“Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?”
Faith saved you, not rules. Too many times in our zeal to please Christ, we become overly focused on religious activities and forget that we grow spiritually by what God does in us by His Spirit, and not simply by how well we “follow the rules.” Yes, God wants us to attend church, to fellowship with other believers, and to follow His plan for holy living. Doing these things helps us to be good witnesses, and hopefully they help us to experience personal growth, but don’t let them replace the work of the Holy Spirit in your life.
We can never earn God’s love. Trying to do so only gets us off track by putting the focus on ourselves instead of on Jesus. You cannot earn a degree in holiness by how many hours you commit. Instead, you can thank God for His gifts of salvation and holiness by living according to His plan. If you mess up, repent and ask God for forgiveness. Believe that He’s still working on you.
Gifts are given, not earned
“Heavenly Father, I thank You for giving me the gift of Your Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit. I have been made holy by the Spirit and not by my flesh or any activity. Faith saved me and faith draws me closer to You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”