Righteous

Wisdom Speaks – Christmas Day One Hundred Sixty and Nine

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“These things also belong to the wise:
It is not good to show partiality in judgment.
He who says to the wicked, “You are righteous,”
Him the people will curse;
Nations will abhor him.
But those who rebuke the wicked will have delight,
And a good blessing will come upon them.” Proverbs 24:23-25 (NKJV)

What do I want for Christmas?

I want to be among those who are wise in the word, and the counsel of the word of the LORD; to never show partiality in judgment; to never call the wicked “Righteous”; and to be a blessing to all who know me, the one’s I have yet to meet, and even to those who might be an enemy; that all I know would come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

Jesus Speaks – Christmas Day One Hundred Seventy and Seven

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But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” Matthew 6:33-34 (KJV)

I find myself too much of the time wanting material things.  I will not go into any of the details; they are probably some of the same things that you want.

What do I want for Christmas?

I want the kingdom of God, and His righteousness in my heart and life, because there is nothing in this world or this life that is eternal except God, His righteousness, and His kingdom.

Lord Jesus rule in my heart and life for Your Righteousness, and Your Kingdom.

 

Day Two Hundred Sixty and Five

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What do I want for Christmas?

I want the Muslim people around the world to know that the one, true GOD loves them; that His name is Jehovah, and He  has a Son whose name is Jesus; that He is God the Son and Son of God; that He loves you so much that He sent Jesus who came willingly, of His own volition, and died on the cross for our sins, was buried, and bodily arose from that grave, and He ever lives.

The death of Jesus was the death of the righteous, for the unrighteous, the price of redemption to bring all who will believe into the very presence of God.

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, I say, at this time His righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.” Romans 3:23-26 (KJV)

“That whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:15-16

Day Two Hundred Eighty and Five

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What do I want for Christmas?

I want people to know that there is no peace to the wicked.

There is no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked.” Isaiah 48:22 (KJV)
“God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.” Psalm 7:11

“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ…” Romans 5:1

The Righteous and the Wicked

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“The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.” Proverbs 28:1 (KJV)

The one who is guilty of a crime is constantly looking over their shoulders to check, and see if anyone is pursuing them. That is the wicked. Wickedness goes further, though, than just a guilty conscience. The wicked are haters of God, good, and godliness.

As I read this this morning I asked myself two questions: First, Do the unrighteous always flee in fear? The second: Are the righteous always the bold ones? The answer to those questions is both “NO!”

Let us look at another thought of the “Wicked”. The wicked are not just lawbreakers, they are God-haters. They hate God, His law, His Word, His righteousness, and anyone who is connected to Him. Many of the wicked will say, “I don’t believe in God. How can I hate something I don’t believe in?” See what I mean. The whole creation cries out for the God of the Universe, and you deny He exist; because you hate Him. You hate Him even when the evidence says He is true.

Normally, the wicked flee when no man pursues. Everyday the wicked flee because God is in pursuit of you. Normally, the righteous – the God fearer, the one’s who love God, His Word, His commandments, His law are bold as a lion.

It seems to me sometimes that the wicked are much more bold than the righteous in today’s world. Why would that be? Who are the “Righteous”? Those who have been declared righteous or Just by God Himself (Romans 1:7; 5:1). Of course there are none who are righteous of their own merit, their own goodness, “No not one” (Romans 3:10-11). Righteousness comes through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Why does it seem that the wicked are bold, and the righteous are fleeing? It is because the righteous are not living righteous lives; we are not believing what God’s Word says, we are not believing God, thus we live with fear. We fear offending others, rather than fear offending God.

O LORD God give your people a righteous, healthy fear of YOU; that we might show forth Your righteousness in a lost, dark, and condemned world.

The Secret of the Righteous

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“Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways. For the froward is abomination to the LORD: but His secret is with the righteous.” Proverbs 3:31-32 (KJV)

To regret living a life of good, and righteousness, due to the ill gotten, illegally gotten wealth of the “oppressor”, the “froward” or perverse individual is a shame in itself.

Imagine, if you will, a man who has done good all his life, loved his family, cherished his wife, then one day he decides that the guy down the street who lives in a mansion; and has gotten his wealth by evil deeds is worth asking to include him in his business. Envy can ruin good, sensible people.

