The gospel does not flatter human effort. God’s pleasure in us is not measured by our usefulness, our productivity, or our performance. It is grounded solely and immovably in our acceptance in Christ. This is not a secondary point—it is the very foundation of Christian assurance, fruitfulness, and peace. To compromise here is to undermine justification itself.
The Fatal Error of a Utilitarian Mindset
Many believers are ensnared by a utilitarian view of the Christian life, imagining that God’s pleasure is a wage paid out for usefulness or good works. This is not a minor miscalculation; it is a fundamental error that breeds striving, fear of failure, and a gnawing lack of peace. When you believe God’s favor must be earned, you will never rest. You will serve a taskmaster, not a Father. This is not the gospel.
The parable of the prodigal son exposes this error. The father’s joy was not in the son’s usefulness—he had none left to offer. The father’s pleasure was in the restored relationship, in the son’s return. The son’s confession of unworthiness was met, not with a list of tasks to prove himself, but with a robe, a ring, and a feast.
“And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him… But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him… let us eat, and be merry: For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.” (Luke 15:20-24)
Acceptance in the Beloved: The Only Ground
Scripture is unambiguous: “He hath made us accepted in the beloved.” (Ephesians 1:6) Our standing before God is not the result of our works, but of Christ’s finished work. The blood of Christ has purged our conscience from dead works—those futile attempts to earn what can only be received by grace—so that we may serve the living God freely and joyfully.
“How much more shall the blood of Christ… purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Hebrews 9:14)
This is not a theoretical position. You are, right now, seated with Christ in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6). This is the unearned, unshakeable position of every believer. From this place of security, service becomes the overflow of acceptance, not the means to obtain it.
What Is Lost If We Accept the Error
If you accept the lie that God’s pleasure is tied to your usefulness, you forfeit the very peace and security Christ purchased for you. You trade sonship for servitude, inheritance for wages, and joyful gratitude for anxious striving. The utilitarian mindset collapses the doctrine of justification by faith, replacing it with a system of merit that can only produce burden and fear. It is not a harmless mistake—it is a denial of the covenantal promise and a rejection of the Father’s heart.
The Fruit of Grace: Joyful Overflow, Not Obligation
When the prodigal returned, the father prepared a feast. That feast is Christ Himself. Fruitfulness in the Christian life is not the result of anxious labor, but of feasting on Christ—enjoying Him, being satisfied in Him. Good works are not burdensome tasks to earn favor; they are the natural overflow of a heart established in grace.
The parable of the eleventh-hour laborers (Matthew 20:1-16) further destroys the myth of merit. Those who labored only an hour received the same reward as those who bore the heat of the day. God’s pleasure is not distributed according to the measure of our usefulness, but according to His sovereign grace and generosity.
The Only Pleasing Response: Faith and Thanksgiving
Paul’s testimony is decisive: “…that I may win Christ, and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ…” (Philippians 3:8-12). He counts all things loss for the excellency of knowing Christ. He does not strive for acceptance; he pursues deeper enjoyment of the One who has already made him accepted.
“But without faith it is impossible to please him…” (Hebrews 11:6)
It is not your usefulness that pleases God. It is your faith in His Son, your enjoyment of the feast He has prepared, and your gratitude for the acceptance you have in Christ. From this place, good works abound—not as currency for God’s favor, but as the joyful fruit of a conscience cleansed by the blood.
Cast Aside the Yoke of Striving
Reject the utilitarian mindset. Refuse the burden of earning what Christ has freely given. Grow in the knowledge of your acceptance. Let your heart be filled with thanksgiving. Service, fruitfulness, and joy will follow—not as obligation, but as the inevitable overflow of grace.
Anything less is not Christianity. Anything else is a return to law and bondage. Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ has made you free.
Verses Referenced
- Luke 15:20-24 – The father’s joy in the prodigal’s return
- Ephesians 1:6 – Accepted in the beloved
- Hebrews 9:14 – Conscience purged from dead works
- Matthew 20:1-16 – The eleventh-hour laborers
- Ephesians 2:6 – Seated with Christ in heavenly places
- Philippians 3:8-12 – Righteousness by faith, not law
- Hebrews 11:6 – Without faith it is impossible to please Him
