Not because of our worthiness

Most of human religion engages in a tit-for-tat relationship with God. Many think that if they do good in this life, then they ought to receive good from God. And when people perceive themselves to be good and they are struck with tragedy, they resent God, because they think that it’s unfair. And eternally, it’s assumed that generally good people ought to be allowed into heaven.

All of this is false, of course. If we did have a tit-for-tat relationship with God, we’d all already be destroyed because of our many sins. Whatever good we do in this life is merely our duty, and we don’t deserve anything. When all is counted up, we are actually not good, but evil. And no one deserves to go to heaven on his own merit.

This is found all over the Bible, but we get a taste of it in Luke 6:4-6. A Roman centurion had a servant who was critically ill. So, he sent Jewish leaders to go speak with one famous/infamous Jew in particular, Jesus Christ. And we read,

4 And when they came to Jesus, they pleaded with him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy to have you do this for him,

5 for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue.”

6 And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. – Luke 7:4-6

Here, we get a glimpse of this concept: Jesus does not give us grace because of our worthiness, but because of our faith.

We want to emphasize here the concept of grace. Grace is favor that is unmerited. It means that whoever is giving grace to a person is doing so regardless of or even in spite of the receiver’s worthiness or unworthiness. We see grace in this passage in that the centurion acknowledges in verse 6, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. Imagine a mighty Roman leader, commander of a hundred elite warriors, saying to a subjected Jew of lowly estate, “I am not worthy”. Somehow, he knows he’s not worthy of Jesus’s kindness, and he acknowledges that if Jesus would heal his servant, it would be of grace.

So, Jesus does not give us grace because of our worthiness. The Jewish elders don’t understand that here. They come to Jesus on behalf of the centurion, and they don’t appeal to Christ’s grace. Instead, they appeal to the centurion’s worthiness. They say to Jesus, He is worthy to have you do this for him. Why? He loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue. He showed favor to the Jews in his area and was even a patron for them, having a place of worship built for them. It was because of what he did for them that they went to bat for him. It was tit-for-tat.

Jesus, went with them, but of course, before he could get to the house, the centurion sent messengers to Jesus to say what we just discussed above. The centurion would go on to say something along the lines of, “Just say the word, and my servant will be healed.” He acknowledged that Jesus was mighty to heal even without being in the same room.

Jesus would then commend this Roman centurion, in stark contrast to His own Jewish people, for his faith. Then, He did as the centurion asked.

This is a picture of the reality that Jesus does not give us grace because of our worthiness, but because of our faith. The Scriptures also say, “By grace, you have been saved through faith”. Now, it is not that faith makes us worthy of grace. Remember that you can’t be worthy of grace. It ceases to be grace if it’s earned. But God is pleased to give grace though faith. Faith is a dependency on Him, knowing that we are not worthy of His kindness. And God uses that faith as a means through which He blesses us.

Sinner, you can never earn God’s favor. You deserve only His wrath. You are not worthy of His coming under your roof. But if you place your faith in Him, like the centurion did, you will be saved.

It came at a cost. Jesus took our sin, our unworthiness, on Himself, and at the behest of leaders of His own people and at the hand of Roman soldiers, was nailed to a cross to experience the wrath of God that we deserve on Himself. He did that so that all who have faith in Him as Savior would be forgiven their sins. Don’t trust in your worthiness—you have none. Trust in His worthiness and grace.

Let God be the Judge in matters of conscience: God as our example and motivation

To see this, we simply go to a small phrase at the end of Romans 14:3, “for God has welcomed him”. Here’s why you are to welcome he who doesn’t see eye-to-eye with you in matters of conscience: God has welcomed him.

If God has welcomed him, we shouldn’t disagree with God. We should follow His example. Despite the brother’s weakness, God has called him His own. We should receive the brother with the same openness as God has. Not only is that true for the brother, but it’s also true for you.

Well, it may be true for you. If you have not turned to Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, that means that you are not right with Him. It means that you are still under His wrath, because you have wronged Him all your life. But if you turn from your sins and trust in Jesus to save you, He will.

Believer, with all of your sin, with all of your deficiencies, God gave His only Son to die on the cross for you. He has welcomed you. Go beyond the golden rule: Don’t only treat others as you would have them treat you. Treat others as Christ has treated you.

So, we are to let God be the Judge in matters of conscience. In this series, we saw that forbearance is the foundation for that. We reviewed examples of matters of conscience. We talked about the proper response to these situations. And we looked to God as our supreme example and motivation.

Ask yourself, “How does this study apply to me?”

