During my social media sabbatical, I caught some of the news from the recent Republican primaries, the mudslinging between political parties as well as within political parties, and the concerns our nation is facing. At the same time, I was determined to shield myself from the anxiety that can begin to mount after being exposed to all of these issues, talking points, and opinions.
We've heard it said that America was build on godly principals, on the Judeo-Christian tradition. It seems if we were really built on these good things that we would not be, how can I say it? At times, seemingly going down the toilet. There's much debate about just how accurate this knowledge is of our founding fathers being Christians and of the formation of America, only God can perceive a heart, but we can in fact find biblical truths embedded in our founding documents. ( 1 Kings 8:39 )
So why are we such a mess? Because all people, whether we realize it or not, are such a mess without the Gospel.
"Hey, I thought you said that America was built on godly, biblical principals?"
I did, and that's just it. Biblical rules and commandments never saved anyone. Without the underpinning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ beneath our morality, as our firm foundation in all of its truth, beauty, and grace, we become legalistic, rigid, and no better than the Pharisees as we attempt, consciously or unconsciously, to build a nation on a foundation of moralism. Constructing our own way to salvation or to a healthy nation through a list of rules and regulations sets us up for failure.
Jesus said that unless our righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees we will never enter the kingdom of heaven, ( Matthew 5:20 ) so we had better get a handle on what exactly that pharisaical righteousness is that Jesus is talking about in this text.
Digging into the gospels, we see that the Pharisees, the religious leaders of Jesus's day, were all about keeping the law, even adding their own traditions to it while enforcing it upon the people. And yet throughout the four gospel accounts, Jesus calls the Pharisees a brood of vipers, hypocrites, white-washed tombs full of dead bones, fools, blind guides, children of hell, and serpents.
I want to be clear: Legislating laws in America, or any nation we live in, based on biblical truths that promote human flourishing is something followers of Jesus should always take a stand for and work towards. I want to be clear on this because Scripture is clear on this. ( See Romans 13 )
"When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when a wicked man rules, the people groan." ( Proverbs 29:2 )
How much groaning has echoed down through the ages? Or now? How many times did "righteous" rules and rulers result in wars fought in the name of religion, god, or "Christianity?"
All government systems are flawed, some more than others, but even still we are called to work within these broken regimes to bring order out of chaos. Think about Daniel working inside the government of the Babylonian Empire.
Some Christians are called to work inside of the government, and they need our prayers daily as satan has been infiltrating and corrupting government systems since the very beginning of time. If the enemy can control a government, imagine how many people he can get under his thumb. It's no surprise that government leaders are one of his main targets. Our brothers and sisters working within governments need our prayers as they navigate through the lion's den. Yes, Daniel again.
I love my country, and I pray everyday for righteous leaders to rule and be elected. However, what I'm saying is that it is not enough to legislate and execute laws based on biblical rules because the rules alone will not save us - they can't. They do not possess the power to do what only the Gospel of Jesus Christ has the power to do.
In light of the legalistic teaching of the Pharisees and their rejection of him, Jesus stressed awareness to the crowds that followed him of the danger in attempting to live by their own right standing. The Apostle Paul worked tirelessly to unravel this truth to his church plants in the Gentile communities, but mainly to the Jews living in those cities who were bent on obedience to the law producing salvation.
"So, what is the Gospel?" I'm glad you asked.
Romans 3:23 - 25: "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith."
Please don't be intimidated by the terms justified, grace, redemption, and propitiation; once we understand the meanings, they will string together around us like a strand of precious pearls. Take time to process the above verses, meditate on them, research, study, self reflect, and dive deeply into the richness. These are some of the greatest words ever written.
If the law could save us, Jesus's sacrificial atoning death would not have been needed. Jesus did not die, contrary to what some believe, to just show us how to love and forgive. No, Jesus died as "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." ( John 1:29 )
But we have to know that we are sinners desperately in need of the sacrifice he has given on our behalf and repent, meaning to turn from our sin and our own righteousness, which actually amounts to "unrighteousness" and "filthy rags." ( Isaiah 64:6 )
Then we must believe; meaning we must trust Jesus and what he has done for us. God doesn't believe for us. We must believe. Once the Gospel truth takes hold in our hearts, we have not only the desire to obey, but the power to do so. The commandments are important, however; we obey now, not out of fear or obligation or self-righteousness, but because of the grace God has upon us. The transformation that took place in my heart and the continued growth is something that never fails to overwhelm me with joy, even in the midst of suffering.
Is the good news of the Gospel overwhelming us and taking our breath away because it seems too good to be true? Are we sharing it with those around us or are we just trying to get them to behave? Jesus commanded his followers to spread the Gospel, not a list of dos and don'ts, to the ends of the earth.
Never stop looking into the Gospel - we never get beyond it. It has no bottom. It's both the journey and the destination.
Paul wrote to the Philippians that as much education and prestige as he may have gained from being a Pharisee he now counted all of that "righteousness" as a loss and as rubbish ( Greek word "skubalon" meaning animal excrement - in other words, manure or poop )
"in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith and the power of his resurrection... " ( 3:4-10 )
We see at least two other Pharisees in the Scriptures who got it besides Paul, Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea. Their story together is beautiful.
During my sabbatical I also joyfully experienced being in the midst of brothers and sisters in Christ living out the Gospel in their every day lives and sharing the live-giving message with others. It's exciting to be a part of this work.
I've come to realize that despite the problems we face here at home and abroad, as in all of church history, as he promised, Jesus continues to build his church. He builds through all types of cultural landscapes and social structures. The church, through the ages and presently, moves out into the world boldly, not intimidated in desperate times, but being a light, sharing our hope; church growth historically has been exponential in times of persecution.
I've realized that the church is growing strong in the margins, in the fringes of society, in the nooks and crannies of this world.
I see the church growing and flourishing in small churches, in big churches too, but especially within small Bible studies and life groups where people are hungry for the Gospel and gather at any expense to hear the Truth and fellowship with each other.
I see the growth in believers working and volunteering in the mental health field who are heartbroken by the amount of disenchantment, despair, and loss of meaning found in people throughout our modern western culture. They tirelessly pour themselves out daily to bring hope and healing to these who suffer so intensely.
The church is growing and maturing in individuals waking up early excited to feast on the Word before the events of the day take hold. It's growing in families gathering for times of devotion together and in humble parents falling on their knees begging God for mercy in a job like child rearing that is far above their pay grade.
The church is growing in humble, grass roots ministries where believers care deeply about their lonely neighbors, coworkers, friends, and the waitress struggling to make ends meet for her children.
It's growing in believers who aren't afraid to get their hands dirty in the lives of addicts and prostitutes and those incarcerated because they understand everyone is created in the image of God. They know we are all clothed in soiled garments until Jesus cleanses us in his blood, and they'll stop at nothing to share this Good News with everyone.
Because they have been changed and healed by the Gospel story being driven deep into the recesses of their broken souls by the power of the Holy Spirit, the church is growing. You can not stop the Gospel. No government organization can stop the Gospel. Look at China.
The Church is growing in people whose names we will never know on this earth. But God knows.
We will never come to the end of the Gospel and the desire to gaze into its never-ending beauty and grace and holiness.
The Gospel awakens in us a continuing beauty and grace as well, growing stronger the more we look into its loveliness and power. We come and are accepted as we are; but praise God that Jesus doesn't leave us as we are! He saves us, keeps us, and grows us.
Jesus is building his Church in much the same way he built his earthly ministry: Not in the way people were expecting. He is not building it on an endless, rigid list of rules and regulations; no, he is building it upon himself. And that glorious structure will stand for all eternity. 💜
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