20 Things You Can Do Without Jesus

20 Things You Can Do Without Jesus

1. Have a long-lasting, happy marriage
2. Pray
3. Eat a specific diet
4. Be kind and care about others
5. Overcome alcoholism and drug addiction
6. Have strong, meaningful relationships
7. Have a successful career
8. Live by a code of morality
9. Raise successful, well-behaved, and moral children
10. Give to/serve the poor/needy
11. Be responsible with money
12. Be punctual, well-groomed, and organized
13. Work hard and persevere
14. Make good choices
15. Keep promises and commitments
16. Overcome hardship and struggle
17. Follow the laws of the land
18. Dress modestly and use clean language
19. Train our bodies physically
20. Attend/serve a church regularly

What You Cannot Do Without Jesus

Please God

We need to renew our minds in the West. Most of us have certain ideas ingrained in us through teaching and culture, but we’ve deceived ourselves if we believe that anything on the first list pleases the Lord (Gal 3, Isa 64, Phil 3, Rom 3,8). Scripture is clear that God is pleased by a broken and contrite heart (Ps 51). He’s pleased when we agree with Him about who we are and who He is. He’s pleased when we are surrendered and yielded to his authority (Luke 5, Acts 3, Romans 2,8). We need to stop peddling a gospel that says anything else.

We’ve created a dangerous situation where many people think that they know Christ simply because they behave a certain way, or at least seek after that behavior, but will one day hear “depart, I never knew you” (Matt 7). Still others don’t see the need for Christ at all since their lives appear just fine without Him.

We tell people their sins will go away and their problems will be solved if they would accept Christ, only for them to do so and discover there is still a fight with their flesh, heartbreak in a fallen world, and sacrifice in His service. Depressingly, we’ve allowed many who know Him to spend days and nights in tears and striving because they can’t seem to do what they think will keep them right with God, when in fact they already were (Galatians, Colossians).

Our checklist/American dream gospel breaks hearts and deceives. We dangle salvation by faith on a poisoned thread of sanctification by works. It hides the true freedom and grace offered to us by God in His love and takes away the full impact of what Christ has done. The power of God is His gospel—why are we not resting in it?