Not Good Enough

These last few weeks have been a strange few for me. I have had a feeling of darkness, a heavy weight of reality on my shoulders. Remembering a friend who's life was given up by suicide and being indirectly involved in a friend's divorce has had me overwhelmed by the sinfulness and evil in the world. It's amazing to me at these times when I look and see how much I've put my dependence, hope and trust in this sick world. How could anyone want to be here? Why do I love it so much? But I do- my sinfulness pulls me towards the worldly desires and I do put my hope in it. It's days like this when God reveals himself through a small devotional book that I am convicted and amazed at his grace and love.

I thought I would share with you the devotional I read today. It was a gracious reminder of my inadequacy as a fallen (wo)man and Christ's sacrifice and purpose as the God of the universe.

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I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose. Galations 2:21

I'm sure that you remember the story of Moses and the receiving of the Law at Mount Sinai. God had delivered the children of Israel from miserable slavery in Egypt with great power and compassion and brought them to himself. When they came to Mount Sinai, Moses relayed the Lord's words to them:

You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. (Ex. 19:4-6)

In his desire to bless and have communion with his creation, the Lord declared his intention to have a people for himself, a "treasured possession," a "kingdom of priests, a holy nation." The qualification for inclusion in this special covenant people was simply this: "Obey my voice and keep my covenant." When the Israelites heard these words, they joyously responded, "All that the Lord has spoken we will do" (Ex 19:8).

Even though Israel had good intentions, their history speaks something less than immediate and grateful obedience. After a second time of rehearsing covenant requirements and the people agreeing to it, Moses went up onto the mountain for forty days and nights to be with the Lord and receive the Law from him. While he was delayed in the presence of God, the Israelites became impatient and made a god for themselves to "go before them" (Ex. 32:1).

I can imagine that, from their perspective, they thought they were helping the Lord. They knew they needed a god to protect them from their enemies and bless them as they traveled to the Promised Land. They didn't think they were defecting from the Lord; indeed, at the same time they "rose up to play" they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings to the Lord. In their sinful reasoning, they believed that they needed something more than the Lord. They wanted him, but they wanted their idols too.

It didn't take them long to pervert themselves and renege on everything they had promised to do. "All that the Lord has spoken we will do" quickly became "and the people pat down to eat and drink and rose up to play" (Ex. 32:6). But the rebellion didn't stop with the people, did it? On numerous occasions Aaron himself fell. And then later, even Moses, the meekest man who ever lived (Num. 12:3) failed. In self-reliance, anger, and unbelief, he struck the rock (Num. 20:10-12). Not even Moses, the giver of the law, was able to keep the law.

If Moses, such a meek and faithful believer, was unable to enter the land he so earnestly desired to see because of his anger, disobedience, and unbelief, is it reasonable to assume that we'll be able to enter into God's covenant blessings by our works?

Here's another one of those occasions when Paul makes statements that are meant to astonish us. He writes:

We know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.... I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Chris died for no purpose. Gal. 2:16,21

The Lord's covenant offer to the nation of Israel was clear: obey my law and you will be a treasured possession to me. But no mere human has been able to do so, not even a man of sterling character like Moses, a man who saw the Lord face-to-face and received the Law directly from his hand. Here's the bald truth: you and I are so completely unable to obey the law that we can't do so even when we want to. We may have good intentions, but the ability to fulfill those intentions is not present within us.

"Yes, yes," you might be agreeing, "that was true before I came to Christ. But now that I'm justified, I've got to work hard." Yes, it's true that we are called to zealously work and seek to obey. We've been given the power of the Spirit and a new nature. Yes, the ultimate power of sin in our lives has been broken. But what we have to remember here is that Paul isn't writing to the unbelievers, telling them how to get saved. He's writing to the Galation church, to believers who had succumbed to the heresy that obedience to the law had to be added to their faith in Christ. They had been deceived into thinking that they needed a bit of faith in themselves, too. They didn't think they were deserting the Lord; they were just adding to their faith a touch of law keeping, a little proud (and damning) self-righteousness.

Paul's response to that way of thinking is so adamant, it's like he's shouting at the. Do you believe that you'll be his "treasured possession" only if you obey? You're nullifying the grace of God! Do you believe that your continued inclusion in his "holy nation" is based on your righteousness? If so, then "Christ died for no purpose." Why? Because "by works of the law no one [including you and me] will be justified."

So then, God's intention to have a people who are his treasured possession is not thwarted one whit by your works (or lack of them). You see, he's gotten his "chosen race," his "royal priesthood," a "holy nation, a people for his own possession" (1 Pet. 2:9) by his Son's work. He pours out mercy on people who couldn't earn mercy. Our response is to continually, joyfully, loudly proclaim "the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." Rejoice with me:

My Dear Father,
Thank you for your mercy. Thank you that you've done for me what I never could have done for myself. You've sovereignly made me your treasured possession because you've granted to me the righteous record of your Son. Forgive me when I become impatient with my growth in holiness, rely on myself or my own good intention, and seek to nullify grace. Keep me from trusting in myself and make me love you today, I pray. Amen

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devotional taken from Comforts from the Cross by Elyse M. Fitzpatrick