Righteousness

We Need Mercy and Truth Along With Wisdom

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Man’s goings are of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way?
It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy, and after vows to make enquiry.
A wise king scattereth the wicked, and bringeth the wheel over them.
The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly.
Mercy and truth preserve the king: and his throne is upholden by mercy.
The glory of young men is their strength: and the beauty of old men is the gray head.
The blueness of a wound cleanseth away evil: so do stripes the inward parts of the belly.

Proverbs 20:24-30

Only A Sinner Can Be Saved

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And as Jesus passed forth from thence, He saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and He saith unto him, “Follow me.” And he arose, and followed Him.   And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples.  And when the Pharisees saw it, they said untoHis disciples, “Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?”  But when Jesus heard that, He said unto them,
“They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.  But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
Matthew 9:9-13

Jesus had just called one of the most hated people in Judea  who was a tax collector, to follow Him, and Matthew did.  This brought many to Matthew’s home where  He age and drank.  It was a great honor for them to have such a Man as Jesus visit your home

Jesus was eating with publicans (tax collectors), and sinners.  Jesus in answer to the Pharisees remark was that He did not come to call  the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Only the lost can be found.  Only the unjust, can be made just.  Only the sick can be healed.

The Pharisees were walking around in their religious garb, and presenting themselves as righteous people but Jesus tells them they are in darkness.

Only those who call on the Lord for grace through Christ Jesus can be justified, sanctified, and glorified in Him.

“There is none righteous, no not one.”  Psalm 14:3;  Romans 3:10ff).   As long as a person denies their sin  and rebelliousness against  God, trusting their own righteousness, there is no hope of salvation.

Confess that you are a sinner calling out to the Lord Jesus, then confess Jesus as Lord, believing He was raised from the dead, and you will be saved.

No Mediator?

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We are in the book of Job today. I am reading three days reading from the DAY BY DAY CHRONOLOGICAL BIBLE and I read the first thirteen chapters of Job.

Recapping what has taken place in these thirteen chapters; Job, a very wealth, and godly, righteous man by God’s declaration, not mine, has lost all the wealth he had. Not only did he lose that, but he lost his ten children to a great whirl wind.  Then he lost the support of his wife.

He has had three good friends to come visit him, to comfort and encourage him.  They do not speak for some time. My thought of that is they should have gone home.  The names of Job’s friends are Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar. Job is the first to speak, and they could not help but answer back. In one of Job’s speeches he says the following, speaking of God…

For He is not a man, as I am, that I should answer Him, and we should come together in judgment.  Neither is there any daysman betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both.  Let Him take His rod away from me, and let not His fear terrify me:  then would I speak, and not fear Him; but it is not so with me.
Job 9:32-35

Job is most likely feeling forsaken by God.  Abandoned, left to figure these things out for himself.  Yet, never opens His mouth in cursing the LORD.  He says “Neither is there any daysman betwixt us, that might lay His hand on us.”  At that point in time there was a Mediator with God, but He was not known by them; because in First Timothy of the New Testament, the Bible says: “There is one God, and there is one Mediator between God and men; the Man Christ Jesus”  (1 Timothy 2:5-6).  Jesus Christ who has always been, and has become man in the flesh, without sin had to die on the cross for the sins of the world, becoming sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God.

Job so ached to be able to speak to God, but God was not speaking to Him.  The following thought or saying that is quite true; “The teacher is always silent during the test” is a good reminder of why God seems far away.  It is a test for our growing faith and love for Christ and the Father and Spirit  of God.

I do have great confidence in my Mediator who stands before me and the Father in my stead, and in yours too when you have called on the name of the LORD to save you He hears, and forgives you and calls you His child.

Religious Without Jesus

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And the Lord said unto him, “Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness.  Ye fools, did not He that made that which is without make that which is within also? But rather give alms of such things as ye have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you. But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.  Woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.”
Luke 11:39-44

Religious folks always present a good outward appearance, mostly by using religious terminology of their own making; but on the inside are full of wickedness, and all kinds of evil.

God made both the outside and the insides of every one of us. Both are important. The Pharisees were really strict  on outward matters, working on appearances, maybe trying to change the heart and mind from the outside to the inside. Religion wants to be seen by men. That is certainly the way of most Pharisees. Those words spoken by Jesus in verses 39-44 began after host, who was a Pharisee, questioned Jesus about why He did not wash before eating. It was more a ceremonial thing. They had their traditions to keep. May God help you if you do not keep them, was the Pharisee mindset.

