Stop Complicating Your Life
An abstract of Jim Congdon’s sermon on October 6, 2024 in the Galatians series. Watch the sermon video here.
Have you ever felt like your life is just too complicated? Like you're always stressed, anxious, and trying to keep up with everything? If so, you're not alone. Many of us struggle with feeling overwhelmed by life's demands. But what if there was a way to simplify things and find more peace?
In a recent sermon, our pastor talked about how to "stop complicating your life" by focusing on two key Bible verses. These verses can help us understand how to have a simpler relationship with God and live with less stress. Let's explore what they mean and how they can help us.
Getting Right with God: It's Simpler Than You Think
The first verse is Galatians 2:16. It says:
"A person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ."
This verse might sound a bit confusing at first, but it's actually sharing a really important and simple idea. Let's break it down:
"Justified" means being made right with God or being accepted by Him.
"Works of the law" means trying to follow all of God's rules perfectly.
"Faith in Jesus Christ" means trusting in Jesus and what He did for us.
So, this verse is telling us that we can't make ourselves right with God by trying to follow all the rules perfectly. Instead, we're made right with God simply by believing in Jesus and what He did for us.
This is great news! It means we don't have to stress about being perfect or doing everything right to be accepted by God. We just need to trust in Jesus. This can take a huge weight off our shoulders and simplify our spiritual lives.
Living the Christian Life: Let Jesus Do the Work
The second key verse is Galatians 2:20. It says:
"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."
This verse might sound even more confusing, but it's actually sharing another simple and powerful idea. Let's break it down:
"I have been crucified with Christ" means that when we believe in Jesus, our old self (the part of us that wants to sin) is considered dead.
"Christ lives in me" means that Jesus now lives in us through His Spirit.
"I live by faith in the Son of God" means we trust Jesus to live His life through us.
This verse is telling us that once we believe in Jesus, we don't have to try to live the Christian life on our own strength. Instead, we can let Jesus live His life through us. This is sometimes called the "exchanged life" because we exchange our weak efforts for Christ's powerful life in us.
How This Changes Everything
Understanding these two verses can completely change how we approach our relationship with God and how we live our daily lives. Here's how:
We stop trying to earn God's love: Many people think they need to be good enough for God to accept them. But Galatians 2:16 tells us that God accepts us simply because we trust in Jesus, not because of anything we do.
We let go of perfectionism: Since we're accepted by God through faith, not by being perfect, we can stop putting so much pressure on ourselves to never make mistakes.
We rely on Jesus' strength, not our own: Galatians 2:20 reminds us that we don't have to try to live the Christian life in our own power. We can trust Jesus to live His life through us.
We find peace in difficult times: When life gets hard, we can remember that it's not all up to us. We can trust Jesus to give us the strength we need.
We simplify our spiritual lives: Instead of trying to follow a bunch of rules or do a lot of religious activities, we can focus on our relationship with Jesus and trusting Him.
Real-Life Examples
The sermon shared some powerful stories of people who understood and lived out these truths:
Kefa from Uganda: During a time when Christians were being killed in his country, Kefa faced a group of men who were going to kill him. But because he understood that his life was "hidden with Christ," he was able to face death without fear. His calm faith even led to the men deciding not to kill him and later becoming believers themselves.
Luis Palau: This well-known evangelist often talked about how Galatians 2:20 changed his life. He said that whenever he faced a challenge or temptation, he reminded himself that it wasn't him facing it alone, but Christ living in him.
Geri Scazzero: As the wife of a pastor starting a fast-growing church, Geri found herself exhausted from trying to serve everyone. She realized she had lost the joy of simply being with Jesus and needed to "quit" trying to do everything in her own strength.
How Can We Apply This?
So how can we start living out these truths in our own lives? Here are some practical steps:
Remember you're accepted: When you feel like you're not good enough, remind yourself that God accepts you because of Jesus, not because of what you do.
Practice "letting go": When you feel stressed or overwhelmed, try saying, "Jesus, I can't do this on my own. I'm trusting you to live through me."
Focus on relationship, not rules: Instead of focusing on following rules, spend time getting to know Jesus better through prayer and reading the Bible.
Be patient with yourself: Remember that living this way is a process. It takes time to change how we think and live.
Share with others: Talk about what you're learning with friends or family. Sometimes explaining it to others helps us understand it better ourselves.
Conclusion
Life can often feel complicated and overwhelming. But the Bible offers us a simpler way to live. By understanding that we're accepted by God through faith in Jesus, and that we can rely on His strength instead of our own, we can find a new level of peace and freedom.
This doesn't mean life will always be easy. But it does mean we don't have to face life's challenges alone or in our own strength. We can trust Jesus to live His life through us, giving us the power and peace we need.
So the next time you're feeling stressed or overwhelmed, remember: You don't have to complicate your life. Simply trust in Jesus and let Him live through you. It's a simpler, more peaceful way to live.