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Finding Confidence in Christ - Encouraging, empowering and inspiring women to embrace their identity in Christ
Faith in Action

Love, not legalism, is the way to Jesus’ heart

Jesus' NT teaching is crystal clear; love, not legalism, is the way to His heart and the freedom that is ours in Christ.
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Kelly Kirby Worley
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Kelly Kirby Worley
Hi, my name is Kelly. I am an artist, writer & Jesus girl with a passion for helping others discover and embrace their identity, value and confidence in Christ.
Kelly Kirby Worley
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Latest posts by Kelly Kirby Worley (see all)
  • How to set goals God will bless - January 6, 2021
  • Delight is found through intimacy with Jesus - December 29, 2020
  • Delight, God’s encouraging word for steadfast faith in 2020 - December 20, 2020

I’m a rule follower, pure and simple. Like every imperfect human, I step outside of the lines, but my temporary disobedience dissipates in the face of fear that I might get caught, or worse, punished. While this mentality is okay in general, it is contrary to Jesus’ instruction for obedience to God’s laws.

Legalism

Growing up in a small-town Baptist church, everything I learned about God scared me. I pictured a wise-old man with a long grey beard and stern face always watching and ready to pounce when I couldn’t resist doing a “do-not-do.” Instead of seeking a personal relationship with Jesus, my faith-walk existed of a never-ending, nerve-racking game of Step on the crack; you’ll break your mother’s back.

While I’ve grown beyond the childish games, my thinking still sometimes veers off the course of Truth. But God is faithful in His promise to show us the right way to go. (Psl 32:8) While reading today’s lesson from, The Answers to Your Deepest Longings, an Online Bibles Study with P31 Ministries, He showed me something new and exciting that I’ve never seen before.

The command to “Remember to keep the Sabbath Holy” falls in an uncomfortable gray area for me. Instead of setting aside a whole day to worship God, I choose to begin every day with Him and His Word. Sometimes, when Sunday rolls around and I decide to do a simple household chore or spend time writing, a sense of guilt washes over me. Then a subconscious narrative takes place in my head where I try to justify my actions; it’s an uncomfortable battle of the mind that I rarely win.

God’s Word illuminates Truth

But this morning, the Lord led me to a verse that left me slack-jawed:
“Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath.” (Col 2:16 ESV)

I’ve read this verse before, but I somehow missed Paul’s point: trading our freedom in Christ for human-made legalistic rules is useless because legalism does not have the power to save or restrain sin. (cf Gal 5:1)

I dig deeper into Jesus’ NT teachings and unearth 6 reasons why Christians are not required to keep the Sabbath Command:

  1. The Sabbath was a sign of the Mosaic covenant, but we are under the New Covenant (2 Cor 3; Heb 8)
  2. there is no NT command to keep the Sabbath;
  3. the first command to keep the Sabbath was not until the time of Moses (Ex. 20:8);
  4. the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15) did not order Gentile believers to keep the Sabbath;
  5. Paul never cautioned Christians about breaking the Sabbath; and
  6. the NT explicitly teaches that Sabbath-keeping was not a requirement (Rom. 14:5; Gal. 4:10, 11; Col. 2:16, 17 )

Jesus’ message is crystal clear: Legalism and love cannot coexist. Like guardrails on a curvy mountain road, God provides boundaries not to rule over us, but to protect us.

Tears fill my eyes as the image of our loving Heavenly Father supersedes the cold, make-believe God that so many of us turn away from out of fear. God’s Word shed’s light on the lies we believe and sets us free from burdens He never meant for us to carry.

Sending peace, love, and prayers to all!

 

Faith in Action

Truth illuminates the mind and dispels the lies

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Kelly Kirby Worley
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Kelly Kirby Worley
Hi, my name is Kelly. I am an artist, writer & Jesus girl with a passion for helping others discover and embrace their identity, value and confidence in Christ.
Kelly Kirby Worley
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Latest posts by Kelly Kirby Worley (see all)
  • How to set goals God will bless - January 6, 2021
  • Delight is found through intimacy with Jesus - December 29, 2020
  • Delight, God’s encouraging word for steadfast faith in 2020 - December 20, 2020
Lies die in the light of Truth

Lies cannot stand in the light of God’s Word

Do you recognize the lies used by the enemy to make you stumble?   “If things don’t work out the way I plan, it means I do not have enough faith.”  This is one of Satan’s go-to lies he uses to undermine my faith and make me think that God is holding out on me because I don’t live up to his expectations.

Seduction and Deceit

Deceit is one of the enemy’s favorite tactics in his assault on God’s children. Since he has no authority over us, he seductively wields questions at us to create confusion. To make us doubt God’s goodness and faithfulness.

The only offensive weapon we have in this spiritual battle is God’s Word, the Sword of the Spirit. That’s why spending time reading the Bible every day is crucial in rebuking the enemy’s lies.

