“Possession of the law and the covenant sign of circumcision were perhaps the two most distinguishing marks of being Jewish.  Given to Israel by God himself, they signaled the fact that the Jews were a special people, elevated above all other peoples.”[1]

What are the things that people rely on to “brag about [their] relationship to God?” Some people look at their family background.  They say, “my dad is a pastor,” or “I’ve been a Christian longer than you have.”  Others brag about their “righteousness” and take pride in their ability to go to church and not do the sins that others do. On the outside, such people might be righteous but they become proud and by becoming proud they disdain others.  And as they do so they corrupt their heart.  Some people brag about their relationship to God based on what they’ve done.  They participate on the praise team, volunteer as an offering usher, go to mission trips and outreach nights and bring lots of friends. Somehow, by performing all of these things, they think they are more valuable than others who don’t do as much.

Reflect on the exhortation to live out what we preach.  What are some ways in which discrepancy exists between what I say and what I do? As a Christian I try to practice what I preach.  I know that often I fail, but I also know that I’ll be one of the first ones to admit that I fail in those areas.  For example, I tell others to love their friends and be considerate. I tell others to speak kind words to others.  I know within the past week I’m violated these commandments myself.  I would be a demon or a hypocrite if I carried myself as someone who always fulfilled the law.  I know myself.  I’m a sinner, and as a sinner I am a professional at sinning.  There’s a gap between what I preach and how I live.  I must be humble and honest about it and let others know that I’m trying my best to bridge that gap.

How is failing to demonstrate in real life the values that I profess cause “God’s name [to be] blasphemed” among non-believers? When my Christian friends see my shortcomings, they are generally forgiving and understand that fighting sin and sanctification (changing in character) are struggles.  However, non-believers aren’t as forgiving.  They do not read the Bible, but they read Christians.  With great scrutiny, they look at the lives of Christians and derive many conclusion about God and Christianity based on how Christians live their lives.  If Christians don’t live according to what they preach then the world labels us as hypocrites, and they think Christianity is some type of scam or a farce.  But if they see Christians living according to what they preach then they find it refreshing and becoming curious as to why they live so differently and honorably from the world.  Our lives can provide powerful incentives for non-believers to explore Christianity.

When I explored Christianity in college, I was amazed by the group of Christians that I met.  They actually tried to live out the Bible.  The people were wholesome, they treated one another with kindness and respect, and they had a joy about them that I couldn’t explain.  They lived their lives as if God really did exist, and this was powerful for me to continue coming to the Bible studies.

What is the basis by which one will be “declared righteous” in God’s sight?  How has Jesus accomplished this for me on the cross? Romans 2:13 says that those who obey the law will be declared righteous.  However, Romans 2:17-39 says that if you break one law, you’ve broken the entire law.  Because I’ve broken many laws, I am a lawbreaker.  It’s impossible for me to become righteous by obeying the law.  I already have many strikes against me.  However because of this impossibility, God provided a righteousness not through the law (because I broke it) but through faith.  This is the righteousness that God freely gives, as stated in Romans 1:17.  One receives it not by earning it but by faith.  When Jesus died on the cross, he paid the penalty for my sins.  It was God’s plan for Jesus to receive my penalty for my sins and for me to receive the righteousness of Jesus.  Jesus’ death paid the penalty of my sins, and his blood that was shed provides forgiveness for my sins.  When I trust in this work that Jesus did on the cross God declares me righteous.  Amazing!