Righteous and Still a Sinner

I know that it may be a bit odd to hold the belief in the title that one may be righteous in the eyes of God, yet still be a sinner. How is it that can work? If one is righteous, then they are in tune with God and He has declared them as being one of the chosen and if that is true, then how would they still be a sinner. The question is asked by Solomon in the book of Ecclesiastes as noted below.

“²⁰Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.” – Ecclesiastes 7:20 (ESV)

And He answers the question, as we review the rest of the passage, yet we find a better and more easily understood passage in 1 Kings.

“⁴⁶If they sin against you—for there is no one who does not sin—and you are angry with them and give them to an enemy, so that they are carried away captive to the land of the enemy, far off or near,” — 1 Kings 8:46 (ESV)

Solomon understood that being righteous is something that was declared by God and not man. We are sinners, it is that simple. God may declare one righteous, but we are still sinners in recovery. We will fall back from time to time yet we are loved by God and He accepts us in spite of that sin when we are His.

I do not consider myself righteous. I have taken some righteous action and will continue to do so. I am still a sinner though and will be until I am united with Jesus in heaven. If the LORD considers me righteous, that is for Him to do. I am to simply continue my actions in His name here in this world, knowing that they are actions and done for Him. They do not make me righteous, they only demonstrate my work for Him.

In this world, I will always be a sinner, yet I have the opportunity to work for the LORD each day. If the LORD sees my work and declares me righteous, then great. I am only here to do His work and please the LORD. And for that He will judge me and make any and all final declarations of me.

What are your thoughts on righteousness and sinners? Are you of the opinion that you cannot be one if you are the other? What if you understood that you will always be a sinner and it is left to the LORD to declare your righteousness?

Be Yourself Righteous to Bring Joy

First, let me be clear and remind that we cannot declare ourselves righteous. Now, let me add that to bring joy, I have to be righteous, or more accurately, take righteous action. It is what is seen that the people of this world will react to. I have heard and said the phrase, “do as I say, not as I do” but as we all know, it is the actions that are mimicked more often than the words said. Therefore, when we want someone to act a certain way, we have to demonstrate those actions to them so that they will see the example and realize that is the proper action.

“²When the righteous increase, the people rejoice,

but when the wicked rule, the people groan.”

— Proverbs 29:2 (ESV)

I remember seeing a video once referring to being the lone nut (can be found on YouTube). It is a leadership lesson and I guess that is what I am speaking about this morning. In the video, there is a view of what appears to be a hillside festival and you see one person just dancing without care to what or who is around them. Over time more and more people join in the dancing, not because they are told to, but because they were given the example. This is a lesson for us to follow as we progress in our life with the LORD. I am to be the lone nut that brings joy and as I demonstrate that joy, others will join in and then all the people will rejoice.

There is loneliness in the standing for something that is right. And a lot of the time, one will experience the feeling of giving up as the result of the action is not happening in the timeline imagined by the one. The thing is, I have to remember that God does not work on my timeline and He only asks me to do the work for Him and that I would be rewarded. I demonstrate righteous actions not to be followed or recognized by the world, it is to be recognized by God. He will reward me. Sometimes that reward is more work, and sometimes, He rewards with seeing the demonstration of joy in those around me. I am not to be discouraged and should just continue doing the work for the LORD and allow Him to increase the joy in me for the work I have done.

When have you been the lone nut? Were you doing so for your own reward? What if you were to do so for the glory of the LORD and to see the joy in those around you at the pleasure of Him?

The LORD Listens to Hear His Righteous

This morning as I continue my study of the word “righteous” I found myself thinking as a parent and again remembering that the LORD is my Father and parent. I am speaking of how a parent seeks out the voice of their children. I remember many times being out in the world with the boys and where they were not next to me, I always new where they were. I may have been far from them physically, but I was always close enough to hear their voice. I don’t know if I had super hearing or not, but I was always able to distinguish their voice in their time of need. The LORD is the same with each of His righteous.

“²⁹The LORDis far from the wicked,

but he hears the prayer of the righteous.”

— Proverbs 15:29 (ESV)

“¹⁸The LORD is near to all who call on him,

to all who call on him in truth.

¹⁹He fulfills the desire of those who fear him;

he also hears their cry and saves them.”

— Psalm 145:18-19 (ESV)

The LORD is always near enough to His righteous that when they cry out or simply call on Him, He hears and will direct His attention to them. Regardless of the need or the reason for the cry, the LORD will be there for His righteous at a moments notice. He will celebrate, comfort, and/or cry with them, whatever the situation calls. The LORD listens to hear His righteous.

