City Life Starter

Written by Nate Warren

The Word

Stand therefore, …  having put on the breastplate of righteousness

Ephesians 6:14

Reflection

In the Bible, the concept of righteousness denotes a sense of equity toward human beings in their relationship to one another in honor of God. It treats others, bearers of the image of God, with dignity. In the spirit of this concept, the Mosaic law mandated Israelites to lend to fellow countrymen who were impoverished, even if the chances of repayment were slim. (Deuteronomy 15:7-11) Where there is a lack of righteousness, you will find haves and have-nots; those with power, and those oppressed. Righteousness is always poised to act in a manner that brings about the common good. 

The problem, according to scripture, is that no person is righteous. From the time that humanity fell, we were throwing each other under the bus (Genesis 3:12). Soon we were killing each other. (Genesis 4:8) Ever since, humanity has reaped and resown the curse brought on by sin. We have no righteousness in us. (Psalm 14, Romans 3:23) 

Jesus breaks this trend. He, who is the ultimate “have” in His divinity, demonstrated how to pour Himself out for us, the “have nots”. Because of His righteousness, the path for humanity to escape this curse has been paved in His blood. Paul makes it clear, Jesus’ victory over Satan has eliminated the hostility between different groups of people. The systems that say one group of people is more deserving of wealth, blessing, and honor over another kind of person have been stripped of any legitimacy in Jesus. (Ephesians 2)

The breastplate of righteousness is a metaphor used in the book of Isaiah about Jesus. He was sustained by “His own righteousness. He put it on like a breastplate.” (Isaiah 59:16-17) It’s not our righteousness that we put on, for we have none. In order to be ready for the fight (Ephesians 6:11), we have to depend on Him.

Application

Paul’s instruction requires action. There is no passivity here. It is up to us to put on the armor and prepare for the battle. We do this by intentionally and repetitively practicing our own self-denial and service to others. Just as if we regularly practice an instrument or sport, our bodies will become habituated to automatically act in a manner consistent with our practice. In the case of practicing righteousness, arranging our lives to routinely take on disciplines such as fasting, giving, and service will place us into a position for Jesus’ righteousness to replace our habits of categorizing people based on the world’s typical standards.  We will then be poised to be poured out for the sake of our neighbors, overcoming the devil and the powers of wickedness which seek to divide and conquer. 

Prayer

May Your righteousness fit us well.
May we practice our trust in You

May we practice observing the dignity of others

May small efforts, by Your grace, bring about righteousness in our homes, our communities, and the world

May it protect us from Satan’s temptations for us to devalue those made in your image

Amen