Let God be the Judge in matters of conscience: Examples

In Romans 14, having encouraged the Christian to welcome those weak in faith and not quarrel with them, Paul gives examples of these types of issues.

In verse 2, he writes, “One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables.”

So, again, the one who understands that food laws were pointing forward to Jesus but are no longer in effect are the strong ones here, and the ones who are hanging on to the food laws are weak in faith.

In verse 5, he gives another example: “One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike.”

This is, at least, talking about the new moons and festivals that were established in the law of Moses, all of which were pointing forward to and fulfilled in Jesus. This may be referring to the Sabbath, as well, but that’s debatable.

In both of these examples, they were no longer required to continue what they used to do, but their conscience prevented them from stopping.

There are modern examples of this, too. Some examples may be giving exactly 10% of one’s income, standing during singing, having a Bible reading plan, bowing heads or closing eyes to pray.

One of the most common ones is dressing up for church. The Bible doesn’t command wearing anything different from what you normally wear when you’re assembling with the saints. If anything, it cautions against drawing attention to yourself with fanciness and instead promotes beautifying yourself on the inside.

But there are many who feel they would be being disrespectful if they don’t dress nicely for church. The thinking may be that they dress up for other people to honor them, so why wouldn’t they do the same thing for God? There are answers to that question. But Paul’s prescription here is to hold out a hand of fellowship and unity and not quarrel with them.

So, Paul gives some examples of matters of conscience, and we’ve observed some modern examples. We want to be clear that as long as it’s done for the right reasons, it’s not wrong to do these extra things. It may be burdensome on a person, because they’re adding requirements on themselves that Christ does not. But as long as they don’t think it saves them or earns them more favor with God, they are free to do them.

Now that we’ve seen examples of matters of conscience, in our next bleat, we’ll see the proper response to these matters.

Graciously called to suffer

We’ve been graciously called to suffer.  This should be a comfort to us when we inevitably face persecution because of the gospel.  

Timothy, it seems, was feeling discouraged, and perhaps prone to being ashamed of the gospel.  Paul, his beloved mentor and friend, encouraged him to not be ashamed, but to share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God,

who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, – 2 Timothy 1:9

In this verse, we see two actions that God did to believers in Jesus and two reasons why He did them.  The first action was that

1. God saved us 

Paul describes God as He who saved us.  He saved us from the wrath that we deserve because of our sins, by dying on the cross for sinners like us and rising again.  And if you believe in Jesus, you are saved by Him.  Praise God!  He saved us, and secondly, He 

2. Called us to a holy calling

He saved us and called us to a holy calling.  Now, who’s the “us” that Paul is talking about here?  You could say that he’s talking about him and Timothy, and that may be true, but it’s true for every follower of Jesus.  He has saved us and called us to a holy calling.  Ephesians 2:10 says that we are created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.  We have been given a holy calling. 

So, a Christian is not a person who is saved and then does nothing.  A Christian is one who is saved and is called to a holy calling, a life set apart for Jesus Christ, in service to Him.  

So, we see those two actions that God has taken for believers, and then we see two reasons why:

1. His own purpose

It was not because of our works.  In other words, neither Paul nor Timothy nor any of us were saved or called because we were good people.  We didn’t do anything that merited favor in His sight.  Instead, it was because of His own purpose.  The overriding reason for why He saved and called anyone was because He wanted to.  

And this isn’t a “just because” kind of thing, like a child might say.  His purposes are always good and perfect.  He did it because it pleased Him and because it was the best thing to do.  

This should humble us.  He didn’t save and call us because of anything in us.  He did it primarily because of His own purpose.  And secondly,

2. His grace. 

He did it because of His own purpose and grace.  These two cannot be disconnected.  For His purposes are gracious.  Grace has always been part of the plan, and it will always be part of the story.  

In fact, He established His gracious purposes toward us before the ages began.   Paul says of God’s grace that He gave it to us in Christ Jesus before the ages began.  It’s fair to say this is talking about before the beginning of creation, before Genesis 1:1.  He had already decided to save and call us before even the universe was created.  How amazing is our God!

Why say this to Timothy?  When we are tempted to be ashamed or to be timid, we need to run back to what God in Christ has done for us.  Grace motivates us to press on when we are suffering for His name. 

Why Christians believe what they believe

Why is it that some believe the Bible and others don’t?  It’s not because some are smarter than others—some geniuses believe in Jesus and others don’t.  It’s not because some are more cultured than others or more open-minded than others.  It’s not that some were more inherently good than others.  Christians believe what they believe, because it was given to them.  1 Corinthians 2:12 says,

Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. – 1 Corinthians 2:12

Now, this verse is not saying that there’s such a thing as a “spirit of the world” in the sense of a spiritual being, but rather the disposition of the world, in all of its worldliness.  That is not what Christians have received.  

