If...then...

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. --Ephesians 2:8-9

I don't live in an "if/then" world anymore, I live in a finished one. As Christ took His last breath He said, "It is finished." That means all of God's promises were fulfilled. He paid the one and final payment for our sins, granting atonement and complete forgiveness to all who repent and believe. Before my faith was firm in this realization I was living in what I'll call an "if/then" mind-frame. Which is to say, "If I do this, then that will happen." This way of thinking is a works based attitude at best, and blasphemy at worst. In either case, it is the devil's way to have us diminish the value of Jesus's sacrifice--often without us even realizing it. The evil one will continually tempt us into this way of thinking, and it often takes the form of worry or anxiety--both of those thought patterns distract from our faith and trust in God's sovereign plan for our good. I think we can all relate to an "if/then" worry that is tailor fit to our current circumstances. LORD, I take hold of Your finished work--I accept Your perfect plan for me. Allow me to keep this mindset in my ups, downs, and all the days in between. In Jesus name.

AMEN