It Will Be Righteousness For Us

What does it mean to be righteous?
 

right·eous

1. characterized by uprightness or morality: a righteous observance of the law.

2. morally right or justifiable: righteous indignation.

3. acting in an upright, moral way; virtuous: a righteous and godly person.
4. Slang . absolutely genuine or wonderful: some righteous playing by a jazz great.

Pasted from <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/righteous>

To make it simple let's just say that being righteous means we are right with God.  No worries.  Sounds like a good way to live life doesn't it?  So how do we get righteousness?

That's what I want to look at today in our two scriptures.

Deuteronomy 6:25(NKJV)

25Then it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to observe all these commandments before the Lord our God, as He has commanded us.’

Romans 3:21-22(NKJV)

21But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 

22even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all £and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 

In the Old Testament you had the law.  The 10 Commandments as well as all of the additional laws, rules, and regulations added by God in Numbers and Deuteronomy as well as elsewhere.   Things like kill a sheep for this sin but kill a cow for that one.  This one has to be killed by the priest but that one you can do yourself.   You have to eat this one at the Temple but this one you can eat at home.  All of those kinds of things.

Compare that to - Believe in Jesus!  Doesn't get much simpler than that does it?  Keep all of these rules and regulations or believe in Jesus.  Which seems easier to you?

Have you accepted Jesus yet?  What are you waiting for?  Do you want to be right with God?  Do you hear and feel that presence deep inside you that is gently urging you this way?  Then go ahead and surrender now.  Get right with God.  Simply say "Dear Jesus…….."

The Way We Ask

Does it matter to God how we ask Him for things in our prayers?  I believe it does.

Before I tell you why I believe that let me tell you a story.  When I pull into a parking lot at a store I ALWAYS EXPECT to get a good parking spot.  And the cool thing is that I almost always do!  It's what I call practicing the power of positive expectation.  Expect good things to happen, and they usually do!

So now on to why I think it matters how we ask God for things.

James 1:5-8(NKJV)

5If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 

6But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 

7For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 

8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

When we ask God for something we have to do it with the expectation that God will answer our prayer.  We are expecting good things to happen, always. 

So when we are praying for something it's not "Oh Lord, I beseech thee.  Please, please, please, if it's not too much trouble and you have time, please, please try to help me."  No, it should be more like "Dear Lord,  Thank you for being such an awesome God and thank you for all that you have done for me.  I have this issue that I sure could use your help on.  Here's the deal.  Now thank you so much for all that you have promised to do to help me on this issue.  You are so awesome.  Thank you again for the help!"

See the difference?  The first one is almost like begging God and hoping that just this once He might help you.  The second one is prayed with the power of expectation that you know God is with you there always and He will always help you.  Make sense?  Give it a try!

Being a Christian Is Not a Spectator Sport

 

James 1:22-25(NKJV)

22But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 

23For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 

24for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 

25But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

There are a lot of people that are under the mistaken impression that being a Christian is a spectator sport.  By that I mean that they are in the pew every Sunday and that's it, they are good to go.

Not true!  Being a Christian REQUIRES action.  Starting with our very salvation, an action is required.  It's not enough to just sit there and hear the sermons and agree that "Yep, that Jesus was a great guy!"  Nope, it takes more than that.  To be saved we actually have to be proactive and say a prayer inviting Jesus into our lives.  We can read the Bible all we want.  We can watch all the sermons we want, but until we take action, we are still not saved.

But what is expected of us after we take that first action?  We are expected to be doers of the Word.  Now I'm not going to list a whole bunch of does and dont's.  Let's keep it simple.  How are we to be doers of the Word?  By letting the love of Jesus shine through us onto others in everything that we do as we live our lives day to day.  If we simply do that, I believe that God will view us as being doers of His Word!

Jesus Christ is the Same Yesterday, Today, and Forever

Hebrews 13:7-8(NKJV)

7Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct. 

8Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 

This is a truth that causes trouble for many in the Christian faith.  A lot of people think of Jesus as all love, the Prince of Peace, and all of that.  They have a hard time with Scripture references like this one.

Matthew 10:34-36(NKJV)

34“Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. 

35For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; 

36and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ £ 

That sure doesn’t seem very loving and peaceful does it?  That doesn't seem to square with the Kumbaya approach to Jesus.  But let's look at Hebrews 13:8 a bit more closely. 

Hebrews 13:8(NKJV)

8Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 

The first and at least for me the most comforting thing about that verse is that it reassures me of Christ's consistency.  He doesn't change.  Makes it easier to trust in his promises. 

