Righteousness Part One

"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 NIV

I believe in original thought. I try to do my own thinking and quote sparsely. Most of this entry, however, is not original. Righteousness is a huge part of our identity as believers. I have a lot to say about that, but before you hear from me, you should at least have the opportunity to look at what one great scholar had to say about it. It's technical, theological, but it's short, and very, very powerful. So for those who will read and absorb, great reward awaits.

The following is reprinted from Easton's Bible Dictionary. By the way, Easton’s is public domain and available on the Web, so check it out when you have a question about anything in the Bible. When you look up “Righteousness” in Easton’s, you’ll find a note that just says “See Justification” and here’s what you’ll find when you look there.

“Justification - a forensic term, opposed to condemnation. As regards its nature, it is the judicial act of God, by which he pardons all the sins of those who believe in Christ, and accounts, accepts, and treats them as righteous in the eye of the law, i.e., as conformed to all its demands. In addition to the pardon (q.v.) of sin, justification declares that all the claims of the law are satisfied in respect of the justified. It is the act of a judge and not of a sovereign. The law is not relaxed or set aside, but is declared to be fulfilled in the strictest sense; and so the person justified is declared to be entitled to all the advantages and rewards arising from perfect obedience to the law (Rom. 5:1-10).

It proceeds on the imputing or crediting to the believer by God himself of the perfect righteousness, active and passive, of his Representative and Surety, Jesus Christ (Rom. 10:3-9). Justification is not the forgiveness of a man without righteousness, but a declaration that he possesses a righteousness which perfectly and for ever satisfies the law, namely, Christ's righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21; Rom. 4:6-8).

The sole condition on which this righteousness is imputed or credited to the believer is faith in or on the Lord Jesus Christ. Faith is called a "condition," not because it possesses any merit, but only because it is the instrument, the only instrument by which the soul appropriates or apprehends Christ and his righteousness (Rom. 1:17; 3:25, 26; 4:20, 22; Phil. 3:8-11; Gal. 2:16).

The act of faith which thus secures our justification secures also at the same time our sanctification (q.v.); and thus the doctrine of justification by faith does not lead to licentiousness (Rom. 6:2-7. Good works, while not the ground, are the certain consequence of justification (6:14; 7:6).” (Emphasis mine)

Lots to think about here...

One Ancestor

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. " 1 John 3:1 NIV

That is an enormous truth. Coupled with Paul's instructions to never look at anyone, including ourselves, from a natural point of view again, but to see ourselves according to the spirit, it means our ancestry has been exchanged. The simple truth of the matter is that we only have one ancestor--God. Anything negative you got from your parents doesn't count anymore.

Forget that you have your aunt Sarah's temper, or your grandmother's impatient nature, or your grandfather's and father's propensity to addiction, or your mother's susceptibility to depression. The truth is, their genetics no longer apply to you. The only genetic code controlling you now is the spiritual one you received from God.

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Do you like being compared to your parents? For a long time, I hated being compared to my Dad...now I consider it a compliment. He was a great man who gave me some tremendous gifts. Some of the things I cherish most in my character and my ways of looking at life came from him.

To be honest, though, I suppose some of my greatest weaknesses came from him, too. That's just a part of the deal, I guess. I'll pass on the best and worst of myself to my kids as well, and so will you. That's because we're in an imperfect world, living imperfect lives; and parents make people, fortunately and unfortunately, very much like themselves.

However, in the truest sense, those of us who believe in Jesus have escaped that cycle of imperfection. Think about it: we are children of God. John said that we've been re-fathered from above, and that the genetic code of God has been implanted in us. Peter said that we now share in "the divine nature." We are literally the genetic offspring of God in our spiritual selves, the truest part of who we are.

That is an enormous truth. Coupled with Paul's instructions to never look at anyone, including ourselves, from a natural point of view again, but to see ourselves according to the spirit, it means our ancestry has been exchanged. The simple truth of the matter is that we only have one ancestor--God. Anything negative you got from your parents doesn't count anymore.

Forget that you have your aunt Sarah's temper, or your grandmother's impatient nature, or your grandfather's and father's propensity to addiction, or your mother's susceptibility to depression. The truth is, their genetics no longer apply to you. The only genetic code controlling you now is the spiritual one you received from God.

