Desiderio Domini

Is All Our Righteousness Filthy Rags?

“Don’t make the mistake of thinking that the only righteousness the law required was perfection.  It is true that any shortcoming of God’s law offends against his perfect holiness and makes us liable to judgment, since God cannot look with favor on any sin (Habakkuk 1:13; James 2:10-11).  But the Old Testament law itself provided for forgiveness and reconciliation for sins.  So the requirement of the law was perfection in one sense, but not in the sense that without it a person was lost.

What brought a person to ruin in the Old Testament was not the failure to have the righteousness of sinless perfection.  Rather the ruin was caused by the failure to be righteous, first, in the sense that Abraham was “reckoned righteous” by faith; and, second, in the sense of habitual (thought not perfect) obedience to God which was rooted in an abiding (though not perfect) faith.  Imperfection would be forgiven, but impenitent, habitual, distrusting disobedience would not.

It is terribly confusing when people say that the only righteousness that has any value is the imputed righteousness of Christ.  I agree that justification is not grounded on any of our righteousness, but only on the righteousness of Christ imputed to us.  But sometimes people are careless and speak disparagingly of all human righteousness, as if there were no such thing pleased God.  They often site Isaiah 64:6 which says our righteousness is as filthy rags.  It’s true – gloriously true – that none of God’s people, before or after the cross, would be accepted by an immaculately holy God if the perfect righteousness of Christ were not imputed to us (Romans 5:19; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 2 Corinthians 5:21).  But that does not mean that God does not produce in those “justified” people (before and after the cross) an experiential righteousness that is not “filthy rags.”  In fact, he does; and this righteousness is precious to God and is required, not as the ground of our justification (which is the righteousness of Christ only), but as an evidence of our being truly justified children of God.

Consider that Zacharias and his wife Elizabeth are described by Luke in a way that many Christians stumble over: “They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord” (Luke 1:6). Their righteousness was not filthy rags. Nor was it only the imputed righteousness of Christ. This was a life of habitual obedience and faith that receives cleansing from its perfections through the wonderful provisions forgiveness and restoration in the law (which all pointed to Christ as the one who would decisively carry the sins of all God’s people before and after the cross, cf. Romans 3:25).

Why did Israel fail to attain righteousness? Paul poses and answers this question in Romans 9:31-32. “Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness did not arrive at that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, as though it were by works.” THey did not pursue the law “by faith”. But that was how God meant it to be pursued.  The underlying cause of Israel’s disobedience was lack of faith.

Paul says that they failed to pursue the law by faith. For the great majority of Israel (but not saints like Moses, Caleb, David, Zachariah and Elizabeth), when they pursued the law, they pursued it “as though it were by works.” The words “as though” are Paul’s way of saying that the law was not meant by God to be pursued this way. This is why he says in Romans 3:31, “Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law.”

What Paul means by “works” is clear from Romans 4:4-5, “now to the one who works, his wage is not reckoned as a [grace], but as what is due. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness.” “Works” are any actions or attitudes that aim to highlight their own worth or merit so that the normal response to them would be an earned payment, not a free gift of grace. Therefore the reason Israel failed in its pursuit of what the law required was that it misconstrued the law as calling for “works”, when in fact it was calling for the obedience that comes from faith. They failed to see that the law was calling the people to live by faith.”

-John Piper, Future Grace (Chapter 11: A Love Affair with God’s Law)

I Can’t Help It. It’s TOO funny.

Homeless and Extremely Blessed

This is Gloria Perez. I met her last night when we went with “Taking It To The Streets” Ministry to feed the homeless people in Downtown San Antonio. It was such a blessing to spend time with her and hear about her unwavering faith in Jesus Christ. She has gone through so much since she became homeless 3 years ago but she told me that “God has a good reason and purpose why I’m homeless right now. I’m okay. I’m content. I have hope.” WOW! That’s Romans 8:28 for my friend Gloria.

She told me about this book that strengthened her faith in God. She really loved it and wanted to finish reading it but she decided to give it to another homeless lady because “she needed hope. She needed the book more than I do.” I couldn’t believe it! This woman, who literally has nothing, selflessly gave that one thing that she treasured. She reminded me of what a friend said a few months ago: “The richest man is not he who has the most, but he who needs the least.” She is rich in Jesus. She is blessed. She has Hope that does not disappoint (Romans 5:5).

She asked about me and why I’m in Texas. After I told her what I am doing as a missionary, she encouraged me and said: “Keep doing what you’re doing. You are right with Jesus. There’s no better place to be than that.”

Before leaving, she asked me what my name is, so I told her that it’s Grace. She said that it is so she can remember me in her prayers. I will keep her in my prayers too. I hope that you do too.