Here is where it gets sticky for some people.  In addition to Christ not changing, He is always in agreement with and in total support of God.  You know all of those times in the Old Testament where God tells the Jews to kill every living thing; ,man, woman, and child, Jesus was OK and in agreement with that. 

Doesn't that create a conflict?  For me, not at all.  As I've written in the past, we have to chose sides.  We either chose to be on God's side or we chose to be His enemy.  Once we've heard the Gospel story and been given a chance to accept Jesus, we have chosen sides. 

Jesus is the catalyst that forces all of mankind to make that final choice.  Jesus did indeed come to bring a sword.  What is the purpose of that Sword?  To subdue the enemies of God.  Who are the enemies of God?  All that have not chosen Jesus.  What about you?  Have you chosen sides yet?

Run the Race With Endurance

 

Hebrews 12:1-2(NKJV)

1Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 

2looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

I've always liked that phrase.  To me it says play to win and never give up.  Always give your best, even when you tire.  But the thing that many overlook is the instruction we are given of what we need to do before we run the race.  Take a look.

Hebrews 12:1-2(NKJV)

1Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 

2looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Let us lay aside every weight (worry, problem, care, our past).  I believe God wants us to live a life of passion.  He wants us to be successful.  And He is telling us that it is a lot easier to do if we will hand off all of the baggage to Jesus.  Jesus is much stronger than we are and He can carry it.  Then and only then are we truly prepared to run the race that God has prepared for us.

Have you turned your baggage over to Jesus yet?  Why not?  Life will be so much better when you do.  Just say a small prayer asking Jesus to take over your life.  Then run your race with joy and endurance!

He Had This Testimony, He Pleased God!

Wow.  When your life is over wouldn't that be a great testimony to have?  He/She pleased God!  We know we aren't perfect but we do our best to serve God while we are here.  What better reward than hearing the Father say "Good job.  Well done.  I'm pleased."

Hebrews 11:5(NKJV)

5By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, “and was not found, because God had taken him”;£ for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God. 

So what is it that we need to do to please God?  We need to accept Jesus.  We need to seek God daily.  We need to strive to discern His will for our lives and then do it.  I'm sure you could come up with other things as well but did you know that there is one thing that is an absolute?  Scripture tells us unambiguously that without this one thing, it is impossible to please God.  What is it?

Hebrews 11:6(NKJV)

6But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Now what I find so interesting is look at the reason given.  It is really important to God that you actually believe that He exists.  It's also really important to God that you understand that He is a rewarder.  As I've written about before, all of God's promises are conditional and if you have the faith to accept the condition God will reward you, ALWAYS.

So what is faith?

Hebrews 11:1(NKJV)

1Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 

Faith is a great help in your everyday life.  Faith is what helps give you that peace that surpasses all understanding.  There's no reason to be that calm but yet for some unseen reason (faith in God's promises) you know it will all work out in the end.

So how is your faith?  Are you exercising it daily?  Is God seeing the evidence of faith in your life on a daily basis?  If so, then know that He is pleased!

Thou Shall Not Covet

Deuteronomy 5:21(NKJV)

21    ‘You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife; and you shall not desire your neighbor’s house, his field, his male servant, his female servant, his ox, his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.’

I try not to get political in my writing here but this verse in particular struck me.  With all of the attacks on the rich and wealthy in this political season I sense a lot of covetness.  Not a good thing according to scripture!

Next time you hear someone say something like "the rich need to pay their fair share" stop and think what is behind that statement.  The rich have more than we do so "for the good of society" we need to take more of their stuff and give it to those who "need" it.  Notice how it is always wrapped in moral righteousness.  But to me it is nothing more than covetness!

Does God Show Favoritism?

Deuteronomy 7:5-6(NKJV)

5But thus you shall deal with them: you shall destroy their altars, and break down their sacred pillars, and cut down their £wooden images, and burn their carved images with fire.  

6“For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth. 

I think the answer is yes to the extent that we all show favoritism to family over those outside our family.  Is it fair that He show favoritism?  Again, from a family point of view I would say certainly.  After all, what's the old saying?  Blood is thicker than water?

When we accept Christ we become heirs with Christ.  In other words we become part of the family and enjoy a lot of God's favor, just as Jesus does.  Is it fair?  Good question.  Let me ask you this.  When you bestow favor on some but not others, is that fair?  Usually you have a very valid reason for choosing who you bestow favor on and who you don't.  And it is perfectly fair because it is your favor to bestow and you set the criteria for who you are going to bestow that favor on.  In other words, it is yours to give and you are free to give it to whomever you choose.