God the Father is your only ancestor, and remember this: God can make things that have the ability to fail, malfunction, break down, or that are prone to sin. He can make things not completely like Himself. But He didn't just make you, He Fathered you. You have His genetic code. You have inherited His character and way of looking at life, His goodness and power and love--it's just part of the deal. Parents make people just like themselves.

References: John 1, John 3, 1 John 3, 1 Peter 2, 2 Corinthians 5, Romans 8

Renewing the Sub-conscious Mind

"...and be renewed in the spirit of your mind..." Eph 4:23

Our meditation needs to center on who we are in Christ. Why? Identity is a function of the sub-conscious. We may not always behave like we believe we should, but we will always behave like who we truly believe we are. That applies positively and negatively. When it comes down to it, we act like who we believe we are...good or bad.

The good news, the amazing news is, that the truth of our identity in Christ is strong, positive, and completely independent of our feelings, behaviors, habits, character flaws, addictions, patterns, and personalities. At a level even deeper than our sub-conscious minds, we are joined with Christ. We need to meditate on what He is in us, and in that, see ourselves for what He made us to be, then we begin to alter our sense of identity.

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A few years ago, I discovered one of my all-time favorite books. It's by Malcom Gladwell and it's called "Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking." It's not a Christian book at all, but it has tons of implications for anyone trying to exercise any level of self-control, and that should include Christians.

In the book, Gladwell, through research and anecdotal evidence, makes a very compelling case for the idea that one's behavior is very often completely outside the realm of conscious control. Over and over, people express the desire and belief in doing one thing, but when given the opportunity, do just the opposite. Why? Gladwell says, and I agree, that the hidden control center is the sub-conscious mind.

I believe there are times we honestly have no immediate control over our actions. I have observed children, adults, teens, and myself making choices completely antithetical to all held beliefs and even intentions. Many of these choices are among the most consequential in life: choices of relationship, morality, prejudice. It appears, and research shows, that the place in our mind that makes those choices is not automatically controlled or even influenced by the place in our mind where our beliefs and values and plans lie.

The conclusion is that our behavior is often completely independent of our values and beliefs. If this is so, how can we keep from flying off the handle, spending too much at the mall, dating the wrong kind of person, going too far, over eating, over drinking, judging someone by their appearance, judging anyone at all, gossiping, being jealous, oh my goodness...the list!

How do we effectively control ourselves? Paul wrote to the Romans, who had lots of cultural issues, lots of improper behaviors and attitudes ingrained in them from childhood, that they should allow themselves to be changed from the inside out by the renewing of their minds. He said that was the secret to not falling into the patterns and lifestyles so prevalent around them.

But is he just instructing us to change our beliefs, to renew our conscious mind? Obviously not. We've got to get at the sub-conscious somehow if we're going to control these gut-level, reflexive choices and behaviors. In another place, Paul instructs us to be renewed in "the spirit of our minds." One version calls it the "attitude" of our mind. These scriptures are referring to the sub-conscious mind, or what you might call our foundational thinking, our "way of thinking."

Why does the abused woman keep marrying abusers? Why does the rehabilitated crack addict move back in next door to the crack house? Why do young men and women with eating disorders look at their emaciated bodies in the mirror and see fat? These are phenomena that seem to emanate from this foundational thinking, beyond reason or belief.

If we are to truly experience self-control, to line up our behavior with our beliefs, we must find a way to change not just our beliefs, but our foundational thinking. We must renew our sub-conscious minds.

The writer of Hebrews compares God's words to a double edged sword and says that it "pierces even to the dividing of soul and spirit." So God's word is uniquely formulated to reach to the depths of our thinking, beyond our feelings and even our gut responses. God's word is the key to renewing our subconscious minds.

But I believe there's another crucial element. Our meditation needs to center on who we are in Christ. Why? Identity is a function of the sub-conscious. In fact, I believe it's the most foundational of all foundational thinking. It shapes all our other "ways of thinking," our gut reactions, our reflex feelings, our outlook on life. We may not always behave like we believe we should, but we will always behave like who we truly believe we are. That applies positively and negatively. When it comes down to it, we act like who we believe we are...good or bad.

Altering our sense of identity will renew the mind in its deepest places. The truth of our identity in Christ is strong, positive, and completely independent of our feelings, behaviors, habits, character flaws, addictions, patterns, and personalities. In our spirits, at a level even deeper than our sub-conscious minds, we are joined with Christ. We need to meditate on what He is in us, and in that, see ourselves for what He made us to be, then we begin to alter our sense of identity.