Jesus is the only One who can change the heart and mind. There are many who are religious, but without Jesus. Many of these people go to church worship services faithfully, and say they are alright with God, yet there has been no changing in their hearts and minds. They know about Jesus, but they know not Jesus.

Jesus recognized the Pharisees principles of tithing, but they did not practice the godly acts of a fair, just, and equitable judgment, and the love of God. It is written,  ” If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.  Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. ”  James 1:26-27

Religion without Jesus is bondage to rules, laws, and traditions. Those who trust Jesus as their Lord and Savior, are free from sin, death, and hell; we are free to worship God as much as we choose, we have the freedom to live a righteous life to glorify the name of our great God and Savior. We have freedom to live for Him, and to share Him with others who need Him.

He died on the cross for our sins, becoming sin for us, smitten by the Father in His wrath, dying and buried, and rising from the grave the third day, conquering sin, death, and the grave. You can call on His name and be saved unto eternal life.

To Reason With GOD

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Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.  If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: but if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
Isaiah 1:18-20

God loves His people and is willing, and able to listen to us, to hear us, and we come to terms with Him when we see His holiness, righteousness, and justice; as well as His love, mercy, and grace.

It goes well with God’s people when we submit to His will and purposes for our lives. Today, it begins by submitting to what He say about His Son Jesus Christ. Jesus, is submitted to the Father, and showed that He was by going to the cross, and laying His own life down for all who will come to Him.

That was what Jesus did for you and me. I have trusted Him with every area of my life. He has protected me, blessed me in so many ways. He will do the same for you when you give your life to Him.

…Do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow…

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Thus saith the LORD; “Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and speak there this word, and say, ‘Hear the word of the LORD, O king of Judah, that sittest upon the throne of David, thou, and thy servants, and thy people that enter in by these gates.’ ” Thus saith the LORD; “Execute ye judgment and righteousness, and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor: and do no wrong, do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow, neither shed innocent blood in this place. For if ye do this thing indeed, then shall there enter in by the gates of this house kings sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, he, and his servants, and his people. But if ye will not hear these words, I swear by Myself,” saith the LORD, “that this house shall become a desolation.”
Jeremiah 22:1-5

The One Sacrifice For Sin

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But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
Wherefore when He cometh into the world, He saith, “Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared Me: in burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin Thou hast had no pleasure.” Then said I, “Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of Me,) to do Thy will, O God.
Hebrews 10:3-7

The Remaining Glory

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But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: how shall not the ministration of the Spirit be rather glorious?  For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.
2 Corinthians 3:7-11

Our Righteousness

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Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah. In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and He shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land. In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The LORD our Righteousness.
Jeremiah 33:14-16

The Way Of Righteousness

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I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions.
The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.  Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding; I have strength.  By me kings reign, and princes decree justice.  By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth.
I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.
Riches and honour are with me; yea, durable riches and righteousness.  My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver.
I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment: that I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures.

Proverbs 8:12-21

Revealing the Children of God

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Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous.  He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.  Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for His seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.  In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.
1 John 3:7-10

Full of Mercy and Good Fruits

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Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? Let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.  But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.  This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.  For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.  But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.  And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
James 3:13-18

Light Has No Fellowship With Darkness

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Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness?   And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?   And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said,
“I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate,” saith the Lord, “and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be My sons and daughters,” saith the Lord Almighty.
2 Corinthians 6:14-18

The Justifier of The Unjust

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But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets; even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, at this time His righteousness: that He might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
Romans 3:21-26

The One sent by God to die for our sins, was buried, and He rose again. On the cross He became sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21), and took the wrath of God for our sins. In His burial He carried our sins away, and in His resurrection He justifies forever all who trust Him.

Sinners Are Called To Repentance

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And after these things He went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and He said unto him,
“Follow Me.”
And he left all, rose up, and followed Him.  And Levi made him a great feast in his own house: and there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down with them.  But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against His disciples, saying, “Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?”  And Jesus answering said unto them,
“They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.  I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
Luke 5:27-32

Though It Tarry, Wait For It

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I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what He will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved. And the LORD answered me, and said,

“Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.  For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.  Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.  Yea also, because he transgresseth by wine, he is a proud man, neither keepeth at home, who enlargeth his desire as hell, and is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathereth unto him all nations, and heapeth unto him all people…”

Habakkuk 2:1-5

No Manner of Hurt Was Found On Him

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Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions.  And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?”  Then said Daniel unto the king, “O king, live for ever.  My God hath sent His angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before Him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.”  Then was the king exceeding glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God.  And the king commanded, and they brought those men which had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives; and the lions had the mastery of them, and brake all their bones in pieces or ever they came at the bottom of the den.
Daniel 6:19-24

The Branch of Righteousness

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Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah.

