INTRODUCTION TO THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD

 

 

The challenges against the righteousness of God are numerous. They come from the outside and even from those within the Church. My own mind has even been challenged when I’d read verses like these:

 

·       The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 ESV)

 

These verses raise many difficult questions:

 

·       Why did God create Satan, and why does He allow him to persist?

·       Why does God even participate in the work of Satan by sending those who are perishing a “strong delusion?” Shouldn’t He instead send them the truth of the Gospel?”

 

These are difficult questions along with others, which overshadows all other such questions: If God saved unworthy me, why doesn’t He regenerate the hearts of all so that they’d believe? How do we answer such questions? Should we?

 

I began to wonder if these questions have plagued many other Christians. Some admit that they aren’t particularly concerned. They just know what they have seen and experienced. Therefore, they can easily set these questions aside.

 

However, I have tried to do this, but it never worked for me. Although I would attempt to banish these questions away into my darkest mental crevasses, they would creep out like mosquitoes at night to torment me, forcing me to confront them head on.

 

Therefore, I wondered whether writing on this subject would be of help to many others. Over the course of my many years posting my essays on social media, I’ve noticed that few have the time or inclination to read essays.

 

Why then should I continue? Am I able to provide my brethren with answers to live their lives in Christ with more confidence and zeal? Well, answering these perplexing questions, at least tentatively, has enabled me to stand and to approach my Savior with confidence and joy:

 

·       Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. (Hebrews 10:19-23)

 

The Lord didn’t simply snap His fingers, and puff, I had assurance. Instead, He led me to meditate on His Word, day and night (Psalm 1:1-3; Joshua 1:8) until the answers I was seeking came together through His Spirit to comfort me with His peace and assurance.

 

It is not that I have obtained comprehensive answers. In many cases, I don’t think we are presently capable of such understanding. Instead, we are cautioned that we can only partially understand God’s Revelation to us (1 Corinthians 13). However, I have found that even a partial understanding has proved to be the delight of enduring riches. Paul had labored for this very purpose:

 

·       that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. (Colossians 2:2-3)

 

Perhaps this is the weakness of our Church today. We are vulnerable and lack confidence because we do not meditate on the Word as we should and lack intensive Biblical discipleship programs. Consequently, we cannot stand against the challenges to our faith, and often, are not even aware of them. Therefore, in the next verse, Paul expressed this very concern:

 

·       I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. (Colossians 2:4)

 

This is happening on a global scale. The Church has been withering before the assaults of Biblical criticism, multiculturalism, Darwinism, and moral relativism. Consequently, the majority of Churchgoers now believe that there are many roads to salvation.

 

If we believe this, what will happen to evangelism and our zeal for the Bible? They become endangered species, and we become fair-game for the deceptive messages encircling us.

 

If I proceed to write this book, I will have to address the really tough issues like eternal judgment and God’s annihilation of the Canaanites. To leave out the toughest questions would betray the purpose of this book - to leave my brethren with the confidence that our Lord is righteous and just even if we cannot comprehensively answer all our questions.