Again, I come to the question as to whether or not I am or we know that we are righteous as how do we know that the LORD is listening for us. Well, we know that He listens for us thanks to our acceptance of His gift of salvation. He offered, we accepted, and we are immediately adopted into the family of God as His child. Now, whether or not we are righteous, we do not know as that should not be the focus of our lives to somehow gain righteousness. My focus should be following the will of God and spreading the Good News to give others the same opportunity for salvation that I was afforded. I have to do the work and know that the LORD will grant me based on my heart.

I am tasked with doing the work of the LORD. I cannot concern myself with reaching some sort of pinnacle of acceptance that I do not control. The LORD will hear me when my heart is with Him and He dwells there in me. He hears me when I cry out. He listens for me to come to me in my time of need. The LORD is mine and I am His.

What is your thought on crying out to the LORD? Are you doing so with the hope that He might be listening? What if you took the approach that you are His child and know that He is listening for your voice and is available when you need Him?

“The House of the Righteous Will Stand”

Ever wonder how some are spared destruction while others are completely torn down.

“⁷The wicked are overthrown and are no more,

but the house of the righteous will stand.”

— Proverbs 12:7 (ESV)

It is due to righteousness as identified by the LORD. Again, I want to be clear in that we and no one in this world can declare righteousness. We can only perform actions from our heart and in the name of the LORD and as He sees, only He can declare us righteous. We don’t know it, we are not made aware at any time. We are only here to do the work of the LORD because it is the right thing to do.

It is those who are in the favor of the LORD for doing His work that are granted the reprieve from the destruction. The righteous are not seeking the lack of destruction, they are only seeking the completion of the work assigned by God and then moving on to the next assignment. There is no review of the work and comparing it to anyone else. There is no shouting aloud the work done. There is only the doing of the work and moving to the next.

No, it is not fair that there are those who are spared, at least that is the rumblings from those who are on the other side of righteousness. It is not supposed to be fair. There is doing the work of God and there is not doing the work of God. Those who do not, are those who are not in the favor of Him. And when not in the favor of the LORD, destruction is bound to follow.

I know that I may be painting some doom and gloom when coupled with other study and writings related to the word “righteous”. The idea that not everyone is righteous and especially when we break down the numbers to see the very small number who are declared righteous. The truth hurts. It is not pleasant to know these things. It is important to note that righteous is not for everyone and those who are not will suffer destruction.

How to be righteous, well that is pretty simple. Devote yourself to the LORD and His work. Move on to the next once the work is done and do not expect anything in return. Only know that you have done the work of the Father and spread the Good News of His Salvation and that the world around you is better for it. The LORD will witness your work and know your heart and deliver you from destruction.

What are you expecting from the work you do? Are you looking around and wondering why your world is crumbling while others seem to stand tall? What if you only worried with the work you are doing for the LORD and allow Him to bless you as you move on to the next bit of work for Him?

Life Through Righteous

Living a complete and fulfilling life seems just out of reach. It is thought that only the rich are the ones that get to experience it all. And I guess if you are living a life based on a monetary rewards system, then yes, it is true, money leads to fulfillment. But…

“³⁰The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,

and whoever captures souls is wise.”

— Proverbs 11:30 (ESV)

Lori and I sat over the weekend and were able to simply enjoy ourselves as we looked at where we are. We were talking about our boys and where they are. We simply took the time and the chance to marvel at the fact that things are pretty great. We have raised our boys to be contributing members of society. We have our health as we are not restricted by medical conditions. We are content with what we have monetarily. We have wants for sure, yet all of our needs are met. All in all we have a great life. And it would not be possible without the LORD.

I look at the above verse and think of how all of what we have is thanks to the benefit of being a follower of Christ. We are members of a Christ following community and want to contribute to that community as a result. We do for others without expectation that we get anything in return and yet, inevitably, we are blessed for it. We give and in return receive greatly. And that is only due to the giving from the heart in the name of the LORD. We are get to live life to the fullest thanks to generosity of the LORD as He thanks us for the work we have, continue, and will do. We experience the tree of life providing continual fruit thanks to the work we are doing for the LORD.

“¹Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb ²through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.” – Revelation 22:1-2 (ESV)

What are you gaining through your works? Are you living and struggling on the idea that somehow you are not gaining monetarily through them? What if you were to look at the gains you have received through your righteous action for the LORD and know that they will be continual thanks to His love?

Righteous Delivered as That is What They Promote

I often look at people who always seem to avoid difficulty. I am not saying that they do not have difficulty, it just seems that they avoid it. And then there are those who seem to have difficulty at every turn. Again, not saying it is true, it just seems that way.

