Righteous by Faith

How many of us are out there waiting to be told what direction to go and what to do? I know that is a common thing in the world. It seems as though there is minimal knowing what to do and lots of doing what told to do.

“¹¹Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for ‘The righteous shall live by faith.’ ¹²But the law is not of faith, rather ‘The one who does them shall live by them.’” – Galatians 3:11-12 (ESV)

Paul is writing to the church at Galatia and explaining to them that we should not rely on the law to keep us going in the right direction. You can see in verse 12 above that when relying on the law, one is slave to the law. One is unable to move forward unless there is a law or decree or word that tells them. It requires obedience to the law to follow the law. One cannot be focused on the law and being guided by it and still follow the LORD and being guided by Him.

Yes, I know that the basis of the law is in the idea of doing right. But, right as to who says. Where the law allows for something, say squatting in a property and taking ownership, that does not make it right under the LORD. The law is not inherently bad or good, it is set up to benefit those who have generated it.

One should be faithful to the LORD and not the law. When we are, we will be on the side of right, without relying on the law. Squatting in a property is not inherently good or bad. Where one may be able to borrow a property for a short time, once the owner returns, that property is theirs because it is right. The squatter was simply borrowing while unused. It is in the LORD that caring for others in their time of need is allowed, and allowing for someone to borrow property is in the LORD.

It is not under the law that we are following the law. It is through faith in the LORD. We are doing good, not as the law instructs through dos and don’ts, it is as we follow the LORD and have faith in His divine work and care for us and those in need. We are an extension of Him in this world as we do the work He has for us. All that we know and do as relates to the work of the LORD is found in His Word and as such, we know all we need to know about the law.

I personally find it exhausting reviewing each and every word of the law or the rules in order to function. Trying to keep up with them does nothing but create more and more confusion and anxiety as I try to keep every rule in all situations. I choose to relieve myself of the confusion, anxiety, and exhaustion by doing what is right by way of the LORD. When I do, I am able to simply move through this world knowing that I have pleased the LORD and as a follow of Him, I have done that which is important and allow myself the chance to be counted as righteous.

What is your approach to being righteous? Are you seeking to follow all the laws and that will get it done? What if you were to follow the LORD and were okay with just doing as He commands, allowing Him the opportunity to declare you as righteous?

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?

The Law is Righteous

I have to be speaking of the Law of God, right? I am of course, although as I was reading and working to understand my reading this morning, I was no so sure at the start. I was seeing things through the lens of man and not of God.

You see, sin cannot take hold of one if sin is not understood to be sin. Think about small children and the grocery store. The children will reach out and grab things from the shelf and unknowingly the adult leaves the store and the child will therefore have “stolen” the item. The child is not a sinner, as there was not an understanding that the sin had occurred. And in the animal kingdom, killing is a part of the circle of life and is not considered sin. In each of the above circumstances, for me if I were to commit either of those, I would have sinned. And so, the law of God was introduced through Moses to call out the sin and define it for you and me.

“¹²So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.” – Romans 7:12 (ESV)

The law of God is holy, and righteous, and good. The LORD would not have introduced them if they were not. The Ten Commandments that are referenced here by Paul were given to the people to deter them from sin. They are for our benefit to keep us on the path to righteousness. They are good and fair and healthy to uphold.

Paul specifically refers to the commandment related to covetousness. We are not to covet that which is not ours. If the commandment had not been introduced, then we would not know that covetousness is even something to be concerned with. I can see something and believe in its goodness and want to have something like it, but now, I know that I should not want that thing exactly. And there is the conflict with my heart and in my body. The commandment is there to let me know it is not right, yet all I can think of is how I want it.

The law is in place to guide and are put in place with all good intention by the one who placed it there. Regardless of where the law comes from, it was enacted with the right intention at the time and for the one who enacted. The thing is that laws of man are of the flesh and the Law of God is of the heart. God’s Law is for all and man’s law is for the one. Therefore, God’s Law is righteous. Man’s law may come from righteous thought and/or action, yet they are generally directed at a select situation and not for all.

I have to do things according to God’s Law to ensure that I am taking actions that are righteous. I know that there are others in this world with more than I have and to remember the commandment of covetousness and know that it is okay to want to have things like that, yet I have to avoid wanting what they have.

What is your view of the law? Are they there for you to do with what you please? What if you viewed the Law of God as righteous and for everyone as a guide through this world?