A word of encouragement: it may take time. However, I have seen behaviors in my own life I never thought I'd see; and it wasn't because I said "I've got to start (or stop) doing this!" It was because, as I began to see myself differently, I just happened to do the right thing in the moment, just like I'd done the wrong thing before. It appears that at least pockets of my sub-conscious mind are being renewed.

References: Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 6, Hebrews 4, Joshua 1, Psalm 1, Eph 4

You Are a Spirit

"However , you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit , if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ , he does not belong to Him." Romans 8:9 NASB

The truest, deepest part of you, the center of your being, is your spirit, and here's the amazing news about that part of you. Paul wrote in another place "...he who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him." Your spirit has been inseparably joined with God's Spirit inside you.

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I couldn't even bear to post this opening entry with its natural title, "Finding the real you." I can't think of very many things that sound more shallow and cliché. But despite the fact that the twisted self-centeredness of our culture has cheapened these words, the concept they refer to is perhaps the most important lesson a person can learn. How do you find "the real you?"

Paul wrote, "...but you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of Christ dwells in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him." Note the use of the words, "you are." The idea of being in the flesh or in the spirit in Christian culture has come to refer to someone's state of mind or attitude, and that's an important thing. But if you try to superimpose that use of the phrase onto your reading of this passage, you'll miss its meaning.

This isn't about attitude, it's about identity. "You are" not in the flesh, but "you are" in the Spirit. Your true self is found, not in the natural, physical, emotional or rational, but in the spiritual. He's saying that if you want to know who you really are, live truly, honestly, openly in this life, it's going to be a spiritual endeavor, not a physical one. If you want to access genuineness in yourself, you have to look deeper than what you see.

In fact, perhaps the most important thing to note is that he says "Spirit" not "soul." Many of us have the mistaken idea that the "real you" is the one no one else knows about, the person you are alone in your room at night, the one with all the secret dreams and fears, regret and shame. I'm thrilled to tell you that the real you is much deeper than even that. That person, as deeply hidden as many of us keep it, is no more the real you than your hair or your fingernails. That is your soul--your mind, will and emotions; and though it may be secret and hidden, it's still undeniably natural.

The truest, deepest part of you, the center of your being, is your spirit, and here's the amazing news about that part of you. Paul wrote in another place "...he who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him." Your spirit has been inseparably joined with God's Spirit inside you. We are one with Him. Joined to Him in love. Re-created in Him. The real you is deeper than flesh, deeper than soul, deeper than your appearance or your hidden self. The real you is found in perfect union with God in the center of your being, your spirit.

References: Romans 8, 1 Corinthians 6

Identity by Relationship

"Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers." Hebrews 2:11 NIV

As we learn to look at ourselves accurately, as God sees us, one of the greatest mirrors we can look in is the mirror of relationship. We are literally the offspring of God. Jesus calls us His brothers and sisters...proudly, not with shame or regret, and God calls you His son or daughter. There's an identity to be proud of!

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All of us have been called those names; some make us proud, others not so much. I was always referred to as "Perry's son" or, in school, "Perri Lynn's little brother." Both mostly irritated me. I wanted to be known as myself, not as someone's son or brother...especially not someone's little brother.

As I got older, my dad's friends at church would just call me Perry instead of Phil, and frankly, I didn't mind so much. I had begun to realize what a compliment it was to be confused for someone as loved and admired as my father. I'd begun to realize the benefits of identity by relationship.

As we learn to look at ourselves accurately, as God sees us, one of the greatest mirrors we can look in is the mirror of relationship. We are literally the offspring of God. Jesus said that seeing the kingdom of God requires spiritual birth, and in that spiritual birth, we become God's children. One Biblical translator says that we've been "re-Fathered from above."

One of my favorite statements in scripture is this: "Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers." Jesus calls us His brothers and sisters...proudly, not with shame or regret, and God calls you His son or daughter. There's an identity to be proud of!

References: John 1, John 3, Hebrews 2

Who...or What?

"That which is born of the flesh is flesh , and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit ." John 3:6 NASB

The identity of the believer is more than a name, more than a legal endowment. Rather, it is a radical, comprehensive change of constitution. That just means we've been completely re-made, and not of the same stuff, either. In the beginning of John's Gospel, he says that those who believe in Jesus would become children of God, born not of flesh, but of God. Then a few chapters later, he quotes Jesus as saying that those born of the Spirit (or of God) actually become spirit beings.

