In the path of righteousness there is life, in walking its path there is no death.
Proverbs 12:28
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Psalm 23:3b
But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
Amos 5:24
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Matthew 5:6
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:10
Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. I can testify that they have a zeal for God, but it is not enlightened. For, being ignorant of the righteousness that comes from God, and seeking to establish their own, they have not submitted to God’s righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.
Romans 10:1-4
As I thought about the word “righteousness” and a few representative passages that speak about it, I am reminded that to discover righteousness as a part of us is best not a labor of burdensome attempts at self-improvement, but glorious thanksgiving in the context of continuing and ongoing daily relationship with Christ as Lord. Following Jesus always challenges us to a high road of action and attitude. His righteousness becomes ours as we acknowledge our sin and confess it and repent of it and receive his forgiveness. Jesus made possible a perfect righteousness before God that we alone could never achieve. In Christ, we live in the provision of his amazing love and grace. In his mercy, we discover and follow the way of life. He is our righteous and wondrous Savior.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Measuring Progress
Making progress is difficult to measure in certain contexts. It is easy to see the progress of construction of a house or business or church building. On the other hand it is another thing to size up the changes in a person’s personality, behaviors, mental and spiritual development. Tests have long provided attempted measures of cognitive development, testing groups of individuals over time on the same or similar material to validate learning progress.
But where does one get a handle on how well a person has understood and responded to the spiritual disciplines? How do we measure the validity of change, if the changes require continuous observation over time? What the apostle Paul suggested was the capacity of each person to evaluate themselves in light of their own choices. While some self-indulgent types might attempt to deny negative choices when they were apparent in an attempt to avoid criticism, it stands to reason that they still know what they did. Yet there must be a greater measuring standard.
The New Testament offers the model of Jesus as the highest standard for our self-analysis, with the equally compelling reminder that God knows the heart of every person. There is no gaming God. There is no cheating divine knowledge. Pretenders don’t stand a chance of “getting by” the one who made them and gave them capacity for life.
Our progress will ultimately be a measure of humility in confession and repentance. Our ultimate benefit will be experienced in the forgiveness made possible by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross for our sins. Understanding our sinfulness makes possible the confession of faith in our Savior and Lord.
Progress for human beings will by every measure be a gift from God. Our willingness to receive such a gift begins in the open heart and open mind that understand sin for what it is…the destroying divide between the present life apart from God and the eternal and abundant life made possible through faith in Jesus.
The measure of the progress we are making toward the future as God has promised is the measure of our trust and obedience in following Christ. Our peers will observe much in the manner of choices we make, in the measure of our presence and witness and worship….but God will know our heart….through and through.
Remembering that…should keep us mindful of every day as a day for taking aim…and moving forward…as we follow Jesus. In a world with few reliable measures…he will always bear the test as the one to show us the way.
But where does one get a handle on how well a person has understood and responded to the spiritual disciplines? How do we measure the validity of change, if the changes require continuous observation over time? What the apostle Paul suggested was the capacity of each person to evaluate themselves in light of their own choices. While some self-indulgent types might attempt to deny negative choices when they were apparent in an attempt to avoid criticism, it stands to reason that they still know what they did. Yet there must be a greater measuring standard.
The New Testament offers the model of Jesus as the highest standard for our self-analysis, with the equally compelling reminder that God knows the heart of every person. There is no gaming God. There is no cheating divine knowledge. Pretenders don’t stand a chance of “getting by” the one who made them and gave them capacity for life.
Our progress will ultimately be a measure of humility in confession and repentance. Our ultimate benefit will be experienced in the forgiveness made possible by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross for our sins. Understanding our sinfulness makes possible the confession of faith in our Savior and Lord.
Progress for human beings will by every measure be a gift from God. Our willingness to receive such a gift begins in the open heart and open mind that understand sin for what it is…the destroying divide between the present life apart from God and the eternal and abundant life made possible through faith in Jesus.
The measure of the progress we are making toward the future as God has promised is the measure of our trust and obedience in following Christ. Our peers will observe much in the manner of choices we make, in the measure of our presence and witness and worship….but God will know our heart….through and through.
Remembering that…should keep us mindful of every day as a day for taking aim…and moving forward…as we follow Jesus. In a world with few reliable measures…he will always bear the test as the one to show us the way.