Still Playing the Old Game?

Privately seeking perfection is nothing new. It’s an ancient game.

Adam and Eve chose the tree of the knowledge of good and evil over the tree of life—performance over relationship. When God called Zechariah to stir His people to rebuild the temple after sixteen years of dormancy, some tried to do it by sheer will, wealth, and strength. But God made it clear:
“Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,” (Zechariah 4:6).

The older prodigal thought he deserved more than his wild younger brother because he stayed and served. The Pharisee in Luke 18 believed his religious record gave him status above the tax collector.

In Romans 3, the Jews—when confronted with their sin—asked, “What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew?” as if status or heritage could still earn them favor.

This ancient instinct to earn salvation and rack up spiritual brownie points runs deep.

So—where are you?
Still playing the old game?
Still chasing God’s favor through grit instead of grace?
Still living from the tree of good and evil—right vs. wrong—instead of the tree of life—Christ Himself?

We’ve been lied to so often that grace feels suspicious.
Like it’s too good to be true.
So we whisper in our hearts, “What’s the catch?”

But here’s the truth: there is no catch.
Just Jesus.
No formulas. No ladders to climb. Just a relationship.

So why are we still secretly trying to earn what He already gave?

Strong Blessings,
Cedric
Tradionalwriter@yahoo.com