Righteousness

3 years ago I became a disciple of Christ during an 8-month discipleship program called The Forge. (This story is coming...I promise!) I thought, coming into the program, that I absolutely was a Christian, and absolutely knew the Gospel. But it wasn't until I began actually studying the Word of God and lived in a community of intentional discipleship and teaching that I realized I was mistaken...I actually did not understand the Gospel and most certainly had not been living the life of follower of Jesus Christ.

My Forge class!

So once that truth sank in and the Lord revealed to me the mysteries of His Gospel, I immediately set my mind to learning how to "walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which (I) had been called" (Ephesians 4:1). I spent the remainder of my year at The Forge having hard conversations, repenting of past sin, welcoming refinement through fire (1 Peter 1:6-7) and attempting to walk in obedience in all manner of life. This went along with ups and downs, but overall fairly well (it always seems to when you're surrounded by love and encouragement from fellow believers 24/7) up until graduation, and I, along with my Forge brothers and sisters, left STOKED to live out of this deep understanding of the identity the Lord had given to us (1 Peter 2:9).

 The final days of the Forge, displaying the now understood identities for each of us individually!

Alas, there was one concept that I had a misconstrued definition of, and it took quite some time for me to realize and, more importantly, rewrite this error. The word I was mistaken about was

Righteousness. 

Unknown to myself at the time, I had a very worldly definition of this word, as I'm sure many of you can relate to. In short, to live righteously in my mind was to "do the right thing". Makes sense, right? This article gives a great example by comparing the world's definition of righteousness to our law enforcement. Police officers could care less why you obey the law, as long as you do, right? Simply do what is right, and you're good, you've lived a "righteous" life. But as the article goes on to explain, Christ redefined this definition of righteousness when he highlighted the heart and motivation behind the action in Matthew 5 during the Sermon on the Mount. It is here that Christ makes the bold claim,

"...everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Matthew 5:28) and "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.' But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment" (Matthew 5:21-22). 

It is here that He is demanding a transformation of the heart just as much as a transformation in actions. If Christ simply wanted obedience, He would have been satisfied with the Pharisees. But He wasn't. He demanded a righteousness that, quite honestly, within ourselves we are unable to fulfill. That is why Paul quotes Psalms 14 and 53 in the book of Romans, to highlight our inability to fulfill this righteousness on our own. "For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written, 'None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God'" (Romans 3:9-13).

Sounds kind of hopeless, doesn't it?

But, as we know, there is always hope in the Gospel. I found hope when I realized that my righteousness was not dependent on, nor defined by, my actions. Instead it is dependent on the already accomplished actions of Christ! "For as by one man's disobedience (Adam) the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience (Christ) the many will be made righteous" (Romans 5:19). I realized that when I became a disciple of Christ, I took on the identity of His holy people (1 Peter 1:14-16, 2:9), and now have been made righteous in the sight of God! Do you see? When the Lord now looks at me He does not see me as a sinner separated from Him, but because Christ walked in obedience (obedience even to death-Philippians 2:8) He now sees Christ and HIS righteousness in me! Whew. Talk about hope...and excitement....and relief. 

So to summarize all of this up, here is the truth that brings peace. I am righteous because the Lord calls me righteous, and now I am able to live out of that identity instead of striving to attain it. What a difference this makes, when we accept that we do not have to earn His salvation, love or mercy, but instead live our lives in obedience as an outflow of the identity He has mercifully placed upon us. Praise the Lord, o my soul. (Psalm 103)