“9:30 the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith.” A righteousness that is by faith…
Writing a sermon this week was a struggle for me. Sometimes that happens; sometimes I feel like I am wrestling with the text, sometimes it feels like the Holy Spirit wants me to really work for it. This week, however, was a little different for me. It was not the text with which I struggled, it was my mind, it was my inability to focus and concentrate. My dad died last week. His funeral was three days ago. I know many of you know what it feels like to burry a loved one. I have been there when you did, for a few of you I was the one that buried them. I have had many conversations with many of you about death. Yet somehow, I didn’t know how to tell you about my dad’s death. I am typically the one that gets told these things and not the one doing the telling; I am the one that helps carry a burden not the one that burdens. But, at the urging of my wife and after the wise council of my pastor, I realized I should tell you, needed to tell you… and as I stared at the bible opened before me, and my eyes kept drifting back to the words “a righteousness that is by faith” I realized, I want to tell you.
In Romans 9 Paul writes about the pursuit of righteousness. He tells the believers in Rome that his heart is breaking because members of his own family have cut themselves off from salvation. Though they were God’s chosen people, his holy nation, and bearers of the promise, they sought righteousness in their ceremonies, rites, and rituals. Paul laments they pursued righteousness “9:32 not by faith but as if it were by works.”; Paul says they “10:3 sought to establish their own” righteousness. Though they were zealous in their pursuit of righteousness, it was a pointless pursuit, for them righteousness remained out of reach.
The pursuit of righteousness is not what makes me want to talk to you about my dad’s death. If anything, I feel Paul’s pain. My dad was a member of a church that is full of ceremonies, rites, and rituals. And for a man like him I am sure the temptation to pursue righteousness by works was a temptation not easily resisted. I don’t mean to disparage the character of a dead man, but my relationship with my dad was not the best. I have talked to some of you, heard your stories and I know some of you, many of you, can relate to a relationship with a family member that is at best dysfunctional at worst downright toxic. What I am about to share, I pray will be comforting for you who have strained family relationships, but even those of you who have no idea what I am talking about; those of you who’s relatives are saints and heroes of faith, I think what I am about to share will be comforting for you because if what I am about to tell you is true for the worst of us it is most certainly true for the best of us.
Over a year ago I was scheduled to preach a wedding in Saginaw Michigan. As you know it has been an exceptionally active summer for my family. In her desire to take as much off my plate as she could Michelle took it upon herself to book our flight. I was grateful for the help. However, the frugal German in her booked the cheapest flight she could find. Which meant we were getting up at 2am in morning to get to the airport on time. Being the kind and considerate husband that I am I took the opportunity to “lightheartedly” grumble and complain about this as often as I could. Michelle took my teasing well-ish. But then my dad’s health took another turn for the worse and this time my sister said he didn’t have long to live. And because my wife had booked that ridiculously early flight, I would have time to see him. I stopped grumbling and complaining and recognized the providence of God at work.
During our visit I read the 23rd Psalm to my dad. But before I read the 23rd Psalm I read the 22nd Psalm. I explained to my dad that the 22nd Psalm is the reason the 23rd Psalm is so comforting. I explained 1,000 years before the crucifixion happened the 22nd Psalm describes the crucifixion from the viewpoint of the person being crucified. As I read through the 22nd Psalm about insults and disjointed bones and pierced hands and feet I repeatedly interjected, “Jesus endured this for you”. When I was done reading, I told my dad the cross of Psalm 22 is the reason the pastures in the 23rd Psalm are so green, and the waters are so quiet. After I read him the 23rd Psalm we talked for a little while but eventually it was time to go.
Before we left, the second to last thing I said to my dad was, “I love you and Jesus loves you”. It is something we say in my family. When my boys were little, and they were headed off to bed I would tell them “I love you and Jesus loves you”. When they got older and packed up the car to head off to school, “I love you and Jesus loves you”. When they moved out of the house to go live with their wife instead of their daddy, “I love you and Jesus loves you”. Over the years “I love you and Jesus loves you” has kind of turned into a parting prayer. So, it seemed natural and fitting that I as I said goodbye to my dad for the last time I would say “I love you and Jesus loves you”. That, as I said, was the second to last thing I said to my dad.
