Righteousness

Righteousness…

“Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “That I will raise to David a Branch of Righteousness; a King shall reign and prosper, and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell safely; now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. ~ Jeremiah 23:5-6

In Genesis 15:6 we read that Abraham believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness. In Deuteronomy 6:25, Moses conveyed that the righteousness of God revealed in His Law would be conferred upon those who are careful to observe it (obey it). In Psalm 7:17, David exclaimed: “I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness, and will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.” Yes, “The Lord has made known His salvation; His righteousness He has revealed in the sight of the nations.” Psalm 98:2

Throughout the sacred writings of the Old Testament, we are informed of the righteousness of God through His creation, His commandments and ordinances, and His Prophets:

“The Heavens declare His righteousness, and all the peoples see His glory.” Psalm 97:6 “Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and Your Law is truth.” Psalm 119:142 “My tongue shall speak of Your word, for all Your commandments are righteousness.” Psalm 119:172

And, “No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from Me,” says the Lord.” Isaiah 54:17

Righteousness, that state or status of being in a right relationship with God, is a gracious gift of mercy granted by Him to those who believe. It was his faith that positioned Abraham to be credited with righteousness by God. When he believed God at His Word, Abraham received the righteousness that comes through faith … as Paul greatly expounds in Romans 4:1-8. In revealing His Commandments through Moses, believers were afforded the wisdom of how to live in a right relationship with God … and with one another. (Galatians 3:21) And yet, grace upon grace, the righteousness of God has been made known to us; indeed, demonstrated to us in Christ Jesus!

Romans 3:21-26 (NIV)

²¹But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. ²²This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, ²³for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴and all are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. ²⁵God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of His blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance He had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— ²⁶He did it to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

I believe it is important for us to understand that righteousness is a gift of God … imputed to us on the basis of faith in Him through faith in Jesus Christ – because we have no inherent righteousness within ourselves. (Cf. Titus 3:4-6) As the Prophet testified:

Isaiah 64:5-6 (NIV)

You come to the help of those who gladly do right, who remember your ways.
But when we continued to sin against them, you were angry. How then can we be saved? All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.

Yes, and consider what King David affirmed: “Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit, there is no deceit.” (Psalm 32:1-2)

As a believer, you are in Christ Jesus and have received the righteousness of God through Him. Yes, Jesus became for us wisdom from God – and righteousness and sanctification and redemption. (1 Corinthians 1:30) “For the Father made Jesus who knew no sin to be a sin offering for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21) So, awake to righteousness, and do not sin! (1 Corinthians 15:34) “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds;and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:22-24)

My friend, living in obedience to Christ Jesus and His commandments should be our grateful response to His merciful gift of imputed righteousness! Yes, to offer ourselves as living sacrifices is our reasonable service – our spiritual act of worship. (Cf. Romans 12:1) So I pray that we will pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace along with one another. (Cf. 2 Timothy 2:22)

Have a Blessed Day!

Live…

Live…

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” ~ John 11:25-26

I often wonder if we truly understand what it means to live … to be alive. Do we consider that man was formed of the dust of ground and that God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and became a living being? (Genesis 2:7) Can we truly comprehend how God fashioned and formed us in the womb? (Ecclesiastes 11:5) Do we embrace that humans are fearfully and wonderfully made? (Psalm 139:14)

We live because God is sovereign over the work of His hands! He created and ordained for living creatures to fill the earth … and for man to have dominion over them. These truths have not changed since the beginning of creation. But it is apparent that when sin entered the world through man, we lost intimate communion with our Creator and source of life. We lost our breath … so to speak. And God has been calling out to us ever since: “Seek Me and Live!” (Amos 5:4)

Moses exhorted the children of Israel to follow the commandments of God. They were tested in the wilderness and taught that man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. (Deuteronomy 8:3) Jesus affirmed this scripture during His own wilderness temptation; and He would use the metaphor to reveal His identity to those who believe:

John 5:48-51 (NIV)

I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”

My friends, to believe in Jesus is to abide in Him … to be united with Him forever! He declared, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die.” Truly, Jesus is our breath of life! Think about these words Jesus shared with His disciples: “Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.” (John 14:19)

In Galatians 2:19-20, Paul shared some profound insight for us to ponder: “For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Indeed, let us live a life worthy of the calling we have received. (Ephesians 4:1) For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. (1 Thessalonians 4:7) Yes, whoever claims to live in Him must live as Jesus did. (1 John 2:6) And I pray we will live in this light…. Amen!

Have a Blessed Day!

Learning Your Righteous Laws…

Psalm 119:7 (NIV)

I will praise you with an upright heart as I learn your righteous laws.

Psalm 119 is the longest Psalm in the book; and it extols the virtue and veracity of the Word of God. From its lengthy discourse, we are afforded insight into the power of Scripture to accomplish wisdom, righteousness, and obedience in our lives. Our Verse of the Day indicates that our praise and worship of God matures as we learn His commandments and judgments. I really love The Living Bible (TLB) translation of this verse which renders it: “After you have corrected me, I will thank you by living as I should!” The New Living Translation (NLT) phrases it: “As I learn your righteous regulations, I will thank you by living as I should.” The point here is that the Word of God impacts how we should think … how we should conduct ourselves … and how we should intimately relate to God and worship Him. We can look at just the first few verses of this Psalm to get a glimpse of its overall teaching:

Psalm 119:1-16 (NIV)

¹Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord. ²Blessed are those who keep His statutes and seek Him with all their heart— ³they do no wrong, but follow His ways. ⁴You have laid down precepts that are to be fully obeyed. ⁵Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying your decrees! ⁶Then I would not be put to shame when I consider all your commands. ⁷I will praise you with an upright heart as I learn your righteous laws. ⁸I will obey your decrees; do not utterly forsake me. ⁹How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your Word. ¹⁰I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. ¹¹I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. ¹²Praise be to you, Lord; teach me your decrees. ¹³With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth. ¹⁴I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. ¹⁵I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. ¹⁶I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.

