The Reality of Righteousness by Sheryl Aeschliman
“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes” (Romans 10:4).
Being nestled in the rural midwest on a working family farm sounds so romantic, doesn’t it? Can’t you just picture this farm wife getting up every morning at 5 a.m. to fresh eggs, crispy bacon ,and coffee while the gentle rays of sun fall on me and my open Bible? Outside, our chickens lazily peck away at the ground, and our calves begin greeting us with a gentle bellow as the golden retriever proudly escorts me to the barn for feeding time.
Sounds perfect, right?
In reality, it looks more like this: smelly, manure-laden clothes piled in the laundry room, broken equipment, bad weather, and cereal with outdated milk. I never see 5 a.m. on purpose, we don’t own chickens, and there are days when my Bible gathers dust. But I do dearly love my geriatric golden retriever named Ryndee when she greets me at the back door.
Wow. Sometimes romanticizing sure beats reality.
Our spiritual lives can likewise wrestle between having an outwardly romanticized, pin-worthy perfection with a not-so-stellar reality check. We long to feel clean and right before the Lord, but silently we struggle with feeling like God just tolerates us as we drag our soiled heart into His throne room once again. We have zeal for God, so we knock ourselves out with our spiritual acrobatics and inward longings, hoping that one day we will find the golden key to make us feel good about our seemingly weak faith.
Do you struggle with that spiritual tension? Do you wonder how we can walk freely before God with clean hearts and yet be such miserable sinners? How in the world do we shed all of the guilty shame and finally feel like we are on good terms with God?
Paul was keenly aware of this trap. He was once a victim of those very same questions. His kinsmen went about trying to do all the right things to make themselves acceptable before a Holy God. They were looking for that same golden key in the wrong place. They had great zeal, the right pedigree, and the whole law directly from God on their resumes. But they lacked one thing, and it wasn’t a popular app.
They tried establishing their own perfection through the very things that made them imperfect instead of through Jesus Christ. They looked inward at everything they were doing instead of looking upward toward perfection Himself.
Paul concludes that Jesus Christ is God’s avenue for eternal perfection. Christ puts an end to the constant striving to be clean before a Holy God. Christ is Righteousness! He is our purity and right standing before God. What a relief knowing no matter how stinky our hearts get, our Heavenly Father sees us as pure because of the abundant grace in Christ. What seems a lame faith walk from our earthly perspective becomes a grace-filled faith journey from His perspective.
And sister, that’s a reality that doesn’t require any romanticizing to be beautiful.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, forgive me for striving in my own perfection when You have freely provided Christ to cover me. I am forever grateful that I can rest in grace. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Digging Deeper: Read Romans 10:1-4.
Discussion Questions:
1. Are there areas in your life that need to be purified by accepting Christ’s righteousness?
2. How would a change in perspective transform your faith journey?
about sheryl aeschliman
Sheryl Aeschliman loves being a midwest farmer’s wife, mom, and grandma. As an author, teacher, and leader in women's ministry, she draws from over thirty years of experience in helping women of all ages discover Biblical truth. Her calling and passion to equip Christian women led her to create Simply Scripture to help others find their identity in Christ. Sheryl writes and teaches online Bible studies designed to guide women into the grace that is only found in Jesus. You can connect with Sheryl through her website or socials at Simply Scripture.
