Below I have begun to describe how to get to heaven. In a nut shell I tried to explain the gospel. But, there are so many elements to the gospel. So, it is not easy to pack it up and McDonnie it. (That is a term I just made up to help describe our culture's desire for quick and easy drive through style). Anyways, the gospel has so many different elements and Christ giving me His righteousness is the one that mobbed my heart this morning at church...
Not only is Jesus our substitution but He is also our righteousness. God demands perfection. He is a perfectly holy God and cannot be in the presence of sin. So we are separated from Him. In order for us to be with Him for forever we have to change. I am so soiled and dirty that I can't make the dress code for this party. But, another truth about me is that I am so messed up that even my best efforts to clean up will not make me ready for the party. The bible says that our 'righteousness acts are like filthy rags' (Isaiah 64:6).
So I have the wrath of God pointed at my head like a nuclear missile... and Jesus covers me like a bomb shelter. Then, after Jesus absorbs the whole wrath that is due to me. I put on His righteousness like a garment. I am given a royal robe. I am clothed with something that doesn't belong to me. Jesus' righteousness. You see I am inherently bad. I am selfish and arrogant. But, Jesus is in the business of crucifying those parts of me. And after He crucifies an area of selfishness He places in me His ability to be selfless. Not just in the area of selfishness, He places in me His ability in whatever area He is working on... In me there are many.
Let me try to illustrate a little more. Imagine I am standing in line for a concert. It is something that I have wanted to attend for years and now I have finally made my way to the event... As I get closer to the front of the line I get a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. I start to think I might not be able to get in. As I get closer and closer the feeling gets stronger and stronger. In fact, I start to despair that I could ever go in. When I reach the front of the line my suspicions become reality. I am asked to present a ticket that I do not possess. My heart sinks. But, at that moment a man presents me with a ticket. His ticket.
That is how it is with righteousness. What you require to have to be in the presence of God you do not possess. But, out of the grace and mercy of Jesus He presents you with a ticket (His Righteousness). He grants admittance into the Kingdom. It is bizarre because really you did nothing to deserve your being there. That is what makes grace so weird and religion so easy to fall into. We know of nothing that insults our pride like grace. 'We need to be justified on our own account' according to our screaming egos. 'You better earn your keep.' Even after we have received grace we still struggle. We want to do something. We want to earn favor. The weird thing is we already have it we just have to believe.
Believing that Jesus gives us His righteousness is another element in getting to heaven. Believing on Him for righteousness. This morning I thought about my failures this week and I thought about Jesus being for me. It wrecked me man. The God of the universe stoops down to me and provides what I can't for me. He loves me that much that He doesn't cast me out when I mess up but instead He provides a way for me to be right with Him. Isn't that phenomenal?! Doesn't that make you want to praise Him?
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