Christ's Righteousness Applied to Me

I have been having one of those experiences lately where the same thing I've read in the Bible, and in a book, and heard in Sunday School are all running upon the same theme, and so I think:  "Hmm.  Perhaps I should pay close attention."

A friend and church member gave me The Bookends of the Christian Life by Jerry Bridges and Bob Bevington for Christmas.  I picked it up a few weeks ago and began to read it and was much encouraged.  According to them there are two things Christians need to support every "book" on their shelf of life, and those are the righteousness of Christ and the power of the Spirit.  I found their argument for that compelling and true and so refreshing.  If you are like me, you often forget all about the Gospel in your everyday life of trying to obey God? When it does cross my mind, I think, "Wow!  This is really great and freeing news!"

When KJ returned from the Together for the Gospel conference last week he brought back 31 new books along with a free copy of the ESV Study Bible.  Since he already has one I got to keep it, and it has revived my desire to read and study (My scholarly desires have been overwhelmed lately by the constant duties of mothering.).  I am trying to read through the whole Bible again this year and am reading Romans right now, where Paul focuses so much on Christ's righteousness being ours by faith.

And then in Sunday School yesterday (and I might add that I can't even remember the last time I made it to Sunday School) KJ was teaching about the Gospel and how we are to live.  I realize how quickly I think when I have a good day, "What did I do that made this happen?" And of course I always stop myself and think, "Nothing!"  God doesn't deal out good days filled with blessings because I read the Bible that day or obeyed super-well and was perfect in patience with my 3-year-old.  No, it is all by His grace.  So, I am going to try to remember today when I do the very thing I don't want to do that I don't have to live with persistent guilt over it but go once more to the cross of Christ in my heart and remember that He paid my debt freely and that I am counted righteous in Him.

Verses On My Mind
For I do not understand my own actions.  For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.  Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good.  So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.  For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh.  For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.  For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing...So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand.  For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.  -Romans 7:15-19, 21-23


There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.  -Romans 8:1


So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.  -Romans 9:16


For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believe.  -Romans 10:4


The word is near you, in your mouth an din your heart.  -Romans 10:8  (I love that passage from Deuteronomy!)

Quotes from my reading
"It's Christ's own happiness to pardon."  -Thomas Wilcox

"If we think our sin is too great to be pardoned, remember that Christ doesn't agree."  -Thomas Wilcox

"My memory is nearly gone, but I remember two things:  that I am a great sinner and that Christ is a great Savior."  -John Newton