What Is God's Word Teaching You?

Are you self-righteous? Often times Christians are described that way by those who have encountered us or believe they have encountered us. Sometimes it's nothing more than a red herring, a means of drawing attention away from their own self-examination or search for the truth. Sometimes their opinion is legit. But if we are willing to confess it, repent of it, and deal with it, self-righteousness --as with any other sin turned over to a forgiving and transformative God --can teach us a valuable lesson. 

A few years back, someone suggested an alternative way to read Revelation. It was intriguing and, to be honest, there's an awful lot of evidence to support her point of view. Now, it's not one of those fundamental truths (Jesus' birth, death, and resurrection, confession of Him as Lord and Savior, etc.) --not a "deal breaker," as I call them. It's one of those things Christians tend to debate as though it is a matter of life or death, but instead, the debate only causes separation among us and, I believe, a certain amount of dishonor to the name of Jesus. Anyhoo, the reason I was willing to entertain the argument was because of my self-righteousness, or what Jesus had done to remove it. 

Often, as I read the Scriptures, I'd think to myself, How did they miss it? or Why didn't they have the faith to believe? For a long time, I had been a legalist, checking boxes, obeying rules, making excuses when I couldn't obey them all. I pointed fingers at everyone but myself. But God is merciful, and when in my forties, I confessed my behavior, I asked Him to take my self-righteousness from me. I wanted to serve Him with my whole heart and love Him unto death; I no longer wanted to "try to behave," but I wanted to rest in His grace and allow His Spirit to change me. So, each time I'd begin wagging my finger at Martha or tsk-tsking at the Pharisees, the Holy Spirit would point out just how arrogant those thoughts were. How long did you "miss it" before you followed Jesus? Why do you worry or fear when you have the same God they did? How often do you miss the point, even now, because you read through the lens of your upbringing or your culture? How do your expectations corrupt the integrity of Scripture?

When this person presented her argument with regard to a secondary (at best) Bible teaching, I realized the way I had been taught all those years before and for many years after had molded my reading rather than the converse. God's Torah is meant to teach, to train, to correct, to shape us; it is not malleable or subject to our criteria. Scripture is our criteria (or should be), changing and leading us. The Holy Spirit's correction of my self-righteousness had shown me the value in allowing God's Word to speak more loudly than my own thoughts, reading Scripture with eyes open to possibilities and a heart softened to learning, appreciating cultural differences and how those differences might influence how others hear from God, and understanding where Scripture draws a line in the sand, as well as where it does not. 

I would encourage you this year, as you continue to dive into Scripture study, to seek the Holy Spirit's guidance, to refuse to crack open your Bible or swipe open your app until you have asked Him to show you what He wants you to know. Ask Him to remove any incorrect or preconceived notions; ask Him to keep your motives pure as you read. Surrender to whatever it is He is saying and wherever it is He is leading. Understand just how mighty and sovereign God is, that He doesn't follow our timeline or conform to our rules. Expect the unexpected, and He might use your past to teach you something about the future!