be killing sin, or sin will be killing you.” - John Owen

 

[StriperAddict]

The point of the article ... The Relational life, only seen by grace thru faith, serves to keep the focus on the work of Christ, who by His Spirit produces the fruit we may bear and also deny ungodliness/worldly lusts. This is what our self sufficient religious striving has no power to do. The focus is Christ!
I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly. Galatians 2:21

 

[formula1]

We ‘Do’ by the Holy Spirit! Never in our own ability or strength! The Glorified Christ is at work in you!

John 6:63 The Spirit is the one who gives life. The flesh doesn’t help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.

John 15:5
I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

 

[gordon 2]

"Again: Life with Christ is never transactional, but relational. Always."


Never is a big word in this context. I personally know of no relational life that is not transactional. I'd bet that most if not all who participate here to correct what is wrong and to redirect the Christian walk do so because life with God is transactional otherwise it would not bother anyone especially God what another person's Christianity was .

"Go to the city and there they will tell you what to do." is a transaction if one goes to the city to receive. To pray for some indication of how to proceed in the ministry is a transactional relationship. To ask and to receive is a transaction. Using the bible as a road map is a transactional relationship with God if one finds that along with "Christ in you" to direct you you need the bible to also direct you. Relationships are usually transactional because they are complex.

Working out your faith is a transactional relationship with some work or effort required by the faithful like any relationship---unless you believe in OSAS and then the initial transaction of becoming a Christian was sufficient.