Christ Our Righteousness

I am sure all of us have read the story on the prodigal son. Actually, it is one of the best short stories that has been told time and again over the centuries after Jesus told this story to His disciples.

I just want to share a few insights that I have received as I was pondering over this story over a few weeks. The first insight is the father running out to meet the prodigal son when he saw his son afar off. You might already know that during the time of Jesus, it is unacceptable for a reputable man to run in the public. Not only this father disregard the culture of his day, he was also running towards a son that had done wrong to him personally. We know that the father in this story represents our Heavenly Father. And this is the only instance that we see Jesus depicting Father running towards us, the prodigal sons and daugthers, trying to make our way back. Isn't that amazing? Just imagine, our Heavenly Father running to greet us when we have wronged Him, realised that we have sin and are trying to make our way back to Him.

Another reason why the father has to run to the prodigal in the story is probably because he wants to protect his son from the accusation of the people. In Deut 22, one of the laws laid down is that if a son proved to be wayward or gone astray, the father is to bring him before the people and the people will literally stone this wayward son to death! I suggest that in the story of the prodigal son, the father ran to him is to protect him from being stoned by the people in that city. And that is such a beautiful picture of what our Heavenly Father is doing to us. He run to meet us not just because He love us but He also wants to protect us from the accusation of the devil.

So, the first insight is our Heavenly Father running towards us. Now, the second insight is that I receive in this story is that the father ordered his servant to take out the best robe and put it on his prodigal son. He also gave this prodigal son his ring (symbol of authority) and a pair of sandals to wear. What strike me is that all these are being done before the prodigal son even get a chance to clean up or wash up. Imagine him working in the pig pen and than walking all the way home! What a stench and sight! Yet, his father just put the best robe (probably his very own) on the son, give him the ring and a pair of sandals.

And this is exactly what our Heavenly Father did. He did not wait for us to get 'clean-up' before He robe us in His righteouness. Christ did not wait till we have clean up our act and than die for us. He died for us while we are still sinner so that we can wear His robe of righteousness over our sinfulness. Today, many of us try to clean up our act so to speak before we come to Him. Worst, sometimes, we try to get sinner clean up their act before we bring them to the church or to God. We try to make them to stop smoking or doing drug or straighten their lives first etc etc before we are 'willing' to bring them to church and hopefully, they will find God. And you know what, that is exactly what religion is all about. Trying to get ourselves clean up so that we are presentable to God. But, Christianity is not a religion. It is a relationship with the living God. And it is in the relationship with the living God that our live will be changed.

One thought came into my mind this morning is that 'A transformed life is an evidence of Christ in us. Not Christ is the evidence of a transformed life.' Looks like a simple play of words. But, the difference is profound. Our lives can only be truly transformed when Christ is first in our live. Without Christ, there is no true transformation. However, we often falls into the religious trap of trying to transform our live (with our own effort) and than try to present Christ as an evidence of our so-called transformed lives.

Maybe that is why many of us are struggling in our walk with Jesus. We got the order of things wrong!

Hope that this simple sharing will encourage all of read my blog.