These are precious words from the Apostle Paul.....  It took a while for this revelation in my heart to connect with my brain.  We are surrounded by people with a "works" mentality....  Many have questions like ..."Are you ready for the return of Jesus?", ...."Are you ready for the rapture?", ...."Have you confessed all of your sins, forgiven all who have trespassed against you?", ....."Have you paid all of your tithes?"  The problem was that I was constantly "sin-conscious".  My thoughts were about sin and how to avoid it, how to live a clean and sin free life....  My thoughts were about what "I" should do or should have done....  That is a life of bondage and misery.  It's mental torment and suffering....

 

     Christ came to set the captives free. (Luke 4:18)  But so often we turn right around and lock ourselves back into the bondage of legalism....  Set free from  the Law only to pick it up again.  WHY?  Because that's what we are "familiar" with...  It's all that we have ever known.

 

     So often we go to church on Sunday and leave confessing that "I am the righteousness of God in Christ." (2 Corinthians 5:21)   ....."No weapon formed against me shall prosper....". (Isaiah 54:17)  ....."I am more than a conqueror in Christ" (Romans 8:37).  And, we may even declare the same "truths" again on Monday,.... and perhaps Tuesday, if we are having a good week...  But by Wednesday, the doubt starts to creep in... (which is why we need mid-week church too...) .. and on Thursday we start confessing our sins again and start speaking words like "I'm just a poor old sinner saved by Grace..."  Perhaps by Saturday you are so convicted and convinced of sin that you may consider not even going to church again on Sunday... because,.."well, what's the use?"...  Then on Sunday, you go to church and the same weekly cycle starts again... "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.... " (Philippians 4:13)  It's a vicious cycle.  And it's wrong!  Christ died once, for all sin, forever....  Too many people resist the Grace message.  When you are saved, it is forever...  It's not like we have to play "tag" with God for the rest of our life.  It's a done deal.