All religions believe that a creator has given laws for mankind and they believe that if we break the law we are bound to be punished similarly mankind is always striving to please the Creator by doing Good Works like providing for the poor, charity, praying several times a day trying to remain pure and holy. Many people perform sacrifices, make special offerings, go on pilgrimages to ‘holy places’, give up on worldly pleasures of life and many such physical denials. The aim is to get to Heaven or get a better ‘After-Life’ or ‘Reincarnation’. But everyone always fails and when they get beaten up by Life (Romans 3:23) end up getting mad at God or feeling Rejected by Him and the relationship between God the Creator and humanity becomes so conditional and mankind gives up and chooses to Rebel and live in sin instead and then struggle with Shame, Guilt and Condemnation at the failure of not having pleased God. But thanks to Jesus Christ who paid a heavy price to set us free from this guilt and condemnation (Romans 11:6).

The Gospel – the extremely very Good News of salvation through Christ, unleashes the Power of God to set the captives free – free from having to struggle and strive and make multiple sacrifices and rituals to keep up with the Works to please God. The unconditional love of God the Father, that we received through Christ is what draws us Christians closer to Him. We want to please Him and be obedient to what He wants us to do – not because of fear of rejection but because of Faith that when we repent and submit to Him we are perfectly aligned with His will and His GRACE and POWER works to give us a wholesome and fulfilled abundant Life. So let’s not Boast in our Good Works and Self-righteousness, but boast in Christ alone whose finished work at the cross has set us free from the Law as He fulfilled the Law on our behalf so that we can enjoy Life full of His Grace. (Luke 18:9-14; Romans 3:21-31).