Righteous are Strong in Faith

The righteous live by faith as I have studied in God’s Word (Romans 1:17 and Galatians 3:11) and written my thoughts here. So, there is not the question of faith and righteousness. What I see this morning is that when our faith is strong, righteousness stays.

“’³⁸but my righteous one shall live by faith,

and if he shrinks back,

my soul has no pleasure in him.’

³⁹But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.” – Hebrews 10:38-39 (ESV)

The writer of Hebrews sites from Romans and Galatians, those passages that I have studied and noted above, that the righteous live by faith. We have to know that it is our faith, and not our works that lead to our righteousness. Yes, we are to do the work of the LORD and that work is the demonstration of righteousness. It is not the works, but the faith in the LORD and that we are doing the work for Him and not ourselves that lead to righteousness.

There is the chance of “shrinking back” away from faith. When that does happen, the LORD will not be pleased with our action of falling away. We are human and I know, from experience, that the evil one will pull on us to draw us away from the LORD and our faith in Him. It is easy to be distracted by the world and all that it contains. It is easy to fall away from the LORD as the road to Him is hard and is filled with challenges and what we perceive as delays.

The thing is, we have to read verse 39 above to find encouragement and know that we are on the right path. The writer points out that “we are not of those who shrink back”. We are strong and will remain in the faith and therefore will be preserved in righteousness.

From here I take away that it is in the faith I have to remain. I have to stay in the Word of God for the encouragement to keep on keeping on. God’s Word is filled with that encouragement. In Romans, Galatians, Isaiah, Psalms and frankly all books of His Word. It is in our dedication to His Word that we are able to drown out the noise of the world and build our strength in the Faith that leads to righteousness.

Where are you finding strength for righteousness? Are you looking to the world? What if you were to find your strength in the Word of God to remain in the faith that will lead to righteousness?

Thanks to Jesus the Law is Righteous

I should finish with “in us”. God’s Law is righteous as it comes from Him. It is our now new understanding of what His Law provides that we now sin. It is Jesus, who was sent to die for our sin that brings God’s Law back to righteousness in us.

“³For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, ⁴in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” – Romans 8:3-4 (ESV)

I need help each day with my sin. I am predisposed to sinning and “NEED” help with it. I know God’s Law as I read and study each day to ensure of it. But, as noted, knowing the law only drives me to sin. I ask God each day to help me with my sin. I as for His guiding hand through my day to keep me busy with His work so that I can avoid the sin that is surely to come.

I do not have it in my own self to avoid sin. Sin I of the flesh and I am of the flesh. Thanks be to Jesus for taking my sin. Thanks be to Him for giving me the chance to avoid sin. Thanks to Jesus, I have the Word of God to keep me looking to Him that I might be able to avoid the sin. Thanks be to the LORD for providing the Holy Spirit to walk with me.

The Law of God is righteous yet, as I am of the flesh there was a need for the Law to be shown as righteous to me. Jesus was sent to do just that. He took my sin and offered me grace. The Law was demonstrated to be righteous through His actions. As such, I was brought to the righteousness of the Law so that I could use it as the guide it is.

Where do you attribute the righteousness in the Law of God? Are you looking to yourself to avoid sin? What if you were to recognize that the Law of God is righteous thanks to Jesus and you can use it to guide you to avoid sin?

Stick to the Word of God

It is very easy to do things because we have always done it. Here in my house, Lori will cut up cucumbers for us to have, either in a salad or as a side all its own. She seems to take time to peel stripes on them prior to cutting them up. This does nothing for them, yet she does it because that is what she witnessed in her house growing up. It was thought to be of necessity when in fact, it was just a tradition.

This morning I was reminded that we are tasked with sticking to God’s Word and not tradition. Jesus said the following to the Pharisees and scribes as they questioned the actions of the disciples.

