Finding Meaning To righteousness This New Year.
The moment everyone is waiting for has come. Like yesterday
that cannot be tread upon again, a time many people had waited for with high
expectations; just for the pendulum of the clock to swing into the New Year.
Like a viewing centre where football fans sit and wait with high expectations a
football match between two giant clubs. So is the new-year. It is
a new dawn of the year, a moment the year has seldom gone far. This is 2013, a
new year many people were waiting for. Thus, wait no more for the year is
break again. Dream no more, for the year you dreamt of is here. Fear no more,
for the fear is over. Worry no more, for the worry is over. It is not a moment of waiting again
because you are certainly in the New Year. It is a dream that has now become a
reality.
In as much is a new year, the standpoint
to practices such as; making new year resolutions without fulfilling them,
visiting a place of worship for the first time till the end of that year or beginning
of the next year, and wearing a garment of holiness in the beginning of the
year only to remove it no sooner the year had gone far, can never be
overemphasized. New years have become a moment when many people get very
zealous doing what is good at the beginning of the year and find it difficult
to continue when difficult times comes, a moment many crave for new things that
is not in connection to Gods plan, a moment when many people practice the
normal legalistic righteousness as viewed from Paul's outlook.
It is very interesting to note that the
beginning of a journey may start well, but can still end in a bad state. Starting a journey of life very well is not
a certification that the journey will end well. Therefore, it is possible to start this New Year very
well in Christ and still end it very badly out of Christ. To make this year
ends well in Christ, you must choose and practice the right righteousness; it
all depends on you, your thought, your action and your choice. This New
Year is another journey of 31,536,000 seconds, 525,949 minutes, 8,766 hours, 365¼
days, 52 weeks, 12 months, 1 year and 260 standard working days. Before
we begin the New Year, we must have to know what type of life we want to live
and leave. Are we serious to start off this New Year with the
expectations of reaching the end very happily? For this reason, we must have to
decide to practice true righteousness. If not until we know what form of
righteousness to practice this New Year, we will live to get nothing meaningful
from life, like a man chasing the wind.
Many people keep asking questions like, how
important is New Year? How should people who have made it to the New Year begin
to live their lives? What really is New Year? All these questions among several
others are left unanswered by the same people who ask the same questions. Though,
by observation, I realized that, the beginning
of every year is a time people would desire new things and new life, a time
people are very much in love with the things of God, a moment of saying bye-bye
to the old sins/life of the previous year and say journey mercies to the new
salvation of the new year, It’s a moment to thank God for adding another year
to their years, It’s a moment people desire to gain righteousness through their
own will by obeying laws, among several others. In the light of all these
moments, I realized again that no sooner had the year runs out, than the old
sin of the previous year, added with the new sin of the new year is put into
practice; the wrong old ways of life is still continued to be practice, like a man
who cannot live life without his heart or like a new born baby who cannot do
without milk/mother’s breast milk. It is very possible to leave all the wrong
practices of last year and yet not wearing the garment of true righteousness.
It is indeed necessary for us to take a
choice to receive Christ, but not a quest for righteousness that comes from the
law by our own power. If one can leave and let go of all frivolous, wrong activities
of the previous year this New Year and yet not living the true righteous life,
what then is that called? a question that
must not be left unanswered even as legalistic righteousness is to be unveil.
We must look carefully what legalistic righteousness is before looking painstakingly
what true righteousness means. In that regard, what is Legalistic
Righteousness?
Legalistic righteousness of a truth is either mutely put
into practice by many Christians today or seriously practiced by them. “Legalistic”
as a word occurred once in the bible which was not condemned unambiguously but basically
used to portray a form of righteousness which is unsatisfactory to ‘gain Christ
and be found in Him’. Legalistic righteousness is “a righteousness that takes
the form of ‘my own’ which comes from
the law”. The bible says, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites! For you are like whitened graves which outwardly indeed appear
beautiful, but within are full of bones of the dead, and of all uncleanness. So
you also indeed outwardly appear righteous to men, but within are full of
hypocrisy and lawlessness"(Mat 23:27-28 LITV). It is obvious that
this form of righteousness has its root from the people of old, but though first
emphasized by Apostle Paul, who said in Philippians
3:6, “As for zeal, persecuting the Church;
as for LEGALISTIC RIGHTEOUSNESS, faultless”. Paul made this thoughtful but
very serious statement after he had encountered Christ on his way to Damascus. To Paul, he
obeyed all the laws without any fault by relying on his effort. This
in essence is legalistic righteousness.
