I can do nothing!

Our sinful nature still clings to us after we are born again and become children of God, and the new nature which God has sprouted in us has to slowly grow up and replace it. One major aspect of our sinful nature is to avoid owning up to our sins and taking responsibility for our part in salvation. Because of this, it is exciting for us to hear about what God has done for us and what He will do. The good news of God's undeserved favour towards us is very appealing to us. Our salvation is a gift from God and there is nothing we can do to earn it. He who began a good work in us will complete it. Our sins are all covered by the blood of Jesus, and there is no condemnation for us even if we fall now into sin. God will work all things for our good, and a mansion each is reserved for us in heaven in eternity. We are weak, and there is nothing we can do from our side, and all we need to do is to be thankful for God's grace.

So what do we do now? Sing songs of praise to God and rejoice?

All these 'truths' above are taught in the Bible, but they are not the only truths we find there. One thing that should disturb us here is that, if it is up to God, He is working in us, and there is nothing for us to do about our salvation, why is it that all of us have not become like Jesus after all these years of knowing Him? It can't be that God is not doing His work properly! He cannot fail His promises and He is almighty too! But we are still struggling with some sin or the other, and we are also having problems in marriage, with children, church, workplace, etc.! The mistake is in assuming that salvation is entirely a work of God from His side, without any cooperation from us. It is wrong to think that we cannot do anything from our side and that humility is to leave it all to God.

There are many places in the Bible telling us what we ought to do from our side and warning us what will happen if we don't. Just look at one example. Some people like to quote Php.2:13, "It is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure." Is it not saying that He is totally responsible for giving us the right desires and working them out in our life? But v.12 completes the picture, "Work out your salvation with fear and trembling;" Together these verses are saying that when God works inside us giving us good desires and the power to do His will, it is our responsibility to actually carry them out in our practical life. We can immediately see that it is because we are leaving everything to God to work out that no transformation is taking place in our life.

Jesus has stated very clearly that the only way we can follow Him is if we take up our cross and deny ourselves in order to do His will (Lk.9:23). It is because our desires many times are contrary to what He wants that we have to learn to deny ourselves (Gal.5:17). What happens if we 'leave everything to God' and continue to please ourselves, saying, "I can do nothing"?