I am reading The Cross Centered Life by CJ Mahaney and it is a wonderful little book. With only 85 pages I thought it would be a great encouragment to finish qickly. Ever since Ella came home I have stuggled to find time to read...anyway...

Last night I read chapter 3 titles Breaking the Rules of Legalism, how the cross rescues you from the performance trap. It talked about the difference between justification and sanctification. How we are immeadiatley justified in Christ. There is nothing more that we can do to deserve salvation at that point. No good works or acts of service to make the Lord love us any more than He already does. Sanctification however is the process of making us more like Christ. Although there is nothing we can do to earn God's approval there are things that we do to become more like Him. Examples being bible reading, meditation, prayer, fasting, fellowship with beleivers, service...
It came to me how from the outside of a persons heart all those disciples are good, needed and right. But depending on where one's heart is you could be doing things all for the wrong motives and end up a leagalist.

I know that I have been there at times in my life and slip back into the false comfort time to time of feeling like I have something to do with my salvation. Sometimes I even hide under the false doctrine of 'working out my salvation'.

It really made me realize that my salvation is my own. That really it is just me and God. No works, no service, no act of righteousness. All else is stripped away on the day of judgment. "Did you know my Son?" That is it. Yes, all the other pleases the Lord, but it doesn't do one thing for my salvation. It makes me feel very n*ked and bare. Yet how simple.

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