No Condemnation

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those
who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1

If God announces the gift of righteousness apart from 
works, why do you keep mourning over your bad works 
your failures? Do you not see that it is because you still
have hopes in these works of yours that you are depressed
and discouraged by their failure? If you truly saw and be-
lived that God is reckoning righteous the ungodly who 
believe on Him, you would fairly hate your struggles to
be "better;" for you would see that your dreams of good
works have not at all commended you to God, and that
your bad works do not at all hinder you from believing
on Him--that He justifies the ungodly. 

Therefore, on seeing your failures, you should say, I am
nothing but a failure; but God is dealing with me on 
another principle altogether than my works, good or bad--
a principle not involving my works, but based only on the
work of Christ for me. I am anxious, indeed, to be pleasing
to God and to be filled with His Spirit; but I am not at all
justified, or accounted righteous, by these things. God, in
justifying me, acted wholly and only on Christ's blood-
shedding on my behalf. 

I had justification from God as a sinner, not as a saint! 
My saintliness does not increase it, nor, praise God, do 
my failures decrease it! William R Newell

Reader, it is almost impossible for us to move from a works
based religion to a faith based justification by the work of
Christ on the cross. Every world religion is based on merit
through works, but not Christianity. If we are IN Christ
there is nothing more to be done to be good in God's eyes.
Oh, that we would be free from legalism that binds!