Well it is no different for God.  It's His favor.  Now would you like to know how to cultivate and harness that favor?  If so then I'd like to recommend a book that I am reading.  The Force of Favor:7 Ways to Increase Your Favor by Dr. Dave Martin.  Give it a read, I'm sure you will be blessed.

That It May Be Well With You

Would you like it to be well with you?  Would you like to have a peace in your heart that things are going to work out?  Even if you can't see it right now!  Well God has told us how to make that happen.  Take a look.

Deuteronomy 5:33(NKJV)

33You shall walk in all the ways which the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you shall possess.

Deuteronomy 6:18-19(NKJV)

18And you shall do what is right and good in the sight of the Lord, that it may be well with you, and that you may go in and possess the good land of which the Lord swore to your fathers, 

19to cast out all your enemies from before you, as the Lord has spoken.   

Pretty simple isn't it?  Follow God and do what is right and good in His sight!  Look at all of the reading I just saved you.  Follow God and do what is right and good in His sight.

Now if we are following God, what do you think is the first right and good thing He would want us to do?  Accept Jesus! 

God has told us through His Word that Jesus is God's son.  Jesus came to earth and lived a sinless life.  Jesus was crucified even though He was innocent of any wrong doing.  He arose from the dead on the 3rd day.  He was seen by many, many people before He was taken up to Heaven where Jesus sits today at the right hand of God.

We are told in God's Word that by submitting to the crucifixion, Jesus took the punishment for all of our sins.  If we will simply ask Jesus to be the Lord of our lives, He will intercede with God on our behalf. 

So have you done that yet?  If not I'd invite you to do so right now.  Just close your eyes and say a little prayer.  Something like this.  "Dear Jesus, please come into my life and take over.  I believe in you and want you to guide my life from now on.  Please help me follow God and please help me discern what is right and good in God's sight.  Thank you so much.  Amen!"

That's it.  That's all you have to do.  Now what next?  Read the Bible a little each day and pray each day.  Thank God each day for the guidance He gave you the day before and for the guidance He will be giving you today. 

As long as you do those things, the rest will pretty much take care of itself.  So if you want it to be well with you, what do you do?

Follow God and do what is right and good in His sight!

Earned vs. Blessed

Deuteronomy 6:10-12(NKJV)

10“So it shall be, when the Lord your God brings you into the land of which He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give you large and beautiful cities which you did not build, 

11houses full of all good things, which you did not fill, hewn-out wells which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant—when you have eaten and are full—

12then beware, lest you forget the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. 

Deuteronomy 7:1-2(NKJV)

1“When the Lord your God brings you into the land which you go to possess, and has cast out many nations before you, the Hittites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than you, 

2and when the Lord your God delivers them over to you, you shall conquer them and utterly destroy them. You shall make no covenant with them nor show mercy to them. 

We can and should go out and work hard.  Have a plan.  Build a career.  Raise a family.  And over the years, through our earnings, build some wealth and accumulate some things.  And that is good.  There is nothing wrong with that.  Scripture tells us we should do these things.

But an amazing thing can happen if you will throw one more thing into the mix.  A focus on doing all of those things as God directs you through His plan for your life.  By making God the center of your family you please God and build favor.  By being a blessing to others you fulfill another one of God's instructions and again build favor with God. 

Look at the parts highlighted above.  When we lead a life that is pleasing to God, God has the ability to bless us beyond anything we could earn on our own.  He can help us and bless against all odds.   He can bless us in ways we never could have even anticipated!

Or we can just keep plodding along and trying to earn it ourselves.  Why not try it Gods way?

Come Boldly to the Throne of Grace

Hebrews 4:14-16(NKJV)

14Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 

15For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 

16Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

I have to constantly remind my self of this one.  It's counter intuitive, at least for me.  The idea that we can boldly approach God just seems a bit strange to me.  I mean come on, we're talking about the Almighty God here. 

But then if I refer to my main paradigm of God the Father it makes sense.  As a parent I don't want my kids cowering from me.  I want them to approach life confidently and as part of that I expect them to interact with me with confidence.  So why should I expect that God would want me to approach Him any differently? 

So as we approach God in our daily prayer life, let's do it with a renewed confidence!

We Must Give Account

Deuteronomy 4:24(NKJV)

24For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.

