Righteous from the LORD

“⁷For the LORD is righteous;

he loves righteous deeds;

the upright shall behold his face.”

— Psalm 11:7 (ESV)

Yes, you see that right. Being righteous comes directly from the LORD. He is where we learn of being righteous as we follow His example. Jesus was righteous and as my example I have the proper way to be righteous myself.

When I am doing the will of God as He spells out for me to do, I will find myself righteous in those moments. I want to be careful with what I say here in that I do not want to declare myself righteous, as only God can declare someone righteous. What I can and will say is that my deeds will be righteous as I conduct them in the will of the LORD.

Recently I was fortunate to listen to the Dean of Dallas Theological Seminary-Houston, Dr. Pierre Cannings speak on the history of God and how His history shows us the future of God through His consistency throughout history which will be consistent through the now and throughout the future. Where the entire message was fantastic, one thing that stood out to me was that I do nothing and that God is the author and director of all that happens in my life. This hits me this morning as I study in that I get all from the LORD and including the example of righteous behaviors.

I certainly do not consider myself righteous. I struggle daily with sin and staying focused on Him. There are a lot of distractions in this world, including those that lead me to believe I had something to do with it. It is not me, it is God working in and through me. Yes, I pick up the hammer to hit the nail, but it is God who gave me the nail and hammer and the physical ability to use them.

Being positive, empowered, or good are attributes that are certainly important to have. But, being righteous trumps all of those. Being righteous is will lead to those attributes, they will not lead to being righteous. I have to continue studying God’s Word to find righteousness. I know where it lies and comes from and that is with the LORD. My job is to do the will of God and allow Him to see me always doing so. This will please Him and maybe, just maybe He will consider me righteous.

Where do you find yourself looking for righteousness? Are you looking/finding it in your own actions and through being positive, empowered, or good? What if you looked to the LORD as the source of righteousness and strive to be like His example and allow Him to declare your righteousness?

God Knows

This morning as I was studying I was lead to more evidence that God knows all, before we or anyone else is informed. I am reading in Genesis a passage that I have read over at least a couple of times before (Genesis 2). And where I have been focused on the learning that God has for me, I somehow missed the foretelling of God’s plans.

“²⁴Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” – Genesis 2:24 (ESV)

And there you have it. God called the future just after the creation of Eve. He made woman and she was good for man as was the intent. They had no children at this time. God told them that there would be and that those children would be to leave their parents to be together as one. Just as Adam and Eve where to be one together in the working of the Garden of Eden.

God knows even when we do not. As creation had just happened, I have to believe that the prospects of children between Adam and Eve were minimal as they had no understanding of things at the time, yet God was sure that they would have children. He knows all and will let us know of His plans in the time that it is needed. Adam and Eve were placed in this world to be the caretakers of it. They relied of God to give them direction of how and with what resources. They were called to obey and part of that obedience was procreation. But, what to come of the children. They would be called to leave and care for one another.

God knows what is to happen well before it does. God knew that Adam and Eve would fall. He knew that they would need to be taken out of the Garden of Eden. He knew they would have children. He knew the children’s actions to come. God knows and I have to remember that as I move through my life.

In working through my life, I have to remember to listen to the LORD and allow Him to guide me. In the words of my pastor Jared Patrick, “The question I not, Is God on my side, but rather, are we on His?” He has the plan and knows the outcome, doesn’t it make sense for me to follow the plan He lays out. God is the only one who already knows the outcome of everything. I have to live a life of worship and be on His side and in a continuation of the message Jared gave, “A life of worship is a life of surrender”. I have to surrender to the LORD and allow His great knowledge to be revealed to me as I progress forward with His plan.

God knows and therefor I should be making my way with Him. I have to surrender to Him and worship Him and be on His side all the way.

Who are you relying on for guidance? Are you looking to someone in this world that may have just struck a bit of luck? What if you relied on the only one who knows, God?

Christians Belong to Christ

What a morning for me as I read and study. I have been a Christian for a good number of years and have followed Him and the direction He had for my life. This morning I was reminded of something that I frankly had forgotten and may have just put in the back of my mind as I have traversed this world, I “belong” to Christ. Yes, I belong to Him, I do not just follow Him.

“²⁵So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, ²⁶and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.” — Acts 11:25-26 (ESV)

I want to take a moment to talk about this Saul noted above. Saul was the Jew persecuting individual who was converted to Christianity and went on to lead a life of discipleship for the LORD. At this point, he was not known to all as Paul (which we more commonly know him as). He was “new” to the field of apostles and yet, at this point in his life as he was teaching in Antioch, was referred to as a Christian along with others.

Now, the word “Christian” is used three times in the New Testament, and this is the first of them. Notice who it is referring to, those who were the followers of Christ and not just everyone who heard of Him or just seemed to go to church. Those who followed Christ were those who “belonged” to Him and were not just around some of the time. I have to take a deeper look at myself and determine if I am a follower who belongs to Him or someone who just says they are.

When Paul was converted to Christ, He went to study Him and the Word of God. He did not just jump in claiming to know all. He devoted himself to God to “know” Him and be able to spread the gospel as Jesus had. Paul (as Saul noted here) was only focused on the one thing and that was spreading the gospel of Christ and that demonstrated his belonging to Christ.

I look to my inward and outward self to see where I fall in the following of Christ. Am I just a person who is calling on Him in my time of need, or do I belong to Him to spread the gospel as Jesus had. Am I able to confidently say that I belong to Christ or am I here for others to literally “see”. Am I concerned with how God sees me or the way the world sees me.

As a Christian, it is my goal to follow Christ wherever He would have me go and do whatever He would have me do. I do for Him and not for me. I study to know Him and bring Him to others and not for my own enjoyment. I belong to Him and will do as I am instructed to carry out His work.

How do you see yourself in your relationship with Christ? Are you one who shows up to the events of Christ or one who belongs to Him? What if you were to fully belong to Christ and follow Him wherever He would have you go and do whatever He would have you do?