Envy is not a good thing. Jealousy of the wealth, and material goods of others is not good. It is also not a good thing to base one’s view of right and wrong upon what has been approved by others.

The world is telling us that there are many things which are “Right”, which have been “Wrong” for millenniums, centuries, and decades. Judges and laws do not determine what is right and what is wrong.  It has been determined by the mind and heart of Him who is Holy, Righteous, Just and full of Wisdom.  His name is YWWH, and His Son is Jesus who will Judge the world (John 5:22).

People need to wake up to the fact that the enemy is stealing the minds, and heart of the people who will not stand against him.  Christian.  You need to stand.  You are being watched.  Be Christ like [a light] in this dark world.

Christian brother and sister; convictions do not change which have been based on God, and His Word just because a court makes a ruling, or the opinion of the masses change.

Notice the words of the above verses: “the froward [perverse] is an abomination to the LORD”. It is the righteous who have the “secret of the LORD” with them. The righteous are those whom God has made righteous through the shed blood of Jesus Christ Son of God, and God the Son.

Be Just With God

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“I know it is so of a truth: but how should man be just with God? If he will contend with Him, he cannot answer Him one of a thousand. He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against Him, and hath prospered?” Job 9:2-4 (KJV)

Remember Job’s three friends who came to comfort and encourage him are now speaking after seven days of silence.

Bildad the Shuhite has spoken, and just as Eliphaz has done; so does Bildad; accusing Job of unrighteous deeds, because of his loss, sickness, and disease. Has anyone noticed that is still a problem in our world? Even among Christians? Maybe especially among Christians? May God forgive us.

Job raises a very good question, “How should a man (anyone) be just with God?” We are told in the Psalms, and the apostle Paul writes it in Romans; “There is none righteous; no not one” (Psalm 14:1-3; Romans 3:10-11). “Just” means righteous, or blameless.

In the first two chapters of Job we see events take place in heaven where God declares Job as righteous, blameless, just –“a perfect and upright man…” (1:8; 2:3). The only way for anyone to be “Just” with God is by God’s own declaration.

Because God Himself is holy, and righteous He cannot just overlook our sin. There must be a sacrifice for sin; and God Himself provides the sacrifice. That ultimate sacrifice was/is His own only begotten Son Jesus Christ.

Jesus was our payment for our sin upon the cross where all our sin was laid on Him; the Just for the unjust. He took our sins upon Himself, that He might place on us His own Righteousness; declaring us righteous when we trust in Him.

How should you be just with God? Through faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross.

The Blessed Man

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“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.” Psalm 1:1 (KJV)

It is said that “Blessed” means happy, and indeed that is the Hebrew meaning as well.  How does a man become blessed?  By walking the counsel of the godly, stands firmly against all that is sin in the eyes of God, and does not make a mocker of sin or God.

Keeping that in mind I think of Galations 6:7 –

“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”

If you desire to be a Blessed individual – man or woman – then choose the ways of God.  The way of God is by the cross of Jesus Christ, the God Man, who died, was buried and bodily rose from the grave; and is soon returning.

 

The Good Seed, and the Tares in the Kingdom

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“He that soweth the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; the enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.  As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.  The Son of Man shall send forth His angels, and they shall gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.  Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.”  ~Jesus (Matthew 13:37-43)

A Prince Near to God

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A Prince Near to GOD

Job 31:35-37

1.  Job has a longing to be heard in God’s court;
2.  Job is willing and does sign his petition to have the Almighty answer him;
3.  Job believes that if the Almighty has written a book, then he will be found guiltless of the charges against him;
4.  He would present himself as a prince near to GOD.

I.  HOW CAN JOB BE CONFIDENT OF HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS BEFORE GOD? (v. 35).

II. THE BOOK HAS BEEN WRITTEN AND THE HUMAN RACE, EVEN THE “RIGHTEOUS” ARE FOUND GUILTY (v. 35).

III.  WHEN GOD FINDS A MAN RIGHTEOUS WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO SHOW FORTH THE ONE WHO IS RIGHTEOUS – THERE IS A “CROWN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS” (v. 36; 1:8; 2:3;  2 Timothy 4:8).

