Forgiven and righteous

DAILY BIBLE READING:

Job 40:1–42:17 
2 Corinthians 5:11-21 
Psalm 45:1-17 
Proverbs 22:14

TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV) "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

Being forgiven isn't enough to go to Heaven. We must be completely perfect. We must obey every single applicable law in Scripture.

"But I warn you—unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven!" (Matthew 5:20 - NLT)

"But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect." (Matthew 5:48 - NLT)

It's not enough to be forgiven. We must also be thoroughly righteous.

As we look to the cross of Jesus in faith, we are saved by being forgiven of all our sins against God and His holy law. His death was the payment for the sin debt of everyone who would put their trust in Him.

Yet, forgiveness isn't enough. We also need to be righteous, a status that can only be obtained by having obeyed every single applicable law in Scripture.

That is how we are saved through Jesus' life. If the cross was all that was necessary, then why would Jesus wait some 33 years to get there? Why wouldn't he have died as a young child if forgiveness of sin is all we needed.

As we read the Bible, we come to realize that His life was absolutely essential because it was in His life that He obeyed every single applicable law of God. He gained a righteousness for Himself that He can credit to our account when we trust in Him.

His cross offers forgiveness. His life offers the righteousness that we need.

That's what our Verse for Today is all about. It refers to the Divine Swap. At the moment we are saved, Jesus takes our sins and lets his death on the cross pay for them while He also credits us with His own righteousness. 

So, we get forgiven and then credited with His righteousness.

It's not just forgiven people that get to Heaven. Only righteous people can get there. And if you are saved, both of these things are true of you.

"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 5:21 - ESV)

Friend, if you are saved, God doesn't just see a forgiven sinner when He looks at you. Instead, He sees someone who has perfectly lived according to every law He has commanded us to live by. That's because Jesus has forgiven us and then credited us with His righteousness.

So, live that way! Don't live in defeat! Don't feel as if you are a disappointment to God! When God looks at you, He sees Jesus, and He smiles!

Act like who you are

DAILY BIBLE READING:

2 Chronicles 35:1–36:23 
1 Corinthians 1:1-17 
Psalm 27:1-6 
Proverbs 20:20-21

TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

1 Corinthians 1:2 (CSB) " To the church of God at Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called as saints, with all those in every place who call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord ​— ​both their Lord and ours."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

Within the human heart is the notion that we must work for what we receive. While there is certainly a segment of society that ungratefully receives (expects) the rest of society to take care of them, most of us find it difficult to receive something that we did not work for.

The reason for this is (healthy?) pride. We want to be self-sufficient. We don't want to be the object of someone's charity and certainly not someone's pity. So, we work for what we receive and it is difficult to receive something freely from others.

But, the message of the Gospel is that we can freely receive the gift of forgiveness, the life of God's Holy Spirit who comes to dwell within us, and an infinite number of other blessings. We cannot earn it or deserve it (Ephesians 2:8-9). We simply receive it as a free gift by faith.

Yet, while many of us would acknowledge that we receive salvation by faith as a free gift (without any effort, works, or contribution on our part), we may feel like we have to work to maintain God's favor. We may feel like God's feelings toward us are based upon how we are performing.

Nothing could be further from the truth!

When you look at our Verse for Today, you see that the Apostle Paul wrote "to those sanctified in Christ Jesus" (past tense) and who were "called to be saints" (past tense). 

Simply put, when those Christians in Corinth trusted in Jesus for eternal life, they were not only forgiven of their sins - they were also declared righteous (see 2 Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 3:19; etc.). Their sins were placed upon Christ on the cross and the perfect life that Jesus lived was credited to their account. 

This is the Divine Swap that happens at the moment we are saved: Jesus takes our sins and He credits us with His righteousness. Saved people aren't simply forgiven - they are also declared to be perfect saints.

Which brings us back to our Verse for Today. The word "sanctified" is the same word for "holy" or "saint." Christians don't have to die and go to Heaven to be saints. No! Christians ARE saints because Jesus has credited them with his righteousness. When God looks at a Jesus-follower, He sees the righteousness of Christ and He smiles.

So, my friend, while it is true that God desires obedience from us in this life, that obedience is not for the purpose of gaining His favor. Our obedience shouldn't be something we do to try to keep God happy with us. 

Instead, our obedience should be an outflow of who we already are. Since we are declared righteous when we are saved with the righteousness of Jesus, our obedience to God is simply acting like who we already are.

