Most have been subjected to religious behavioral requirements. It may be a standard you set for yourself, or it may have come from church friends or other sources. Maybe even by misunderstandings within Bible verses. If you convince yourself you're doing a 'pretty good' job of keeping up by performing enough to think of yourself as a successful doer, your 'spiritual' and emotional confidence rises. Wander from it and you might start to wonder where you stand with God—and what you need to do to get back on track.
The good news of the gospel of grace is that we can be confident and at peace ... but it's not based on our obedience or trying to be good enough with what we do. It is fully rooted in Jesus, His obedience, His blood, and a redemptive work He completed once, for all. Anything else will have the legal eagles swooping for an opportunity to bring the fish back to their nest.
Many of the things we've all heard in mixed-covenant church buildings can easily result in leftovers or at least trace elements within our mindsets that we attempt to apply to the message of the gospel of grace. The result becomes a rather murky hodgepodge of inconsistency. It leaves believers in Christ wondering if they they are right with God, resulting in fear, uncertainty ... and pecks away at people who are finding peace to be somewhat elusive in their minds. Of course, most who embrace grace are not intending for this to happen ... but it does ... partly because it may ultimately have similarities to the religious talking points people have been trying to escape.
There are many perspectives, angles, Bible teachings, and opinions that can be quite different—even within circles where grace dominates. But it is not unusual to see some of the messages sliding down a slippery slope which gradually manages to put the spotlight back on us and what we do—and how well we're doing it. Am I doing enough? How do I know? Am I out of touch with God compared to others who seem so spiritual?
The focus of faith should remain on the finished work of Jesus and God's Spirit who was sent to guide us. Your identity of righteousness is contained in Him. When legalistic venues insist on our need to surrender everything to God, it will usually lack specifics on what that looks like. Religion declares we need to put our belief on display for others to see, otherwise, it may indicate something isn't real and genuine. Walking by faith and not by sight is turned completely inside out. God lives in us. He wants to express His life through us. But His fruit should not be considered synonymous with works that are performed in order to get God to respond. His response to you is firmly anchored in a Savior who established a different and much better covenant. No pressure.