Instead, in a play on words, Paul tells us that we have received “the Spirit who is from God“, that is, God the Holy Spirit, who gives us understanding of “the things freely given to us by God“.  It is He who is the determining factor as to whether a man or a woman, smart or dumb, rich or poor, noble or common, trusts in Jesus Christ. 

What this means for us

What this means for us is that we have absolutely no room to boast.  We didn’t believe because we were better people or more spiritual or more in tune with our hearts and minds.  We believed because we have received the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand. 

What this also means for us is that we can confidently share the good news of Jesus with others.  We don’t have to worry about whether we are speaking smartly enough or communicating prolifically enough.  No, we can faithfully preach Christ and Him crucified, and if the person receives the Holy Spirit, they will understand and believe.  

And of course, all glory and praise goes to God. 

It’s all “eye for an eye” until someone loses an eye

Eye for an eye.  It’s a biblical statement that many have borrowed when it has suited their purposes, whether they believed the Bible or not.  It’s a principle that is indeed good, but it is not to be misused.  The Savior said to His disciples,

38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’

39 But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. – Matthew 5:38-39

The Savior was quoting a law given in the Old Testament in a few different places, and the law is not bad at all; it’s good.  In fact, the principle should continue in our criminal justice systems today: the punishment should fit the crime—not more severe than necessary and not less. But this law was just for that purpose: civil and criminal law.  The commandment was not given to individual people, but for the law enforcement of Israel, if you will.  It seems as if the people, perhaps the Pharisees especially, had applied it to their own personal dealings, and the Savior taught against that. 

No, Christians are not to apply “eye for an eye” in their personal interactions (except, perhaps, when disciplining children).  The Savior says not to resist the one who is evil.  Now, we mustn’t take this teaching too far.  The Savior Himself was resisting the Pharisees as He taught.  But He expands on this in a few ways, beginning with our verse above.  

He says that if anyone slaps you on the cheek, you ought to turn to him the other also.  The Savior uses this physical act of violence to represent any wrongdoing done to us in general.  It’s not only for when someone insults you with a slap; it’s for any kind of evil done to you.  

The Savior’s point is not to condone or reinforce bad behavior, but rather to not fight fire with fire.  Instead, you fight fire with water.  You show kindness when you are shown wickedness, and this is the characteristic of those who are the salt and light that the Savior described earlier.  

Christ’s Apostle, Paul, would later reinforce this in Romans 12, where he instructs the Roman Christians to repay no one evil for evil, to not be overcome with evil, but to overcome evil with good. He tells them that if you bless those who persecute you, you will heap judgment on them.  This is, essentially, what Jesus is teaching in our passage.  

So, when someone wrongs you, your immediate reaction should not be how you can get even with that person.  While, yes, evil must be addressed in many cases, whether that’s calling the police or beginning church discipline.  But your personal response should be that of kindness. 

We’re reminded of the case of Dylann Roof, the young man who massacred churchgoers out of hatred.  Family members lined up to tell the apathetic Roof that they were praying for him and that they forgave him.  That was a stunning display of this principle.  And if Roof were not deranged, he may have broken down in sorrow on the spot.  

Remember also that though the Savior’s cheek was struck, He turned the other one, to the point of dying on the cross for sinners like us.  And though we have insulted God innumerable times in our lives, He has shown us immeasurable mercy and grace.  May we extend such love to others.  

The glory due Him

Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. – Genesis 2:1

Here, Moses summarizes God’s work in Genesis 1.  “Thus”, he writes, “the heavens and the earth were finished”.  This phrase, “the heavens”, can refer to the sky, but more likely, Moses is referring to all of the universe besides the earth.  God created the stars, the solar systems, the galaxies, and when a man looks into the sky, he has but a small glimpse of “the heavens”.  

He also created “all the host of them”.  This is either referring to the contents of earth, or the contents of the heavens, or both.  Both, makes the most sense here, because of the summarizing nature of this verse.  God not only created the spaces, but He also filled them with magnificent detail, from amazing solar systems in which two stars revolve around each other, to ants that create intricate systems of tunnels in which to carry out their work.  

God created them “thus”: by the word of His mouth (Genesis 1).  He spoke, and it was so.  

Finally, notice that Moses selects the word “finished”.  He doesn’t say “God created”, here, like he did in Genesis 1:1.  God isn’t learning as He goes.  He knew exactly what He aimed to create, and He created it exactly as He intended.  It was not a work-in-progress. 

