How can I meet God’s expectations for me?

1 Corinthians 13:1-6If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

2 Corinthians 3:18The Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.

1 John 4:15-18All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.

The right actions done for the wrong reasons are empty—a sounding gong, a clanging cymbal, a foolish boast. Such “perfection” can be imitated by many religions, philosophies, and self-help books. The perfect love that Christ models for us is different: humble instead of boastful, delighting in truth rather than a false front, centered on serving others rather than winning praise from them. Such love is more than a passing feeling—it’s a motivation that produces real results. It leaves a mark on both our hearts and our lives, transforming us to become more like its perfect source, Jesus.

2 Corinthians 7:1Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God.

Ephesians 2:8-9God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

Philippians 1:6I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

2 Timothy 1:7God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

1 John 4:17-19As we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. We love each other because he loved us first.

Repentance and self-discipline are often spurred on by a “fear of God.” Such a fear recognizes the awesome power and authority God has over us and everything. It inspires us to obey him with reverence. This is a healthy reflection of our belief that God is all-powerful, all-good, and worthy of all honor and obedience. In contrast, a fear of God that doubts his love and goodness comes from a lack of faith. Such a fear thinks the God’s good news is too good to be true, so it demands a twisted, backward gospel, claiming we have to achieve perfection before we can approach our Savior. That completely misses the point—it’s like saying we must be healthy before we can see the doctor. Grace is a gift we cannot earn, and being made perfect is a process only possible through God. The Holy Spirit guides that process with power, love, and self-discipline—not fear.

James 2:14-17What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.

1 John 3:16-18We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person? Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.

Love without good deeds is empty and incomplete. Perfect love always takes action.

Deuteronomy 8:3“People do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”

Psalm 119:9How can a young person stay pure? By obeying your word.

2 Timothy 3:16-17All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

Hebrews 4:12The word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.

God’s Word is our constant source of wisdom, guidance, and encouragement. As we learn to live by it, we mature to become more like Christ.

John 5:39-44“You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! Yet you refuse to come to me to receive this life. Your approval means nothing to me, because I know you don’t have God’s love within you. For I have come to you in my Father’s name, and you have rejected me. Yet if others come in their own name, you gladly welcome them. No wonder you can’t believe! For you gladly honor each other, but you don’t care about the honor that comes from the one who alone is God.”

1 Corinthians 8:1While knowledge makes us feel important, it is love that strengthens the church.

The Pharisees aspired to understand Scripture perfectly—they could even quote entire Old Testament books from memory! Yet they still couldn’t recognize the God they claimed to know. They knew all sorts of things about God and his Word, but they didn’t have a relationship with him. If we study Scripture to be “right” and impress others, rather than to be righteous and to love God, then we are following in the footsteps of the Pharisees.

Matthew 6:2, 5“When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. . . . When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get.”

Matthew 23:23, 25“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. . . . What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and self-indulgence!”

Caring for the poor is good. Prayer is good. Tithing is good. But if all those things are done to win public praise, making us look like “good Christians,” then we doing good for the wrong reasons, constantly polishing the outside of the cup and leaving our hearts untouched.

Proverbs 4:14-15Don’t do as the wicked do, and don’t follow the path of evildoers. Don’t even think about it; don’t go that way. Turn away and keep moving.

Mark 7:5-7So the Pharisees and teachers of religious law asked him, “Why don’t your disciples follow our age-old tradition? They eat without first performing the hand-washing ceremony.” Jesus replied, “You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote, ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’”

Romans 14:1-4Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong. For instance, one person believes it’s all right to eat anything. But another believer with a sensitive conscience will eat only vegetables. Those who feel free to eat anything must not look down on those who don’t. And those who don’t eat certain foods must not condemn those who do, for God has accepted them. Who are you to condemn someone else’s servants? Their own master will judge whether they stand or fall. And with the Lord’s help, they will stand and receive his approval.

To make sure they obeyed God’s law perfectly, the Pharisees crafted extra laws as a “fence” around God’s laws to make sure they were obeyed. Crossing such “fences” is not inherently wrong. For instance, Scripture does not condemn drinking alcohol—only getting drunk. But someone who is easily tempted by alcohol may put a “fence” around it and abstain from drinking entirely. For someone else, alcohol might be fine, or even helpful, as when Paul suggested a little wine to help Timothy’s stomach (1 Timothy 5:23). The danger is when we start putting our personal rules on the level of God’s laws. For the Pharisees, this meant condemning anyone who didn’t keep their rules. For some early Christians, however, reacting to such legalism led them to disrespect other people’s helpful personal rules and pushed such believers to ignore their consciences (1 Corinthians 8:7-13). Scripture calls us to recognize the difference between God’s laws and human rules, but also to respect the consciences of others on minor issues.

Exodus 20:8-10“Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work.”

Mark 2:27Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath.”

Luke 6:7-9The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees watched Jesus closely. If he healed the man’s hand, they planned to accuse him of working on the Sabbath. Jesus knew their thoughts. He said to the man with the deformed hand, “Come and stand in front of everyone.” So the man came forward. Then Jesus said to his critics, “I have a question for you. Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?”

Sometimes, the fences we build around God’s laws can block our view of the laws themselves. The Sabbath was meant to be a time of fellowship and worship—a time of pursuing good things that please God’s heart; it was not merely a day to avoid work. The Pharisees cared more about the letter of the law than about the people whom the Sabbath law was meant to help.

John 15:5“Yes, I [Jesus] am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.”

Galatians 3:3How foolish can you be? After starting your new lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort?

Galatians 5:16, 22-23So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. . . . But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

The Pharisees tried to perfect themselves. They built their lives around “spiritual stats,” yet the results were dry and lifeless. In contrast, as God’s people we are to build our lives around a living, breathing relationship with God. Praying, reading the Bible, and attending church are not ends in themselves—they are opportunities to invite God’s work in our hearts and lives. Without a true relationship with him, we will never grow to become like him, and we will never bear the fruit he desires.

Psalm 119:11I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

Hebrews 6:1So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don’t need to start again with the fundamental importance of repenting from evil deeds and placing our faith in God.

James 1:22Don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.

It is impossible to truly love someone without knowing them—their personality and their passions. But even if we have read a lot about someone and know about them thoroughly, it’s impossible to have a relationship with that person if we never acknowledge or interact with them. In the same way, we should desire to know God’s Word well and live it out so we can love God fully.

James 2:15-17Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.

1 John 4:19We love each other because he loved us first.

By growing and serving other people, we begin to practice living out Christ’s perfect love. Internal beliefs lead to love, and love is then demonstrated through external actions toward God and others. The more we practice loving others, the more brightly we will reflect God’s perfect love.

John 15:5“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.”

Romans 12:6-8In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.

1 Corinthians 3:5-7Each of us did the work the Lord gave us. I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow.

Sometimes we fall into a mindset of comparing ourselves to others to determine if our fruit is “good enough.” This is unhealthy in many ways. Each of us has been given different spiritual gifts, opportunities, and people in our lives—comparing the “fruit” our lives is like comparing apples to oranges. But worse, this focus on our accomplishments takes the focus away from God. He is our source, and without his guidance and power, we are nothing but dried branches and shriveled fruit. Our fruit is not meant to impress God and earn a relationship with him. Instead, our fruit comes as a natural result of that relationship.