He saved us … not because of righteous things we had done …
Summary: Knowing why God saves us is important. Knowing why he should not save us is also important.
Why did God redeem his Creation? Why go to the trouble of squeezing into a human body and living as a human being for a few short years? Why did he let the humans he created kill him?
Each of these questions represents a major theme in Scripture. There are many more, but one you do not see is the righteousness of man. There is a reason that the Jeopardy game show never had a category called “Righteous Things People Have Done.”
As Paul wrote in his letter to the Romans, “There is no one righteous, not even one.” (Romans 3:10) Paul was actually echoing Solomon. Centuries before he wrote, “Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous, no one who does what is right and never sins.” (Ecclesiastes 7:20)
So let us agree that outside of Jesus, no human has led a completely righteous life. (Does anyone want to argue that point?) But what about the things we have done? Has anyone done something good enough to be considered righteous? Do we know what that even means?
The underlying concept of righteousness in the biblical sense is one of being acceptable to God. The Jews understood this to mean doing things in accordance with the Mosaic Laws. This kind of thinking led to the belief that God was more interested in what people do than why they do it.
When Jesus arrived, people had a chance to ask God questions, but they did not like the answers. God, it turns out, was more interested in what goes on in the heart than how well we follow rules. That is what makes doing something righteous by God’s standard so difficult. Whose motives are pure by God’s standards?
The idea that we humans should be saved because of the righteous things we have done is laughable on its face. Name one righteous thing anyone has done that meets God’s standards. (This is not to say that some deeds are not righteous by human standards. But then, we are not God.) Yet Paul’s suggestion goes further: what one righteous thing could a person do that would justify saving us despite the lifetime of unrighteous things we have done?
Why did God provide for our redemption? We know it was not because of our inherent goodness. Unlike God, we cannot see evil and not be tainted by it. Whatever reason God had for saving us, it was not because we are good.
Application: Understanding why God did not save us is as important as understanding why he did.
Food for Thought: Can a righteous person even admit that they are righteous? If they do what happens to their righteousness?
There seems to be a righteousness that is ours before Christ in our life. There also is a righteousness that is supposed to be ours after Christ in our life. Christ in my life makes all the difference.
Anon –
Amen to that! Christ is our righteousness. Yet for some reason people still try and stand on their own righteousness.
If someone were truly righteous they could admit it as it is telling the truth. Of course, if they do that to brag they are no longer righteous 😉. And of course, besides Jesus there has been no righteous person. Jesus showed His righteousness to show the unrighteousness their need for Him. If someone claims to be righteous they are in great danger as they don’t know of their great need. If someone acknowledges their unrighteousness and depends on Gods provision of His righteousness and mercy then there is life. I know this is Christianity 101. But sometimes that is exactly what we need. Luke 18: 9 – 14.
Rich,
Thank you! It is an interesting conundrum, isn’t it? The Luke passage refers to be ‘justified before God.’ This is not a righteousness of works but one that is granted to the recipient as an honorarium rather than something earned. In that sense, it very much represents the righteousness we have in Christ.
Can a righteous person even admit that they are righteous? If they do what happens to their righteousness?
Years ago, I was walking down a main aisle in a factory and my legs just stopped working. I collapsed onto the floor, and no matter how hard I tried, I could not make my legs work. My mind was clear, I was calm and felt no pain of any kind but my legs did not work. Slowly I began to receive control of my legs and I got up and walked to my office. I remember lots of people coming in, asking if I was ok and telling me to go see a doctor.
All I could think of was how powerful and involved with every detail of all creation our God is, without Him nothing works. He is the power making my heart beat, my lungs breath, my entire body function and I can’t get off the floor without Him. So, would I ever claim to be righteous, absolutely not. He will use me to show His Righteousness, I am positionally righteousness in Christ but of myself I am nothing.
Genesis 11:1,4, 1 Corinthians 1:29, 10:12, Romans 3:10
We are all born into complete bondage to sin, unable to produce any sort of righteousness on our own. Isaiah says that our attempts to produce righteousness on our own are disgusting in the eyes of God. If I choose to modify my behavior to stop using certain language or attend church services every Sunday, tithe, etc. These would actually be self-righteous acts because the real motivation is not fruit of conviction of the Holy Spirit, but to simply live a lie to appear more righteous to myself and others.
Romans 3:9-12, Isiah 64:6
We must accept our sinful condition, know we are completely incapable of changing our hearts and in humility repent as we lay all we are at the feet of Jesus. When we turn from trying to produce righteousness and begin to simply trust in the Holy Spirit to change our hearts, He will make us righteous in the eyes of God. We live knowing God’s righteousness is not earned, it is a gift from God, His righteousness through exchange, Christ takes on our sin, and we are declared righteous in God’s sight.
1 John 1:9, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Psalm 23:3, Romans 3:21-24, 5:9
Ron,
That is an amazing story. Thank you for sharing it. It is a great illustration of our dependance on God.
Have not thought of that for years. God knows how to talk with each of us in the most effective manner for the individual.
Blessings,
Ron
Yeah. I guess you might say he got the “drop” on you. 🙂