Righteous Multiplied Through Christ

There were righteous men before Jesus came and died for our sins. Noah, Moses, and David were of those men to name a few. Yet even as there were righteous, there were many more sinners during that same time. It was not until the coming of Jesus and His death for our sin that that the righteous were multiplied.

“¹⁹For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.” – Romans 5:19 (ESV)

Adam’s disobedience flung us all into sin. We stayed there even as God was there. Those who fell into the ways of sin were dealt with accordingly. And those who followed God, were given life eternal. So it was with Noah and Moses and David. As they accepted and followed God, they were spared in their righteousness.

Once Jesus came on the scene, things changed. At His presence, many more were given the opportunity to follow Him. Many more came to know Him. Many more were declared righteous. Through His time in this world, Jesus brought many to know Him and would thereby be declared righteous, but in life, His reach was limited to some degree. Yes, when you met or heard Jesus speak, you were moved. And yes, you accepted Him as the Messiah. Yet, He would only be here for a short period preaching and teaching and reaching the people.

Now came the death of Jesus on the cross as He accepted the sins I had and will commit. He accepted the sins of all, yes all in death. Those there in the time and those who would come. All of the sin was accounted for in His death. As such, many more would know Him and be moved, accept Him as the Messiah and yes, be declared righteous.

Adam sinned and the rest of us followed, save for a few. Jesus came and those few were multiplied through His life, death, and resurrection. I now can be counted righteous by God as He sees the obedience in my heart and the action in my hands.

Righteousness is not something that I can achieve on my own. I am a sinner thanks to Adam’s disobedience. God, through His love, provided a way out of sin for me. He sent His son Jesus to take my sin upon Himself and give me the chance to become righteous. I can get there thanks to the multiplication provided by Jesus life, death, and resurrection and His unconditional love for me.

What is your view of how you receive righteousness? Are you in receipt thanks to your being here? What if you were to see the reason for your chance at being declared righteous a result of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus?

Jesus Died for Sinners Not the Righteous

I recently wrote that Jesus came for the sinners and not the righteous and this morning I am reading and writing on the extension of that premise.

“⁷For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— ⁸but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” – Romans 5:7-8 (ESV)

I am continuing my study of the word “righteous” and have been in Romans seemingly on the “Roman Road” as it is commonly known to those in evangelism. This morning brought to verse seven in Romans chapter five which leads into verse eight which is the verse on the “Roman Road”. Verse seven speaks to the idea that dying for the righteous or even the good is something that we in this world would likely not undertake. Yes, there are heroic moments in emergency situations where one will risk their life to protect or save others and I do not want to take away from those moments. I will say however that it is not in the nature for someone to actually consciously die for others. Jesus did.

Jesus came to this world with the purpose of providing salvation for all. He first came as the hope for salvation. Then He preached salvation. And finally He died for our salvation. He was not a sinner, yet He took on the sins of all and was gruesomely treated to the point of dying, and other than asking if there would possibly be another way, did not try to get out of it.

Look back at the words of Paul and look at the life and work of Jesus to see who Jesus came for. As I noted before, it is the sick in need of a doctor, not the well. Jesus came for the sinners, not the righteous. Jesus died for me, the sinner. He died for you, the sinner. He died for our neighbor, sinner. Jesus came to die for sinners.

I think that sometimes I forget this as a Christian. As I have been saved by grace and salvation, I may sometimes see that since I have been saved, I am somehow above the fray now and can relax for I am somebody. The reality is that I have to remember that my salvation was a result of Jesus coming for me and I have just accepted Him before others. I have to remember that I am a sinner as are you and as is our neighbor. It is my task to bring the gospel forward to ensure that everyone knows that Jesus came for all of us as sinners. I may have accepted Him sooner, but I am no better and in fact are the same as you and our neighbor, in need of and thankful for the grace of God.

What are your thoughts on who Jesus came for? Are you of the thought that He came for those who are somehow righteous? What if you took on that Jesus came for the sinners like you and me and accepted His grace knowing that He died for us as sinners, not the righteous?

None are Righteous

Jesus was the only person born righteous. All others are not righteous and only have the opportunity to be declared righteous by God. We are born unrighteous and remain unrighteous until that time when God declares us righteous. And that is for all of us as no one is exempt.