So when the enemy tries to make me think that God is holding out on me because I don’t have enough faith in him, I know he is lying because:

  • James says trials come to test our faith, to produce perseverance. (James 1:2-3);
  • The apostle Peter says God allows problems in our lives to test us. (1 Peter 4:12-14)
  • The apostle Paul says God uses all things for the good for those who love him. (Romans 8:28); and
  • Paul tells us that we will face trials because of our faith. (1 Thessalonians 3:3-4)

Uncover the lies so you can replace them with Truth

Do you know what lie or false belief the enemy uses to create doubt in your life? If you don’t, think about an area of your life where conflict and confusion is a common element. Chances are that’s your Achilles’ heel. Once you uncover the lie, use your Bible’s concordance to search scriptures that speak Truth over your false beliefs.

Remembering who God says we are keeps our emotions under control and equips us to live in the victory that is ours in Christ.

Sending peace, love, and prayers to all!

Kelly

Other content you may enjoy:

  • Peace is promised to a life viewed through the lens of faith
  • How to have joy in life with a mind fixed on Christ
  • How to pray for God’s love to direct our words and thoughts.
Faith in Action Prayer

How to have peace by giving your life to Christ

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Kelly Kirby Worley
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Kelly Kirby Worley
Hi, my name is Kelly. I am an artist, writer & Jesus girl with a passion for helping others discover and embrace their identity, value and confidence in Christ.
Kelly Kirby Worley
Follow me
Latest posts by Kelly Kirby Worley (see all)
  • How to set goals God will bless - January 6, 2021
  • Delight is found through intimacy with Jesus - December 29, 2020
  • Delight, God’s encouraging word for steadfast faith in 2020 - December 20, 2020

life in ChristDeciding to become a Christian is a decision I made as a young girl. But, I didn’t fully relinquish my heart to Jesus until I was in my 40’s. That’s because everything I knew about how I was supposed to “act” as a Christian revolved around rule-keeping, which, no matter how hard I tried, I could not do.

By designing a list of impossible rules for any human to uphold, God reveals our inability to save ourselves and thereby our desperate need for a Savior. From the get-go, the Old Testament teachings’ goal was always to point us to Jesus. (Romans 7:7)

The believer’s struggle with sin

Every believer struggles with the boundaries between good intentions and contradictory behavior at some point in our walk with Christ. That’s why the apostle Paul continually encourages us to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. When we illuminate our minds with the Gospel, the fruitlessness of legalistic thinking is unmasked, and we are set free to experience the fullness of life in Christ.

Paul’s letters, especially the book of Romans, exposes the deathtrap of striving to accomplish something that only Jesus can do. (Romans 7:14-25) Because he understands and wants to help us in our struggle with sin, Paul reveals the only path to salvation in Romans chapter 10:8-12:

  1. Ask for forgiveness of sins
  2. Trust in Jesus as your resurrected Savior, and
  3. Let Him lead your life

With so much uncertainty about the future, peace in my life wouldn’t be possible without Christ. What about you; are you ready to roll your burdens onto the shoulders of Jesus?  

Romans 10:9 says that when we publicly declare with our mouths that Jesus is Lord, and we believe in our heart that God raised Him from the dead, we will experience salvation. A heart that decides to believe in Him receives the gift of righteousness and new life in Christ.

Just choose Jesus

Just choose to believe. That doesn’t mean that you don’t have any questions or understand all there is to know. It’s a humble admission to your heavenly Father and Creator that you cannot be good enough for a perfect God without His help. You can express your belief and trust in Jesus through prayer. Romans 10:9-12 will guide you, or feel free to use the prayer below.

Dear God, I know that my sin has separated me from you. Thank you that Jesus Christ died in my place. I ask Jesus to forgive my sin and to come into my life. Please begin to direct my life. Thank you for giving me eternal life. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Sending love, peace, and prayers to all!

Kelly Kirby Worley Christian Blogger

 

 

You may also enjoy these blog posts:

  • Let love direct your words
  • Peace is promised to a life viewed through the lens of faith
Faith in Action

How to have joy in life with a mind fixed on Christ

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Kelly Kirby Worley
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Kelly Kirby Worley
Hi, my name is Kelly. I am an artist, writer & Jesus girl with a passion for helping others discover and embrace their identity, value and confidence in Christ.
Kelly Kirby Worley
Follow me
Latest posts by Kelly Kirby Worley (see all)
  • How to set goals God will bless - January 6, 2021
  • Delight is found through intimacy with Jesus - December 29, 2020
  • Delight, God’s encouraging word for steadfast faith in 2020 - December 20, 2020
mind of Christ

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2 NIV

Despite my absolute commitment to Christ, the temptation to blur God’s instructions, so I fit in with the world’s ways, is often challenging.  Without daily spiritual nourishment through The Word, I’d blend right in and forsake God’s plans and purpose for my life.

