While in college John Ortberg had to attend mandatory chapel services. 

They had assigned seating. It was a clever format. After all, since the services were mandatory, and since the students had assigned seating, it was easy for the monitors to see who was (or wasn’t) in attendance.

During one of the semesters a controversy broke out. Someone learned that students were seated according to their S.A.T. scores! Those who scored higher were seated near the front and those who scored lower were seated near the back! Just imagine how the students felt as they looked around.

This is sometimes how we think about God—that he either accepts us or rejects us based on our performance. Not our academic performance, but our moral performance. We can also conclude that God’s posture toward us is based on how we measure up to others.

You might be surprised to hear this, but our standing with God is in fact based on performance. But the good news is that it is based on Jesus’ performance, not our own! It is rooted in what he has done, not on what we have done. 

His righteousness gets credited to us.
His faithfulness gets credited to us.
His goodness gets credited to us. 

Should we live good lives? Should we love others, share the truth, and be generous? Of course. After all, God’s Spirit lives within us and we are called to be the hands and feet of Christ in a hurting world. But when it comes to our standing with God, that is based on what Jesus has done, not on what we have done.

In Romans 5:19 Paul writes: “For as by the one man’s disobedience [Adam’s] the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience [Christ’s] the many will be made righteous.” In the next chapter, he continues: “the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

Today, as you think about God, and as you are tempted to compare yourself with the people around you, remember that eternal life is a free gift; Christ has earned it on your behalf.

The most important thing in your life has already been taken care of by Jesus on the cross. If you belong to him, be thankful, and be at peace.

Notes:
-New Podcast Episode and Blog: “Short one-line prayers from the Bible to help you pray without ceasing.” Click here.
-*John Ortberg, All the Places You Go (Tyndale House Publishers, 2015), 21.
-The Up Devotional is published 5 days a week (Monday-Friday) and returns on December 8, 2025.
-Bible quotes are from the ESV.