Americans celebrated Independence Day yesterday, commemorating the adoption of America’s Declaration of Independence from Great Britain on July 4, 1776. People all over our great nation gather for a variety of activities, including parades, barbecues, and fireworks. Prior to these celebrations of our nation’s rich history and traditions, God’s people gathered for corporate worship, praising God for the freedom we have in Christ. My beloved friend and pastor, Tullian Tchividjian, is vacationing this week, so I had the privilege of preaching to the congregation at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church. My sermon was drawn from Mark 10:17-22, the account of The Rich Young Ruler. I’d like to review the main points from that message this week.
One of the inherent and unalienable rights set forth in the Declaration of Independence is the pursuit of happiness. As good and as pleasing to the ears as this phrase may be, let me say that if all we pursue is our own happiness—a fulfilling marriage, well-educated children, a successful career, etc.—then we shrink the size of our life down to the size of our life! Tullian often says, “This is living for something smaller than God.”
The world would have us believe that the greatest goal in life is personal happiness. But Jesus did not die to make us happy, He died to make us His; and in making us His He is making us holy; and it is only by growing in holiness that we will be truly happy. The author of Psalm 119:1-3 exulted, “Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord! Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart, who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways!” The Scriptures make it clear that happiness is rooted in and a result of the pursuit of holiness. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,” Jesus said, “for they shall be satisfied” (Matthew 5:6).
Holiness is one of those already and not yet aspects of the Kingdom of God. We are already holy. The grace of God, through faith in Christ, has set us apart for His purposes and granted us positional holiness (justification). God sees us clothed in the righteousness of Christ, just as if we had never sinned. However, we are not yet perfectly holy in our daily lives—far from it! So, the same grace that has given us positional holiness also provides for our progressive holiness (sanctification). The grace that saved us is the grace that is sanctifying us, day by day. “It is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13).
And yet, this gracious gift of God is not something we sit passively back and receive; we are commanded to pursue holiness! Jesus instructed His disciples to “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33); Paul urged all who are mature in their faith to “Press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14-15). If we are to make progress in these areas, we must develop a heart like David’s, who prayed, “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts and see if there is any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24).
So how are you doing in your own pursuit of holiness? Are you feeling a bit overwhelmed? Is it as much of a struggle for you as it is for me?
Even a cursory glance at our lives reveals our rank hypocrisy. We profess more than we put into practice. We may not be committing scandalous sins, but how quickly we point to the speck in our brother’s eye while all the while neglecting the plank in our own eye! We are impatient, insensitive, and insincere. We are selfish and self-absorbed. We love God and our neighbor . . . as long as we believe it will lead to blessings. We are more concerned about “doing our own thing” than about pleasing our Lord and King! Scripture plainly states that even the good things we do are no more than “filthy rags” in the eyes of a perfectly holy and righteous Lord (Isaiah 64:6).
And yet for every messed up and messy child of God like you and me, those same Scriptures provide an astonishing message of hope! Because of Christ’s atoning death on our behalf, God chooses to see the image of Christ in us, rather than the absence of Christ-likeness in our lives. “As high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:11-12). That truth provides our motivation to keep getting up every time we stumble and fall down. “For the righteous falls seven times and rises again,” the God-breathed Scripture assures us (Proverbs 24:16).
All those who are united to Christ can live a life pleasing to God because of His grace—not our goodness; His mercy—not our merit. This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!
Grace for the Race 