All tagged righteousness
Living righteously through our prayers and faith every day, and taking care not to reduce our faith to a simple mental exercise. This is the subject of our contemplation this morning. Christ will return suddenly and at an unknown time; and, in the meantime, our lives can be recalled and death come to us at any time... Are we living lives that at a moment's notice we would be comfortable laying at the feet of God?
Does our judgement of others convict our own souls? Don't we ourselves feel unclean after judging those around us? I can't help but think of the separation from God I have felt after judging another's righteousness. Have you ever felt removed in this manner? Scripture is specific about our role in the judgement of others; it doesn't quibble in its language...
My thoughts this morning are on purity. What does it mean to be pure of heart, and how is it possible to reach this state of righteousness? By becoming pure we know that we will see God, so let's explore this subject.
How do we reconcile our physical and spiritual selves so that they both mirror Jesus? Sometimes we are so wrapped up in conforming our physical selves that we forget the spiritual side of who we are... or vice versa.
We hear the voice as it leads us to Jesus Christ, and we come to Him. We come to know the truth, and righteousness of God through Him, and in that moment of belief something amazing happens, His righteousness and peace join together in our lives. Do we allow our walk with Jesus to take this wonderful next step in which the peace of Christ becomes one with our pursuit of righteousness? Do we take that step across the threshold of pursuing righteousness into the comfort and peace of being righteous? Does our faith secure us in our gait, and guide us ever onward in our transformation; into becoming Christlike?
By our fallen nature we are not born righteous, but as we look up towards the righteousness of God in Heaven, our faith begins to grow from the good ground He tends within us. The question becomes this, do we seek God and the righteousness that He provides us to be turned, both night and day, into the soil for our hearts, or are we satisfied with spreading our seed across the world and accepting whatever might struggle to rise up from the depleted soil left by our sinfulness? Which of these is our delight, and in which garden is the seed of our faith planted?
Prayer heals us; it heals our physical illnesses, and it heals our spiritual sickness. The answer of prayer can be seen in the lame walking again, and it can also be witnessed in the forgiveness of sin. What is our need today? Is our body, or the body of a loved one, in need of prayer? Are we desperately in need of salvation, or the forgiveness of sin?
As Christians, and members of the larger Church, we have been metaphorically prepared to become the bride of Christ. We have fallen into an agape love with the Son of God. However, our betrothal is a long one, and much can happen as we wait for our wedding day; especially if we don’t guard our faith carefully. Paul uses this analogy when speaking to the Corinthians, and it would be wise for us to heed his words today.
When we say that we have been renewed in Christ, and speak of having put off our old selves have we really done this, or just stored that self away where it can’t be readily seen, but remains available to us? Does our old self embarrass us when we allow it to come out of hiding, but even so, we still find something about that life which tempts us, or thrills us? In keeping who we once were, who are we lying to most; God, Jesus, our fellow believers, or to ourselves?
We are all sinners; you, me, all of us, but God sent His Son Jesus to cure this disease in us... to overcome the sin that plagues us. Yet you respond to me by saying: “You don’t understand, I have done terrible things, my sins are black as coal, I am unforgivable.” Well my friend, I am glad to hear you say that because it tells me that you realize the tragic power of sin in your life, but trust me when I say that you are not the worst of us, and even if you were, Jesus is greater than the sin in you. Every sinner has echoed your words... even the Apostle Paul.
We are told to go into every nation delivering the good news of Jesus Christ, but at the same time we are warned not to practice our righteousness before others; does this sound like a contradiction to you? How should we go about telling people of God, and Jesus without presenting ourselves as righteous? The answer is twofold, and rather simple... don’t make the message you are teaching, or preaching, appear to be about yourself, and secondly, conduct your personal life of faith in secret.
How perfectly contrived is Satan’s trap that is set using our own self as bait. Nothing lures us away from God, and our faith in Jesus, like the smell of our own morality or self-righteousness. Do we view ourselves in a mirror, and smile at what we see? Do we look at our good deeds, and think that we have certainly pleased God with them, or moreover... that we are saving ourselves by them? Do we say to ourselves “ How perfect is my faith, and how righteous am I!”? This is a death trap that springs shut on our soul.