Legalism from origin is our attempt to
offer God the produce of our hands. That is why Bill Govannetti says, “Our own
strength never pleases God. Human effort, unaided by the Holy spirit, not
energized by the word of God, cannot please God”. Legalistic
righteousness is therefore, striving for
salvation (righteousness) through the law in such a way that it relies on our own
efforts, achievement, and abilities rather than having faith in the grace of
God to credit us with righteousness. Many people put the law in view such
that they are not ready to break anyone. Sometimes, we are too careful to break
them because it’s not speaking well of us, but while it’s very 100% correct to
keep the law, we should put God first and be reminded to do and work according
to Gods perfect will. The fear of breaking the law can be an avenue to break many
laws unknown; for we can’t know all the laws. But though, we must live to obey
Gods commands and laws. God’s Word Translation of Phil 3:6 says
“when it comes to being enthusiastic, I was a persecutor of the Church. When it
comes to winning God’s approval by obeying Jewish laws, I was perfect’.
Paul was faultless in keeping the Jewish laws. As Paul was faultless in keeping the Jewish laws, so are many people
today faultless in keeping traditional laws at the expense of Gods law;
thinking they are winning God’s approval. This new year, what do you want
to let go (lay aside) from your life for the sake of Christ? a question that must not be left unanswered
this New Year. Legalistic righteousness is what appears to be a self-centered
righteousness. It’s a righteousness that is preoccupied with personal
credentials and accomplishments as in Phil
3:4. The problem of legalistic righteousness has made many people to hope
big in what does not have any eternal value. It is what has made people to
practice hypocrisy instead of holiness. It is the spirit of legalistic
righteousness that makes many people to stop smoking at the beginning of the New
Year. It is the spirit that makes many stop immorality. It is the spirit that
makes many to stop drinking. It is the spirit that makes many to stop forgery
or changing figures in their work place. It’s the spirit that makes people to
start going to Church. It is the spirit that makes many to start going to their
traditional meetings regularly and paying dues. It’s the spirit that makes many
stop fogging their ages in order to get a work. It’s the spirit of legalistic
righteousness that makes many Church goers to do eye-services to please people.
It is the spirit that makes many starts attending Church activities only to be
seen by Pastors and Church workers. It’s the spirit that makes one’s behavior good
but yet the heart is a mess. It’s the spirit that makes people to judge one
another on who is doing better. All these
spirits mentioned above are in the name of gaining and winning approval of
their salvation from God, which later makes them superficial Christians and
hypocrites. Someone says legalism today is, ‘striving for righteousness before God through obedience to some other
spiritual standard which is not explicitly required in the new covenant as
described in the Bible’. What have we come to learn from Apostle Paul
through his past life? To gain Christ this New Year, we must have to live a
true righteous life and let go from the whole of our heart the things which can
easily beset us. The righteousness that comes from the law by our self is what
is simply regarded as legalistic righteousness. It is better to keep the law of
God and obey them completely with a clear-cut conscience than doing it to
please men. To gain true approval from Christ, we must have to love what God
loves and do as He command us as affirmed in his word, not only should we do
that, but to remain in His presence as Mary remain at His (Jesus) feet when He visited
her and Martha (Luke 10:38-42). Trying
to earn holiness by good quality activities is in another means referred to as legalistic
righteousness. After looking very momentously at legalistic
righteousness, what then is True Righteousness?
True righteousness truly helps us to live
a life completely approved by God. When we craved for true righteousness this
New Year, we will live to begin well and end will. “And be found in him, not having
a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through
faith in Christ - the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith” (Phil.
