True Righteousness

     Since my last entry I've been giving a lot of thought to the concept of Righteousness. Not as in the common street vernacular of "he's a righteous dude" but rather the sense of right-standing one has with God that has been bestowed as a free gift. It's the great theme of the New Testament, yet probably remains one of the hardest concepts I have ever tried to wrap my own head around. For over forty years I have parroted the phrase, "I am the righteousness of God in Christ!" as if I had a full understanding of the height, depth and width of its meaning. The older I get and the more I continue to meditate on the subject, I have to admit the less I comprehend this amazing provision and its theological perspective. Why would I say something like that? After all these years of study, schooling, practical application and ministry... one might suppose that it would become all the more clear. In some ways it has, but the journey has taken much time. The reason I unashamedly give admission to this personal matter is because, though I have claimed this truth, I have continued to try and earn good standing with God, as so many are taught to do in fundamental religious circles and denominations. In spite of this glorious truth we confess with our lips, along with the rest of Christendom, there remains an underlying distrust of its foundational tenet as spoken by God Himself.
     This is most distressing when we consider the fact that what the scriptures claim God is seeking from us is FAITH, which some Bible translations define as "absolute assurance or confident trust" regarding his promised provisions. Humanity has never really been all that great at putting their faith in God. Our history has been more about us running scared than standing firm in absolute assurance or confident trust. The book of Romans is clear in chapter 3 where the Apostle Paul clarifies the condition of the human heart from God's perspective regarding this matter. The Living Bible puts it this way, "...all men alike are sinners, Jew and Gentile... No one is good - no one in all the world in innocent. No one has ever really followed God's paths, or even truly wanted to. Every one has turned away; all have gone wrong. No one anywhere has kept on doing what is right, not one. ...and they have never known what it is to feel secure or enjoy God's blessing. They care nothing about God or what he thinks of them." In so many conversations I've had through the recent years on this premise, I am responded to with a lot of, "Yes... but... "
     The thought of God putting all of humanity in the same boat, so that he can show mercy upon all alike, is not appreciated by many in Christian circles, or so it appears. When our religious denominations or affiliations hold us to a standard of performance, observances and works to maintain or uphold righteousness, it creates a false sense of security that can only be measured against ourselves. This is one of the most critical issues facing the church today. The false sense of security created by this notion is repetitively addressed by the Apostle Paul in his letters to the newly established churches in the region. It was obvious by his content and intent that there were people infiltrating the Body of Christ with unscrupulous and false teachings about "true righteousness." One might think the bearers of such unwelcomed news may have sounded something like this, "...of course we believe in salvation by grace through faith! HOWEVER... there are things we MUST DO to ensure we don't lose it!" What usually follows is a list of house rules as long as a roll of toilet paper that have to be upheld according to the scrutiny of some over-seeing religious umpire chomping at the bit to wield "spiritual authority" and disqualify us from the prize. (Another topic altogether!)
     It has occurred to me that any attempts at better securing a lasting divine provision though external activities, observations, religious rigor, rules, regulations, etc. is as deeply inordinate as assuming that, by putting on a dress, wig and high heels, a man can be transformed into a woman. Although I have applied a bit of levity to the matter, it should resonate with a greater sense of how genuinely preposterous it is to be self-assured that our feeble and fleshly religious efforts can manufacture the outcomes that only faith in God's grace was meant to secure. As I see it, only faith in Christ can result in the gift of applied grace and transforming righteousness that makes a fallen humanity into beloved children of God. Confidence in the promise of God to do ALL he has responsibly committed to accomplish on our behalf, including the ultimate end of bringing us lovingly to himself for an eternity of rest and peace is the only hope for us all. So easy... yet we resist... we run... we hide... we appeal by sacrificial offerings of promises and vows to "be good" or "try to do better." It's all unnecessary and does nothing to make the provision of God's everlasting love more secure or safe.
     We should thank God daily that he is our Great Shepherd and we shall lack no good thing. Every need he fully and responsibly supplies, starting with an on-going right relationship. Even the "faith" required of us to appropriate this gift is the byproduct of the Holy Spirit's indwelling presence. We can rest in the peace that passes understanding, assured that a "righteousness from God, apart from law, has been revealed... this righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe... there is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." (Rom. 3)
Well said, brother Paul...