Friend, if you are saved, you ARE a saint. Right now! As you read this! You ARE a saint! You ARE holy! You ARE sanctified! When God looks at you, He sees Jesus and He smiles.

So, today, simply act like who you already are!

"To the church of God at Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called as saints, with all those in every place who call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord - both their Lord and ours." (1 Corinthians 1:2)

Act like who you are

DAILY BIBLE READING:

2 Kings 22:3–23:30 
Acts 21:37–22:16 
Psalm 1:1-6 
Proverbs 18:11-12

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

2 Kings 23:25 (CSB) "Before him there was no king like him who turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength according to all the law of Moses, and no one like him arose after him."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

In 2 Kings 23:25, we read some incredible words about Judah's King Josiah. These words are God's assessment of this godly king.

Wouldn't you like for God to think such things of you?

Then, give your heart to Jesus if you haven't already been saved. In the moment that you repent (turn your back on sin and self-rule) and trust in Jesus alone to forgive and save you from God's wrath, many remarkable things will happen. Among them is the fact that Jesus will trade with you - He will take your sin and you will get His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). So, positionally speaking, you are more righteous than King Josiah if you are saved because you have the righteousness of Christ credited to your account.

Second and finally, act like who you are. Since you are declared righteous, then pursue righteousness (2 Timothy 2:22). Again, the message of Christianity is "act like who you already are." Since you are declared righteous, act that way.

After all, this life isn't all there is. Our pursuit (or lack thereof) of righteousness will have eternal ramifications. When we breathe our last breath and stand before the Lord on the Day of Judgment (2 Corinthians 5:10), almost certainly we will wish that we had been even more serious about pursuing righteousness and seeking first His kingdom (Matthew 6:33). Eternal rewards to be enjoyed will be given out or withheld based upon how we lived this one life.

So, recognize that in Christ you are righteous if you have been saved. And then pursue righteousness each day of your life. All the while, look forward to the Day when your Lord will reward you for acting like who you are.

Are you a good person?

TODAY'S BIBLE READING:

Numbers 14:1-15:16
Mark 14:53-72
Psalm 53:1-6
Proverbs 11:4

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

Psalm 53:2-3 "God looks down from heaven on the entire human race; he looks to see if anyone is truly wise, if anyone seeks God. But no, all have turned away; all have become corrupt. No one does good, not a single one!"

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

It's been my observation that most of us think we're a pretty good person. In fact, if I was walking down the street and someone asked me, "Do you think you're a good person?", I'd probably say "Yes."

Why is it so natural for us to think of ourselves as good and to proclaim that goodness to others?

Because we have watered down the definition of that word. The way we define "goodness" is not the way that God defines "goodness."

When we define goodness, we are saying that we haven't killed anyone. We haven't committed adultery. We aren't a liar. We aren't a thief.

... at least we think those statements are true of us.

So, can I ask you a few questions to see if you are a good person? Thank you.

Have you ever been angry with someone? Of course you have. We all have. Well, in Matthew 5:21-22, Jesus equates anger with murder. So, you, my friend, are a murderer. You have broken the 6th Commandment (Exodus 20:13).

Have you ever looked at someone to lust after them (arouse sexual passions in your mind/heart)? Jesus said that whoever looks to lust has committed adultery in his heart (Matthew 5:27-28). So, you, my friend, are an adulterer. You have broken the 7th Commandment (Exodus 20:14).

Have you ever told a lie? Even once? Of course you have. We all have. And what do you call someone who has told a lie? A liar, right? So, you, my friend, are a liar. You have broken the 9th Commandment (Exodus 20:16).

Have you ever taken anything (no matter how small) that didn't belong to you? Of course you have. Well, what do you call someone who steals? A thief! So, you, my friend, are a thief. You have broken the 8th Commandment (Exodus 20:15).

So, by your own admonition, you are a murderer, an adulterer, a liar, and a thief. And we've only look at 4 of the 10 Commandments.

Do you see how misinformed we are when we proclaim our own goodness? Do you see how our verse for today is true when it says that God looks down from Heaven and can't find anyone who is doing good?

You may say, "Well, I'm mostly good. I'm a liar but most of the time I tell the truth."

Well, imagine with me that you are sitting in a court of law. The defendant is accused of murder. But, he speaks up and says, "I killed someone in cold blood. But, most of the time, I just leave people alone. I'm good most of the time. It's only every now and then that I kill someone."

You get the point, don't you?

