Resting in Christ: Freedom from Spiritual Striving

Summary

So often, we carry spiritual “junk” that distracts us from the heart of the gospel. These are ideas picked up from culture, tradition, or even well-meaning Christian circles—beliefs that subtly shift our focus from Christ’s finished work to our own efforts. One of the most persistent pieces of junk is the idea that we must “measure up” to God, as if our good works or spiritual growth can earn us more of His love, blessing, or presence. This is like trying to climb a spiritual mountain, believing that the higher we get, the closer we are to God and the more He will bless us. But Scripture is clear: our relationship with God is not based on our performance, but on Christ’s performance for us.

Paul’s words to the Galatians are a sharp reminder that relying on the law—on our own works—places us under a curse, not a blessing. The law cannot save, cannot make God love us more, and cannot give us more of the Spirit. Instead, through faith in Christ, we already have the fullness of God’s love and the status of beloved children. Like a good father, God’s love and provision are not conditional on our ability to “audition” or perform; they are gifts given freely by grace.

Yet, it’s easy to fall into the trap of measuring ourselves, especially when life gets hard. We may think that our suffering is a sign of God’s displeasure or that we need to try harder to get His attention. But the truth is, God is often most present in our valleys, in our pain and weakness. As C.S. Lewis wrote, God “shouts in our pain”—it is often in our brokenness that we most clearly experience His nearness and grace.

When we can’t see the colorful testimony of God’s promises—when life feels gray and foggy—we are called to trust the sign, to trust His Word and the witness of those who have gone before us. God’s promises are sure, not because of our faithfulness, but because of His. He gives us tangible reminders: His Word, baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and the community of faith. These are not rewards for climbing higher, but gifts for those who know they cannot climb at all.

So, rather than striving to measure up, we are invited to rest in the freedom Christ has won for us. We are already loved, already secure, already part of the family. Growth comes not from anxious striving, but from being overwhelmed by what we already have in Christ.

Key Takeaways

- Measuring up to God is a spiritual illusion. Our attempts to earn God’s favor or blessing by our own works only lead us back into slavery and anxiety. The law cannot save or bring us closer to God; only Christ’s finished work on the cross can do that. [14:03]

- God’s love is not conditional on our performance. Like a good father, He gives us a place in His family by grace, not by our ability to “audition” or prove ourselves. Our identity as beloved sons and daughters is secure, even when we feel like spiritual adolescents who don’t fully appreciate what we have. [14:41]

- God is most present in our weakness and pain. The valleys and dark places of life are not signs of God’s absence, but often the very places where He draws nearest to us. In our brokenness, we discover our utter dependence on Christ and the sufficiency of His grace. [22:16]

- When we cannot see God’s promises fulfilled, we are called to trust His Word and the testimony of others. Even when life feels foggy and uncertain, God’s promises remain true. We cling to His Word, baptism, and the Lord’s Supper as tangible assurances of His faithfulness. [25:22]

- True spiritual growth begins by returning to the foundation of God’s love in Christ. Rather than focusing on our failures or striving to do more, we are invited to be overwhelmed by the mercy, grace, and identity we already possess. From this place of rest and assurance, genuine growth emerges—not as a way to earn God’s favor, but as a response to it. [29:11]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:10] - The Spiritual Junk Drawer: Where False Ideas Linger
[04:09] - The Scale and the Cross: Why We Can’t Balance Our Way to God
[06:22] - Spiritual Mountain Climbing: The Illusion of Measuring Up
[09:45] - The Ruler Metaphor: Comparing Ourselves and Others
[12:30] - The Galatian Problem: Adding Works to Grace
[14:03] - The Curse of the Law and the Gift of Faith
[14:41] - The Father-Child Relationship: Unconditional Belonging
[16:25] - Spiritual Adolescence: Forgetting What We Have
[18:39] - Christ Redeems Us: Full Family Status by Faith
[19:55] - God’s Nearness in Our Pain and Weakness
[22:16] - Boasting in Weakness: Where Christ Shines Through
[23:09] - Trusting God’s Promises in the Fog
[25:22] - The Word Made Flesh: Tangible Assurance
[27:30] - The Gift of Community: Bearing One Another’s Burdens
[29:11] - Returning to God’s Love: The Foundation for Growth
[30:16] - Stand Firm in Freedom: Resting in Christ’s Finished Work
[31:54] - Christ’s Presence in Every Season of Life

Study Guide

Small Group Bible Study Guide: Resting in Christ, Not Measuring Up

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### Bible Reading

Galatians 3:1-14
(Primary text; see especially verses 2-3, 10-14)

2 Corinthians 12:9-10
(“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness…”)

John 1:14-17
(“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us… For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”)

