I guess I need a big ole' blushing Smiley face here...since I said 7 days ago that I was going to try to post every day this month and I've only managed to post 3 times since then. <*blush*> We'll see how the rest of the month goes. I keep thinking I'm going to get posts typed up ahead and scheduled...that just seems so neat and tidy and organized <*grin*>...but I can't seem to get to one a day, much less post ahead!
Anyway, this is the In Other Words post I had planned to post on Tuesday...I'm determined to get it in, even if it's late. :)
This week's In Other Words is hosted by Sunflower Faith. She chose today's quote, by A.W. Tozer:
"The ethics of Jesus cannot be obeyed or even understood until the life of God has come to the heart of a man or woman in the miracle of the new birth. The righteousness of the law is fulfilled in those who walk in the Spirit. Christ lives again in His redeemed followers the life He lived in Judea, for righteousness can never be divorced from its source, which is Jesus Christ Himself!"
~ A. W. Tozer
The truth expressed in this quote is one that I have become more and more convicted about in recent years. "Righteousness can never be divorced from its source, which is Jesus Christ Himself!" It's been a bit of a backward lesson for me...one that originally started as a conviction about raising my children, and then morphed into the realization that the best way to raise my children that way is to live it myself.
That conviction was that my goal must not be to raise "nice" children, or "well-behaved" children, or "good" children...but that my goal must be to raise children who are seeking after Him with all their hearts...children who are totally sold out to following Him. That has been reinforced so many times in the last few years...I've actually been planning a blog series on that topic, so I suppose this could be the "prequel" to that series. :)
Being "nice" and "good" and "well-behaved" are all good things...for children and adults. But if we...or our children...stop there, we have stopped in dangerous territory. "Being good" is not the same thing as being righteous. And only when we are made righteous through the blood of Christ are we truly saved. Only when we have His righteousness in us are we able to obey and follow Him as He commands. Only through our relationship with Him, seeking Him with all our hearts daily, are we able to then live out a life that reflects Christ.
We are told in Isaiah 64:6 that *our* righteousness is as filthy rags. If we try to "live like Jesus" or "be good" on our own...the end result is filthy rags.
Just this week I ran across this quote by C. S. Lewis (posted on Facebook by Randy Alcorn)...
C.S. Lewis: "'Niceness'—wholesome, integrated personality—is an excellent thing. …But we must not suppose that even if we succeeded in making everyone nice we should have saved their souls. A world of nice people, content in their own niceness, looking no further, turned away from God, would be just as desperately in need of salvation as a miserable world—and might even be more difficult to save."
That pretty much sums it up. "Niceness" is not the goal...for us as adults, for our children, for our neighbors. The goal is transformation that can only come about by the Holy Spirit in us. Then we will demonstrate His goodness...and all the things that come with it...through His righteousness in us...
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."
~Galatians 5:22-23
Please visit Sunflower Faith to see how others interpreted this quote this week, or to join in by sharing your own thoughts!
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I lost my comment, I was going to post, lol, but just wanted to say, how much I appreciate you participating and love the insight that you shared about the quote...
ReplyDeleteIt was a pretty deep quote and challenging, but at the same time, as I read what you wrote and you shared, "Being good" is not the same thing as being righteous. And only when we are made righteous through the blood of Christ are we truly saved. Only when we have His righteousness in us are we able to obey and follow Him as He commands. , wow...how true!
I think its easy to forget that much needed balance and depth that is needed and that as, you shared, we can be nice, but that,"Niceness" is not the goal...for us as adults, for our children, for our neighbors. The goal is transformation that can only come about by the Holy Spirit in us. Then we will demonstrate His goodness...and all the things that come with it...through His righteousness in us..."
Thank you so much for sharing and hoping to hear more from you!