     But I must ask before I sign off... do we really believe these words? Do we read such passages, take a breath and "WISH" that it were true, as written? Or do we close the book and act like a man who has just looked into a mirror only to walk away and forget what he looks like? Are we desiring of such right-standing and favor with God, yet fearing that, due to the trappings of everything that makes us human, resign ourselves to a misconception that only in another life can such a relationship be realized? Do we continue to make promises to try harder, do better, pray more, go to church more, or faulter less in hopes of striking a deal with God to better soothe our inner guilt and secure our eternal outcome? So many of us do... and none of it is necessary, much less helpful. (AS IF OUR PROMISES TO GOD CAN ACCOMPLISH MORE THAN GOD'S PROMISES TOWARD US!!) Beloved, we are instructed in the New Testament to understand, "faith IS the victory." Faith is sufficient for receiving the on-going right standing from God we so desperately need. As our Sovereign Lord, Redeemer, Savior, Justifier and Sacrifice, he is also quite capable of KEEPING you in his loving care. John points out so clearly regarding the righteousness we lovingly abide in when he said, "Beloved, NOW we are the children of God." It doesn't get any more real or secure than that. Trust God's view of a RIGHTEOUS YOU! In other words, have faith...

Drink Deeply

Like Him or Not...

I have to admit that when initially coming to faith in Christ, the kind of information overload that can be dumped upon the minds of serious followers is massive. And it continues for years and years to come. One can see the repeated trends in Christian teachings come full circle and take on new names, while the basic content remains the same. I've seen much of this throughout the course of my forty years as a Christian. Basic doctrines like justification by grace through faith, righteousness, resurrection of the dead, etc. are foundational and should be learned soon after conversion. There are, however, teachings that some consider foundational that continue to circulate throughout the body of Christ that are based in truth, but can lead to error by causing people to take their eyes off of more important matters that are valuable to maintain. I would like to address one of these doctrines and weigh in on its values and pitfalls. That doctrine is called "Identification." The Apostle Paul was probably the most profound writer on this topic and his revelation on this issue is direct and powerful, helping believers understand the position we have all been given to share in our relationship to God in Christ. His teaching of all that Christ accomplished on our behalf is more than insightful, truly amazing and should fill us with awe, inspiration, wonder and joy till the day we lay down this body and into step into our eternal reward. Paul's insights give us clarity regarding matters of being saved by faith and not by works of the Law, being buried with Christ through baptism and thereby clothed in Christ and freed from sin's power, breaking barriers of former identities such as Jew or Greek, male or female, slave or free. He declares that through faith in Christ we are now Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise, not slaves, but beloved children. He states that Christ has made us free from the drudgery of obligations to religious laws, ceremonies, rules, regulations and shallow observances. We learn that in God's perspective we have (in Christ) also been crucified, buried and resurrected to new life where we now live in heavenly places, hid with Christ in God. From the writer of the book of Hebrews we learn that "...by the same sacrifice offered for our sins (which shall avail for all time) Christ has forever completely cleansed and perfected those who are consecrated and made holy." (Amplified) What powerful position of life and understanding we have inherited through this amazing love of God in Christ. It is no wonder that we can become overwhelmed by the content. We are truly new creatures and have been showered with more than forgiveness... which would have been enough. These realities are so foreign to our former view of life that, when considered, it can almost short-circuit our brain's capacity to grasp what it all means. This is exactly the problem I wish to address. In the Old Testament we are told in Micah 6:8 "He has showed you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, and to love kindness and mercy, and to humble yourself and walk humbly with your God?" By our own human nature, we are NOT given to the things that God desires or requires of us. Even when we come into the glorious new nature of Christ in us. Therefore we must learn to "identify" with what God has done within each of us. Yet never at the exclusion of our humanity. The teachings of "Identification" appear to call for us to abandon ourselves to the more glorious and higher truth of who we are in Christ. 