“⁵But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or his mother, “What you would have gained from me is given to God,”a ⁶he need not honor his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God. ⁷You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said:

^‘8This people honors me with their lips,

but their heart is far from me;

⁹in vain do they worship me,

teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”

— Matthew 15:5-9 (ESV)

The Pharisees and scribes had good intentions it seems, as they were following he law, but that is the thing, it was the law as written, not the Law of God. God’s Law stated the following:

“⁴For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’” – Matthew 15:4 (ESV)

God gave His Word to say to “Honor your father and your mother”. Not to speak of your father and mother as you command people to do as you say. It is the Word of God that should be followed and not the law.

I know, there is the thing that if not following the law, one might be held to account and be considered as breaking the law. The consequences of that can be severe, and I for one, would not want to be punished for breaking the law. But, the consequences of not following the Word are much more severe. Remember that this world is temporary and our final home is in heaven and to get there we are held to honoring the Word of God, not the law of man. The punishment for not following the Word of God is documented well in God’s Word, death.

Again, it is easy to fall into tradition and follow the law of man. Yet, that is the way to miss the greatness that comes from the LORD. When we look to tradition, we miss the point of it all as we are simply looking to an end. By sticking to the Word of God, we are opened to the possibilities that He has for each of us.

What traditions are you holding on to? Are you missing the greatness of the LORD for stability in this world? What if you held to the Word of God and allowed Him to guide you?

Our Everlasting Father

This morning I am reading in Isaiah about the coming of Jesus. I am here for verse six and as always, God presents to me that which He wants for me.

“⁶For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given;

and the government shall be upon his shoulder,

and his name shall be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

— Isaiah 9:6 (ESV)

Jesus, born and named. The name I am looking at is “Everlasting Father”. He is to be, born as, and will ever be my Father.

I know that it may be difficult for some to imagine the magnitude of Jesus. I know that every day I am amazed at all that He does, did, and will do for me. And as such, I am brought back, reminded of it all thanks to the Word of God and my study of it. I get so caught up in the world and what is going on in it that I “forget” that whatever happens, it was and has been scripted by God and He is now allowing me to witness and experience it. All that goes on in my life is made possible by God and will continue to be so for eternity.

Jesus is our Father forever. He is the one born into the role from God so that He would be able to experience all that I will experience. He knows the difficulty of this world and the Word of God guides me through it with the help of the Holy Spirit.

I am grateful for my Father and all that He does, did, and will do.

How are you seeing Jesus? Are you seeing Him as a figure for today? What if you see Him for the eternity that He is, everlasting and remember that He does, did, and will do all for you, His child?

Use God’s Word as Your Resource

In the game of life, there are a lot of things that we learn and know from early on, breathing, walking, how to use the restroom, where to keep the milk, and so on. And while these are expected to know, there are a great number of other things that one may should know or at least should know where the information is found. What sparked the War of 1812, the entirety of the US Declaration of Independence, and the physical location of all the Buc-ee’s in the US (IYKYK).

For those last few, I will say that I do not know, yet, I am able to find the information using my resources so as to get it right. When looking at and knowing God’s Word, it is important that we know as much as we can. I have to be able to carry out that which God has planned for me and know that I am moving in the right direction and following the law of God in the process. Where is it that I find all of the answers, IN HIS WORD. Yes, where else would I find the right information and can rely on it as correct, but in His Word directly.

Now, there are many versions of God’s Word out there and I have to ask myself, which one is the right one. Well that is something that I cannot decide for you. I personally utilize the English Standard Version (ESV) as my go to, but I also have on my desk, the New International Version (NIV) and the Christian Standard Bible (CSB). I also have access, online, to whatever version I would like as a resource. But notice the resource I am using to study God’s Word, HIS WORD. I may use different versions to better understand what it says, but I am using His word as the resource and not simply asking someone else.

Now, there is this game called “telephone” where information is passed through a number of people to see how accurate the information is to the original by the time it reaches the end. The overall consensus is that when it reaches the end, there is a lot that is different, added, or missing from the original version. As this is a game, it is fun and interesting to laugh at how the information changed as it reached it final destination. In this game it may be fun, yet in life, how fun is it to be working without the proper verified information. It is important that we work to get it right and the only way to ensure that the information reaches its final destination in tact and correct as it was in the beginning is to utilize the resource for the information.

