The Righteous and Jesus

The righteous do not “need” Jesus. Now, before we get all up in arms about that statement, let me clarify. The righteous are in tune with Jesus and the work He has for them. They do all things in His name and know that when they are doing so, He is right there with them to carry them through. The righteous also know that when they are struggling and down and feeling persecuted, the LORD is there to carry them, guide them, and comfort them as they work it through. So, the righteous do not “need” Jesus.

“¹²But when he heard it, he said, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. ¹³Go and learn what this means: “I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.” For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.’” – Matthew 9:12-13 (ESV)

The words of Jesus as captured by Matthew, who had just been called to follow Him. You see, it is not the righteous that “need” Jesus, it is those who are not near to Him and have not given themselves to Him.

Notice that Jesus indicates that it is not the well that need a doctor, but those who are sick. I can take that even further for those who would say, “well what about wellness visits and checkups”. Yes, let’s talk about those. This is the daily, weekly, monthly, continuous prayer and relationship with Jesus. The righteous keep up the wellness visits and checkups with Jesus continuously. And He even knows when we have nothing to “say”. The deliberate communication with Jesus is our checkup. But, doctors will prioritize the emergency need over the wellness check as they should, and Jesus will devote His energy to those in need, the sinners.

And what about the fact that we are all sinners. Well, let’s talk about that as well. Yes, the righteous are sinners for sure. In our prayer, we are to acknowledge our sin and ask for forgiveness of those sins we have committed and those we will commit and those that we do not recognize that we have committed. So, we are all caught up with the LORD and our repentance. Those who have not accepted Christ as their savior are in need of immediate assistance and that is where He will turn His attention on the regular. To save the sinner is why Jesus came.

The righteous are in need, yes, but it is the sinner who needs the immediate help from Jesus and not the righteous. Jesus hears the prayer of the righteous and provides for the needs of those, it is the sinners who do not know what they “need” and therefor Jesus is there to guide them and care for them in that time. He came, devoted to saving the sinners as He already has done for the righteous.

What is your view of Jesus the righteous and sinner? Are you of the opinion that Jesus should devote His energy for those who know of and experienced His grace? What if you were to see Jesus as He is, the emergency physician who provides for those who need Him most?

Have Faith and Wait on The LORD

But when will the LORD reveal Himself and rescue us? This is a good question and one that is likely on the minds of most of us in this world. Here is what we know from God’s Word.

“³For still the vision awaits its appointed time;

it hastens to the end—it will not lie.

If it seems slow, wait for it;

it will surely come; it will not delay.

‘⁴Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him,

but the righteous shall live by his faith.’”

— Habakkuk 2:3-4 (ESV)

The time will come. We have to just have faith and wait for it. So, the question of when is a good one, but a better one to me would be, to me, what righteous actions should I be taking as I wait on the LORD?

I know that the LORD is coming and will rescue us. I know that He will do so in His own time. I have to remember that His timing is perfect and that I am not able to see all that goes into the timing and the rescue. There is so much that I do not know as I can only see that which is in my immediate view. I have to be the one taking action for the LORD and allow Him to work in His time and way to impact me and the rest of the world.

It is my faith in Him that should be leading me, not my questions of Him. I have to approach things knowing that He is in control and that He will prevail in the end. I have to know that I have been saved and that I now have work to do in the arena of spreading the gospel and that is done through the work He has for me. As I do that work, I am waiting on the LORD to complete His work in this world with me and know that when the time is come, I will be rescued from this world.

Waiting does not have to be something that consumes us. Thinking even of my own waiting. When I am working and focused on actions, time seems to fly by. I think back to being asked how much time I spend working on my posts in the mornings. I replied that I spend between 30 minutes and an hour each morning. The thing is, I seem to lose track of time and have to rush through the action of the post as I have spent more time with my reading and writing than I initially gave myself when I began. Due to the work I am doing for the LORD (my study) I lose track of the time passing as I wait on the LORD and am not thinking about when, only on the work.

I have to have faith that the LORD will rescue me. I have to know that my role is to do the work. When those two things go together, I am able to wait on the LORD and His timing in my rescue.

How are you waiting on the LORD? Are you watching the clock and sitting idle? What if you were to dive into the work of the LORD having faith that He will come and when is not the important part?