Hebrews 4:13(NKJV)

13And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

Here are a couple of verses that go to a point I have made in the past.  The point is that God doesn't take a la dee dah, live and let live approach when people reject Jesus. 

Hebrews 4:13 tells us that all will have to give an account to God.  Not just those who accepted Jesus but all.  Imagine how uncomfortable that event is going to be.  Can you imagine standing before God and having to explain to Him that you didn't believe the Word (the Bible) that He gave us, you thought He was a liar.  Wow, I sure wouldn't want to be in that position.

Thankfully I don't ever have to be.  I have accepted Jesus as my Savior, have you?  When you accept Jesus you are telling God that you believe His Word and that you have faith in Him.  Doesn't mean life will be perfect.  Doesn't mean you won't sin or fail occasionally, but it does mean that you are right with God.

So how do you accept Jesus?  Pretty simple.  Just pray something like this:   Dear Jesus,  I don't totally get this whole thing but I am willing to take a leap of faith.  I can feel that tiny voice deep inside me telling me that I should follow you so I am going to do so.  Please take over my life and guide me.  Amen".  It's that simple and it sure beats having to explain to God that you thought He was a liar!

"Today, If You Will Hear His Voice…"

 

Hebrews 3:7(NKJV)

7Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says:      “Today, if you will hear His voice,

What a great line and what a great promise.  "Today, if you will hear his voice…"  As with all of God's promises, this one is conditional.  And as with all of God's other promises, the conditional part is within your control.  You can have it if you want it and take action. 

When can you enjoy a relationship with God?  "Today, if you will hear His voice…"

When can you expect God to start guiding your life?   "Today, if you will hear His voice…"

When can you expect God to start healing your heart and spirit?   "Today, if you will hear His voice…"

When can you expect God to bestow His favor on you?   "Today, if you will hear His voice…"

When can you expect God to hear your prayers?   "Today, if you will hear His voice…"

And how do we hear His voice? 

By accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior.  By simply asking Jesus to come into our lives and guide us.  Have you done that yet?  Why not do it now?  Just something simple like, "Dear Jesus, I don't understand the whole deal yet but I can feel in my heart that it is right to ask you to take over my life and help guide me.  Today, I want to start hearing God's voice.  Thank you so much.  Amen!"

Sometimes we have to fight for it!

Deuteronomy 2:26-34(NKJV)

26“And I sent messengers from the Wilderness of Kedemoth to Sihon king of Heshbon, with words of peace, saying, 

27‘Let me pass through your land; I will keep strictly to the road, and I will turn neither to the right nor to the left. 

28You shall sell me food for money, that I may eat, and give me water for money, that I may drink; only let me pass through on foot, 

29just as the descendants of Esau who dwell in Seir and the Moabites who dwell in Ar did for me, until I cross the Jordan to the land which the Lord our God is giving us.’

30“But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass through, for the Lord your God hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate, that He might deliver him into your hand, as it is this day.

31“And the Lord said to me, ‘See, I have begun to give Sihon and his land over to you. Begin to possess it, that you may inherit his land.’ 

32Then Sihon and all his people came out against us to fight at Jahaz. 

33And the Lord our God delivered him over to us; so we defeated him, his sons, and all his people. 

34We took all his cities at that time, and we utterly destroyed the men, women, and little ones of every city; we left none remaining. 

There is an interesting lesson in todays passage.  Here we have the Israelites wandering around in the dessert for 40 years waiting to take possession of the land that God had promised.  Now that waiting time is over and God tells them to go possess the land He has promised them. 

Here's the lesson.  Even though God had promised it to them and He had told them that now is the time to take it, in the end they still had to fight for it!

Has God given you a vision for your life?  Has He made promises to you?  Has He told you to go for it but nothing seems to be happening yet?  Do there seems to be things or circumstances blocking your way and stopping you?

Well then learn the lessons of this passage and fight for the vision that God has given you.  Just because God promised you something doesn't mean He promised it on a silver platter.   A lot of time there are important lessons to be learned from the struggle. 

So if God has given you a vision for your life and you believe in it, then be ready to go out and fight for the life God has promised you!

Whom I Serve With a Pure Conscience

2 Timothy 1:3(NKJV)

3I thank God, whom I serve with a pure conscience, as my forefathers did, as without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day, 

Isn't that really the epitome of what we should do? Serve God with a pure conscience.  Communicate with God.  Get to know His purpose for your life.  Don't let others try to tell you what it is.  Get the scoop directly from God.

And if at the end of the day you can say "I am serving God with a pure conscience" you'll know you are on the right track!