3:9). Apostle Paul in Paul 3:6 did talk about how he practiced
legalistic righteousness, but he did not allow the entire chapter 3 of Paul to end before he realizes the need for a true
righteousness. Therefore, in Philippians 3:9 he realized that true
righteousness cannot be obtained by his own might by obeying the laws, but
through faith in Christ. As attested in Ephesians
2:8-9-“For by grace are ye saved through
faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest
any man should boast”. To us today, we must have to know that true
righteousness does not come from the law by us, but through faith in Christ. It
is not by our hypocritical righteousness/deeds that we can attain true
righteousness but by faith in our creator. No matter how highly righteous we
may think we are, it is like a filthy rag in Gods eyes, (Isaiah 64:6 NKJV) says, ‘but we are ALL an unclean thing, and ALL
our righteousness are as filthy rags; and we ALL to fade as leaf; and our
iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away’. True righteousness is
not basically attained by morality; though, to be morally perfect form part of
it. True righteousness is what God will look at your doings and be happy with you.
It is what you will do without having to be applauded by men but by God
himself. It is what you will do with the whole of your heart for Christ. True
righteousness makes you a new creature and paves way for you to forget past
years sins. True righteousness will make you new specie so as to live a
supernatural life for Christ. As the
year has seldom gone far, what will you practice; legalistic righteousness or
true righteousness?
God expects us to know that true
righteousness comes with its positive reward both here on earth and in heaven. When
we choose to live a true righteous life, we would not too much struggle to
leave what had entangled us the previous years. The wrong habits that
seem unstoppable can be stoppable if we desire to walk righteously with God.
True righteousness is worth it. It
comes from faith (trust) in Christ. When we longed for true righteousness, we
are indeed having assurance of starting well with God, and hoping to end well
with Him. True righteousness entails true justification, sanctification and
glorification.
What are those laws that you have been
faultless last year even when it negates the laws of Christ? What is that wrong
practice that has eating deep into your system and yet you dedicate yourself, time,
abilities and knowledge to it? Remember, holiness can never be legalistic
righteousness. They cannot mean the same thing, because they are opposite end
of a spectrum. We cannot obtain true
righteousness (holiness) by legalistic righteousness but only through faith in Him
who created us. What do you want to change from? Is it to change from
anger, unforgiveness, eye service, sexual immorality, complains, drunkenness,
jealousy, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, envy,
wild parties, among several others not mentioned here, it is very much
certain to change completely if you desire to practice true righteousness. This
New Year is a time to make a promise and fulfill it. It is a time to make New
Year resolution and stand by it. It is a time to start well and finish well. It is better not to start-off a journey than
to start and yet did not complete it. Never say and you will not do. Never
start and you will not finish. You have the choice to choose whether you will
continue to practice legalistic righteousness or true righteousness. God is
inviting you to the best form of righteousness – true righteousness. As
you are making your mind to opt, I will say as Paul says, ‘beware of dogs, beware of evil workers,
beware of the concision and never have any confidence in the flesh this New
Year’. Even after you have make the choice to live the good life for
Christ, devil and his evil workers are roaming about like lions looking for
whom to devour. Never allow them into your life even after you have made the
choice to begin this New Year with Christ. In as much as you work
for God consistently, desire
to work
with him continually this New Year. Let your level of working with Him precedes your level of working for Him.
God desires you to be a righteous man who will spend most of your time in His
presence, this is because in His presence you will be increased in His word,
and the unknown things of life be revealed to you. By this, you will be aware
of the things you have never been aware of. The ball is in your court as you
start this New Year. You must know what to do with the ball in this court. If
you handle the ball carelessly and with no regard, it will no longer be in your
possession, hence, you cannot do any meaningful thing in this court. This
write-up is the ball, which is also an opportunity; as you read, you must
decide to pursue true righteousness this New Year. Even if you don’t, you will
still be living in the year 2013, but will live to bring nothing meaningful out
of life that will be approved by God. God expect us to pursue
righteousness this year as affirm in Timothy
6:11-“But thou, O man of God, flee these
things, and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love patience,
meekness” Never opt for legalistic righteousness, but opt for the true
righteousness which has its own benefit here on earth and beyond.
“Our righteousness is in
Him, and our hope depends, not upon the exercise of grace in us, but upon the
fullness of grace and love in Him, and upon His obedience unto death”
(John Newton)
