Not Your Righteousness

Deuteronomy 9-10

            Israel is not supposed to let success go to her head. Three times in Deuteronomy 9:4-6, Moses repeats, “It’s not because of your righteousness.” This is of a piece with chapter 7, “The Lord didn’t set His affection on you because you were more numerous.” In fact, God’s choice of Israel was pure grace, “without any merit or worthiness,” as the Catechism puts it.

            It’s a warning for contemporary Christians today, too. It’s pretty easy to fall into the trap of thinking, “God loves me and has brought me into His family. I must be special.” The reality is all humans are born in original sin, without any merit or worthiness. When God calls us out of the death of sin into new life, it’s not because we are different or better or because He saw some special potential in us. No, it’s always grace; pure, undeserved favor; a gift.

            The proof for Israel is the list of ways that they had angered their God. The proof for us is honest reflection on our own sin, the ways that we have grumbled, our own personal golden calves.

            The season we have just come out of puts these things right in front of us. I was moved to tears a number of times singing the hymns on Good Friday. They lead us to recognize that our sins put Jesus on the cross, but even more His mercy put Him on the cross, so great is His love even for the most unworthy.