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### Observation Questions

1. In Galatians 3, what does Paul say is the difference between receiving the Spirit by works of the law and by believing what you heard? ([13:00])
2. According to the sermon, what are some examples of “spiritual junk” or false ideas that can distract us from the heart of the gospel? ([01:10])
3. How does Paul describe the result of relying on the law for our relationship with God? ([14:03])
4. What does the sermon say about God’s presence in our pain and weakness? ([19:55])

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### Interpretation Questions

1. Why do you think the idea of “measuring up” to God is so persistent, even among Christians who know they are saved by grace? ([06:22])
2. How does viewing God as a perfect Father change the way we think about our identity and belonging in His family? ([14:41])
3. What does it mean that God is “most present in our weakness and pain”? How does this challenge the belief that suffering means God is far away? ([20:26])
4. Why are tangible reminders like God’s Word, baptism, and the Lord’s Supper important when we can’t “see” God’s promises being fulfilled? ([25:22])

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### Application Questions

1. The sermon talked about “spiritual junk” we pick up from culture, tradition, or even church. What is one belief or habit you’ve carried that makes you feel like you have to earn God’s love? How did it get there, and what would it look like to let it go? ([01:10])
2. When life gets hard, do you ever find yourself thinking God is punishing you or that you need to “try harder” to get His attention? What would it look like to rest in His grace instead? ([19:55])
3. The idea of “spiritual mountain climbing” says we get closer to God by doing more or being better. In what areas of your life do you feel pressure to “climb higher” spiritually? How does the gospel free you from that pressure? ([06:22])
4. The sermon said God’s love is not conditional on our performance, like a good father’s love for his children. Is there a part of your life where you still feel like you have to “audition” for God’s approval? What would change if you believed you are already fully accepted? ([14:41])
5. When you’re in a “valley” or a season of pain, what helps you remember God’s promises? Is there a specific practice (like reading Scripture, remembering your baptism, or taking communion) that you want to lean into more? ([25:22])
6. The sermon mentioned that true growth comes from being overwhelmed by what we already have in Christ, not from anxious striving. What is one way you can remind yourself this week of your secure identity in Jesus? ([29:11])
7. How can you use the gift of Christian community to help others who are struggling to “measure up” or who feel far from God? Is there someone you can encourage or pray with this week? ([27:30])

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Close in prayer, asking God to help the group rest in Christ’s finished work and to let go of the need to measure up.

Devotional

Day 1: We are justified by faith, not by works

The temptation to measure our worthiness before God by our own efforts is strong, but Scripture makes it clear that no amount of good deeds can earn us a place in God’s family. The law, while good and wise, cannot save us or make God love us more; it only reveals our inability to fulfill it perfectly. Instead, we are justified—declared righteous—by faith in Jesus Christ alone. This means that our relationship with God is not based on our performance, but on the finished work of Christ, who has already accomplished everything necessary for our salvation. [14:03]

Galatians 3:10-11 (ESV)
For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.”

Reflection: In what ways have you been trying to “measure up” to God or earn His favor through your actions? What would it look like to rest in the truth that you are already justified by faith in Christ alone?


Day 2: Christ redeems us from the curse and gives us full family status

Through His sacrifice on the cross, Jesus became a curse for us, taking upon Himself the penalty we deserved so that we might receive the full blessings promised to God’s children. This means that, by faith, we are not just forgiven—we are adopted into God’s family with all the rights and privileges of beloved sons and daughters. There is nothing more to earn or achieve; we already possess the love, mercy, and presence of the Father, even when we feel unworthy or like a mess. [18:39]

Galatians 3:13-14 (ESV)
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”—so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.

Reflection: When you feel distant from God or unworthy of His love, how can you remind yourself that you are already a full member of His family because of Christ’s work for you?


Day 3: God is closest to us in our weakness and pain

It is often in the valleys of life—when we are hurting, broken, or feeling far from God—that He is actually most present and active. Our culture may tell us that spiritual growth is about climbing higher and doing better, but God meets us in our weakness, not our strength. Like a loving parent who rushes to a hurting child, God draws near to us in our pain, and it is in these moments that we most clearly see our dependence on Him and experience His sustaining grace. [22:16]

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (ESV)
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Reflection: Think of a recent struggle or moment of weakness—how might God have been present with you in that place, and how can you look for His presence in your pain today?


Day 4: God’s promises are trustworthy even when we cannot see them

There are seasons when God’s goodness and faithfulness seem hidden by the fog of our circumstances, but His promises remain true regardless of what we feel or see. Just as a hiker trusts the testimony of others about a beautiful view hidden by clouds, we are called to trust God’s Word and the witness of those who have gone before us. In times of doubt or confusion, we cling to His promises, knowing that He is faithful and that His Word never fails. [25:22]

Hebrews 10:23 (ESV)
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.