“⁸The righteous is delivered from trouble,

and the wicked walks into it instead.”

— Proverbs 11:8 (ESV)

And there it is. Proverbs lets us in on the secret. That which is promoted is experienced.

I again come back to my role as a corporate training professional. One of the items that is taught is “that which is permitted is that which is promoted”. In other words, if we are allowing something to happen, then we are giving fuel for them to be done. The way to stop the cycle of negatively items from occurring is to address the negative thing as negative and noting its nonacceptance. There has to be a promotion of good to get good. In other words, “if you see something you like, recognize it and you will see more of it”.

Here is where I am going with the above. I have to perform righteous actions if I want to see, experience righteous actions. I have to point out that which is good to ensure that more good comes. To be delivered from evil, I have to shine light on everything and as such the evil is significantly less likely to be there.

The opposite is true with the wicked. The prevailing actions of the wicked is more wickedness and as such they are receiving more and more of that which they are are promoting and/or permitting. There is a demonstration of evil that is found in the dark and more evil is manifest as a result of being the accepted behavior.

To minimize the wickedness, we have to promote righteousness. If we want to see good and be delivered from evil, we have to promote good so evil is not “allowed” to be there. When we are acting righteously, we are shining a light and evil does not like the light. Therefore, evil will stay away and what is found is more good and righteousness in the form of the LORD.

What are you promoting? Are you living in the dark and promoting evil? What if you were to promote good through righteous action and shine light everywhere to keep the evil at bay instead?

Get What You Pay For

Ever wonder why people get what they do. It never fails, that which you pay for is what you receive.

“²⁴What the wicked dreads will come upon him,

but the desire of the righteous will be granted.”

— Proverbs 10:24 (ESV)

This morning I am continuing my study on the word “righteous” and remain in the book of Proverbs. In this chapter there are a number of references to the word righteous although I was led to verse 24 this morning. It struck me that what is in your heart is that which your are going to receive. Think about this for a moment. What is in the heart of the wicked, wickedness. What is in the heart of the righteous, the LORD.

The wicked are just that, wicked throughout. They are filled with evil even deep into their heart. So much so that they don’t even know that they are wicked. They go about things believing the opposite of the golden rule, “do unto others as you would have them do unto you”. And when it happens to them, they are somehow taken aback and cannot believe that someone would treat them as such. Their thoughts go to the golden rule and how the other person is not living by it, completely ignoring the fact that they were on the other side of things just a moment ago.

Now, think of the righteous. They are filled with the LORD deep into their heart. So much so that they put others before themselves. They go about things believing that it is better to give than receive. And when they do receive, they are blessed beyond belief at the goodness in others. Their thoughts go to how someone in such a position of need would be so generous to others.

This is the essence of getting what you paid for. The wicked pay daily for wickedness and the righteous pay for righteousness. The wicked go about things bringing to others the wickedness that they themselves want no part in. They dread being treated poorly to the point that they are active in punishing others to be the dominate one and others will avoid treating them poorly. As for the righteous, they go about things to bring joy to others. They are interested in spreading the glory of God and only desire that others receive the joy and spread it further.

What are you paying for? Are you dreading being treated poorly and yet somehow it is happening daily? What if you were to pay with the joy of the LORD and only desire that those you pay pass it on?

The House of the Righteous is Blessed

This explains to me the reason for the LORD’s sparing of the lives of the family of Noah, and the David’s prosperity throughout his household. The LORD blesses the dwelling of the righteous.

“³³The LORD’s curse is on the house of the wicked,

but he blesses the dwelling of the righteous.”

— Proverbs 3:33 (ESV)

Wherever there is the righteous, his house is blessed. The immediate household is the provision of the LORD. Where there is this thought that provision is the needs being met, I have to remember that needs are not just the physical. There are the emotional, social, spiritual, and others as well. The LORD ensures that all NEEDS are met.

As an adult educator, I understand that these other needs are important, to the point that I mention to all classes that for the participants in class to get anything out of the class, they have to be present in what I call the “allies”. These are, to name a few, physic”ally”, ment”ally”, emotion”ally”, etc. When one is distracted in any one of these areas, they are not able to focus and grow.

This is where and why I see the LORD blessing the full dwelling of the righteous. The LORD creates contentment in all the “allies” to ensure that the righteous are not distracted and are able to focus on the task of growing the kingdom of God here in this world. It is important for me to know that my wife and boys are doing well. When they are not, I am distracted with what I may have done or not done to cause them to be where they are, and yes, I know they are their own person and make their own choices and have to live with the consequences of those choices. I care for them none-the-less and will see things as though I was partially responsible and get distracted on what I should be doing in the name of the LORD.

