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But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness
for which we hope. (Galatians 5:5 - New International Version)
For we, in Spirit by faith, the hope of righteousness eagerly expect.
(Galatians 5:5 - The original Greek word order)
Hmmm... isn't this interesting. Just after coming down on those who try
to get God to like them by "following the rules," the Apostle Paul
writes the words above. He says that trying to make yourself okay with
God by keeping God's laws is the same as cutting yourself off from
Christ. (And he is writing to Christians, for crying out loud!)
Galatians 5:5 is a key verse for our "attempts" to be more like Jesus.
We can expect God to do it. We cannot do it -- on the contrary, the
Spirit does it in us according to our faith. We wait on God for the
righteousness to come. When we try to do it ourselves, we actually push
ourselves farther away from Jesus.
Expecting God, awaiting God -- one gets the picture of a child staring
out the window looking for the mailman to deliver a present from
Grandma. She knows it is coming without a doubt, but nothing she does
can make it appear. But she looks for it, she hopes for it, and when it
arrives she is ready by the front door.
The "eagerly expecting" righteousness is our part. The rest is God's
part.
I'm expecting this truth will trouble more than a few of those who read
eDevotions. It will seem I am saying we have no responsibility to live
righteously. Of course we do -- in the same way that it is the child's
responsibility to open the package when it comes to the house!
In Him who is the author and perfecter of our faith,
-Mike
eDevotions written by Mike Sares. © 2005. |