Feeding the mind with Scripture

Every day apart from the Word waters it down in our memory.  The enemy of our soul comes to steal it away or try to convince us to doubt it.  That’s why I’m so thankful to have access to letters written by the apostle Paul.  Especially his most influential letter to the Christians in Rome.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing and perfect will.  Romans 12:2 NIV

Authenticity in the mind ruled by Christ

J.B. Phillips paraphrase of Romans 12:2 accurately reflects the pressure I sometimes feel when surrounded by nay-sayers and non-believers.  “Conformed,” as used in this passage, refers to assuming an outward expression that does not reflect what’s inside; instead, it’s a masquerade or act.   But as believers, we are called to renew our minds, so our thoughts are in alignment with the mind of Christ.

That kind of transformation can occur only as the Holy Spirit changes our thinking through consistent study and meditation on Scripture.  It all starts with choosing the content we allow to occupy the space in our minds because it’s impossible to think two thoughts simultaneously.

Practical application

As I’ve begun to put Paul’s advice into practice in my life, there’s been a dramatic shift in the amount of joy I experience consistently. Whenever I feel my emotions taking a wrong turn, I immediately bring a paraphrase of Isaiah 26:3 to my mind and repeat it over and over until it drowns out the darkness.   “You will keep her in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you because she trusts in You.”

Do you have a particular verse you rely on when lies begin to battle your mind?

Kelly Kirby Worley Christian Blogger

 

 

 

Related content you may also enjoy:

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  • How to wait well and find joy in your journey with Jesus
  • Seek God first each day, and joy will follow!
Faith in Action Family

How to better connect and understand millennials

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Kelly Kirby Worley
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Kelly Kirby Worley
Hi, my name is Kelly. I am an artist, writer & Jesus girl with a passion for helping others discover and embrace their identity, value and confidence in Christ.
Kelly Kirby Worley
Follow me
Latest posts by Kelly Kirby Worley (see all)
  • How to set goals God will bless - January 6, 2021
  • Delight is found through intimacy with Jesus - December 29, 2020
  • Delight, God’s encouraging word for steadfast faith in 2020 - December 20, 2020

millennials

More than any generation before, millennials live out Jesus’ commandment to love others without prejudice or judgment.  Yet, many millennials do not believe Jesus is who He says He is.   After spending the weekend with my millennial children, I realize the only way to “affect” change is to listen and ask questions so we can understand their culture.

Communication is key

According to communication expert Stephen R. Covey​
, empathetic listening is the most critical principle in the field of interpersonal relations.  I confess, when it comes to having spiritual conversations with my kids, I often rush in with my own opinions and contradictions before getting to the root of their unbelief.  But, this time, we both leaned in to listen and learn why we believe what we believe and discovered, we aren’t as far apart as I once thought!

With our country and its people under unprecedented duress, seeking first to understand, then to be understood is imperative.  Sadly, we often react rather than respond when we hear something that doesn’t align with what we believe, especially in conversations with those closest to our hearts.

As ambassadors for Christ we have a responsibility to exercise caution and intention with our words.  Otherwise, we risk reacting based on our emotions and assumptions, which does not represent the truth.  In other words, we become like modern-day Pharisees who create a wider gap because what we say we believe is contradicted by how we behave.

Although I still have much to learn, here are a few of the things that helped me connect with my kids so that we felt comfortable enough to lean in and listen to each other:

  • Frame your words so they express what God has done and is doing in my life, rather than preaching about why the other person needs to change BEFORE they can know God.   (Thank you, Heather and Ashely Holleman, for this great tip from Sent!)
  • Remove the “debate” approach, make it clear that you are not trying to change or convince, but passionately speak about the most important and enjoyable aspect of your life!
  • Who is their “God?”  What person or object to they seek to supply the power to bring to fruition the things they ask for; the things they need?
  • Ask thought-provoking questions like:
    • What benefits does what you believe bring to your life
    • Does it affect change and make your life experiences better?

What does the Bible teach us about listening?

  • Proverbs 1:5 ESV [5] Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance,
  • Proverbs 18:13 ESV [13] If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame.
  • Proverbs 19:20 ESV [20] Listen to advice and accept      instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future.
  • Proverbs 19:27 ESV [27] Cease to hear instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge.
  • Proverbs 25:12 ESV [12] Like a gold ring or an ornament of gold is a wise reprover to a listening ear.
  • Matthew 11:15 ESV [15] He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
  • James 1:19 ESV [19] Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;
  • Hebrews 12:14 ESV [14] Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord

Sending peace, love, and prayers to all!

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  • How to set goals God will bless
  • Delight is found through intimacy with Jesus
  • Delight, God’s encouraging word for steadfast faith in 2020
  • Dare to believe Jesus
  • Nothing in this life compares to the joy of knowing Christ.
  • Love, not legalism, is the way to Jesus’ heart
  • Truth illuminates the mind and dispels the lies
  • How to have peace by giving your life to Christ
  • How to have joy in life with a mind fixed on Christ
  • How to better connect and understand millennials

She doesn't follow the crowd and she doesn't fit the mold because being like the world is not really her goal. Her trust is in the Lord and she longs for much more than anything this world could ever have in store.

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Kelly Kirby Worley, FindingConfidenceInChrist.com