In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land.  In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The LORD our Righteousness.

Jeremiah 33:14-16

Committed Works

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Thou, even Thou, art to be feared: and who may stand in Thy sight when once Thou art angry?  Thou didst cause judgment to be heard from heaven; the earth feared, and was still, when God arose to judgment, to save all the meek of the earth. Selah.
Psalm 76:7-9

All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the LORD weigheth the spirits.  Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established. The LORD hath made all things for Himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.
Proverbs 16:2-4

Encouragement For The LORD’S Righteous

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The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence His soul hateth.
Upon the wicked He shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: the portion of their cup.
For the righteous LORD loveth righteousness; His countenance doth behold the upright.
Psalm 11:5-7

Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh.  For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.
Proverbs 3:25-26

Zealous for the Righteousness of GOD

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Moreover the altar that was at Bethel, and the high place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, had made, both that altar and the high place he brake down, and burned the high place, and stamped it small to powder, and burned the grove.  And as Josiah turned himself, he spied the sepulchres that were there in the mount, and sent, and took the bones out of the sepulchres, and burned them upon the altar, and polluted it, according to the word of the LORD which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these words.  Then he said, “What title is that that I see?” And the men of the city told him, “It is the sepulchre of the man of God, which came from Judah, and proclaimed these things that thou hast done against the altar of Bethel.”  And he said, “Let him alone; let no man move his bones.” So they let his bones alone, with the bones of the prophet that came out of Samaria.  And all the houses also of the high places that were in the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had made to provoke the LORD to anger, Josiah took away, and did to them according to all the acts that he had done in Bethel.  And he slew all the priests of the high places that were there upon the altars, and burned men’s bones upon them, and returned to Jerusalem.
2 Kings 23:15-20

Help me, O LORD my God: O save me according to Thy mercy: that they may know that this is Thy hand; that Thou, LORD, hast done it.
Psalm 109:26-27

Rob not the poor, because he is poor: neither oppress the afflicted in the gate: for the LORD will plead their cause, and spoil the soul of those that spoiled them.
Proverbs 22:22-23

The Way Of Righteousness

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And they journeyed: and the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob.
Genesis 35:5

But I will sing of Thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of Thy mercy in the morning: for Thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble.
Psalm 59:16

In the way of righteousness is life; and in the pathway thereof there is no death.
Proverbs 12:28

The Blessing of the Upright

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If he said thus, “The speckled shall be thy wages;” then all the cattle bare speckled: and if he said thus, “The ringstraked shall be thy hire;” then bare all the cattle ringstraked.  Thus God hath taken away the cattle of your father, and given them to me.
Genesis 31:8-9

Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and He shall sustain thee: He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.
Psalm 55:22

When it goeth well with the righteous, the city rejoiceth: and when the wicked perish, there is shouting.
By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted: but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.
Proverbs 11:10-11

Made The Righteousness Of God In Christ Jesus

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Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.  For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.
2 Corinthians 5:20-21

The Redeemed

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But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for He shall receive me. Selah. Psalm 49:15

Every man, woman, boy and girl is condemned to an eternal, excruciating death. Unless there would be a Mediator step in and pay the price of our sin. We are all born into this world condemned by sin, spiritually dead, and seemingly without hope.

Many people try to redeem themselves by good works. Many of those same people think they have lived a good life therefore God owes them an eternity with Him. They just work themselves into Hell and eternal damnation, because they do not believe God’s word.

The Psalmist says that it is God who will redeem my soul. When Isaiah the prophet saw the LORD, high and lifted up, he fell on his face  crying “Woe is me. I am undone. I am a man of unclean lip and I dwell in the midst of people of unclean lips, for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts” (Isaiah 6:5). It is God who convicts and convinces us of sin, and it is He who draws us to Himself in humility and faith.

God receives us only through the death of Jesus Christ on the cross, His burial and resurrection. In His death He has paid the sin debt of all who will believe Him.

O will you hear Him today? You are not good enough to please God. All our goodness, and righteousnesses are as filthy rags to God (Isaiah 64:6). Only the righteousness of Jesus Christ can redeem us (2 Corinthians 5:21). He has paid the price. Will you receive Him?