Psalm 18:20 The Lord has delt with me according to my righteousness;
Stop and consider this statement. This has got to be either one of the most frightening thoughts, or one of the greatest revelations we could ever embrace.
All of us are comfortable with the saying; "Nobody is perfect", and to hear someone say; "I am righteous", makes everyone take 5 big steps backward because they don't want to be hit by the bolt of lightning after such an arrogant comment.
The one who makes this incredible statement is King David, you know; the one who was the young prodigy that killed the champion Goliath with just his sling-shot. Who killed a lion and a bear with his bare hands because he was protecting his father's sheep. The musical boy wonder who comforted King Saul in his times or depression. With such a resume it would be easy to say the the dude was righteous! But he was also the peeping-tom looking a woman bathing on her balcony... the one who committed adultery and got a woman pregnant... who lied and manipulated to have her husband killed to cover up his actions. How could he make such a statement? "Nobody is perfect" would seem to be a gracious statement for someone like this, but to say that he is righteous... Even hudreds of years later, after all of this has happened and recorded in history, David is known as: "a man after God's own heart." (Acts 13:22)
Either there is an explanation for this, or there was a huge mistake and contradiction. There is an explanation, it's called grace.
2 Corinthians 5:21 God made Him [Jesus] who had no sin to be sin for us [you and I], so that in Him [the work Jesus did] we might become the righteousness of God.
There can be no such things as people being righteous a part from grace, and you cannot accept grace and still be unrighteous... they are inseparable.
We seem to accept the fact that we can be shown grace, but feel awkward to even verbalize that we can be righteous. That's because many people view righteousness as something that we accomplish through good works. I am not righteous because of what I do, I am righteous because of the work Jesus did though His death... "in Him" I am righteous.
I'm not a sinner because I sin, but I sin because I'm a sinner. I'm not righteous because I do the right things, but I do the right things because I am righteous.
Galatians 2:21 I do not set aside teh grace of God for if righteousness comes through the law [effort/works], then Christ died in vain.
In order for me to see myself as righteous, I have to believe that I'm righteous because Jesus.
1 Corinthians 15:10 The Message But because God was so gracious, so very grenerous, here I am. And I'm not about to let His grace go to waste.
Imagine how different our lives can be when we live this life through this lens of truth. This truth is found only in Jesus Christ, and what He has done on our behalf.
It's now about trying to convince others of the fact that I'm righteous, but fully accepting His grace and believing the truth that I am righteous that will change my life.
God deals with me according to my righteousness that is in Christ Jesus. Regardless of what I or others may think, in God's eyes... I am righteous!
Hey Greg!
ReplyDeleteIt's been a while since Michelle and I had that great night hanging out at your place in December, but I just want to start off saying that it's one of the best memories I have from Christmas Break. I want to thank you again for making the two of us feel like family that night. Totally a blessing!
This passage that you begin with from the Psalms is truly one that does seem to strike fear. They are words that convict on the spot! They remind me of how God is all knowing. He knows my darkest moments. He knows my sinful thoughts. He knows when I fall short.
Yet, it also reminds me that, like you said, it is impossible to be considered righteous without God's grace. What David says in the next few verses is straight up bold! I mean, how could someone possible say that they have kept themselves from sin and been blameless before God! But, David must have known about God's grace. God's grace allowed him to be these things in God's sight. Amazing!
The knowledge of God's grace brings us hope and comforts us. It brings to my heart such thankfulness. It also leads me to genuine repentance and to a place of true worship. You put it beautifully that when we live our lives with this truth rooted deeply in us and look at things through a lens of truth our lives will be changed!
This topic of righteousness is something that I've been wrestling with recently. I'm in a class right now called "Biblical Wisdom." We've read through Proverbs and Ecclesiastes and now we're in the thick of Job. Job sure has been a challenging book to read. It kind of asks the same question of how righteous could this guy actually be? Job is so bold towards God and his friends, claiming that he is a righteous man and did not deserve the things that happened to him. He lists most every area of his life of significance and declares his innocence. Yet, through all of this boldness does not curse God. It makes me wonder if Job knew of God's grace, and if he did, what was his concept of it?
My class and I have yet to conclude the book of Job, and I cannot recall what the happens, so perhaps those questions will be answered.
Anyway, those were just some of my thoughts about what you wrote. God definitely did a work in my heart, big time! I was something I needed to hear and be reminded of! Blessings, brother! Have a great week!