“Therefore, we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from deeds of the law.”
– Romans 3:28 (NKJV)
Michael had a big problem with the way certain believers attempted to correct him. This type of correction made him feel condemned, like he would never make it to Heaven. Correction really bothered him. Why didn’t believers just show him the Father’s love? Why did so many feel obligated to correct him? Michael perceived the Father’s children as enforcers of Christian morality who always watched to see if he did something wrong. Because of this, Michael developed a hatred for correction and a pet peeve for Christians who corrected him.
In the book of Romans, Paul taught us the deepness of the Gospel, the good news of our salvation. Our justification with the Father, where He gifted us with a righteous status which is never dependent on our deeds, or of any strength or ability on our part. We were justified apart from the law. The Father has already made us righteous by clothing us with Christ’s perfect righteousness. We wear these clothes as though they are ours, but they really belong to Christ.
Michael didn’t have a deep understanding of the Gospel. Christ did all the work necessary for our salvation. He perfectly accomplished every detail of the Mosaic Law. He fulfilled all the do’s and don’ts. All we have to do is put our faith in Christ and the Father does the most beautiful, gracious thing. He treats us as though we also did all the do’s and don’ts as if we had also fulfilled the law perfectly.
We should never think that correcting others is wrong. Sometimes our corrections to others or when someone corrects us seems harsh or unloving. Not only do we need to correct with the Father’s love, but also in light of the Father’s Gospel. (Church Discipline By: Jonathan Leeman) Tell them that the Father has already made them right. He has already corrected them. We seek to live right because He made us right. The do’s and don’ts of Christian discipline are not there to earn our salvation but are there to help us as we learn to live out our salvation, thereby developing a stronger relationship with the Father.
