On our 2003 visit to Zimbabwe, we asked the students in two Ministry Training Programs (which included several fulltime pastors), to define righteousness. Not one could do this clearly! My own sense of usefulness and relevance in Southern Africa revolves around this kind of unsoundness in basic Biblical doctrine. Why? Because unsound basics from an early Christian development stage produce unsound lives, wobbly faith, and unsound churches.
When Des Pavy and I visited in 1999, we met a teacher who continually beat up on the students with condemnation. They quietly, and politely heard him out (respect for older people is ingrained in the culture) but didn't respect him, because he didn’t tell them how to live in faith and an overcoming life. He fundamentally misunderstood righteousness (= the grounds on which God accepts us; our grounds for right standing with a holy, perfect God). On this (5th) time with him, I noticed a change. He has always wanted to get married (he is 39 now), but this kind of theological error also makes for unhappy relationships - especially in marriage. He drove us to Victoria Falls and we talked about the change Elizabeth and I began to see in him last year, and which was more developed this visit. He admitted his legalism and attributed it to his training for ministry in the AoG of Africa.
Seeing this shortcoming, and admitting to his own need for help (both through listening to, and observing the fruit of, sound teaching) has set the brother on a path towards mercy, joy, sleeping soundly, and hopefully a good happy marriage!
From this, my mind reflected on….
What is it in human (as in, "sinful") nature that automatically gravitates towards this being the basis of acceptance with God? Go to Hinduism, Islam, Bhuddism, Judaism, etc, and they are all the same on this, although their essential definitions of what constitutes "goodness" vary.
In the Christian environment, this is observable historically through the development of the church in the NT (1stC), and on through the emergence of the RC church in the Middle Ages. Today, this is called "legalism" = acceptance on a basis of behaviour. The problem has always been that up against God's standard of absolute perfection, any attempt at holiness (no matter how good it looks from our perspective) comes massively short of God's perfect standard….
The greatest breakthrough in 2000 years of church history was when Martin Luther, after many years of seeking to mortify his flesh, and do whatever was necessary to be on acceptable terms with God, got more and more depressed / condemned, and finally broke through to the truth of God's Word, "The righteous will live by faith" (Gal 3:11). Will live!!! He gave up on trying to be "good" and threw himself on the mercy of God (mercy = not receiving what we do deserve), and drank in God's grace! Then he had a revelation of the saving, accepting grace of God - all by believing and not of works lest any man should boast (Eph 2:9 Titus 3:4-7). And that's what the Pharisees did - boasted in their self-righteousness - until Jesus mockingly exposed their shortfall from God's perfection.
God has never called, chosen, related to, and used people on the basis of their "goodness". Look at the first "family" - Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob - they lied, deceived, cheated, 11 brothers effectively murdered Joseph for money out of envy and jealousy, etc, etc. Moses was called before he was born. Heb 11 tells us plainly, they were accepted because of faith!
Luke 18:8-14 note prior context. Luke 18:1 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. From a correct, Biblical understanding of the basis of our relationship with God (justification by faith), other things flow "naturally".
1. Prayers are answered! When we pray for people, God hears! Because we approach Him on the proper, prescribed manner - eg. Luke 7:1-10 - faith grows in the nature of God (He is good) to do good on undeserving grounds!
2. Contentment grows in our mind and spirit (and bodily and mental health too), because we know, deep down, that we are accepted by God, through Christ and Christ alone! Joy grows…
3. We are able to resist the accusing voice of the enemy, who continually hassles us to "do better, work harder" so we will be more acceptable.
4. Our "badness" continues to change because the indwelling Holy Spirit applies the Word and we learn to live in victory through faith in Christ's wonderful work in our lives! The work of sanctification continues. "Bad" people become "better" and "good" - over the years! (re definitions, Fee says NT-wise, gossip IS MURDER!).
5. Our ministry gift(s) /calling flows out to bless and influence others, even while the sanctifying work continues… I know lots of people "still waiting" for God to open the door of opportunity - some now in their 70's…
This is why often the ones who drive us nuts still can turn out to be the ones who make an impact for God…
1 Cor 6:9-11 They "were" these things. Paul makes no allowance for continued evil behaviour after the word and work of salvation has come to them.
Take heart, God's not finished yet; don't wait until some trumpet from heaven announces you have arrived at a place of wonderful holiness and can now serve. Secure in your sonship, let our faith energise us into action as the work in us continues. Know the biblical grounds for your "righteousness" and God will move through you, as a child of Abraham, to "bless others - even to the "all families on the earth"....