“⁹What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, ¹⁰as it is written:

‘None is righteous, no, not one;

¹¹no one understands;

no one seeks for God.

¹²All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;

no one does good,

not even one.’”

— Romans 3:9-12 (ESV)

Paul writes that all are subject to the same. We are all sinners. Jews, Gentiles, Greeks, all of us. And nothing has changed throughout time, except that we have been given the chance to be declared righteous.

“²¹But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— ²²the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: ²³for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.” – Romans 3:21-25 (ESV)

All of us start the same and are unrighteous until that time that God declares us righteous. He will declare us righteous when we have given ourselves to Him fully. This is made possible through Jesus and His death on the cross as He took our sin upon Himself for our sake. We all have been given the same opportunity to receive the grace of God through the sacrifice of Jesus and it is up to us to receive and accept that gift.

Even as we have and take advantage of the opportunity to receive and accept the gift of salvation and grace, we are still sinners and not righteous until that time when God declares. We will always be sinners in this world and as such are not righteous. Our only approach should be thanksgiving for the gift of salvation and grace and work everyday to spread the gospel and demonstrating our thanks for and dedications to the repayment for the sacrifice (even as it cannot be repaid).

What are your thoughts on righteousness? Are you somehow righteous based on who you are or what you have done? What if you were to take on that no one, not even you are righteous and can only receive and accept the gift of salvation and grace and work daily to somehow be declared righteous through your actions for the LORD?

God’s Righteous Judgment

Only God can judge and His judgment is righteous.

“⁵But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.” – Romans 2:5 (ESV)

I am not in a position to judge as I am a sinner. I may be a recovering sinner saved by grace through my acceptance of the death of Jesus for me, but I am still a sinner. This disqualifies me from judging others. It is not my place to judge anyway. I am not in the position of being above all. I am only a follower of Christ and a servant to Him.

God is above all things and therefore is the only one in the position to judge. He is righteous and therefore can and does render righteous judgment. He determines those who are righteous from those who are not, and in that determination or judgment, provides what they deserve. For the righteous He provides eternal life and for the other, wrath and fury.

“⁶He will render to each one according to his works: ⁷to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; ⁸but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.” – Romans 2:6-8 (ESV)

God is the one who will judge the person, which is different than what we see here in this world. When someone is brought before a judge for actions done in this world, the judge has been given authority to render a decision on the actions of the person as relates to the law of man, not to judge the person themselves. The law of man is vastly different than the law of God. One may be in line with the law of God, which is above the law of man, yet being in line with the law of God may conflict with the law of man and will be judged accordingly. If the action is against the law of man, then the judge in this world will judge, but God will judge according to the action in relation to His law and will ultimately judge the person.

It is fascinating to me when looking at God’s Word with an open heart for His revelations in me. I am thankful for all of the insight He provides for me and the comfort of those insights. I know that I am cared for by the LORD as I walk this world for Him. I know that I may go against the law of man at times as I do the work of the LORD. He will protect me and judge me on my work for Him and as long as I have done His work, my transgression with the law of man is of no consequence to the righteous judgment of the LORD.

Where are you looking for judgment? Are you looking to be right in the eyes of man? What if you focused your attention on the law of God and sought His righteous judgment?

Who Can Be Righteous

Anyone.

“¹⁶For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. ¹⁷For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith.’” – Romans 1:16-17 (ESV)

Paul lays it out simply for all. Salvation is for everyone. Faith is the difference. Those who accept the gift of salvation and live by faith shall be righteous. I know that seems to good to be true. But it is. There is no hidden meaning. There is no cryptic approach. Accept salvation and live by faith to be righteous.

There is a thing that we must consider though. All is by the acceptance and living in our heart and not on the surface or to ensure that others have heard and know. The only one who needs to know is the LORD and that will be exclaimed through our relationship and communication with Him. In our relationship, we have the opportunity to speak with the LORD and know Him. It is in these communications (prayer) that we find our tasks to spread the gospel and do the work of Christ. It is in this relationship that we reveal our hearts to God and He sees and knows our faith in Him.

Righteousness is not for the Jews or the Baptists or the Catholics. It is for all who accept the salvation gift from God and live by faith in Him and in actions He tasks. It is offered and for everyone that will accept and live in their heart and demonstrate that through the relationship and communication with the LORD.

Who do you believe can or is righteous? Are you of the opinion that one somehow has to be special or of a certain group? What if you were to see that it is anyone who accepts the gift of salvation and lives by faith through their heart?