2 Cor. 5:17 "When someone becomes a Christian he becomes a brand new person inside. He is not the same any more. A new life has begun!" What Christ follower would read such a profound verse and not want to gain greater understanding of what it means? Therefore we embrace such ideas "hook, line and sinker" (as they say in the Midwest) and without looking back, we run forward with such profound teaching unaware of HOW or WHY we take hold to begin with. Considering some of the issues that many of us deal with, when facing the problems of this world we live in, who wouldn't want to exchange this mundane life for something radically polar in substance and outcome? At a glance it appears easy, and who would argue it being honorable? However, what often happens is that, after embracing the "truth" we discover in this exchanged life, we lose touch with the humanity we continue to abide in, as well as the struggles others face by being simply human. The charge upon us to strive for such noble ideals as "perfection, holiness, victory, sanctification, purity, etc." all truly have a place in our heart and lives, but very possibly in a different light or dimension than we are often taught how to reach for. There is even something within us that will take on this new self at the expense of leaving others behind. Not as in leaving behind those whose lives and habits have held destructive power over our own, but even those within the fold that are not yet fully understanding of their relationship to this new position in Christ. We are very much capable of a desire to appropriate all these good things to the degree that those around us looking on become condemned for not holding the same standard of methods and mannerisms that we have embraced in this new light of living in "victory, sinlessness, holiness, purity, sanctification, etc." The thrill of rising above that which makes us human becomes so over-powering of everything else in life that even our conversation becomes clouded to others as we enlarge our vocabulary of "Christian-ese" and speak in terms that even many Christians don't fully comprehend. As we continue to live with the desire to clothe ourselves literally in these truths of a "new reality," an inward anxiety also begins to grow exponentially through the fear that we might not live up to the expectations of such lofty ideals in God's eyes, those who lead us, and even ourselves. This is why it can be spiritually destructive and create the opposite of what was set as the initial goal. It becomes a work, an obsession, a means of gaining God's and others attention. More often than not, it takes on a presumption that God can be confined to an easy five or six step method for accomplishing things we deem necessary or important. This is a HUMAN error, not one based on living according to TRUTH by faith. From my forty plus years of living in various denominational environments, I have come to conclude that all the attempts to live "above sin, victoriously, perfect, holy, sanctified and identified" have proven to be a breeding ground for pride, self-deception, self-righteousness, arrogance, condescension, envy, strife and many other evil workings. It's not that the doctrines are wrong, but the motives we often use to embrace such truth is not grounded in anything higher than our human desire to be better than others. And unfortunately, that is often the underlying motive of those teaching it to others. The religious world is competitive and some people in it want an "edge" that will give them some pious credibility of superiority. I've seen people so filled with the need to be superior that any kind of mask they could use to deceive others from the truth about who they really are was fair game. Sadly, RELIGIOUS circles promote this kind of activity and uphold the necessity for such pretentious behavior to thrive in their environments. One of the most basic human needs we struggle to attain and hold on to at any cost is belonging. Human beings NEED to belong to a community, a group, a social status, a family, or a person. Being fallen creatures, I believe our sense of needing to belong is rooted in the fact that we are, by sin, separated from God. This was where our belonging was originally rooted and established. Nothing could have been better or more secure. Having lost that, we are left to find a replacement elsewhere regardless of the error or dysfunction. Many people try and fill this need by "going to church" or "doing good works" that makes them FEEL as though they have reconnected to God or just makes them worthy of belonging to a community. Period. Religious people are all around us, and sometimes it's hard to know the genuine article from the phony. The sheep from the goats, so to speak. Religious groups will give us bits and pieces of the truth, or total falsehood, and require us to regard their ideas as the standard for living, with the clergy and a few select "pillars" of the congregation as the perfected examples in leadership to emulate. Many take these matters seriously because of a need to BELONG and to do what is right and good before God and man. Some just do what is necessary to fit in. But in time, we can be assured that we will become seriously disillusioned as those we are upholding as mentors, examples and leaders will ultimately fail in maintaining these required conditions with the perfection they demand of those in their charge. Adding to the disillusionment we experience from such cases is often the discovery