So, what does a truth like the one found in today's Bible verses cause us to do? It should cause us to run, not walk, to the foot of the cross and fall down in repentance. It should cause us to trust in Jesus for our source of righteousness and stop trusting in ourselves to make us right in God's eyes.

Because we aren't morally good. Only Jesus is morally upright and fully pleasing to God. It is only as we are trusting in Jesus to make us right in God's eyes that we get forgiven and declared righteous. He takes our sin and He credits us with His righteousness.

So, if you are trusting in yourself to be good enough to make you right in God's eyes, stop it. You will never, ever be able to be good enough. Instead, trust in Jesus to make you good enough. That's precisely why He died on the cross, my friend.

The Lord enjoys those who follow Him

TODAY'S BIBLE READING:


Leviticus 7:28–9:6 
Mark 3:31–4:25 
Psalm 37:12-29 
Proverbs 10:5

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

Psalm 37:23 "The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives." 

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

God never promised that life would be fair

Have you ever noticed that life isn't always fair? Of course you have. We all have.

In Ecclesiastes 7:15, the writer says: "I have seen everything in this meaningless life, including the death of good young people and the long life of wicked people."

You've seen things like this before. The hard working employee gets overlooked and the lazy bum with seniority gets promoted. The healthy driver takes the handicap parking spot while the elderly lady has to park far from the store entrance. The crook goes free and an innocent man gets jailed for years. 

On and on this list could go. We all know that things like this happen all the time.

... and we get frustrated. We throw up our hands and say, "Why, Lord?" "Why do the wicked prosper, growing old and powerful? (Job 21:7)."

Or as the prophet Jeremiah put it: "LORD, you always give me justice when I bring a case before you. So let me bring you this complaint: Why are the wicked so prosperous? Why are evil people so happy?" (Jeremiah 12:1)

Well, let me tie this up quickly with a few observations:

1) The propensity we have of getting frustrated with injustice simply points to the fact that God "has put eternity in our hearts" (Ecclesiastes 3:11). Created in God's image (Genesis 1:26-27), we have a deep-rooted desire and expectation that righteousness will prevail and be rewarded. This knowledge of right and wrong and a craving to see right rewarded is a strong argument for the existence for a Law Giver in arguments for God's existence.

2) The key to understanding the book of Ecclesiastes and the frustration that the author wrote about is found in the phrase "under the sun." He discovered that life was utterly meaningless if we only looked at the hear-and-now - "under the sun." But, when we look OVER the sun and try to see things from God's eternal perspective, life begins to make a little more sense. The purpose of meaning of life begin to come into focus.

3) Right will not always be noticed or rewarded in this life and wrong will often prevail. But, we know that there is coming a day when Jesus will judge everyone of us in righteousness (Acts 17:31). That is when righteousness will ultimately be acknowledge and rewarded while wrongs will be exposed and punished.

So, will life be fair today? Not necessarily. But God is taking notice and will one day set things straight. Just live your life with the knowledge that one day you will stand before Him and give an account (Romans 14:12) of how you lived. If possibly, stand up for those who are being wronged. Be "salt" and "light" (Matthew 5:13-16) and stand against injustice. But, when things don't go well, rest assured that God is taking notice and will one day set things straight.

Dog bones and holiness

How do you take a bone away from a hungry dog? Very carefully! But, you could make the task so much easier (and safer) if you simply put a piece of meat near the bone. The dog will gladly drop the bone because it desires the meat more.

This is a simple principle that applies to hungry dogs as well as humans on a trek for happiness and inner peace.

All too often, with a desire to satisfy that deep longing in our hearts, we go for the dry bone of sin. Whatever form of sin we personally crave, it just doesn't ultimately deliver. Yet, if someone confronts us and tells us we need to give it up, we may attack. "How dare you judge me! You have no right to do that. After all, you're a sinner, too!" We like that dry bone and we aren't giving it up!

Try to take the bone away and you could have a fight on your hands. How can this be accomplished so much easier (and safer)? Simply show that there is something better. Put a piece of meat beside the dry bone.

When we realize that God has saved us not simply to keep us out of Hell but to enjoy Him, and when we experience that powerful truth, our mouths will lose their taste for sin. When we realize that following Jesus not only satisfies that deep down longing in our souls but also guarantees us unbroken fellowship with Him in Heaven, sin will lose its grip on us because we realize that He satisfies us more.

Hebrews 11:25-26 (New Living Translation)
"He (Moses) chose to share the oppression of God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward."

Have you "tasted and seen that the Lord is good" (Psalm 34:8)? If/when you do, you will struggle with sin less because you desire Him more!