Our Brand of Righteousness vs. God's

As the Lord was working in me but I was having a hard time putting words to how He was moving, the Holy Spirit took me to Romans 10:2-8 (especially verses 3-5).  The Holy Spirit was showing me that the battle in my life was to establish righteousness but what was at war within me against the righteousness of God was the righteousness I learned as a child.  Righteousness is a big theological word but what does it mean in real life.  I have heard some say it is right living, yet others say it is right relationship with God, or still others say it is purity or holiness.  These still leave me somewhat lost looking for true revelation and freedom.  What the Lord began to reveal to me is that when it comes to our view of righteousness, the way we find a place of acceptance and love growing up is our version of righteousness.  Righteousness on a human level seems to be more caught then formally taught, although many religious organizations have formal ways of making people comply.  It was a revelation to me that like the Jews in this passage who were "seeking to establish their own" righteousness that I had done the same thing in my life (Romans 10:2-8).  The Holy Spirit revealed that being "right" and avoiding mistakes was part of the righteousness I had sought to establish.  This type of righteousness (or way of living) makes you wound pretty "tightly" and not a whole lot of fun.  My daughter tells me that God is fun, some times I think she knows Him better than I do.  Also the righteousness I sought to establish was to avoid real or perceived rejection, yet a part of me comes alive when I step out in being authentic and open to others who could reject me.  Through the Holy Spirit's light I also saw that the righteousness I sought to establish was about seeking perfection in the things around me and sometimes sadly the people (the most damaging aspect).  In Romans 10:3 the Word says, "For not knowing about God's righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God."  The phrase in italics in the Greek means- to place, put, set, fix establish, to stand (of the foundation of a building).  Interesting that it is like they were seeking to build a building (or monument) of their own righteousness and this was the very thing that was blocking them from receiving the Righteousness of God which comes by faith.  The second phrase (which is in bold) says that they did not "subject themselves" which means in the Greek- to submit to one's control, to obey, or to arrange in a military fashion under the command of a leader.  The contrast is of a group of people building their own righteousness through their own establishing or submitting to an authority that you obey or yield to.  Sounds like the difference between seeking to obey rules/standards in an effort to be accepting versus yielding to the leading of the Holy Spirit who is now in us through the finished work of Christ.  Our version of righteousness seems to be these internal set of belief systems that run our life but only use relationships and are not based on a relationship.  When Christ enters the world He comes bringing a new form of righteousness that is wholly different than the Laws that Pharisees sought to follow to be acceptable before God.  Now we don't go around trying to follow the Law (well some are being deceived to go back to Jewish Law for living) but most of us followed our parents way of being right.  Parents by design are to be conduits of unconditional love but God is the source.  Subjecting ourselves to God's righteousness through Christ means that we receive God's unconditional love and acceptance through Christ and ongoing encounters with Him.  This word "subject" implies that we can position our heart in such a way to receive or continue to establish even my own way that I come to God but I find that religion and even my own form of righteousness leaves me empty and frustrated.  God's righteousness means we come the way that He guides (through His Word and His Spirit) and not my way to meet my own needs (flesh).  I am so thankful that this New Covenant "in Christ" allows us to come as we are and receive from the God who has everything and is full of grace and truth.

In Abba's Love,
Bret