bound to be righteous

Rom 6:15-23
For Sunday, June 29 (Proper 8)

When we commit our lives to Christ we are not just making a decision about where we would rather spend eternity: we are committing the entirety of ourselves to a code of conduct summed up in the word righteousness. Though we used to be slaves bound to sin now we are bound to something very different. We are bound to be righteous.

At first glance, the question Paul puts to his readers in v. 15 looks like a repeat of the question he framed chapter 6, verse 1. Yet there are some differences which are more apparent in the original Greek with regard to the verbs Paul uses and the tenses he puts those verbs in. The result is that while the first question asks whether we should remain in sin as a lifestyle, the second question asks whether we should continue to accommodate any sin in our lives given the new lifestyle we have chosen.

Paul's answer to this second question is an emphatic 'No'. No, don't accommodate sin in your lives, because you are bound to be righteous. You live by a code: "... The benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life" (6:22). Following this code of righteousness will lead to holiness, and holiness will then find its proper end in eternal life.

Reading v. 22 in isolation might lead one to think that Paul is teaching a works-based righteousness. But neither the context of this chapter nor the Greek of v. 22 support this. What the NIV translates from the Greek as "... and the result is eternal life" is not the idea that eternal life is the product of holiness, but rather that eternal life is the proper end (Greek TELOS) of holiness. Righteousness, holiness, eternal life - a natural progression for those who are bound to be righteous.

So, given that we are bound to be righteous, what change does the code of Christ require from us today, in the irresistable grace of the gospel of our Lord? May righteousness be unleashed in our souls to the glory of our Father in Heaven.

the stone the builders rejected

Hendrick van den Broeck (1519-1597), "The Resurrection of Christ", Sistine Chapel

Easter Sunday (April 8, 2007)
Psalm 118

"The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes" (vv. 22, 23).

Few were enamored of Jesus during his lifetime: neither the power brokers, nor the religious leaders, nor the populace. The same holds true today. Yet in his love, God has used our very obstinance, ignorance, and animosity to open for us a way to righteousness. Righteousness is not a popular word these days. It ranks far below tolerance, privacy, and prosperity on the applause meter. Yet righteousness is at the top of God's list.

The poor, disenfranchised, and oppressed are the only ones who really get it. They understand the value of righteousness, because they suffer so much the lack thereof.

I had lunch just a couple of days ago with a Bosnian and a Lebanese. I'll bet they have a thirst for righteousness. I'm going to ask them about this the next time we're together. In Jesus there is a way forward for Bosnia, Lebanon, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Sudan, Russia, et. al. There is a way forward for us too! A marvelous (v. 23) thing indeed...

the Centurion test

Tintoretto, "Crucifixion"

Passion Sunday (April 1, 2007)
Luke 42 - 43

"The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, "Surely this was a righteous man" (v. 47). Not only did the centurion recognize Jesus as a righteous man, but he praised God. He himself believed! What a joy to know that in an age of cynical deconstruction, the righteousness of Jesus can not only pass muster but also transform the life of someone in a position to see anything inconsistent, unseemly, or mis-reported. Jesus passed the Centurion Test.

Our 21st century praise ought to strengthen this centurion's voice. Yes, there are great conflicts in the world. No, the church is not having the redemptive influence it ought to within many cultures, including here in the U.S. But surely, Jesus was a righteous man, and in his death for us, he secured our righteousness. What reason to hope, to rejoice, and to live for our Father's glory.