The Ultimate Question for Christians: Is God Pleased With You?
No words can explain, nor describe the love of God. God is please with you. Let me repeat that, God is pleased with you. Some of the greatest minds in history have struggled to categorize or give meaning to God’s love. It is far beyond our human understanding and definition. Despite our inability to ever comprehend the vastness and depth of God's love, Christ made His love fully known to us when He sacrificed Himself to free us from the power of sin and to proclaim us sons and daughters of God.The Sacrifice of Christ on the cross not only saved us, but it also pleased God so abundantly that He requires nothing else of man to satisfy His wrath. Jesus' sacrifice was more significant than any other sacrifice. The apostles reveal to us that it paid the debt of sin in full and once for all. Christ’s sacrifice quenched the wrath of God towards all sinners with finality. The sacrifice of Christ brought forgiveness and reconciled to God all who believe in Christ.If it is true that Christ paid the full debt of sin once for all, then why do we worry about what God thinks of us? Many of us overwhelm ourselves trying to change God’s mind about us through our actions. The most common question Christians throughout time and the world ask themselves is this:“Is God pleased with me?”
The problem.
Many of us are accustomed to a culture of earning. Our society is built on a ‘work hard to get’ motto, and the nature of life since the fall of Adam and Eve has left us programmed to work for a living. Nothing in this world is free. The hierarchy of power in our culture has caused the vast majority to labor for others in order to earn a living, and the laws of our society require us to prove that we deserve what we have earned. As a result, many of us have also shifted this earning mentality towards our relationship with God. We think have to earn God’s love, approval, or even a ticket to heaven. However, Christ changed the equation once for all when He offered Himself as a living sacrifice to cover all our sins.
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Christ’s labor on the cross eliminated the need for us to labor to earn God’s love and approval. His death brought forgiveness to every sinner. Sin is offensive to God, but Jesus' sacrifice satisfied God’s anger toward the sins of those who believe in Christ. His sacrifice is the only thing strong enough to purge our sins, past, present, and future. Contrary to what society teaches, we no longer need to work to earn God's love and forgiveness.
About striving.
Many of us stress ourselves as we attempt to please God and earn His affection. In the midst of our striving, we lose the purpose of the cross. We spend our days judging ourselves and others, asking ourselves if God is pleased with what we do. We allow guilt to rob us of our joy, and we waste our days concerned over whether or not our lives are pleasing to God.Many people believe in Christ and the forgiving power of His sacrifice on the cross but still feel they need to do more. Despite their faith in Jesus, they think that if they stay clean, sinless, pray more, worship more, attend church more, serve more, and do more good then God will love them more. However, If Christ knew that our efforts could save us, there would have been no need for Jesus to die for our salvation.
About Christ's sacrifice.
In an address to Peter, the Apostle Paul said, “for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died needlessly” (Galatians 2:21). In other words, if we could please God with our human efforts, then the cross would be useless. Christ paid the debt for our sins, a debt so large that He paid for it with His life. Jesus died on the cross as the ultimate sacrifice so we would no longer have to labor in good works to earn God’s love. Christ offered Himself as the one time sacrifice for all sins. Christ declared “It is finished” on the cross and put an end to the need for us to strive in our human efforts to satisfy God (John 19:30).
Good news.
Therefore, let us rest in His gift of love. Christ says "come to me, all you that are weary...I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28). Accept His invitation today, and stop striving. God is pleased with you, not because of your merit, but because of the sacrifice of His Son. Through the blood of Jesus, we stand righteous before God. His love is for all those who choose to believe in Christ Jesus as their Lord and Savior. God requires no more effort of us. You don't even have to break a sweat! If you want to receive His unconditional love, there is just one requirement: to have faith in Him. That is all, nothing else. Just your faith in Him.