“But by His doing you are in
Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and
sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, “Let him who
boasts, boast in the Lord.”” (1 Corinthians 1:30 – 31).
Christ Jesus is our righteousness;
how do we understand this? What difference does it make? In one sense to answer
these questions is to attempt to contain an ocean in a teapot, but perhaps that
is just what we ought to attempt because the righteousness of God ought to
overwhelm us – if God’s righteousness, and the righteous of Jesus Christ, isn’t
overwhelming us it may just be that we are still walking along the seashore and
have yet to dive into the ocean. How many of us listen to the ocean, watch the
ocean, even allow the surf to wash over our feet as we walk along the seashore,
but have not yet truly entered the ocean and been immersed in its mystery,
beauty, awesomeness, and vastness?
Could it be that our reluctance
to use Biblical language, such as the designation of followers of Jesus Christ
as saints, is due in part to our reluctance to allow the majesty and mystery of
the righteousness of Christ Jesus, and the justification that He brings, to
wash over us and to envelop our hearts and minds and souls? In another letter
to these same Christians Paul writes, “Therefore, we are ambassadors for
Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of
Christ, be reconciled to God. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our
behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:20 – 21).
Perhaps the Corinthians were not
only seeking wisdom in their sectarian mindset, perhaps they were also seeking self-justification,
self-righteousness, self-sanctification, and their own self-generated
redemption? All of these are related to each other for they all seek to carve
out an identity of “self” apart from total dependence on Jesus Christ. What God
works to bring to “nothing” we have a propensity to maintain for in maintaining
what the Cross destroys we leave room for our self-centeredness and self-glory.
Is our righteousness to be found in our distinction from others? That is, is it
to be found in Paul, or Apollos, or Peter, or even in us thinking that we are
better than others because we especially belong to Christ? Is our righteousness
to be found in our heritage? In our doctrinal “distinctives”? In our music? Our
teaching and preaching?
Well, only the Holy Spirit and
God’s Word can reveal these things to us in the light of Jesus Christ; all the
more reason to seek Jesus Christ and Him alone, for as we seek Him and see Him
those things which are not of Him will be manifested and, hopefully, be seen
for what they are – vanity. If our vanities will not be allowed in heaven, why
do we tolerate them on earth?
Knowing Christ Jesus as our
righteousness frees us from the slavery of self-justification and allows us to
rest in Christ. Knowing Christ as our righteousness allows us to abide in the
Vine. (John 15:1 – 11; Hebrews 4:9; Romans 3:1 – 5:11).
Our society is caught-up in
appearances, seeking the approval of others, striving to be noticed – untold billions
of marketing dollars are annually spent seeking to appeal to our need to be
justified. Yet Jesus says, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and
I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find
rest for your souls. For My yoke is
easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28 – 30).
Are we learning that Jesus is our
righteousness? Are our souls at rest? Is my soul at rest?
What about your soul?
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