I am going to tell you the last thing I said but first let me tell you the second to last thing my dad said to me. I said, “I love you and Jesus loves you” and he said, “I love Jesus”. I was relieved to hear him say it. My dad was well liked, he had a great sense of humor, and he was fun to be around, but honestly his life was a series of bad decisions, mistakes, and failures. In short, his life was full of sin just like yours just like mine, perhaps different manifestations of the kind of sins that manifest themselves in your life but sins none the less. My dad knew he was a sinner, just like you and just like me, so I know you understand why my dad loved Jesus. Only a person who understands the eternal consequences of their sin says something like “I love Jesus”. When you realize what a flawed and failed life you have lived; when you realize that you deserve to be a lost and condemned creature, when you get made a saint Paul for claiming to be the worst of sinners[1] because you know in your heart that title rightly belongs to you and so you belt out “Chief of sinners though I be!” and dare someone to sing louder than you for you are convinced that title belongs to you and you alone; only then do you say something like “I love Jesus”. Because when you think of Jesus suffering on the cross for you, enduring hell for you, being buried in the earth for you; when you think of all that Jesus endured to save a wretched sinner like you, you can’t help but fall in love.
The second to last thing my dad said to me was, “I love Jesus”. In reply, the last thing I said to my dad was, “I know you do dad, and I think you are going to see Jesus soon. Do me a favor, tell Jesus I said hi.” That was the last thing I said to my dad! It was selfish of me, I know, but come on, how often do you get a chance like that; to have someone personally deliver a greeting to Jesus for you!?! I couldn’t pass up the opportunity. I asked my dad to greet Jesus for me because I was confident my dad would see him. I was confident, not because my dad had led such a good life, no I assure you that was not it. I was confident not because my dad zealously observed the ceremonies, rites, and rituals of his church, no it was certainly not that. I was confident because of what Paul wrote to the believers in Romans chapter 9. I was confident because we have “a righteousness that is by faith”. We have a righteousness that is not pursued by us but purchased for us. We have a righteousness that is given to us as gift because of the perfect life, innocent death, and victorious resurrection of Jesus. The Holy Spirit describes this gift like a robe that is wrapped around us, and, by God’s grace, we wear that robe of righteousness now and will still be wearing that robe of righteousness when the time comes for us to go be with Jesus.
“Tell Jesus I said hi”. That was the last thing I said to my dad, and 10 hours later the message was delivered. I know it was because the last thing my dad said to me was, “I will”. I asked my dad to tell Jesus I said hi and he did not say “I hope so.” Or “maybe.” Or I’ll try”. He said, “I will”. You see, I was not the only confident person in that room. Despite a life full of sin, regardless of the ceremonies, rites, and rituals of his church my dad found confidence not in a righteousness that was pursued by him but in a righteousness that was purchased for him; “a righteousness that is by faith”.
Because of God’s providence and the ridiculously early flight my wife booked, I got to have this conversation with my dad hours before he died. I pray that our God of grace bless every one of you with a conversation like this. But even if in His wisdom our God of grace decides not to grant such an occasion, you can be confident that what is true for one believer is true for all believers and just because you didn’t personally discuss it with them doesn’t mean it didn’t happen for them. God gives us a righteousness that is not pursued by us but is purchased for us; “a righteousness that is by faith”. From the worst of us to the best of us God gives that righteousness to all who believe in Jesus as their savior. So, If you have a loved one who has died believing in Jesus as their savior, I assure you they are in heaven not because they have lived a good life or zealously observed a series of ceremonies, rites, and rituals; I assure you they are in heaven because our God of grace gives righteousness as a gift to all who believe… Including you.
As you get older, and the length of your days grows fewer and fewer the devil likes to fill you with doubt. And the longer you live the more material the devil has to work with. The devil likes to keep a record of wrongs so that they can and will be used against you. The devil wants you to focus on a life full of bad decisions, mistakes, and failures so that you see yourself not only as a chief among sinners but as a sinner who is beyond redemption. But my dear friends, it is simply not true. The devil is lying to you. You are not beyond redemption, quite the opposite, you are righteous. Because of the perfect life, innocent death, and victorious resurrection of Jesus your God of grace gives righteousness to you as a gift. Today, right now at this very moment, you wear this gift of righteousness like a robe, and you will continue to wear it on the day you go to see Jesus. What is true for one believer is true for you. Righteousness is not something that is pursued by you, it is a gift given to you. Be comforted and filled with confidence my friends! You have “a righteousness that is by faith”. Amen.
[1] 1 Timothy 1:15.