Have you ever paid for something for someone, either spotted them $20 or bought them dinner or bought something for their kids, and then they keep trying to pay you back even after you have told them no?

I’ve done this. 

Is that not just like what we do with God once we become saved, receiving the salvation, the free gift of Jesus? 

It was my idea to give that money, that gift. 

No one forced me to do it, and I don’t want to be paid back or I would say so. 

Me giving that gift, had nothing to do with their actions or behavior, only that I love them or their child and I simply wanted to. 

No strings attached. 

It’s the same with God. 

Jesus was God’s idea, Gift, purpose, and it had nothing to do with us, other than He wanted to. 

Because He first loved us. 

So don’t turn around after you get saved and spend your whole life trying to ‘pay God back’ with something He doesn’t want. 

With things like works and duty and obligation. 

He knows the heart motive behind it.

Anything we “do” for God that is not motivated by our love for Him, that isn’t coming from the fruit of our daily relationship with Him, anything we are doing only out of obligation, because we feel we have to is actually religious bondage, not freedom in Christ.

God is a God of voluntary. A God of ‘You choose.’ 

Let the love of God constrain you, not the law. Not traditions of man.

Because we could never do enough in our own strength to ever earn, or pay back what Jesus did. Our good works are filthy rags to God according to Isaiah. 

He doesn’t want your money, He doesn’t want to be paid back, your obligated-doing, to stay right with Him. 

Jesus came for us to be able to BE again. 

Bravely be willing to stop the facade. 

Why are you doing the religious activity you do? 

If it’s because God told you to, because you’re love walk with Jesus led you there, then amen. Walk it out. 

If it’s because you feel you owe God, or feel obligated or that He will be mad or disappointed in you, He won’t. He can’t. He settled it with Jesus.

He called you when you were a nobody. He knows the real you, the one you’re scared to show, and chose you on purpose.

So, go.

Go fall in love with Jesus. 

Be a daughter, a son, a friend of Jesus, commune and walk and talk with Him all day. 

Let Him love you, heal you, set you upright. 

No more “doing” to Be. 

Just Be His.