Repair and Righteousness

Please enjoy this photo of a damaged wall in my kitchen, badly in need of some spackle, loving care and a little paint. Granted, this space is going to be completely covered by cabinets and a tile back splash, but the surface must be prepped before the pretty stuff can be applied. Did someone ask for a spiritual analogy? Great! I've got one.

Imagine that this wall represents our spiritual state. On our own, we can do nothing to earn God's love or favor. On our best days, our best deeds are not impressive to our holy Creator. In fact, the Bible says our most valiant attempts at being good are like filthy rags to God. (Isaiah 64:6) So without Christ to make a way for us to come into God's presence and have a relationship with Him, we are nothing but wounded, wretched people with gaping holes of need.

However, God, in His infinite love and mercy, did, in fact, send a perfect sacrifice to redeem us from the yuck that kept us away from God. Jesus' death and resurrection not only covered our sin, He removed it and healed us from everything that kept us enemies of God.

Take a look at the following verses Paul wrote to the Roman Christians and see if it makes you think of any aspect of this wall.

²⁰Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.

²¹But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. ²²This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, ²³for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. ²⁵God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— ²⁶he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. (Romans 3:20-26)

We are incapable of getting our acts together and sprucing up our souls to be presentable to God. These holes will keep coming back unless they are dealt with. Not just covered, but filled in and smoothed over with God's grace and Christ's perfect righteousness. "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5:21) We are now not only affiliated with the perfect righteousness of Christ; we have become it. It is in us and through us, identifying us for eternity as God's children.

Of God's many names, this wall makes me think of Jehovah Rapha - the Lord that heals. The gospels are full of accounts of Jesus healing the sick. The Old Testament prophets proclaimed that, although God's hand could strike His children with disease, it was also His hand alone who could heal them. He alone can heal the physical, emotional, mental, and psychological wounds that plague us.

He is also Jehovah Tsidkenu: The Lord our righteousness. The blood of Jesus cleanses us - heals us - and it covers our sin to make us presentable and beautiful to our Father. A friend of mine likes to use the analogy of Christ's righteousness being like a luxurious white spa robe that God puts on us to wear. It is clean and attractive on the outside and it covers a multitude of imperfections underneath. That is Christ's righteousness for us: a flawless garment that clothes us in His perfection despite our sinful nature and behavior.

So if our natural spiritual state looks like a wall with gouges and exposed, unappealing flaws, what kind of physical image might represent Christ's activity in our souls? What about this?

Smooth finish, delicious paint color, flaws corrected. Sinful people covered by and healed by the righteousness of Christ. He is our Redeemer. He is Jehovah Rapha - the God who heals us. He is Jehovah Tsidkenu - our Righteousness. To those who receive Him, who believe in His name, He gives the right to become the children of God. (John 1:12)

Are there still exposed areas that need attention? Absolutely. Is the project complete? Not even close. That's what sanctification is about - becoming more and more holy as we walk with God. But the foundational work has been done. Now we work with God to participate in the process of transforming our hearts so that our passions and behaviors align with His standards.

And even when this spot is covered by new cabinets and new tile, it's nice to know the stuff underneath was taken care of properly. Just like my soul. God has done what was necessary, through Jesus, to place me in a position of confidence before my Maker. Not because of anything I've done, but because of Christ's perfect righteousness. Blessed be His name.

• Read 1 John 2 - 3, the whole chapters, playing close attention to 2:1, 2:29, 3:7-10, and 3:16. What do you notice about the concept of righteousness? What passages convict you? Inspire you? Where are there areas of prayer you could concentrate on this week?

• Think about a verse or a concept from the passages you read from this lesson. What will you share with someone this week? Sharing what we learn is the best way to make sure it's in our brains and hearts for good.

Being Ready

I had the most amazing and serendipitous conversation yesterday.

My son and I stopped by his friend's house to pick him up and take him to our house. Hoping I'd have a chance to say hello to his mom, we both went to the door. (Holy Spirit nudge? You decide...)

My friend Cathy was sitting in her kitchen with a friend I hadn't met yet (isn't that the greatest potential in meeting strangers?), chatting over glasses of Prosecco. Friday night girls' night - yes!

I can't describe the joy and energy I felt when I left (2 1/2 hours later!) from being filled up and connecting in a completely unexpected but delightful context.

We quickly moved past getting the previously unknown facts of life out of the way - how many kids? What do you do? Does your son play basketball? Do your boys have girlfriends? Then the really good stuff started: Views about God, church, homosexuality, Jesus, marriage, divorce...

I sensed God guiding our words, giving me confirmation of previous conversations, and blessing our dialog every step of the way. These women encouraged and challenged me with their observations and questions about my faith and I got to share as clearly and powerfully as the Holy Spirit has ever allowed me to the values Jesus taught in the Bible. I wouldn't have even known to ask God for such an opportunity or such a blessing! And there it was.

And do you know what I thought about this morning, as I reviewed the verbal and relational bliss in my head? Building in Times of Peace! (I do think of it a lot...) How was I able to recount, with such spontaneity, the stories Jesus told? Where did the conversation come from in the first place? Obviously the Holy Spirit prompted and led the entire interaction. In addition, I was able to recall Scripture I had studied over the years. We were able to build on hours in the bleachers at wrestling meets our sons had participated in. Pick ups and drop offs and sleepovers.

I looked up some verses in relation to being ready for conversations like this. Take a look:

"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Ephesians 2:10)

"But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect..." (2 Peter 3:15)

Build in times of peace! Be ready. Whether we are aware of it or not, people are watching and they are wondering how this faith in Jesus thing works. As we wrestle with it and allow God to stretch us, He will gift us with opportunities to explain it and live it out in unexpected places. And even if the opportunities don't seem dramatic or overly grand in scope, they matter. They matter because God is in them and He is doing His work, letting us participate in supernatural, kingdom-building, life changing and life giving work. We get to do that! How? By being ready for it and building proactively by knowing His Word and building relationships.

Please don't hear what I'm not saying. The real beauty of last night's encounter was in its spontaneity. And the fact that only God's Spirit could have orchestrated the combination of personalities and the timing. But there is an element of preparation that plays into it, too. Because we don't know what future glorious conversations await us, every act of present obedience is a potential building block for them! I want to be ready when they come. Don't you?