The Christian's Daily Affirmation

 "Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; from the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy" (Psalm 61:1-3)

Introspection & Chaos....

I have been on an introspection hamster wheel the past few months. The introspection isn't because I think that I am not saved, but more of an evaluation of my character and who I am as a person. It has been painful evaluating myself in the light of God's law and even other people's perceptions of me. What I have come to discover is that I find value and safety in seeking approval from people through what I can do for them. It has been really hard to realize that in many ways I still struggle with defining my worth and value in trying to be all things to all people. Processing this truth has caused me to struggle with maintaining an inner sense of stability and well being.  This unsettled reality makes me feel as though I am spiraling, untethered and chaotic.  I look inwardly and all I can see is a dumpster fire of confusion and self-doubt. However, what comes with the confusion and self-doubt is also the deeper conviction that my safety is never in me. My safety and security is not settled in self-affirmation, but in the daily recognition that God justifies the ungodly. It is hard and embarrassing to admit that I am struggling, but Christ does not condemn me for it. I am always safe.

We all have daily affirmations that we live by to preserve our inner sense of well being.  I have to admit that I wanted mine to be "I am a good person". The Lord in His mercy would not let me rest there. There is no comfort or rest in "I am a good person".  The Christian's daily affirmation is that God justifies the ungodly.  (Romans 4:5 - "and to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness")

"Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy" - Psalm 61:3

 Anytime I look to myself to self-justify, all I get is anxiety.  I can rest in Christ's character for me though. He is everything that is good, right, and true. He gives me Himself. I can bank on that.   Christ is objectively our Rock and Strong Tower for us. How can this be?  2000 years ago, Christ Jesus was born of a virgin, conceived by the Holy Spirit to cover our sin with His innocence. He lived in perfect obedience to the law that accuses us. He died on the cross paying the penalty for our sin, absorbing the wrath of the Father, and was raised for our justification. He ascended to heaven, where He pleads and intercedes for us. He gives us the Holy Spirit who comforts and continually points us to Christ as our greatest consolation. I love the way Heidelberg Q&A 60 expresses this reality: 

"How are you righteous before God? 

Only by true faith in Jesus Christ. Although my conscience accuses me that I have grievously sinned against all God's commandments, have never kept any of them, and am still inclined to all evil, yet God without any merit of my own, out of mere grace, imputes to me the perfect satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of Christ. He grants these to me as if I never had nor committed any sin and as if I myself had accomplished all the obedience which Christ has rendered for me, if only I accept this gift with a believing heart." 

What does this mean for us? 

The daily affirmation that God justifies the ungodly breaks the cycle of  the unsteadiness and chaos of introspection and self-justification. Christ's work for us and in our place helps us to know that regardless of the  presence of unpleasant and sinful aspects of our flesh, we are always defined by the righteousness of Christ. We can embrace accusation in safety, knowing that Christ is ours by faith. We can boldly say that our very best works in this life are still tainted with sin because Christ is the perfection of all of our lack. 

My biggest heartache and struggle is people pleasing and fear of man. What hope do I have really? I want so much to be considered a good person, someone who is consistently kind and gracious. But I know that I always fall short of what this means in light of Christ's example. Yet the Gospel anchors us in eternal safety- the hope of our Mediator who bolsters us with his righteousness so that not even our own accusations that testify against us have the last word. "And you who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together in him, having forgiven all us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross..." Colossians 2: 13-14

Every day struggling Christians are weighed down by various internal accusations. Perhaps the most terrifying is the suspicion that we are not in Christ because of our lack of conformity to the law. Yet, the affirmation that God justifies the ungodly, forever silences those voices. Why? Because the presence of our sin, misery, and vulnerability does not mean condemnation. Christ's life, death, and resurrection guarantees that the Father will always relate to us on the basis of Christ's works for us. His work is perfect, all satisfying, and lacking in nothing. Christ being the sum total of all of our lack is our daily provision. He gives us everything that He has earned by faith.  In our daily struggles, we can always rest in our justification and the imputation of Christ's righteousness. We are always freed by eternal safety.

"Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died-more than that, who was raised-who is at the right hand of God, who is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written 'For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.' No in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:31-37)