Righteousness
Friday, September 4, 2020
Good morning, Lord
V.O.D.: And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men. -Colossians 3:23
M.O.M.: Psalm 27:13 I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.
Today's reading: Psalm 146-147 1 Corinthians 15:1-28
Righteousness
Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
The kingdom of God and His righteousness-not just the kingdom-we are to seek first and foremost and above all else the kingdom and His righteousness.
OK. We have read this before and we know what it says. But have we paid attention to the righteousness part? What does righteousness actually mean?
The dictionary says 'the quality of being morally right or justifiable'. This is what some people in the world have tried to do for all time. But moral righteousness is not the same as divine righteousness and that it why the Bible says to seek God's righteousness.
God is the definition of righteous: Psalm 145:17
"The Lord is righteous in all His ways
And kind in all His deeds
Everything God does and says and thinks is righteous. It is how and what God is.
Sin is unrighteousness and hides Gods face from us.
Isaiah 59:2 ESV
But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
Out in public where there are meetings of all kinds of people, there is one sin that seems to always be so prevalent-fowl language. This is not a hidden sin nor do any try to hide it anymore. It has become so accepted. Christian people throw around little four letter words as if God does not notice.
Proverbs 8:13 ESV
The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.
Here are a few questions: How righteous is your speech? Does your speech show you are different or does it show you are just another from the world?(Again, if it is not of faith, it is sin, John 14:23)
This is not a legalistic 'nit-pick' off a list of do's and don'ts. This is an example of how sin creeps into our lives from the deceptive world of the enemy. If our mouths are just a 'little' dirty does that make it all dirty?
Galatians 5:9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump.
Foul language is a symptom of the real problem. We have fallen so short of the righteousness of God that we simply do not notice. We live in a world where if we took away the four letter words and derivatives that some would not be capable of simple conversation and so we become numb to the unrighteousness around us and find ourselves joining right in.
"Do you use that mouth to talk to your mother?" Do you use that mouth to talk to your children?"
"Do you use that mouth to talk to God?" Well, do you? Then why do you use that mouth to speak to anyone?
1 Peter 1:15-16 ESV
But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
If we love our neighbor as we loves ourselves-if we love God with all we are-
"Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers."Ephesians 4:29
Get a grip on your tongue. Better yet, get a grip on the attitude that controls that tongue. Let God have the grip that controls your tongue. Spiritual, self-control from Galatians 5:23 comes from total surrender to the Holy Spirit where the Holy Spirit controls your self. If this is real in our life, the tongue is not a problem because we are loving with all we are.
Romans 12:9 ESV
Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.
Seek first His righteousness and kingdom-there is always loving to do...without any words at all.
...because He loves us...
Father in Heaven,
Forgive me my desire to always control myself. Help me to always live with surrender on my heart.
Merciful God of all righteousness,
In the name of Jesus,
Amen