When using the resources, the information is correct as written and then as received, it is correct as well. Now the interpretation of the information is not for me to talk through today, as there is something to say about the correct interpretation, yet the information is sent and received accurately as it is part of the original resource.

God’s Word is the original resource for me. It is where I start my study. I find the topic of my study, read the verse where it is found, then the passage where it is contained to get the context, and then, review other versions for more insight, and then the commentary found with the verse and passage, and then additional commentary on the verse and passage for more insight. Yes, quite the time of study, and look where I start, with the original information. I have to be sure that I am not adding or removing from God’s Word and understanding all of it as it was intended and not just picking that which I want.

“¹⁸I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, ¹⁹and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.” — Revelation 22:18-19 (ESV)

God’s Word is perfect and there is no need to add to or take away from it. Not only that, there are serious consequences when done. Plagues and removal of shares are quite the discipline and frankly something that I would wish not to happen to me. I will therefore continue to go to the source as my resource when it comes to God’s Word and my role that He has for me. I will utilize the Word of God as my guide to ensure that I am getting it right. I have a duty to the LORD and the only way to fulfill that duty correctly is to use His Word as my resource and instruction manual.

When have you found yourself working with information that may or may not be complete? Are you relying on the original resource or secondary information supplied by one or more? What if you worked on getting it right by using the original resource, and with God, using His Word?

Do Not Add to God’s Law

There is a lot of interpretation in our world. There is the sense that “I know what was meant because I…” I will admit that I have claimed to “know” in certain situations and in doing so have steered someone the wrong way. As a father there is an internal desire to show my boys just how much I know so that they will learn for themselves and in doing so, I may have given them incorrect information early on.

In my reading this morning I am reminded that my role is to inform and that I have to be careful not to add or take away from that which God has given me.

“²You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God that I command you.” — Deuteronomy 4:2 (ESV)

God has given that which is perfect. He has provided the rules and statutes that I am to follow. I am to take them as they are and apply them to my life and role here in this world. I am to hold to them and them alone and that will get me through. When I am applying the Word of God to my life as He gave it, I will continue to be in right standing with Him.

I just mentioned that what God has given is perfect and I have to remember that. His Word is meant for me to follow completely. I have to be careful not to interpret God’s Word to be or mean more that what it is and means. I have to remember not to add to it or take away any part of it to “fit” the situation I want it to.

As I stated in the first sentence of my writing this morning, there is a lot of interpretation in the world today. There is a lot of adding and taking away from what is/was written in the law of man. I have seen too often where there are statements made by those in the world who add their own thought and feelings to the words written and even take away key words and phrases to ensure that the words fit what they are wanting them to say as opposed to the actual context in which they were said. There is a twisting of the rhetoric to fit the narrative of what is wanted instead of fitting ourselves into the words as they are written.

God’s Word is perfect and what He has for us and wants from us is clearly stated and it is not up to me to make them bend to my will. Man’s words are fully pliable as they are inspired by the situation in which they were said or written and not wholly universal as God’s Word is. Where I may be able to adjust the language and interpret what was said by man to mean what I want them to and it is accepted, God’s Word is not malleable to my will. I am not to add to or take from God’s word to fit me. I am to fit myself into His Word.

I look at the Ten Commandments and see the law as God wrote it. And just looking at the commandment “Thou shalt not steal”. God did not mean or say, “unless you are wanting something you cannot afford”, or “except when someone has more than you”. God said and means to not steal anything. There is no interpretation that makes it any different, whereas in man’s law and words, there are lots of “reasons and exceptions” where the rules change based on the situation.

God’s Word is perfect and nothing I can do will make it any better. I have to accept the Word of God for what it says and not bend or manipulate it to fit me or my situation. I am to fit to God’s Word.

What is your view of God’s Word? Are you looking for it to bend to your will? What if you accepted God’s Word as perfect and bent to it as opposed to adding or taking from it as you see fit?