A friend of mine once said to another who was seeking peace by doing, “You have a religion of two letters. My religion is a religion of four letters.”
“How is that?” asked the other.
“Your religion is do. My religion is done.
You are trying to rest in what you do.
I am resting in what Christ has done.”
There are many Christians today who have not permitted the blood of Christ to cleanse their consciences from dead works. They are constantly feeling they must do something to atone for sin. Oh, my friend, look at what God looks at – the blood, and see that it is all done, already done! God is satisfied, sin is atoned for, you are justified. Now don’t do dead works to commend yourself to God; but realizing that you are already commended by the blood, serve Him in the freedom of gratitude and love, and not in the bondage of fear.
There are three classes of men. First, those who are not burdened by sin but love it. That is totally bad. Second, those who are burdened by sin and seek to get rid of it by self-effort. That is better, but there is still something infinitely better. Third, those who see the hideousness of sin and were burdened by it, but who have been brought to see the power of the blood, settling sin forever, putting it away (Hebrews 9:26), and so are no longer burdened but now work not to commend themselves to God, but out of joyous gratitude to Him who perfectly justifies the ungodly through the shed blood.
R.A. Torrey. How to Obtain Fullness of Power.