Reflection: Is there a promise of God that you are struggling to believe right now? What would it look like to trust His faithfulness even when you cannot see the outcome?


Day 5: Freedom in Christ leads to true growth and rest

The Christian life is not about striving to earn God’s love or climbing a spiritual ladder, but about standing firm in the freedom Christ has won for us. We are called to remember our identity as beloved children, assured by God’s promises in baptism, His Word, and the community of faith. As we focus on what Christ has already done, rather than our own failures or achievements, genuine growth and transformation begin to emerge—not by our own effort, but by the Spirit’s work within us. In this freedom, we find true rest for our souls. [31:07]

Galatians 5:1 (ESV)
For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

Reflection: Where in your life do you feel burdened by expectations or striving? How can you intentionally rest in the freedom and identity you have in Christ today?

Quotes

There are things maybe we heard our grandma say one day, or we heard perhaps maybe it was a share or a reel on Instagram or on Facebook. It was a YouTube short that you watched, and that kind of thought has stuck with you. But yet, when we really examine it against the Scripture, when we look at the junk sometimes that we carry around spiritually, we realize it doesn't measure up. [00:00:22] (00:00:25 seconds)  #FaithOverPerformance Edit Clip

Because if we do more good things, if we live the right life, if we give the right things, if we pray the right prayers, that somehow we can make it to this spiritual mountaintop and be closer to God. And there, closer to God, we will receive his blessings. He's more prone to listen to our prayers. He's going to pour out the storehouse of heaven upon us. There's this spiritual kind of mountain climbing that comes into our thoughts and our minds. [00:06:39] (00:00:24 seconds)  #BlessingsNotEarned Edit Clip

Somehow I've got to climb I've got to measure up so that God can then respond to my prayers with his blessings and heal my hurts and my brokenness. [00:11:05] (00:00:15 seconds)  #NoPerformanceNeeded Edit Clip

The truth is we don't get closer to God or receive more of his blessings by our performance and trying to be better people. We already have all of God through faith in the Son, period. We got it all. We are lacking anything. [00:14:41] (00:00:17 seconds)  #UnconditionalFamily Edit Clip

There's no strings attached. You don't say, well, we brought you into this family, but we're going to have you have to continue to audition in order to stay in the family. And part of that audition is going to be like what you can do for the family. Like, like if you're really, really good, I mean, like, no, I mean, like, like really good, like you, you got to measure up. And if you don't measure up, well, you know, you don't get to eat. I mean, that'd be horrible. That'd be abuse. And your father in heaven is a perfect father. So he's not going to do that for you. He gives you a place in his family, a place in his household. And he gives you that place by grace through faith, assured in the water.of your baptism, promise to you a beloved son, a chosen daughter with whom he is well pleased. [00:15:39] (00:00:46 seconds)  #GodIsNearNow Edit Clip

The purpose was that the blessing of Abraham would come to the Gentiles by Christ Jesus so that we could receive the promised Spirit through faith.It comes by faith, the work of the Spirit. We get the full family status. All of his promises, all of his love, all of his mercies are yours, even if you're a mess. [00:19:11] (00:00:27 seconds)  #GodInTheValley Edit Clip

Those dark moments, brokenness, hurts, perhaps those are the places where the Father who has watched you trying to climb the mountain and sees you stumbling down is ready to catch you and to carry you because he knew you would fall. [00:21:35] (00:00:22 seconds)  #DependOnJesus Edit Clip

This notion that we can do life on our own and me and Jesus is one of those we're going to look at in the junk drawer eventually. But suffice it to say is that this week is that, remember, this isn't about you alone. This is about you in the body of Christ.Individually members of it, individually supporting and encouraging one another. Not just when we gather together in Christ's name, but when you send that text message, when you may pay that visit to that person who's hurting, when you schedule that coffee and that sit -down, when you show up to that Bible study in that small group with people who you know, who you know their struggle, and you know the things they're going through, and you pray for them, not just for them, but you pray with them together. We're carrying that.We get to see God at work in the midst of our pain. [00:28:17] (00:00:53 seconds)  #FreedomInChrist Edit Clip

That when we are struggling to climb the mountain, turn back to base camp and remember that you are already loved. You're already in the family. You already belong. [00:30:26] (00:00:15 seconds)  #RestInJesus Edit Clip

You already in Christ are forgiven and loved and secure. He's with you everywhere.On the mountain, when you're trying to climb.In the valley, when you can't see around it. At the kitchen table. In the hospital room. At the desk in the office.When you're strong and especially when you're feeling weak and barely holding on. Receive his rest. His promise. My yoke is easy. My burden is light. So come to me, Jesus says. All you who are weary and heavy laden.I will give you, I'll give you rest. [00:31:44] (00:00:43 seconds) Edit Clip