What Do You Rely On?
The first three chapters of Romans are an incredible reminder to everyone that none are righteous. Romans declares that all are without excuse: the Gentiles pursuing all of the lusts of the flesh (Rom 1:20-25) and also the hypocritical, self-righteous Jews who were given the law and direct access to God under the Old Covenant (Rom 2:17). While there is no Jew or Gentile distinction today in the body of Christ (Gal 3:28), we can draw pertinent spiritual application nonetheless.
American Christians are unfortunately very good at putting on a façade, just like the Jews under the law. We often put on a fake outward appearance once or twice a week around other churchgoers to look the part, when in reality, our hearts are trying to hide our hypocritical reality. We are afraid to be found out. While we are afraid to be found out, we also look around at other people and then we look at ourselves, content that at least we’re not “sinning like those people.” In our insecurity, we point out the flaws in others so that we don’t feel as bad about our flaws.
For many individuals that grew up attending church, there tends to be a disposition of self-righteousness that must constantly be combatted. While today’s churchgoing, self-professing Christian is not a Jew, this type of person often correlates well with the behavior of the Jews under the law. Romans 2 speaks extensively about this type of behavior that the Jews exhibited:
“[17] Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, [18] And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law; [19] And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, [20] An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law. [21] Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? [22] Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? [23] Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God? [24] For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written. [25] For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.” – Romans 2:17-25
The passage above shares a revealing list of things we tend to rest and rely on to justify ourselves. In fact, while we seek to point out the sins in others, we have committed the same or continue to commit the same sins:
We teach others and fail to regard the same truth we instruct.
We preach stealing is wrong, but we all have taken something that wasn’t rightfully ours before.
We preach against adultery in the church, but pornography, fornication, and adultery are just as rampant in the church as outside of it.
We preach against idols, yet we idolize ourselves, our fleshly desires, and others through social media, entertainment, and extravagant purchases.
We boast in our Bible understanding, yet disobey God’s word every day whereby blaspheming God’s name among those that are unsaved.
A parallel of our own self-justification and puffing up would also include things like:
Going to church frequently or having grown up in church
Reading the Bible
Giving money every month to a church or organization
“Knowing God’s will” (which is oftentimes way off the mark of the Bible’s description of it)
Political, denominational, church, or preacher affiliation
Abstinence from alcohol or premarital sexual activity
Not swearing or using profane language
Your child’s good behavior
Those things listed above aren’t in themselves bad, but when we measure our “success as a Christian” by those things, we are missing the point entirely. In Christ, we shouldn’t rely on what we’ve done, who we know, or what we’re going to do. The moment we point at ourselves or other people to justify an action or to “coast” in our Christian walk, we stray from pointing to Christ’s righteousness. We should rest in what Christ did to save our souls and allow us to live in Him.
Never forget that once we’ve trusted in the gospel of Christ, our best efforts to serve God still fall infinitely short of God’s perfect standard. We stand in and rely on His grace for salvation and to walk by faith. Comparing ourselves to one another and using the outward appearance to do so is unwise because God judges the heart (2Co 10:7-12). You are complete in Christ (Col 2:10) and the measure is not those around us, but Christ’s perfect righteousness. We serve Christ not to feel good about ourselves or lift ourselves up, but because our life isn’t ours and His love constrains us (Col 3:3, 2Co 5:14). It’s our reasonable service (Rom 12:1)!
