Most of my Christian life has been characterized by a lot
of self-effort. I could call it a regime of spiritual disciplines, yet in my
heart I know it more as my efforts to establish my own righteousness — even
though I knew that was impossible.
There were clues along the way. I remember the first time
a sin stumped me. I was yelling at my children and determined to stop, but I
could not. All efforts failed. I’d confessed each incident but that had not
stopped the incidents. Finally, I said to God, “You are my Savior. please save
me from this.” Within a week or two, the habit was gone — without any effort on
my part. God simply changed my attitude and I quit yelling.
However, I’d not yet figured out fully that this was the
way to live as a child of God. Many years and many lessons eventually convinced
me that 1 John 1:9 was the key verse for spiritual growth: “If we confess our
sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness.”
This morning I will attend a study at our church. The
guidebook we are using has become increasingly a “do it yourself” manual. Of
course, it advises to rely on God, but the author has not yet discovered what I
know for certainty — I cannot even rely on God. He is the Savior and I need Him
continually to save me from my continual tendency to ‘do it myself’ rather that
run to Him in humble confession.
The other part of this lifetime of walking with Jesus is
learning that the righteousness that I seek will never happen by my efforts.
God saved me by calling that what it is (sin) and instead put all of it and every
other sin I have done and will do on Jesus. Then He put the righteousness of
Christ on me. I’ve sometimes called this “the great exchange” yet it has taken
me years to realize how deeply ingrained is that desire to establish my own
righteousness.
It won’t happen. I cannot do it. God had to take me into a
very difficult situation before finally getting it through my head and heart
that the only righteousness that is mine is that of His Son . . . and this is a
free gift. I cannot earn it; there is absolutely no need to work for it, and it
will never happen by my efforts anyway.
The Bible compares the sin of Adam with the saving work of
Jesus Christ. Death because of sin reigned from Adam to Moses, even though our
sin is not exactly like his, nor is His free gift of life exactly like the sin.
Many die through that one man’s sin, yet many more experience the grace of God
and God’s free gift through the grace that is in Jesus Christ. One sin brought condemnation,
but God’s free gift brought justification.
Because of one man’s sin, death reigned but those who
receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness will reign in
life through one man — Jesus Christ. One sin led to condemnation for all, but one
act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all. Again, one man’s
disobedience made sinners of us all, yet by one Man’s obedience many will be
made righteous. (Romans 5:14–21)
“All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:18–21)
This last line is the “great exchange” — the act of God
that makes me His child. God made Christ to be sin for me, charging Jesus with my
sin. Jesus became responsible to the law for my failure to keep it and the
penalty of sin was exacted from him. He died under God’s wrath for it, for me.
The most amazing, difficult to grasp reality is that God
imputed the righteousness of Christ to me, and to all who believe. I am righteous
in the sight of God and have received the reward of perfect righteousness:
eternal life. Again, my sin was given to Jesus, and His righteousness was given
to me. This is substitution and an unalterable fact, the good news of the
Gospel. I knew it, but it took me years to know it.
^^^^^^^^^^^^
Jesus, this business of creating a ‘rule of life’ or doing
a whole mess of spiritual disciplines to put myself in a place of grace where
You can transform me strikes me now as an exercise that only serves to make me
more aware that my self-effort does not work. It is not part of walking by
faith. Forgive me for being so slow to learn. Right now, all I want to do is
rest in You, keep short accounts, and let You do the work of transforming me
into Your image.
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