By Mallory Mattingly
Atlanta Falcons running back Nathan Carter urged his social media followers to “keep your eyes on the cross, not on your performance.”
In a new post on Instagram, the athlete explained that we can never eliminate our sin on our own, but in Christ, we can overcome anything.
“Many people think that this is Christianity: follow the rules, keep the commandments, be good,” Carter wrote. “But we soon realize that the harder we try, the more we fail. Then, when we fail, we do ‘good things’ just to keep God from being mad at us. Sometimes, we ‘serve’ Him, not out of love, but out of fear. Deep down, we think that maybe our good deeds could cancel out our bad ones. But that’s not the gospel.”
Carter shared what a coach told him in training for the NFL Draft: “The moment you try harder to sprint faster, you’ll actually get slower.”
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“That’s exactly how it works in our walk with God,” he said. “The more we try to beat sin by our own effort, the more we fall. The more we try to will ourselves into righteousness, the more our weakness shows. Paul understood this. In Romans 7, he confessed that he kept doing the very things he didn’t want to do, and he couldn’t do the things he wanted to do (v.19). That tension, that battle…that’s the Christian life.”
We need to understand why Jesus died on the cross for us.
“God’s law was never meant to change our hearts. Its purpose was to reveal it. To show us our need for a Savior who could change us,” the running back wrote. “The answer isn’t trying harder. The answer is looking towards Jesus and His finished work on the cross.”
Carter then included a quote from pastor Tim Keller: “When we try to defeat sin by willpower, we lose. It’s a battle we can never win and simultaneously a battle we can never lose.”
“Never lose? Why? Because sin is already defeated. Death is already defeated. Jesus already won,” Carter said. “And now, for those in Christ, we are united with Him. Which means His victory is ours. His life is ours. His love is ours forever. This battle that we face, we can never win in our own strength. But in Christ, it’s a battle we can never lose.”
“And if today you feel like you’re falling more than you’re standing…don’t give up. Remember, the victory isn’t earned by your strength. It’s already secured in His,” he continued. “Keep your eyes on the cross, not your performance. Keep your hope in His strength, not your striving. And remember: even in your weakness, you are chosen, you are dearly loved, and you are already victorious in Him.”
Carter’s strong faith helps him stay focused on what really matters in life. Following last week’s tragic assassination of Charlie Kirk, he wrote, “Stay bold. Stay faithful. Don’t stop sharing the Gospel. Don’t stop talking about Jesus. Don’t stop being bold in your faith. Don’t stop loving. Don’t stop.”
Carter and the Atlanta Falcons face the Carolina Panthers this Sunday at 1:00 p.m. Carter looks to not only help his team but to proclaim the gospel to the millions of fans watching.
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