Be Unaware of Righteousness

This morning I was brought to the passage in Matthew titled “The Final Judgment”. Where this is not new to me in my reading, I was reminded of the idea that our righteous actions are not even recognized by us.

You see, our task is to spread the gospel and be the example of Christ. I am not instructed to call attention to my actions. I am not instructed to even let anyone know my motives. I am instructed to to the work of and for Christ and His people. The righteous will do the work of Christ and not even realize that they have been righteous.

“³⁷Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? ³⁸And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? ³⁹And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’” – Matthew 25:37-39 (ESV)

Here Jesus is letting the people know that the righteous will inherit the Kingdom of God and the others will be cast into the eternal fire. He is giving all the reasons for their denotation as righteous or not. He has told them as to what is counted as righteous, providing food, drink, clothing, and visitation. And the people ask when they did or did not provide for Him as indicated. Jesus lets them know that when the action is taken or not taken to anyone, then it is taken or not taken to Him.

“¹Let brotherly love continue. ²Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” – Hebrews 13:1-2 (ESV)

We never know who we are engaging with in this world. In the above verse from Hebrews, the writer points out that we are to just be the example of Christ to all as we may be engaging with an angel sent by God. Again, we find that we are to just be good and spread the gospel and do the work of Christ.

We may be unaware of those we are interacting with and therefore we are to just do the work. When we are doing the work of Christ, we are doing the righteous work we have been assigned, not for selfish gain, but out of love for one another. We will likely be unaware of the righteousness of our actions and know them as only being the example of Christ’s love in the interaction.

It is not important to be aware of righteousness, it is only important to do the work of Christ. Remember that only He can declare us righteous and he will not do so if our heart is rooted actions due to selfish gain. He will declare us righteous when we take actions out of love and obedience to Him.

What actions are you taking that may be declared righteous? Are you taking those actions to be declared righteous? What if you just did the work of Christ as an example of Him and were unaware of the actions or you being declared righteous?

The Righteous Will be Separated

Yes, you read that right. When the time comes, the righteous will be separated out from the evil and the evil will be tossed to the fire.

“⁴⁹So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous ⁵⁰and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” – Matthew 13:49-50 (ESV)

We will ALL be gathered up when the time comes. We will be separated into the righteous and the evil. And then the evil will be cast into fires of hell. It seems so definitive, and it is. It seems so cold and callous, well, what did you expect based on the cold and callous actions taken by the evil. It seems so divisive and unfair, well, the world is not fair and there is a stark difference in the righteous and the evil. It seems not compassionate and without love, well, the LORD loves and gives every opportunity to the evil to accept Him into their heart and turn to Him and they still turn away.

I know there are those who look at the followers of Christ and their actions and claim there is no love there. To them I say, WRONG. Love takes many forms and one of those forms is truth. Truth is hard. When we are confronted with truth, it tends to sting, even for those following Christ. The truth of the matter is there is a difference in the righteous and the evil. The evil do not get to inherit the Kingdom of God where the righteous are heirs with Jesus. The evil will be separated from the righteous and be cast out where the righteous will find rest in the LORD.

The righteous have accepted Christ as their savior and thanks to the love of the LORD, they do the work assigned. The righteous do not do the work to get something and be rewarded, they do it out of love for the LORD and know that it is just a small payment for the sacrifice of Jesus taking on their sin. The work is not repayment, only a small payment toward repayment. The righteous know that there is not enough payment to repay the LORD, yet the payment is made anyway and the righteous will continue with the payments until the time is come.

By contrast, the evil pay and expect to receive. They do a little work to get something out of it, not to repay, but to buy. They feel as though they are owed and when it does not come, they are return to the evil. As they return, they lash out and call out the LORD for somehow being less than loving and against them when in reality it is they who are less than loving and against the LORD.

This is the reason for the separation of the evil from the righteous. The righteous are seeking to repay the debt owed (even as it cannot be repaid) and the evil are looking to pay for acceptance. The evil cannot buy the LORD (even as they try) and the righteous continue to receive from the LORD in the form of love, grace, and the Kingdom of God.

What is your view of the righteous and the evil? Are you somehow expectant that all are equal and will receive the same regardless of which they are? What if you understood that there is a significant difference and accept the love of the LORD and seek to repay Him as opposed to paying Him?