I am struck with the emphasis we are making today in regard to good behavior. There's nothing wrong with good behavior, of course, and the entire Bible describes God's standards for morality and righteousness. It's good to be good.
Where we find the rub, however, is in our persistent belief that we can produce such goodness...that somehow we can become good enough to satisfy God's requirements for morality and holiness. These requirements range from the severest prohibitions of immorality to the highest constraints toward noble magnanimity.
The question arises: Can we meet God's requirements? In other words, can we satisfy His standards? Keep in mind that we must be 100%, behaving with Christ-like purity, for it to count with God. We must, in essence, be perfect in avoiding the"do-not's", and in achieving the "must-do's" (of Scripture) to satisfy God's holy prescriptions.
The Bible is clear that none of us reach the divine level of performance that matches God's standards, even though some of us do considerably better than others. Our dilemma is that we achieve goodness only in comparison with others. We reflect only a "relative" righteousness, which does not comport with the ABSOLUTE righteousness of God. We have such high opinions of our own abilities and achievements. We have no idea how big God is.
Our inability to achieve holiness on our own requires God to give us what we do not have, and do for us what we cannot do. This is called "grace", which is manifested as mercy and forgiveness. Our inabilities must be forgiven. Being righteous means being cleansed, and cleansing comes from God. The Bible says that no amount of soap will enable us to cleanse ourselves. True righteousness is given, not achieved through human initiative.
So where is personal responsibility in all this? If we do not achieve righteousness by following the rules, does this mean we surrender to licentious or hateful behaviorf? Of course not. But the right thing we aspire to must be done in the right way, and that is by ackn0owledging God, not only as the Creator, but as the author and director of all good things. Only what God does pleases God. We are "righteous" only to the degree that we participate in His divine action and plan, and that is done ONLY by acknowledging God's greatness, confessing our inadequacy, and resting in His power.
Our commitment is to God, and not to self-generated goodness. The means for divine achievement is through God's mercy and forgiveness, made possible by the work of Christ. Appreciation for this mercy is a much greater motivator for behaving well than mere self-determined conformity to a code of conduct. Accessing mercy brings credit to God; self-motivated effort brings glory to self. What's more, we find in God's mercy the means to tapping into divine power, which makes righteousness a reality in Christian experience.
Where we find the rub, however, is in our persistent belief that we can produce such goodness...that somehow we can become good enough to satisfy God's requirements for morality and holiness. These requirements range from the severest prohibitions of immorality to the highest constraints toward noble magnanimity.
The question arises: Can we meet God's requirements? In other words, can we satisfy His standards? Keep in mind that we must be 100%, behaving with Christ-like purity, for it to count with God. We must, in essence, be perfect in avoiding the"do-not's", and in achieving the "must-do's" (of Scripture) to satisfy God's holy prescriptions.
The Bible is clear that none of us reach the divine level of performance that matches God's standards, even though some of us do considerably better than others. Our dilemma is that we achieve goodness only in comparison with others. We reflect only a "relative" righteousness, which does not comport with the ABSOLUTE righteousness of God. We have such high opinions of our own abilities and achievements. We have no idea how big God is.
Our inability to achieve holiness on our own requires God to give us what we do not have, and do for us what we cannot do. This is called "grace", which is manifested as mercy and forgiveness. Our inabilities must be forgiven. Being righteous means being cleansed, and cleansing comes from God. The Bible says that no amount of soap will enable us to cleanse ourselves. True righteousness is given, not achieved through human initiative.
So where is personal responsibility in all this? If we do not achieve righteousness by following the rules, does this mean we surrender to licentious or hateful behaviorf? Of course not. But the right thing we aspire to must be done in the right way, and that is by ackn0owledging God, not only as the Creator, but as the author and director of all good things. Only what God does pleases God. We are "righteous" only to the degree that we participate in His divine action and plan, and that is done ONLY by acknowledging God's greatness, confessing our inadequacy, and resting in His power.
Our commitment is to God, and not to self-generated goodness. The means for divine achievement is through God's mercy and forgiveness, made possible by the work of Christ. Appreciation for this mercy is a much greater motivator for behaving well than mere self-determined conformity to a code of conduct. Accessing mercy brings credit to God; self-motivated effort brings glory to self. What's more, we find in God's mercy the means to tapping into divine power, which makes righteousness a reality in Christian experience.
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