Harry Riches, Answer requested by Jamar Grimsley
Harry Riches, Answer requested by Jamar Grimsley
The phrase comes from a popular song I Am The Righteousness Of God in Christ (Copyright 1976 David Ingles Music SESAC).
The phrase simply means that God has made the means for man to be righteous in His eyes through the blood covering of Lord Jesus Christ. When the Israelites were given the Passover, they were to kill an unblemished male lamb and anoint the lintels and door posts of their entrances with its blood. This ceremony was a demonstration that every person who entered into the way of God’s righteousness, did so by faith in the Passover Lamb, because their individual sins were covered as they chose to enter into the house of God.
This is not a mantra, like that used by those who constantly tell themselves, “I do not believe in God.” This statement of being the righteousness of God is an acceptance of having reasoned out the truth that if God loves a person, who had not asked to come into this world, rather than judging the person for sin, surely the person’s sins would be covered. This reasoning would lead an honest person to seek God, and put Him to the proof as the Bible instructs us to do.
The reason people need to have mantras is because they are not convinced of what they believe or want to believe is true. Imagine saying, “God does not exist,” or thinking it every day. If a person were to stop repeating such thoughts, then they might hear the voice of the Lord God, Creator of the Universe.
People who call themselves Christians and have the need for a mantra to repeat, whether silently or vociferously, obviously do not really accept that God loves them and would not harm those who seek to love Him by doing what is right. However, to ridicule a person for their lack of faith, because the person quotes a phrase repeatedly that enables the person to endure some difficulty is merely being ignorant.
People who talk about jumping off cliffs and quoting mantras do not believe in God's salvation. But what is such a person going to do when he dies? Quote a mantra that there is no Creator. Or claim that he is a perfect person who has never sinned. Whereas a person who quotes the words, “I am the righteousness of God in Christ,” because they are under temptation to sin, obviously is not saying they are morally superior than other people. Instead, such a person is acknowledging their personal desire to overcome temptation to do evil rather than good.
For myself, quoting such a mantra is of no avail. This is because I accept that my sin has been covered and, if tempted, I call upon the Holy Spirit to take the temptation away. For we are only tempted when we are lured by our own desires. A better option rather than quoting a mantra is to meditate the Scriptures or rest in the presence of the Spirit of God until the temptation is gone.
No comments:
Post a Comment