“Most processed Christians believe that in ‘living the Christian life’ we must strive to be good, and we’ve done all we can, Christ will come too our aid and help us do the rest. This confused idea of obedience (partly by our own works and partly by His auxiliary power) forms the foundation for the life of many Christians today.
“Have you ever told you children to be good? Have you ever had someone say to you ‘Be good’ and you answered ‘I’ll try? Sound familiar, doesn’t it? We think that we’re supposed to do everything we can in our own power and then (where we fall short), God will make up the difference.
“Particularly in the ‘living the Christian life’ arena, we find it easy to fall into this pattern of trying to make ourselves do what we know we should. We grit our teeth and try to force ourselves to be obedient. And this ‘subsidy’ religion (subsidy sanctification) is actually a part of Babylon. It has been around for a long time, but it’s still Babylon.
“The good news comes when God’s people discover, through seeking Jesus, learning to know Him better, and coming into deeper, closer fellowship with Him, that He is the One who produces all of the righteousness! We don’t produce any of it! Therefore, He is the One who receives all the glory. We don’t receive any of it. – Morris Venden, Nothing to Fear: Devotions for the End Time, 1999, p. 44.
“This is my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” – John 15:8