Do I have to earn God’s approval?

Romans 8:39No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Galatians 2:19When I tried to keep the law, it condemned me. So I died to the law—I stopped trying to meet all its requirements—so that I might live for God.

We cannot earn God’s approval because he already approves of us. God’s approval is not based on performance but on the fact that we are his creations. Our performance should be an expression of gratitude to God, not a means to gain his approval.

Romans 3:23; 10:9Everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard . . . [But] if you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Romans 8:38Nothing can ever separate us from God’s love.

God loves us unconditionally, but he never approves of sinful behavior. Deliberately rejecting his Word defies him and hurts us and others. And it harms our relationship with him. When we understand that our sin is what separates us from God and that Jesus died and rose again to remove our sin and restore our relationship with God, we realize how much God values us. When we confess our sins to him, seek his forgiveness, and commit to following Jesus, we are approved for an eternal life in the presence of God. A great difference stands between God’s unconditional love for us (he doesn’t love us more or less because we trust in Christ for salvation) and his conditional salvation (he only saves those who admit they have sinned and need his forgiveness). Understanding that difference is a matter of life and death.

Matthew 25:23“The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’”

Those who consistently do a good job can usually be trusted with more freedom and responsibility. Their work has received approval from someone higher up. In the same way, the more we serve God, the more he will reward our faithfulness and give us opportunities to serve him with more freedom and responsibility. God’s love for us (which never changes) is different from his approval of our work (which is based on how well we serve him).