Romans 1:16-17–For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

As Christians all over the world celebrate “Good Friday” tomorrow with various ways of honoring our Lord’s death.  It made me wonder what is the greatest biblical honor a Christian can give towards God?  With all of our dedications, fast, along with other rituals we do to show honor during this time of year, do we really live by faith?

The centerpiece of what makes the gospel relevant for our benefit and God’s glory is belief, or faith in what Christ did on the cross.  Though God calling us to Himself, and our belief is an unforgettable experience, it is to lead us into a life of Him being revealed continually to us by faith!  So though we have honorariums surrounding Jesus death and all kinds of celebrations, do we do such things in place of real faith?

The moment we replace honoring Christ as an “event” rather than a lifestyle of faith, whether that is Easter or simply attending church every Sunday, we are in endanger of living self-righteously.  So instead of righteousness being revealed in living by faith, we create our own righteousness, with willful sacrifices, personal morality, etc. all things that are less than honoring God if we lived by faith! (1 Samuel 15:22)

Since Jesus Christ fulfilled all righteousness, than a lived out faith in Him “trumps” everything we can come up with to honor Him (Romans 10:4)!  What made the gospel relevant for us who came to faith, was that a perfectly righteous Man came down to relate, and redeem us who are completely unrighteous!  So though our religious gestures are great, surely those who need Christ needour life of faith everyday, and to come down out of any self-righteousness, to be as relevant as Jesus was… (Hebrews 4:15)

In His Love, Ld