Further on, we will read about our response to the Word of God. When we exercise our “free will” and ability to choose (a willful decision), the question is what will you and I choose when confronted with the Word of God. The inspiration and deliberation within this Psalm should lead us to this same decision:

Psalm 119:30-37 (NIV)

³⁰I have chosen the way of faithfulness; I have set my heart on your laws. ³¹I hold fast to your statutes, Lord; do not let me be put to shame. ³²I run in the path of your commands, for you have broadened my understanding. ³³Teach me, Lord, the way of your decrees, that I may follow it for its reward. ³⁴Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law and obey it with all my heart. ³⁵Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight. ³⁶Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain. ³⁷Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word.

Paul shared similar exhortation regarding the Word of God with Timothy when he wrote: “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the Word of Truth” (Cf. 2 Timothy 2:15) And, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction (training and discipline) in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. (Cf. 2 Timothy 3:16-17) The inspired writer of Hebrews makes this point as well: “For the Word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Cf. Hebrews 4:12)

My friends, there is a continued message for us: “Stay rooted and firmly planted in the Word of God!” For the Word of God is the power of God in your life and mine. This cannot be underestimated or overstressed. The struggle for the human will to choose righteousness and obedience is fought on the battlefield of our minds … where our thoughts are formed; and we attach words to those thoughts in order to define them. What we say and do is the outcome of our thought life. We need to remember that the Word of God reveals the mind of God … thoughts that reflect His heart and are expressed through words to us by His Spirit:

1 Corinthians 2:10-16 (NIV)

The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. ¹¹For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. ¹²What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. ¹³This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. (Citing Isaiah 64:4) ¹⁴The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. ¹⁵The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, ¹⁶for, “Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct Him?” (Citing Isaiah 40:13) But we have the mind of Christ.

As we have studied, Jesus said: “If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will and it will be done for you.” (Cf. John 15:7) And framed in a similar construct, the Apostle John affirms: “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” (Cf. 1 John 5:14) When we have the mind of Christ … understanding His thoughts through His words as communicated by the Holy Spirit, we will engage in prayer that will be heard and conduct that will be rewarded. This is why we need to spend time in study and mediation of the scriptures; and Psalm 119 provides a great outline of how the Word of God sustains every aspect of our lives. Jesus Himself affirmed, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Cf. Deuteronomy 8:3) And I believe Psalm 119 amplifies this truth….

So Now You Know…

Have a Blessed Day!

Dying To Sin…

1 Peter 2:24 (NIV)

“He Himself bore our sins” in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by His wounds you have been healed.”

In our Verse of the Day, Peter reminds us of the reason that Jesus died a physical death upon the cross. Jesus bore the punishment for our sins! He received in His body our penalty … the payment due for our sins … which is death. (Cf. Romans 6:23) His gracious, merciful act atoned for us. His high priestly sacrifice satisfied the righteousness of Father God … our Holy Creator.

But closer examination of this verse also reveals the purpose for which Jesus died as well. Peter draws our attention to the application of our response to the unmerited mercy and forgiveness of Jesus; namely, “that we might die to sin and live for righteousness.” In disarming the power of sin through His sacrificial atonement (Cf. Colossians 2:15), Jesus sets us free from the law of sin and death. (Cf. Romans 8:2) So, I believe this verse affirms what Paul asserted when he wrote: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. (Cf. Galatians 2:20)

Romans 6:1-7; 11-14 (NIV)

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. For if we have been united with Him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with Him in a resurrection like His. For we know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.

In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to Him as an instrument of righteousness. For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.

I realize that my biblical text selections for commentaries have become repetitive the past few days, but I am convinced this is what the Holy Spirit wants us to embrace: “Be holy, because I am holy.” (Cf. Leviticus 44-45; 19:2; 20:7; 20:26; 22:32; 1 Peter 1:16) Indeed, it is Jesus alone who makes us holy through His blood atonement. He has separated us from the world and sanctified us to serve God the Father! Oh, how I pray the power of the blood of Jesus would so penetrate our consciousness that we would wholly consecrate ourselves to Him; that we would deny ourselves and pick up our cross daily and follow Him! (Cf. Luke 9:23)

My friends, it is my prayer that we will spend some time before the Lord Jesus today and thank Him for all He has done for us! Yes, praise Him for the forgiveness and salvation He purchased for us! Worship Him for sending His Holy Spirit to indwell us … to comfort us and guide us into all truth! Indeed, a very costly ransom was paid for our sins and transgressions. Through Jesus, we have been renewed, returned, and restored to fellowship with God! Through Jesus our relationship with the Father has been healed! Therefore, we should not deliberately keep on sinning and dishonor the purpose of the cross … that we might die to sins and live for righteousness.

So Now You Know…

Have a Blessed Day!

For if we willfully persist in sin after having received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sin but a fearful prospect of judgment and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has violated the law of Moses dies without mercy “on the testimony of two or three witnesses.” How much worse punishment do you think will be deserved by those who have spurned the Son of God, profaned the blood of the covenant by which they were sanctified, and outraged the Spirit of grace? ~ Hebrews 10:26-29