Day 124 - Unjustified Justification

November 10, 2011 (Sam)

      With four of our six months down, Christina and I have recently been looking beyond Kenya. What next? With the military offering me a free college education and Christina itching to finish her degree in social work, we have started looking at college options. But where? Well, Madison, Wisconsin I hope. Not only does the University of Wisconsin—Madison have some of the best programs available for the degree paths that we’re looking at going down, but we have a church family there, I have good friends that I grew up with there, and I’d have access to one of the best VA hospitals in the country. But most importantly, relocating to Madison would mean that after almost six years of moving around the world, I’d be able to be close to my family again. From the very beginning of our search for schools, every sign has been pointing at UW—Madison. It would be the perfect answer.

      It’s funny how the application process works. It’s like dozens of questions and personal statements where the school basically asks you to sell yourself to them. Basically, “Why are you the best? Why should we pick you? Justify yourself.” And that whole process really got me thinking about everything I’ve been able to do in the last six years. I’ve lived in five different countries for extended periods of time; I’ve performed support duties for three different combat missions that the US military has undertaken; I’ve traveled halfway around the globe to volunteer with some of the neediest people in the world. I’ve been able to do a lot of good things for a lot of people. And filling out that UW—Madison application, I caught myself getting maybe a little caught up in my accomplishments, thinking, “I am justified.”

      Then I read Ephesians 2:8-9 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” And the harsh reality struck me that, I can do all the nice and good things in the world; I can sacrifice my time, my money and my efforts; I can travel around the world doing good for others, but ultimately, those “works” amount to nothing. When I get to heaven, it will not be my works that permit me entry; it will be my faith. I cannot find justification through what I do. Mother Teresa can no more boast her way into heaven based on the good that she’s done than can a convicted murderer who accepted Christ prior to being executed. “There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Rom 3:22-4). “You were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor. 6:11). My justification is found in Christ alone. Period.

      It’s too bad that UW—Madison does’t share the same sentiment as God. I got a rejection letter from them this morning.