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I know it's my fault, and I know if I'd invest the time and energy, I might be able to put a dent in the problem, but my dog, Biscuit, a sort-of Terrier-Chihuahua mix, thinks she's a person. I wondered why she never wanted to sleep in her dog bed, why she obsessively hangs around the kitchen during the daily lunch-making pandemonium, looking up as if to say, "No mustard on my sandwich, please..." and why she refuses to stay in the back yard for more than about fifteen minutes, but instead crawls through one of her escape tunnels and walks all the way around to the front door to scratch...or rather, knock, to be let in.

However, looking at her now, curled up on the couch instead of in her bed, it hits me...she thinks she's one of us. It's not that she's an unintelligent or rebellious dog; it's that she's just unaware that she is a dog at all. She's not being stubborn when she hesitates to get into her bed at night, she's just confused. Somehow, I should probably figure out a way to teach Biscuit who...or more accurately, what, she is.

That's also one of the greatest barriers I find in teaching people who they are in Christ. When many people hear that they are righteous, holy, powerful, perfect, complete, etc., they bristle with discomfort, and often object, "That's really not me!" Understandable, but we must see that our identity is not subject to feeling, understanding, or behavior, but that it exists at the most basic level...the level of substance; not just who we are, but what we are.

The identity of the believer is more than a name, more than a legal endowment. Rather, it is a radical, comprehensive change of constitution. That just means we've been completely re-made, and not of the same stuff, either. In the beginning of John's Gospel, he says that those who believe in Jesus would become children of God, born not of flesh, but of God. Then a few chapters later, he quotes Jesus as saying that those born of the Spirit (or of God) actually become spirit beings.

Now please don't get goofy here. We still have bodies and minds, and they're very important...our bodies are how we demonstrate the power of the Spirit, how we love each other, and how we connect to the world around us. In addition, our minds are how we experience both God and this life. However, our minds and bodies are natural. Everyone born of men has those things, but what we have become in the new birth is something fundamentally different.

We have been remade of a new substance, God's Spirit, also called the life of God and the divine nature in scripture. Moreover, it's important to reiterate that God's Spirit is not just something we've been "given." Rather, we've literally been born of the Spirit. When you're born of a dog, you are a dog; born of a cat, a cat; born of a caribou, a caribou; (I just like the word caribou, don't you?) born of the Spirit of God...the implications are huge. You are a spirit, and not just any spirit. Once again, 1 Corinthians 6:17 says that he who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him.

Without that understanding, seeing yourself as God sees you will be very difficult. Before you can see yourself for who you are, you must first know what you are.

References: 2 Corinthians 5, John 1, John 3, 1 Corinthians 6

The Right Mirror

"For we are His workmanship , created in Christ Jesus for good works , which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." Eph 2:10 NASB

The potter and the clay, shepherd and sheep, master and servant are all beautiful metaphors, but they are not for you. If you use those images as a picture of your relationship to God, you're getting a very distorted image. You are not God's clay, sheep, or servant. You are His masterpiece, His saint and His son.

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All mirrors are not created equal. Some are more accurate than others are. As a kid, I loved the bent and twisted mirrors at the fair that made you look two feet tall or like your neck was eight feet long. That was one thing no one ever got tired of. Why didn't they sell those as household toys? It may have significantly postponed the video game revolution. Anyway, I loved playing with those distorted images of myself then, now it just makes me seasick...pathetic.

Did you know there are two mirrors in the Bible? Most of us know them as the Old and New Testaments. Actually, they're two covenants, or contracts between God and His people. Both are inspired and useful. However, if you want to know who you are, you have to be careful not to look into the wrong mirror.

Paul made a point in one of His letters to Timothy to encourage him to study the scriptures so that he could correctly handle the word of truth. One version uses the phrase, "rightly dividing the word of truth." The truth is, scripture needs to be divided so that each part is used for its intended purpose. Some of what is written in the Bible, particularly in the Old Testament, does not apply to believers. Without going into too much detail, just take the book of Job for example. Quoting verses from that book can be dangerous, since much of it is simply the human analysis of Job's situation, which God comes back to personally refute. Imagine that! If you don't know how to divide the truth, you might quote a Bible verse that God says isn't true!

