What Do You Rely On?
The first three chapters of Romans are an incredible reminder to everyone that none are righteous. Romans declares that all are without excuse: the Gentiles pursuing all of the lusts of the flesh (Rom 1:20-25) and also the hypocritical, self-righteous Jews who were given the law and direct access to God under the Old Covenant (Rom 2:17). While there is no Jew or Gentile distinction today in the body of Christ (Gal 3:28), we can draw pertinent spiritual application nonetheless.
The Danger of Religious Facades
Just like the Jews under the law, American Christians can be unfortunately very good at putting on a façade. We often adopt an outward appearance of righteousness once or twice a week around other churchgoers to look the part, when in reality, our hearts are hiding a hypocritical reality. We are afraid to be found out.
In this insecurity, we look at others and, content that we’re not “sinning like those people,” we point out the flaws in others so that we don’t feel as bad about our own. For many who grew up attending church, there tends to be a disposition of self-righteousness that must constantly be combatted. This person, while not a Jew, often correlates well with the behavior of the Jews under the law.
Romans 2 speaks extensively about this exact behavior:
“[17] Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, [18] And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law; [19] And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, [20] An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law. [21] Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? [22] Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? [23] Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God? [24] For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written. [25] For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.” – Romans 2:17-25
The Jews trusted in their religious identity, the law, and their traditions, but none of those could make them righteous. Similarly, many today rest in the same kind of empty confidence.
Our Modern Boasts
This passage provides a revealing list of things we, too, tend to rest and rely on to justify ourselves. While we seek to point out the sins in others, we often commit the same.
We teach others but fail to apply the same truth to ourselves.
We condemn stealing, yet take what doesn’t belong to us: time, credit, attention, or money.
We denounce adultery, yet pornography, lust, and fornication are just as rampant within the church.
We preach against idols, yet we idolize ourselves, our desires, and others through social media, entertainment, and extravagant purchases.
We boast in our Bible understanding, yet disobey God’s word daily, whereby blaspheming God’s name among the unsaved.
Even good things can become false measures of righteousness when they become the basis of our identity instead of Christ. Many rest in things like:
Going to church frequently or having grown up in church
Reading the Bible
Giving money to a church or organization
“Knowing God’s will” (which is often off the mark of the Bible’s description)
Abstinence from alcohol or premarital sexual activity
Not swearing or using profane language
Your child’s good behavior or the number of kids you have
How you school your kids
Those things listed above aren’t in themselves bad. But when we measure our “success as a Christian” by them, or do them to check the proverbial “Christian” box, we are missing the point entirely.
The Only True Resting Place
In Christ, we shouldn’t rely on what we’ve done, who we know, or what we’re going to do. The moment we point at ourselves or other people to justify an action or to “coast” in our Christian walk, we stray from pointing to Christ’s righteousness. Our identity is not in our performance but in His finished work.
We should rest in what Christ did to save our souls and allow us to live in Him. Never forget that once we’ve trusted in the gospel of Christ, our best efforts to serve God still fall infinitely short of God’s perfect standard.
We stand in and rely on His grace for righteousness, salvation, and to walk by faith (2Co 5:21). Comparing ourselves to one another and using the outward appearance to do so is unwise because God judges the heart and the standard is Christ’s perfect righteousness, not those around us (2Co 10:7-12).
You are complete in Christ (Col 2:10). We serve Christ not to feel good about ourselves or lift ourselves up, but because our life isn’t ours and His love constrains us (Col 3:3, 2Co 5:14). It’s our reasonable service (Rom 12:1)!
Conclusion
Paul’s rebuke in Romans 2 reminds us to examine what we truly rely on. Are we trusting in our own morality, religious identity, or Christian reputation, or are we resting in the righteousness of Christ alone?
Let us cast off the tendency toward self-righteousness and humbly depend on God’s grace. When we stop relying on ourselves and start relying fully on Christ, His life is magnified in us, and His name, rather than being blasphemed, is glorified through us.
