3. The Robe: Righteousness as a Way of Life

Transcription

1 3. The Robe: Righteousness as a Way of Life Philippians 3 1 Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. 7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. 12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. 16 Only let us hold true to what we have attained. This is worth repeating It is the human condition to seek a righteousness of our own. We seek righteousness via Law Religious righteousness through a biblical Law Attend worship, evangelize, give, serve, behaved kids, etc) Irreligious righteousness through an invented law I will be free, nobody will ever tell me what to do, I will be wealthy, I will NOT capitulate to the culture of wealth, nobody will tell me what to do ever, etc 1

2 Law Served (shall, shall, must, will) Righteousness Pursued (wholeness, completeness, etc) Threads of our own robe of righteousness Security Comfort Power Approval Control Righteous Threads Righteous Robe Law served The preacher who longs for security Businessman who longs for power 20-something woman who longs for approval Teen who longs for comfort Christian Parent who longs for control The Way to Authentic Wholeness Recognize - Confession with specificity) Repent - Reject the dung! Rest in the righteousness of Christ Rejoice in the righteousness of Christ ( Boast in it 1 Cor 1:31) (Repeat!) 2

3 Unraveling Faux Righteousness (Adapted from Tim Keller) I. Using "Problem Emotions" to identify False Righteousness. a. If you are angry. Ask, "is there something too important to me? Something I am telling myself I have to have? Is that why I am angry -- because I am being blocked from having something I think is a necessity when it is not?" Write down what that might be: b. If you are fearful or badly worried. Ask, Is there something too important to me? Something I am telling myself I have to have? Is that why I am so scared -- because something is being threatened which I think is a necessity when it is not?" Write down what that might be: c. If you are depressed or hating yourself: Ask, Is there something too important to me? Something I am telling myself I have to have? Is that why I am so 'down' -- because I have lost or failed at something which I think is a necessity when it is not?" Write down what that might be: 3

4 II. Using Motivational Drives to identify False Righteousness "... that most basic question which God poses to each human heart: "has something or someone besides Jesus Christ taken title to your heart's functional trust, preoccupation, loyalty, service, fear, or delight? Here are some examples: What we seek Restrictions we choose Greatest Nightmare Others Feel You feel Comfort (no stress, freedom) Reduced Productivity Stress, demands Hurt Bored Approval (love, etc) Less Independence Rejection Smothered Cowardly Control (self-discipline) Loneliness, no spontaneity Uncertainty Condemned Worried Power (success) Burdened, responsible Humiliation Used Angry Security (certainty) Freedom Exposure Manipulated Anxious III. Answer these diagnostic questions: 1. What is my greatest nightmare? What do I worry about most? 2. What, if I failed or lost it, would cause me to feel that life wasn t worth living? 3. What do I rely on or comfort self with when things go bad or get difficult? 4. What do I think most easily about? What does my mind go to when I am free? What pre-occupies me? 5. What prayer, unanswered, would make me seriously think about turning away from God? 6. What makes me feel the most self-worth? What am I the proudest of? 7. What do I really want and expect out of life? What would really make me happy? 8. Who do you find yourself having imaginary conversations with? What is the content of these conversations. 9. Which events in life to you return to in your mind, or bring into conversation? Why were they painful? How do you wish they had gone differently? 4

5 It will always give a Christian the greatest calm, quiet, ease, and peace, to think of the perfect righteousness of Christ. How often are the saints of God downcast and sad! I do not think they ought to be. I do not think they would if they could always see their perfection in Christ. There are some who are always talking about corruption, and the depravity of the heart, and the innate evil of the soul. This is quite true, but why not go a little further, and remember that we are perfect in Christ Jesus. It is no wonder that those who are dwelling upon their own corruption should wear such downcast looks; but surely if we call to mind that Christ is made unto us righteousness, we shall be of good cheer. What though distresses afflict me, though Satan assault me, though there may be many things to be experienced before I get to heaven, those are done for me in the covenant of divine grace; there is nothing wanting in my Lord, Christ hath done it all. 1 (Charles Spurgeon) At the root of the human condition is a struggle for righteousness and identity. We long for a sense of acceptance, approval, security, and significance because we were designed by God to find these things in him. But sin has separated us from God and created in us a deep sense of alienation. Speaking of the Jewish people in his own day, Paul writes, [T]hey did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own (Rom. 10:3). We do the same thing. Theologically speaking, pretending and performing are just two sophisticated ways of establishing our own righteousness. When we pretend, we make ourselves out to be better than we are. When we perform, we are trying to please God by what we do. Pretending and performing reflect our sinful attempts to secure our own righteousness and identity apart from Jesus. To really experience the deep transformation God promises us in the gospel, we must continually repent of these sinful patterns. Our souls must become deeply rooted in the truth of the gospel so that we anchor our righteousness and identity in Jesus and not in our selves. Specifically, the gospel promises of passive righteousness and adoption must become central to our thinking and living. 2 (Bob Thune & Will Walker) That Christian who has free grace, who has free justification, who has the mediatorial righteousness of Christ, who has the satisfaction of Christ, who has the covenant of grace most constantly in his sight, and most frequently warm upon his heart that Christian, of all Christians in the world, is most free from a world of fears, and doubts, and scruples which do sadden, sink, perplex, and press down a world of other Christians, who daily eye more what Christ is a-doing in them, and what they are a-doing for Christ, than they do eye either his active or passive obedience. Christ has done great things for his people, and he has suffered great things for his people, and he has purchased great things for his people, and he has prepared great things for his people; yet many of his own dear people are so taken up with their own hearts, and with their own duties and graces, that Christ is little eyed by them or minded by them! This is the great reason why so many Christians, who will certainly go to heaven do walk in darkness, and lie down in sorrow. 3 (Thomas Brooks) 1 Charles Spurgeon, Morning and Evening, January 31 2 Bob Thune and Will Walker, The Gospel-Centered Life (World Harvest Mission, 2009), p.19 3 Thomas Brooks, A Cabinet of Choice Jewels 5