The LORD provides and blesses to allow for His will to be done fully. In providing and blessing the house of the righteous, He is investing in the success of His plan and allows the righteous to focus on the task and be less concerned with all that goes on around them.

What are you seeing as you look at the house of the righteous? Are you questioning why they seem to have it all? What if you looked at it from the LORD’s calming the “allies” to allow for them to complete His work without distraction?

Seek Wisdom, Keep on the Path of the Righteous

I have been studying and writing on the word “righteous” and that to take on righteous actions we have to dwell in the LORD and work to do His will. This morning as I studied, I was brought to another realization. I have to also be seeking wisdom.

“¹My son, if you receive my words

and treasure up my commandments with you,

²making your ear attentive to wisdom

and inclining your heart to understanding;

³yes, if you call out for insight

and raise your voice for understanding,

⁴if you seek it like silver

and search for it as for hidden treasures,

⁵then you will understand the fear of the LORD

and find the knowledge of God.”

“²⁰So you will walk in the way of the good

and keep to the paths of the righteous.”

— Proverbs 2:1-5 & 20 (ESV)

I love learning. I love the idea and the practical results of it. As learning takes place, so does the positive results. Although the results may not come right away, they are still evident at some point when looking back at the learning that took place. This morning is no different. The paths of the righteous are where the wise are found.

I have to be clear that being wise does not mean intelligence, as there are a lot of people with extreme amounts of intelligence that do not actively use that intelligence. The wise are those who take in information and apply that learning as they move forward. It is the understanding of the implications of the learning and using that understanding to process things in the now and maintaining those into the future.

It is good to gain information and learn. It is however better to be wise and be able to apply the information. I have to remember to seek wisdom and not just information. The wisdom I gain will lead me to the paths of the righteous where I will encounter others who are working for the LORD as well. Yes, I will find others doing the will of the LORD on the paths of the righteous. As the seeking of wisdom is what comes from our seeking of the LORD and finding Him in our heart and working to His will which leads to the righteous actions found as we traverse the path.

That is a lot of talking in circles to get to the following point. It is important to seek wisdom. We find wisdom in the LORD. Wisdom leads to righteous action. Righteous action keeps us grounded on the path the LORD has for us.

What are you seeking? Are you looking for information to solve something? What if you sought wisdom in the LORD to know something and allowed that wisdom to lead you on the paths of the righteous?

Each Their Own Deliverance

Each of us have our own needs, and with those needs comes that which will deliver us. There is no cookie cutter response with the LORD as to our deliverance. Our conversations with the LORD should reflect this and we should be asking simply for Hid deliverance as opposed to some specific response.

“¹Deliver me, O LORD, from evil men;

preserve me from violent men,”

“¹²I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted,

and will execute justice for the needy.”

— Psalm 140:1 & 12 (ESV)

It is easy for me to pray that the LORD provide that which my neighbor received. The thing is, my needs are not the same as my neighbor, and the reality is that my neighbor was likely praying for deliverance and the result is God’s response in their time of need. Had I been in the same situation with the same need, the LORD would likely have provided in an entirely different way.

It is about the relationship I have with the LORD as to the deliverance that is provided to me. I may not have a physical need to be met, it may only be an emotional one. I have to ask for deliverance and be on the look out for it to come in any possible way.

“¹³Surely the righteous shall give thanks to your name;

the upright shall dwell in your presence.”

— Psalm 140:13 (ESV)

And there is the process. I am to “give thanks” in the name of the LORD and know that when I “dwell” in Him, He will provide exactly what is needed for me to be delivered. Deliverance will be different things for different people. It is in our relationship with the LORD that we will be able to recognize our need and ask for deliverance as the will of the LORD.

Lori has a step brother who was headed down a challenging path in life through high school. He needed delivery. So, he joined the Navy to get out of the situation he was in. He took action and was delivered. A few years later he returned home for a few days and found and recognized himself leaning toward the challenges he had been delivered from and he promptly left to escape once again.

The LORD will provide for our needs and we have to remember that no matter how similar they may be to another, the deliverance will be unique to us, based on God’s plan for our lives. And, we have to understand that deliverance will likely not be passive on our end, we will have to take action. Thinking of Lori’s stepbrother, he was delivered thanks to his action to leave. The leaving may have been difficult, yet that was the deliverance provided by God.

What is your thoughts on deliverance? Are you looking for things to change, yet be the same, either in life or like your neighbor? What if you were to dwell in the LORD and open your heart to the action He would have for you to be delivered?