July 8, 2014
“I am God. I have called you to live right and well. I have taken responsibility for you, kept you safe. I have set you among my people to bond them to me, and provided you as a lighthouse to the nations.” Isaiah 42:6-7 The Message
Righteousness is a big deal to God. He can’t over look it for your life. There is no way around it .. no work around .. and no supply outside of Christ. It is not about your appearance or simply how you act in public. It is about something so profound and deep that you are inwardly speechless that God would make your life righteous … because He wants to. Jesus was righteous. He was called to live his life .. To live among the self-righteous, and to change very unrighteous men and women.
He lived in unbroken rightness in every decision. There was no struggle going on between what Jesus wanted and His Father wanted. He wanted his people and you to live lives that reflect how much you are worth to Him. He traded for you. He traded His Son for you with all your quirks. Righteousness is being able to breathe when everything is crowding in. It’s not about you any longer. It is no longer about worrying about measuring up. You measure up through the One called in righteousness and who came to give away all the righteousness you needed to live freely .. fearlessly .. and faithfully. It takes righteousness to do all that because everyday you are bombarded to just cut a corner .. to settle for your best intention .. to live a little less alive than Christ who has risen in your life. How much is righteousness worth. It’s worth God trading the whole world to get you back. It took that kind of trade for you to know how serious God is about being righteous. It’s not a word you use everyday in your work. It’s not a word that you think about in your marriage. It’s not even a word that connects you to people. It’s just that .. you can’t live without it today. And it’s all yours in Christ. The only exchange is that you have to give him all that is un-righteous about you. It only takes a moment …
“I paid a huge price for; all of Egypt and rush Cush and Seba thrown in! That’s how much you mean to me! That’s how much I love you! I’d sell off the whole world to get you back, trade the creation just for you.” Isaiah 43:3-4
Ken Chester: Grace-Gripped is sent to Creation-Traded Righteous Wonders following Jesus (Kchesterp1@gmail.com)
