“The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me.” —John 15:5
Is there a place for self-improvement in the life of a Christian? It is good to exercise effort toward holiness, but we must ask the question, are our efforts arising from confidence in self or confidence in God? If “self-made religion” is the source, we’ll find our actions are not only unable to free us from sin, they will deceptively convince us that by cleaning up our outward actions, we have gotten rid of the sin.
If you’re content to have the mere outward appearance of righteousness, then by all means, follow all the self-help guidance that is out there. But if lasting freedom from sin is your hope, there’s only one pathway, and it starts on your knees. We don’t need a five-step plan; we need a Redeemer. And His name is Jesus. Trust in Him. Believe in Him. Get off your feet and onto your knees, begging God to redeem the brokenness in your heart and wait with joyful expectation.
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“The Self-Sufficiency of Self-Improvement” (ReviveOurHearts.com/blog)
Scripture taken from The CSB
Make it Personal
Are your efforts toward holiness manifested in to-do lists or in prayerfulness?