Read through Romans Chapter 1 before reading this post for further understanding.

It sometimes seems like two questions constantly swirl around inside my head and heart, causing random streaks of panic to spread through my chest. Am I good enough? And I doing enough? Over and over, completely consuming my current state of mind at any given moment. When I’m upset…am I enough? When I’m enjoying a moment…am I enough? 

Perhaps you’ve experienced the same thing in your own thoughts and feelings. Seasons of anxiety tend to trigger these thoughts more often, but they can pop up in moments of peace as well. 

So let’s talk about this together.

Are you enough?

Are you righteous?

Are you called?

Are you holy?

The Bible talks a lot about all of this, but the world may speak differently on the subject causing us doubt and fear. If you have ever worried about enoughness or righteousness, you are not alone. 

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Martin Luther and The Reformation

Back in the year 1517, Martin Luther worried about his own salvation. Being a professor of Bible in Germany, Luther had access to The Bible and superior literally skills than that of common society. Luther wanted to make himself right with God, but couldn’t find any assurance of his own salvation through the teachings of the church at that time.

Luther made some incredible discoveries about what the Bible tells us, especially through the book of Romans. Romans 1:16-17 sparked what is known as “Luther’s Gospel Breakthrough”. It says this:

16 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.”

We’ve all heard this before, the righteous shall live by faith. Sure, we get it, but what does this mean? (cough *true Lutheran* cough, haha) Luther wanted to know how to be righteous and I think it’s safe to say the rest of us are curious about it too.

The Righteousness of God

The simple definition of what “righteousness” means in this context is to “be in a right relationship with God.” 

Understanding what this means isn’t something that was perfectly clear for quite a while. Martin Luther had entered the lifestyle of a Monk in an attempt to attain righteousness. He tried every avenue the church of his day had available, and still felt very “unrighteous.” 

He struggled with Romans 1:16-17 and its phrase about the righteousness of God. 

“I hated the word ‘righteousness of God,’ because in accordance with the usage and custom of the doctors I had been taught to understand it philosophically as meaning, as they put it, the formal or active righteousness according to which God is righteous and punishes sinners and the unjust. As a monk, I led an irreproachable life. Nevertheless, I felt that I was a sinner before God. My conscience was restless, and I could not depend on God being propitiated by my satisfactions. Not only did I not love, but I actually hated the righteous God who punishes sinners” (WA. 54, 183-185)

Thankfully, Luther’s superior in the Augustinian order sent him to study the Bible for a doctoral degree and to ultimately teach the Bible at the University of Wittenberg. While studying the Bible, Luther came to realize that Paul is actually quoting from the Old Testament prophet Habakkuk with the phrase, “The righteous shall live by faith.” 

The light bulb sparked on. No longer did Luther see the righteousness of God as something to which we must measure up, to prove ourselves “enough”, but something that God gives freely through faith in Jesus Christ. 

Righteousness is not something we earn, but a gift that God gives. 

Luther said that heaven itself was opened to him and suddenly all of the Scriptures became clear. He felt as if he had been born again!

Wait, So Who Isn’t Righteous?

We might think of “unrighteous” people as those who don’t act right or do the right things. This isn’t the case in the Bible. Simply put, those who reject the Gospel are not righteous. 

Righteousness comes through faith. Unbelief rejects the gift God is giving and therefore also rejects the giver. God won’t force you into something you don’t want.

We may think of this question in terms of wanting to make sure (in our human brains) that we are righteous, but we shouldn’t use this judgment against others.

“Worry about your own self” isn’t only for the good of others, it’s for the good of ourselves too. The less we worry about the righteousness of others, the more we can enjoy God’s gifts to us. 

Our concentration when it comes to others is better spent sharing the amazing news that Jesus makes them righteous too! 

Ok, So Now What?

One of the cool discoveries Luther made when examining this passage is the logical consequences (the natural outcomes that result from actions) of what Paul is saying here. 

“The righteous shall live by faith” also means that “The one who by faith is righteous shall live”! In fact, this word order is how Luther would render this passage when he published his German translation of the Bible. 

Because you have been made righteous through faith in Jesus, you have eternal life! Just like the old-timey beer commercials would say, “It just doesn’t get better than this”! 

Vocations

Because you have been made righteous through faith, you no longer have to worry about saving yourself and can instead live for the blessing of your neighbor. 

One way that Luther and Lutherans since him have described “Good Works” in the centuries since the Reformation has been in terms of vocation. 

Vocations are simply the areas of life to which you have been called (see the word ‘vocal’ here). If you’re reading this, you’ve probably been called to a whole bunch of different vocations, one of which is called “mom”. Maybe you’re also a wife, or a teacher, or grandma, aunt, or any combination of these! You might be an employee of someone or someone’s employer. 

All of these vocations, or callings, are areas in which you serve God by serving your neighbor, those people nearest to you, and those whom you have been called to serve. If you’re a mom, serving God (aka “Good Works”) means caring for your children.

If you’re a wife, serving God looks like caring for your husband. If you’re an employee, serving God looks like doing your job well. If you’re a friend, being a good friend. You get the idea. 

Enjoy your vocations, mommas! Take pride in the ways God is calling you and using you. Your vocations will not always be easy, so have fun with them when you can. You’re doing a great job.

The tendency for humans is to turn the idea of “Good Works” into some über-pious attempt to look holy. Some denominations stress religious actions as the way to do good works, like going to Church, prayer, giving, mission trips, etc. Some churches stress moral behaviors as the way to serve God, like avoiding alcohol, secular music, or other worldly things. 

While being involved in the life of the Church is definitely a good thing and making good choices won’t hurt you, being a Christian in the service of God usually looks like how Jesus described it (and the Old Testament too): love the Lord your God with all of you and love your neighbor as yourself. 

We don’t need to invent new ways of serving God when there are so many people right in front of us that God has called us to serve and be a blessing to them. Vocation simply means being God’s instrument to bless the rest of His creation through His creature, you. 

You Are Holy

We often struggle with the word “holy” as if it’s a strange or mystical thing. We know God’s name is holy (hallowed by Thy Name). We have heard people from the past described as “Saints” (holy ones). Holiness is actually quite simple. It means “set apart for God’s use”. You are holy. 

God made you holy through Jesus Christ.

In other words, God set you apart for His purposes; to love you, bless you, and bless the world around you through you. One way to think of holiness is like this: Would you take the communion vessels from church and use them for chips and dip? Probably not. They’re holy things. They’re set apart for the Lord’s Supper, the Body and Blood of Jesus given for the forgiveness of sins. That’s also what you are. You’re set apart for God’s purposes. 

You’re set apart to serve God through your vocations. You’re set apart to share the Good News (Gospel) of Jesus Christ with those you meet! You’re set apart by God to live in a way that will often cause other people to take notice. This is why Peter said, “Always be prepared to give a reason for the hope that lies within you.” People will want to know why Christians living out their vocations aren’t quite like everybody else. Luther used the analogy that we are to be “little Christs” to one another. After all, Jesus in your life might be the only Jesus someone else will ever see. 

You are Righteous.

You are called.

You are holy.

You are loved.

Rest in the gift that you get to live by faith. You can trust God for everything instead of worrying about making yourself righteous. And what good news that is….we moms have enough to worry about.