Through the science of proper conduct, we seek to make the earth a better world to live in, to help people live morally by stimulating emotion, and working off imagination, human urges, and instincts. We teach for Christianity ways to enrich and elevate human life, and then we fashion our conscience through our own environment that we use to determine the direction of our character.
It's totally impossible for people to immortalize themselves and attain the righteousness of God by participating in sacraments such as to pray, praise, and give thanks. It's not the hymns, chorales, chants, or the instrumental music. It's not the buildings for worship, the art, the architecture, the kneeling, dipping, dunking, chanting, counting, lighting, confessing our sins or moral and political behavior.
Many Christians try to earn God’s righteousness by being a good person, a good member of their church, a good father or mother, or a good child. Some try by being a good worker, a good student, a wonderful husband or wife, and a good neighbor. Some try by singing more hymns, by running to the altar, by confessing their sins, and by being a law-abiding citizen. Others try by water baptism, the Old Testament Law, the rosary, fasting, giving to their church, and giving to the poor. These are all nice and wonderful dynamic moral commitments that, at best, are only the commandments of people.
Jesus once told the religious leaders of his time they were teaching for the truth of God’s Word, “the commandments of men.” It appears we continue to do the same in our day and time. People can never win the right to stand before God’s righteousness through their own traditions and ordinances, which at best, are only the consequences of the commandments of people. The only begotten Son, who is in the Father’s love, comfort, and rest, has declared and unfolded the concealed things of God once and for all. The world so desperately needs the light of the gospel of Christ, who has shown us the Father’s heart, so we who hunger and thirst after righteousness can be filled.
