… not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law…
Summary: Righteousness can mean a lot of different things depending on whose righteousness you are talking about.
What happens if we have a righteousness of our own?
Many years ago, I worked for a man who claimed there was “no right or wrong—only shades of gray.” It was frustrating because this meant he was always “right” and I was always “wrong.”
If that sounds funny, it was—in a tragicomic way. The boss believed he defined right and wrong because he was the boss. He literally was “righteous” in his own eyes.
Did that satisfy him?
No.
He was not a happy man. He was talented and clever, pleasant to be around when he wanted to please, and as vicious as a snake when things didn’t go his way. Deep inside, his personal life was badly broken, but instead of acknowledging the brokenness, he plastered over his hurt by hurting others.
If we recognize that we are not the center of the universe, that is the first step toward seeing ourselves as part of a larger world.
When we discover that the world was created instead of being a cosmic accident, we begin to understand there is a Creator.
When we finally come to grips with the reality that the Creator sent us a message in the Bible, we discover that our God is a God of righteousness and love. The righteousness of God is a clear dividing line between right and wrong, called the Law. His love was seen when God sent his Son, Jesus, to become the perfect sacrifice under the law.
In biblical terms, a sacrifice is a payment for breaking the law. Because breaking the law means death, the death of a sacrifice symbolizes the cost of breaking the law.
In spiritual terms, death is eternal separation from God.
While the body lives, we can pretend that separation from God doesn’t matter, but it does. It is like my old boss pretending that his wrecked home life doesn’t matter as long as he can boss people around at work.
Eventually, even the boss has to go home. If we put ourselves first, all of us must confront the reality of being alone.
The tragedy of aloneness is that we carry the burden alone. The cure is admitting we don’t like it and then turning our face toward Jesus. When we depend on his righteousness instead of our own, everything is okay again.
Application: Don’t suffer alone. Turn to Jesus.
Food for Thought: How does loving others reflect Jesus’ righteousness?
How does loving others reflect Jesus’ righteousness?
Jesus righteousness is demonstrated to us by His death for our sins. He knew no sin, but became our sin so that we could be reunited in spirit with God.
2 Corinthians 5:21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might live and become the righteousness of God.
1 John 4:9
9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.
Romans 5:8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
In repenting and accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are His servants and strive to be more like Him. God has demonstrated that His will toward us is good, and Jesus has demonstrated that the Fathers will and His will are one in the same. In this we know that Jesus will is good, and by aligning our will with His, we demonstrate His righteousness.
What is His will?
That we should love God with our entire being and our neighbor as ourselves:
Matthew 22:37-39
37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
That we love each other:
John 13:34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.
That we abide in love, not in death:
1 John 3:14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death.
That love transforms us into His likeness:
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
That others will see Christ within us:
John 13:35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.
That our love reflects God’s love, as His love reflects God’s love:
1 John 4:10-11
10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
There is nothing about the love of Christ that can be called unrighteous. if we love as Christ loves, strive to be like Him, we reflect the righteousness of Jesus.
Thank you, Chris!
Excellent analysis and exposition of the power of Christ! 🙂
Thanks for your devotional. And great response CH. I love the verses and I believe your concluding paragraph was spot on.
Thanks, Rich!
It was a fun devotional to write, and I agree, Chris did a bang-up job! 🙂
Great Meditation and responses!
How does loving others reflect Jesus’ righteousness?
We are born as little, self centered beings, which some say is an internal survival mechanism. This world revolves around our being fed, cleaned, properly clothed for warmth, and being the center of attention. We must be taught to be nice and share with others, which we will do as long as it suits our personal goals and objectives. Some become quite good at this and go on to lead what the world views as successful lives.
As believers we also go through this physical transition from infant to adult, however at some point we receive and accept the Holy Spirits conviction of sin and begin true, eternal, spiritual life in Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God who takes up residence in our hearts.
It is by His power believers are transformed into spiritual beings with hearts finding serving God over ourselves brings peace and happiness. We receive eternal life and the Holy Spirit who is our power to actively extend the love of Jesus toward others.
We find ourselves serving our neighbors, showing compassion toward others, and forgiving others as we die to self and grow in Christ, and our acts of love receive honor, as we experience the joy that comes from living for Jesus. As we allow His will for our lives to have priority and become our will toward all mankind.
John 4:19, We love because he first loved us.
John 13:34, A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
John 13:35, By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.
Galatians 5:14, For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
2 Timothy 1:7, For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind.
Thank you, Ron!
I especially like the way you phrased this:
“As we allow His will for our lives to have priority and become our will toward all mankind.”
Well said!