Well, it's not that uncommon. There are several metaphors of relationship to God in the Old Testament. The potter and the clay, shepherd and sheep, master and servant are all beautiful metaphors, but they are not for you. If you use those images as a picture of your relationship to God, you're getting a very distorted image. You are not God's clay, sheep, or servant. You are His masterpiece, His saint and His son. How many songs we sing, how many sermons we hear that tell us we are less than what we are. God help us.

At times it may seem like a minor issue, but please remember what it is that separates the Old from the New in Scripture---the cross of Jesus. Ultimate punishment placed on Infinite Innocence is the dividing line and the price paid to bring us across that line was the very life of God. How can we think it a small thing to choose to stay in the bondage from which He died to rescue us? Was it a bad thing to be clay, sheep, or servant before the cross? No, it was the best that was available on earth. However, it is bondage compared to what is available to us now. The entire book of Hebrews was written to make that single point.

So look into the right mirror. Read the Old Testament, but always through the lens of the cross, and spend your time in the New Testament. Don't settle for a distorted image. God gave Paul, Peter, John and the other New Testament writers the full revelation of who He made us to be. Read what they wrote. Meditate on it. Gaze into it like a mirror and learn to know deeply who you are. I believe it is then and only then, that you will begin to live like the masterpiece, the saint, and the son (or daughter) that you are.

References: Job 38, John 1, Galatians 3, Colossians 1, Ephesians 1, Romans 1, Eph 2

The Most Important Thing

"For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers." Rom 8:29 NIV

The purpose of the incarnation, the cross, the resurrection, and the outpouring was not to get you to heaven. God's intention was to invade earth, not just once, but millions of times over. Paul wrote it in Romans 8:29--the firstborn among many brothers. On the cross, Jesus was finishing something for sure, but more importantly, or at least more urgently for now, He was beginning something. He was the first; we are the many. God wants to invade your world through you just like He invaded the Roman empire through Jesus. He was the first; we are the many.

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I recently had the opportunity say some “last words” to a group of people I was saying goodbye to. What do you say last? I hadn't planned what to say, but I think in the moment, what I said was satisfying. I actually think I said the most important thing I could say to them.

My passion in life is to help believers in Jesus discover who they are. I've been struck with the depth of the change that took place in guys like Peter, John, and Paul in the New Testament, and how dramatic was their expectation of what our experience should be. These guys experienced something truly supernatural, and if you read what they wrote, you must conclude either that they were crazy, that they were being metaphorical, or that they expected us to experience something at least as overwhelming as they did.

They wrote about things like sharing in the divine nature, being new creations, being the righteousness of God, being crucified with Jesus and living now by His life in them. To them, faith in Jesus was radical. To them, faith in Jesus changed them at their core. They literally experienced a new birth, became different beings. Seeing this, I have begun to understand faith as something fundamentally different from the "Christianity" I grew up believing in.

Christianity has to be completely re-defined for most of us in order for us to step into the stream of faith begun with John, Peter, Paul and the others. We have to realize at some point that we really don't get it on a very basic level. This, by the way, is my secret plot to take over the world. I want to infiltrate every denomination, every group, every theological camp, every limb, vein, and capillary of the Body of Christ with this Idea: Jesus didn't die to get you to where He is; He died to get Himself to where you are.

The purpose of the incarnation, the cross, the resurrection, and the outpouring was not to get you to heaven. God's intention was to invade earth, not just once, but millions of times over. Paul wrote it in Romans 8:29--the firstborn among many brothers. On the cross, Jesus was finishing something for sure, but more importantly, or at least more urgently for now, He was beginning something. He was the first; we are the many. God wants to invade your world in the person of (fill in your name here) just as He invaded Jerusalem through Jesus. He was the first; we are the many.

That is the most important thing I can tell you. Forget everything and start with that. Get up tomorrow and say to yourself, "Jesus was first...I'm next." No, you don't have to die for the sins of the world; your death wouldn't pay for even one of your own sins. However, to follow Him as your rabbi means simply to do what He did in His life.

You can't follow Him in death; to presume that is heresy. However, He Himself said you would follow Him in life. He said in John 14:12 that you would do the same things He did and more. Get up tomorrow and say it to yourself. Forget everything you think you know about "living for Jesus." Start with this single thought. "He was first, I'm next."

Then, you'll be so messed up you won't be able to get through the day without finding out more about what He made you to be. Then we're on our way.