How easy it is for us to take creation, and therefore, the Creator, for granted.  The Lord spoke the universe into existence, down to the smallest detail, and all we see and even all we can’t see has been marvelously created by Him.  May we learn, by His grace, to appreciate His creation each day and to ascribe to Him the glory due Him. 

The basis for God’s mercy

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. – Psalm 51:1

Notice that the psalmist doesn’t appeal to his own good deeds or goodness to ask God for mercy.  He is well aware that he is sinful through and through, that he was born in sin, that his goodness could never repay for his lawbreaking.  He thus couldn’t appeal to his own goodness.  

Instead, he appeals to the only thing that he can appeal to: God’s steadfast love and abundant mercy.  If God were to have mercy, it would not have been on account of the psalmist’s merit, but solely because of His great love. 
The same is true for all of us today.  Many think that they are good enough to earn God’s mercy.  And hypothetically, a perfect person could earn God’s favor and not even need any mercy.  But there is not one person who has lived up to such a standard—none, that is, but Christ.  

No one deserves mercy; all deserve wrath.  But Jesus lived a perfect life and died a sacrificial death, so that He could pass on the favor that only He deserves to sinners such as we.  For all who believe in Him, He took our sinfulness and gave us His righteousness, and we now have received mercy and grace.  In the most beautiful way, God had mercy on us, according to His steadfast love, according to His abundant mercy, demonstrating it on the cross of Christ.  He is the basis for His own mercy.  Thank you, Lord! 

Our mouths will tell

My mouth will tell of your righteous acts, of your deeds of salvation all the day, for their number is past my knowledge. – Psalm 71:15

The psalmist likely had in mind temporal acts of salvation from physical harm.  His words have even more impact now that Christ has purchased eternal salvation for a great multitude.  And how true it is that their number is past our knowledge. 

Like the psalmist, we should be floored by God’s righteous acts and His deeds of salvation in Christ, and we too should be motivated to tell of them with our mouths.  How can we stay silent when we know what God has done?

Lord, give us the fervor of this psalmist and help us to tell of Your righteous acts, of Your deeds of salvation all the day. 

Jesus desires love, not ritual

On the day that Jesus called Matthew to be one of His disciples, he also dined with many tax collectors and sinners.  In that time, tax collectors were especially notorious, because they would tax on behalf of Rome and even overtax, skimming off the top.  Yet Jesus ate with them.  The Pharisees, seeing this, questioned Jesus’s disciples about His “reprehensible” actions.  

The Savior spoke for Himself.  He said to them that those who are well don’t have a need for a doctor, but those who are sick.  And then he said,

Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” – Matthew 9:13

This phrase, go and learn, was a common rabbinical formula that a teacher would use to instruct his students to study a text from the Hebrew Bible.  While the Pharisees didn’t acknowledge His authority, He nonetheless is their Master and Teacher.  It was probably biting to them to hear that phrase from Him, themselves being thought of as the learned scholars of their day.  But it was a rebuke well-deserved.  

The Savior pointed them to Hosea 6:6, and He quoted, I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.  Sacrifice, here, is representative of the outward expression of religion in general, whether offering up sacrifices at the temple, or tithing, or fasting, or praying in public–the things in which the Pharisees took great pride.  

Mercy, on the other hand, refers to a loving compassion, which is what should have accompanied their sacrifice.   If the Pharisees had mercy, they would have understood why Jesus ate with sinners, and they would have joined in themselves.  

He went on to explain how Hosea 6:6 is related to what He’s doing: For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.  The word righteous here may have been said with godly sarcasm.  Jesus didn’t come to call the “righteous”, or those who were righteous in their own sight, but sinners, those who realized their dire need for a Savior.  

What this reminds us today is that Jesus takes no pleasure in religious rituals for their own sake.  We are not righteous because we go to church several times a week.   We are not righteous because we tithe.  We are not righteous because we go to Bible study.  Note, that all of these can be good, if done with a worshipful heart.  But done for the sake of Pharisaical self-righteousness, the Lord doesn’t desire them. 

What the Lord desires is true worship.  That’s what is represented here in mercy.  Someone who has mercy for others in the standard that the Savior is talking about is one who fears God and bows before Him.  It’s not the outward acts that are supreme, but the heart, which then manifests itself in truly righteous acts and real sacrifice.  

So, let us not be obsessed with ritual.  Have rituals, yes, but let’s not do them for their own sake.  Instead, let’s examine our hearts and worship Him in all things.