A Spiritual Sonic Boom

When our family moved to Perry some ten years ago, about the only things we knew about the area were, there was a huge Ag Center which hosted the Georgia National Fair and the Warner Robins Air Force Base was one of the largest employers in the state and lots of people work there. Beyond that, we were brand new to middle Georgia.

One day, very soon after arriving, I was sitting at the house alone when suddenly, I heard this thunderous boom. The sound was so loud, it startled me. Whatever this noise was, it was so powerful it caused the windows in the house to literally shake. I had absolutely no idea what happened. I thought, “We’ve been attacked … we’ve been bombed … someone has dropped a bomb on the Air Force base and this is it … this is the end.” I walked out the door and spun around half-expecting to see a mushroom cloud rising to the sky. Instead, there was nothing. I walked back inside, picked up the phone and called Wallace Dean, the deacon from church. I told him what happened and that I was nervous, not knowing what was going on.

Yet, rather than showing me empathy, he started laughing. When he finally got done laughing, he said, “Brother Lewis – what you heard wasn’t a bomb, it was a sonic boom.” He went on to explain, (what everyone that lives here already knows,) the local Air Force base services and test flights fighter jets for the military. When those aircraft break the sound barrier, it sends off a sonic boom. If the weather conditions are just so, that sound will echo from the sky back down and be loud enough that it sometimes can cause the walls or windows in the houses to shake. The faithful ol’ deacon went on to explain, in a sense, this is how RAFB communicates with the community, letting the citizens know they are still there, still doing their duty, still defending freedom, and keeping us all safe. Relieved I said, “well at least now I know what is going on!”

The reason I am dragging you through this past personal experience is this: doubtless many of the sayings and teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ would have sounded much like a spiritual sonic boom to His hearers. Those ancient Jews were startled, rocked to the core even, and unsure of what to make of this Messiah’s message. The doctrines He proclaimed and the truths he set forward would often send shock waves through the crowd. This is never more true than the message Jesus preached known as “The Sermon on the Mount.” There is simply no way to fully describe the shock and awe that would have echoed through the audience when Jesus said what He did in that sermon.

Let me give you a prime example: Matthew 5:20 “For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” The moment Jesus said that, Jewish jaws would’ve dropped, and their eyes would have widened as an expression of disbelief appeared on their face. And … the windows in the nearby houses would’ve shaken (well, not literally.) But be sure, when Jesus said this, it sent shock waves through the crowd. For Him to say, these religious folks (the scribes and Pharisees) who you think are so godly and pious, are not godly and pious enough to enter heaven, sounded like a sonic blast to their ancient ears.

Understand, in the mind of the average Jew of Jesus’ day, there was no group of people any more religious or righteous than the Pharisees. To them, there was no group of people more devoted or devout than Scribes. Yet, here comes this young itinerant Evangelist claiming the good deeds of the uber religious isn’t good enough? The folks sitting on the hillside, would have been a lot like me when I heard that first sonic boom … taken back and unsure of what to make of the situation.

But just to make sure you are not under the impression I am only talking about something said to a group of people that existed centuries ago and has nothing to do with you, let me echo the spiritual truth Jesus makes clear; Readers, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the most religious person you know – you cannot enter heaven.

As unpopular as it may be, King Jesus made it clear, your good will never be good enough to gain entrance into Glory.

Let me say that again in slightly different words and echo the Christ, no matter how highly you think of yourself, your righteousness isn’t righteous enough to merit entrance into God’s kingdom. Regardless of your supposed status or level of piety, your good simply isn’t good enough. Your best efforts to appease GOD are insufficient to swing open the gates of Heaven. I know men don’t like to hear this kind of thing, but still, it is true. Even your very best of deeds on your very best of days are tainted by sin-stained hands. Try, try, try as you might… you will never be as devout or committed as the Pharisees were and still, their good wasn’t good enough. Neither is yours or mine.

So then, how can we enter the kingdom?

To enter Heaven we need a perfect righteousness to offer a Holy God. And here is another spiritual sonic boom, we can never attain that on our own. Never.

Instead, in order to be in right standing with God, we need a righteousness that is outside of us. It is what the old Bible scholars call – an alien righteousness. Not something from outer space, but outside of us.

If you don’t get anything else from this article, get this: Jesus of Nazareth is the only suitable substitute for sinners, who lived an impeccably sinless life – thereby earning a perfect righteousness we all need.

Or as Jesus stated, He did not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill. And to fulfill it for us (Matthew 5:17.) Jesus lived a perfectly sinless life. He pleased God in everything He did. Jesus perfectly obeyed the law, from the heart, even down to the most minute detail. In doing so, He earned a righteousness, that can be imputed to you, when you place your faith in Him.

We must stop trying to merit God’s favor by human efforts. We can’t.

We must stop trying to earn our way to heaven. We can’t.

We must stop trusting in ourselves and start trusting in only what Jesus has done for us.

When and only when, we place our faith in the finished work of Jesus, is His perfect life of obedience attributed to us and we stand before God judicially guiltless. This is how God can be both Just and the Justifier of those who believe in Jesus (Romans 3:21-26.)

Perhaps the truth I have set forth on this page sounds shocking to you? Maybe this has hit you and startled you like that first sonic boom startled me? But there is no reason to be frightened or afraid… that is, if you are robed in the righteousness of the Redeemer. If not, you have every reason to be alarmed… judgment day is coming.

One day soon, there will be an ear-splitting, earth-shaking sound when King Jesus returns. It won’t the sound of fighter jets that captures attention, but the shout of victory when the last trumpet sounds and the King splits the sky!

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