My dearly beloved brethren, I bring you good tidings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ as we celebrate the season of His birth. I wish to share with you a foundational truth of the Christian faith—one taught by our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and clearly expounded by Paul the Apostle.

Paul declares that the righteousness of God apart from the law has now been revealed (Romans 3:21). This statement signals a decisive shift—a transition from an old order to a new one. In this message, I would like us to reflect on that old order and examine how, despite the teachings of Christ and the Apostles, it still persists in many expressions of modern-day worship.

Righteousness speaks to truthfulness, love, and integrity in our relationship with God and with one another. Under the old order, righteousness was closely tied to the Mosaic Law—the codes of conduct given to Moses on Mount Sinai. Yet from the beginning, it was not so. Humanity was created as free moral agents, capable of genuine fellowship with God and with one another in purity of heart. After the fall, however, our nature became corrupted, and we lost that capacity. As a result, we began to depend on external rules and interpretations of the law before acting—sometimes even withholding good deeds altogether because the law did not explicitly permit them. I have seen situations where acts of kindness were withdrawn simply because they were not sanctioned by religious rules.

One striking manifestation of this “righteousness of the law” is hyper-religious activity that suppresses compassion. Jesus addressed this powerfully in the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:33–34). To fully grasp the force of this parable, we must consider its historical and religious context.

At the time, Samaritans were despised by the Jews—especially by the Pharisees and religious elite. They were regarded as religious outcasts: uncircumcised, doctrinally compromised, ceremonially unclean, and spiritually inferior. Yet Jesus deliberately made a Samaritan the hero of the story.

Equally significant is the contrast between the characters. The priest and the Levite were men closely tied to temple service and religious duty. It is very likely that they were constrained by Sabbath regulations or consumed by the demands of religious observance. Touching a wounded or possibly dead man could render them ceremonially unclean, and attending to him might be interpreted as violating Sabbath restrictions. In their effort to remain “religiously correct,” they chose obedience to rules over mercy toward a suffering human being.

The Samaritan, by contrast, was on a journey—likely a business trip—conducted on a day the religious elite would have considered inappropriate for such activity. Yet it was this man, regarded as ungodly and irreligious, who stopped. He interrupted his journey, spent his own resources, and took responsibility for another person’s pain. In doing so, he demonstrated what it truly means to live by the Spirit of God.

Through this parable, Jesus was teaching that human need takes precedence over religious regulation. Mercy outweighs ritual. Love fulfills the law. In essence, Jesus affirmed what He taught elsewhere—that the Sabbath was made for humanity, and not humanity for the Sabbath (Mark 2:27). The priest and the Levite preserved their religious status; the Samaritan preserved a human life.

This parable challenges us today to ask whether our rigid interpretations of Sabbath observance, church attendance, and religious rules are helping us serve humanity, or whether—like the priest and the Levite—they have become barriers that prevent us from responding to human need with compassion.

Another expression of law-based righteousness is the tendency to judge others by our own standards. Jesus exposed this attitude in the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18:13–14). While the Pharisee trusted in his religious credentials, the tax collector humbly cried out for mercy—and it was the latter who went home justified.

I once encountered a woman highly regarded in the faith who harshly condemned another believer because she had not married as a virgin. Yet the woman she criticized later became a devoted Christian, raising responsible children and now enjoying godly grandchildren. This is often the fruit of legalistic righteousness—condemnation instead of compassion. Jesus Himself reminded us that those who are sick—not those who consider themselves well—are the ones in need of a physician (Matthew 9:12).

Legalistic righteousness also appears in the way some denominations brand and separate themselves. Strict dress codes and outward identifiers are sometimes imposed as marks of spiritual authenticity. Paul warned against such divisions when believers began aligning themselves with particular leaders rather than Christ (1 Corinthians 1:12–13). The early apostles labored diligently to preserve unity within the body of Christ. Today, however, some leaders create policies that isolate their members from other believers and keep them perpetually occupied with internal programs—often out of fear of losing members. Sadly, the underlying motivation in many such cases is pecuniary. Our Lord Jesus Christ warned us to beware of false prophets who appear harmless outwardly but are inwardly destructive.

Thanks be to God that He has made available a righteousness apart from the law—a righteousness that produces compassion, humility, and sensitivity to the needs of others. This is not something we can achieve by our own strength. It is made possible through the Spirit of Christ, whom Jesus promised would dwell within believers and empower them to live according to His mind and character (John 14:16–17).

This message is not intended to criticize individuals, but to call us all to sincere self-examination. Much of modern preaching focuses narrowly on prosperity, miracles, and outward signs, often obscuring the heart of Christianity. Some have abandoned the faith because they felt God did not answer their prayers. Yet God is sovereign, and our understanding of Him must be holistic and grounded in truth. Scripture reminds us that the fullness of what God has prepared for those who love Him surpasses human perception (1 Corinthians 2:9).

As we enter the year 2026, it is my prayer that the Almighty God will strengthen us in His will, grant us spiritual discernment, and open doors of divine favor in our families and in all our endeavors.

Wishing you a happy and prosperous New Year.

Yours sincerely,
Olufemi Obembe