FAKE RIGHTEOUSNESS

For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified.  Romans 2:13

            Paul needs to make it clear to the Jews that they can not be secure about eternity just because they are, by birthright, God’s chosen people.  He was once like them; reciting pedigree, education, and his impressive generational line.  He thought himself a notch above Gentiles.  He belonged to the people who were given the Mosaic Law and he, like most Jews, spent vast amounts of time in the temple reading it, studying it, and memorizing it.  This boosted pride and a false sense of security.  It all came crashing down on the road to Damascus when Jesus revealed that Paul was actually persecuting Him, amidst such holy performances in the company of Pharisees.

            None who just ‘know’ the Bible are secure.  Christian education does not a Christian make.  Extra credit can not be earned with God for intellectually knowing His Word.  The foundation of justification is an acknowledgment of sin and trusting in Jesus for salvation by faith alone.  The ‘doers’ of the law Paul refers to are those who refuse to perform, those whose behavior is an outgrowth of a heart change wrought by Calvary. 

            Performance has always plagued the church.  We can fool men, and since men are the ones standing in front of us with skin on, the agenda of our perceived need for respect can dictate the need for one sterling performance after another.  The only problem is this ~ God is King and Judge and his criterion is the only one that matters.  He condemns the self-righteous.  If men are fooled, the payoff is a short window of time where we are held in high esteem for our appearance of holiness.  What a price is paid.  At the end of a brief life, we hear God say, “Depart from me.  I never knew you.”

            To abandon the need to impress others and God, I need to be humble.  I agree to play by God’s rules.  He judges me by my heart, not by my deeds.  He knows if what I do today is fueled by love for Him, by habit, or by my need to look good.  He reads my thoughts, every one, and sees my cobweb of mixed motives.  Daily, they are entangled.  Daily, I cry out to God to help me sort them out so that I can deal with my sin and my love for Him, all at the same time.  Searching my heart is what He does best and what He has promised to those who ask.   

Nothing qualifies me to be yours except what Jesus did for me.  I bring nothing to the table except my trust and my faith.  It’s all about You, Lord.  Amen