Turned Away From Righteous The LORD Molds Us Back

“⁶We have all become like one who is unclean,

and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.

We all fade like a leaf,

and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.”

— Isaiah 64:6 (ESV)

Notice how verse six above begins that “we have all become”. This indicates to me that I have turned away from and chose a specific path. I have allowed sin to take hold of me and has taken me “away”. It is on me that I have turned this way and not that the LORD has forsaken me. He has allowed me to be my own and my choice was to turn away from Him.

This is difficult to understand that the LORD allowed me to choose to turn away from Him. Isn’t the LORD supposed to be all loving and to keep me from trials and difficulty. Well, He is really all loving and allows us to be independent thinkers and doers. It is our choice to turn away and He allows us that free choice. The thing is that choices come with consequences and in this instance, the consequence is being carried away by our sin.

But, there is a light at the end of this tunnel of iniquity. The LORD will mold us into that which He would have us be.

“⁸But now, O Lord, you are our Father;

we are the clay, and you are our potter;

we are all the work of your hand.”

— Isaiah 64:8 (ESV)

When we have given ourselves to the LORD through our hearts acceptance of the salvation He gives, the LORD will form us as His child. He will use His hands to mold me into His vessel and then, as with clay, to solidify my form, I will have to be put into the fire (consequences of my iniquity). I will come out the other side as a vessel for the LORD. But again, as with clay, I will be fragile and will need to continue my belief in Him and His way for me, else I crack. Although, even with the cracks, the LORD will repair me as He again puts me through the fire.

The thing is that it was a choice to turn away from the LORD and I will continue to turn away periodically from the LORD. I am human and have that choice. I have to remember that the LORD is my potter and that I may have just been placed in the fire to be solidified or after repair and that when I come out the other side, I will be strong for the LORD once again.

What is your view of your life after salvation? Are you of the thoughts that you are good and how can the LORD allow you to suffer? What if you were to realize that it is you that have turned away, but the LORD is there to mold you back into the vessel for His glory?

Jesus Took My Sin So I Could Be Counted Righteous

You heard me right, Jesus took my sin on himself so that I could be counted righteous.

“¹¹Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied;

by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,

make many to be accounted righteous,

and he shall bear their iniquities.”

— Isaiah 53:11 (ESV)

“³⁸Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, ³⁹and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.” – Acts 13:38-39 (ESV)

I owe Jesus so much and yet will never be able to repay Him for the one act of dying for me. Yes, I said that right, He died for me. He did it so that I could be elevated to be called righteous.

No, I do not see myself as righteous, as I have said, only God can declare as righteous. But I can and will perform righteous acts. These acts are in obedience to the LORD and to say thank you for being there for me. Thanks for comforting and guiding me. Thanks for the forgiveness of my sins. Thanks for dying for me. Even as I know that I will not be able to repay His act of love for me, I still must continue offering myself to Him in obedience.

Jesus died for me, intentionally. Yes, He did it on purpose and it was righteous. He only asked if there was another way for the Father’s will to be done. What a show of love to me. Jesus said if there was another way to fulfill the LORD’s plan that would be preferred, yet if death is the only way, He was willing to do whatever the LORD had for Him to provide salvation for me. This is the example for me and my service to the LORD. I should ask if there is another way, but be willing to do whatever is asked, knowing that those actions are righteous in the eyes of the LORD.

Jesus was counted as righteous so that I could be counted as righteous. Notice the word “could” used as I write. I am intentional with the word as I am not righteous just because of Jesus’ death. I am only given the opportunity to be counted as righteous. I have work to do and that work is for the LORD. I have accepted the free gift of salvation and am doing the work for the LORD, and thanks to the sacrifice of Jesus and His grace, I am hopeful that I will be counted as righteous. But, I do not see myself as there yet, I still have work to do. As long as I am here in this world, I have work to do for the LORD and I will learn of my righteous status when I meet the LORD in heaven.

What are your thoughts on your becoming righteous? Do you see yourself having arrived there already? What if you looked as I do in that you have been given the opportunity to be counted as righteous thanks to the sacrifice of Jesus, yet you have work to do?

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 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?