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!