that, rather than sincerely trying to walk in such lofty realities of the Christian life, those in leadership over us found it easier to maintain a life of pretense, not aware that such an approach would ultimately fall like a house of cards. And rightly so. It is also sad when, after trying with all our might to walk in the prescribed methods and designs that are assured to produce the positive spiritual results, we find ourselves deficient or failing. Nothing is then more personally crushing than to discover that we cannot divulge our inability without a repercussion of discipline that is more severe than necessary. No mercy, no love, no grace. Just the ominous feeling of personal failure added to the self-imposed false notion that others "do it better" than you do. As I mentioned earlier in this article, I am not against the doctrine of "Identification" whatsoever, and am grateful to have embraced the significant understanding of all God has created me to be. I am against the fact that, when these doctrines are showcased and taught, we are often encouraged to disengage from our humanity and falsely led to believe that somehow we are meant to live above it, or separated from it, if we want success. Nothing could be further from the truth. It is not a sin to be human. It is not a sin to have basic human needs and desires. Our short-comings, failures, sins and frailty are met head-on by a God who created us, loves us, knows EXACTLY what we are capable of good and bad choices, and has provision for our lives on every level. Because our new life is in Christ, the conditions for success is not in our DOING, rigorous discipline, self-abasement or asceticism, but in our CONFIDENCE that it is God within us working to will and do His good pleasure! For some reason as old as history itself there is a divisive element in religious thought that drives us to believe that being human is bad and that God wants us to be something else. The Bible teaches that it's the HEART of man that is desperately wicked, and that is exactly what God has dealt with through the sacrifice of Christ. He even knows that because of our connection to the flesh, which will ultimately die, the former desires and things that drive an unregenerate nature (abiding within our unchanged mind and memory) still wars within us to follow its demands. And even when we DO follow the wrong impulse and sin, there is a provision for continued cleansing and forgiveness, without condemnation. God is good. God doesn't want us to be trapped in an ongoing spiral of religious rigors and demands that are, more often than not, self-empowered and only ultimately serve to make us self-absorbed. A life of faith gives us peace that passes understanding ONLY when it rests in the fact that the work in us is finished. We ARE perfect, holy, sanctified, righteous, justified, etc. even when we are at our worst. It is in our weakness that His strength is made perfect. The defining moment of clarity for all of this can be arrived at when we recognize that God's reality and perception is all that matters. If he says we are justified, then we are. If he says we are righteous, then we are. If he says we are perfect, then we are, or holy, then we are, or sanctified, etc. etc. Just like Abraham before us, we accept God at his word and agree with it. If, by our actions, we show ourselves to be less than that, we accept his promise of no condemnation and his provision to cleanse us of our unrighteousness. We accept by faith that this is real, in SPITE of what we don't see. Rather than strive with the anxiety producing pretense that you are living in a place of glorious "god life" that keeps you somehow victoriously "above" the common pitfalls and failures of others, accept the fact that we ALL have our own load of oppressive moral faults, and bear one another's burdens with gentleness and without superiority. Create a place of SAFETY for those around you who are growing in grace and continually WIN them with the LOVE of GOD that has been shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. "Identification" should be with both God AND man, just like Jesus showcased, and never at the expense or the exclusion of either. We must belong to God AND belong to one another. How do we do this? DO JUSTLY, LOVE KINDNESS and MERCY, and WALK HUMBLY before God. People can IDENTIFY with this FAR more easily than they ever will thrive in an environment that demands a standard of "victory, holiness, sanctification, perfection, sinlessness, etc." When you get it wrong... admit it. Others will IDENTIFY with your example that God is forgiving and kind, loving, merciful and just. Plus, it will keep us IDENTIFIED with the truth of why being loving and humble and forbearing with one another's humanity is so valuable here on earth while we abide in this mortal flesh. Let your life be a continual reminder that we are identified with the LOVE of God on every level. Trust in the Lord, and not in yourself. 1 John 4:18 "We need have no fear of someone who loves us perfectly; His perfect love for us eliminates all dread of what He might do to us. If we are afraid, it is for fear of what he might do to us, and shows that we are not fully convinced that He really loves us." Drink deeply...