A plague is strewn upon the church. It has no regard as to whether liberal or conservative. This alone should give us reason to look more to Jesus than heritage with its constant demand for good standing.
That which greatly ails the church body is the gnawing feeling that one isn't good enough for God to claim, to empower, and to save. Epidemicly speaking; the church is afraid it has missed the mark.
Such a fear is a good start. Those who have no awareness are the ones in trouble. The tendency is to work out our own salvation---not in fear and trembling---but in work and merit. As if we can work and earn our way to heaven? Really?
Uncertainty of being good enough is the ideal start. When one is finally convinced of superior short-comings and inferior faith-accomplishments, such a one ultimately discovers the righteousness of (getting right with) God.
Consider II Cor. 5:21 again. He made him who knew no sin be sin on our behalf that we might become the righteousness of God. One doesn't get right with God because one is good enough. No. One gets right with God because Jesus became bad enough. God made Jesus become our sin and then transferred Jesus' always being right on to us. In the Bible this is called God's righteousness.
W-e b-e-c-o-m-e the righteousness of God. The arrival is not in our work but in the transfer at the cross.
Feeling like you aren't good enough? Welcome to the needy family of God. Jesus paid it all. Your job is to receive the gift in gratitude. May our faces look like it!
1 comment:
Mr. Rush, great post! I've found the the more "right" we get with God (through growing faith in Jesus) the more "wrong" we see we are without Him.
I suppose in a way, seeing how wrong we are, is in fact, getting it right. You think?
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