Our righteousness and our rest

This is just a little free flow thought that I've been churning in my mind. It is very unpolished so be forewarned. Basically, it is in regards to Christ's righteousness, and three basic aspects of how it is integrated into our lives.

Three points

1. Doing-- Christ is our example. He is the one we look to as the ultimate person to pattern our lives after. The letters to the churches in the first generation of believers are full of exhortation to "put on" Christ and make every effort. This is the first aspect of how we integrate His righteousness into our lives. We consciously and consistently DO!

2. Becoming-- Christ is alive in us. We are to die to ourselves, and as we surrender ourselves more fully and become truly consumed with Christ, He does not just become what our lives are primarily about. He becomes life. As this truly begins to transpire, we are transformed internally and are BECOMING different not only during times that we consciously try to live in a Christ like way, but when we are not consciously thinking about it, the people who know us best should begin to see us change.

3. Being--Christ is our redeemer. In the midst of all this effort and the expectation, there is a blessed reprieve. The amazing truth is that Christ is not only our example and our transformer. Most of all, He is our redeemer. We become alive in Him because of His work on the cross. The sabbath was a type and shadow of Him and the work he did on the cross. He is our rest. This provides a great relief from the merciless crushing affect of effort and expectation. If we do not ultimately trust in His work and power to save, we are taking the first two aspects and turning them into a teaching that will "shipwreck" our faith. Our righteousness rests in His BEING. Our faith must rest in Him, and we must rest in Him.

Or ya know.... something like that.