IV.  WHEN WE ARE DECLARED “RIGHTEOUS” BY GOD WE HAVE THE RIGHT, THE POWER (John 1:12) TO COME NEAR UNTO GOD AS A PRINCE AND/OR A SON(v. 37).

Summary –
i.  The only way of confidence of  righteousness before God is knowing that God has declared one righteous before Him;
ii.  Without the just righteousness of God we all stand guilty before sinless God;
iii.  God has declare many righteous, by grace, through the work of His Son Jesus Christ;
iv.  We have inherited all that belongs to Christ Jesus Himself (Romans 8:14-17).

-T.A.

The sermon points of a message preached at Carr Lane Baptist Church 07/31/11 by Tim A. Blankenship

What will ye then that I shall do unto Him…?

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“And straightway in the morning the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council, and bound Jesus, and carried Him away, and delivered Him to Pilate. 2 And Pilate asked Him, ‘Art thou the King of the Jews?’ And He answering said unto him, ‘Thou sayest it.’ 3 And the chief priests accused Him of many things: but He answered nothing. 4 And Pilate asked Him again, saying, ‘Answerest Thou nothing? behold how many things they witness against Thee.’ 5 But Jesus yet answered nothing; so that Pilate marvelled. 6 Now at that feast he released unto them one prisoner, whomsoever they desired. 7 And there was one named Barabbas, which lay bound with them that had made insurrection with him, who had committed murder in the insurrection. 8 And the multitude crying aloud began to desire him to do as he had ever done unto them. 9 But Pilate answered them, saying, ‘Will ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews?’ 10 For he knew that the chief priests had delivered Him for envy. 11 But the chief priests moved the people, that he should rather release Barabbas unto them. 12 And Pilate answered and said again unto them, ‘What will ye then that I shall do unto Him whom ye call the King of the Jews?’ 13 And they cried out again, ‘Crucify Him.’ 14 Then Pilate said unto them, ‘Why, what evil hath He done?’ And they cried out the more exceedingly, ‘Crucify Him.’
15 And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged Him, to be crucified. 16 And the soldiers led Him away into the hall, called Praetorium; and they call together the whole band.  17 And they clothed Him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about His head, 18 And began to salute Him, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ 19 And they smote Him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon Him, and bowing their knees worshipped Him. 20 And when they had mocked Him, they took off the purple from Him, and put His own clothes on Him, and led Him out to crucify Him.”  Mark 15:1-20 (KJV)

Due to the  fact that Israel was not a free country, but was under Roman rule, they had lost their authority to put anyone to death.  Therefore, they must take Jesus to the Roman governor, who is Pilate.  The religious leaders had found Jesus guilty of blasphemy.  The charge was actually that He had said, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it again”.

God is on trial before humanity, but who is really the condemned here?  Who are the guilty ones?  Why is an innocent, guiltless, sinless, spotless, and blemishless man being sentenced to death?  To answer those questions – The one’s who are pronouncing death to Jesus.  That answers the first two questions.  To answer the final one – Because only the death of an innocent, guiltless, sinless, spotless, and blemishless man can atone for sin before holy God, and Jesus fit the bill.  It was guilty, sinful, spotted, blemished mankind that condemned Him, but it was for those who condemned Him that He died for the real condemned.

Pilate knows Jesus to be innocent of the charge brought against Him, and that the charge has only been brought  due to “envy” (v. 10).  Due to the pressure from the people, though, Pilate offers a choice between a murderer [Barabbas], and Jesus.  Because of the conspiracy of the religious leaders the people and the priests choose Barabbas (v. 11).  When the people cried out for Barabbas Pilate asked, “What shall I do with Jesus, whom you call, ‘King of the Jews?”  Their answer to that was, “Crucify Him.”

What a horrible way for a man to die.  What an awfully horrible way for the God/Man to die who was not guilty of any sin or wrong doing.  Yet, it was determined in the foreknowledge of God, from the foundation of the world, that the Godly should die for the ungodly; the Righteous should die for the unrighteous; the Just should die for the unjust; that the Sinless should die for the sinful.  “But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom. 5:8).

“And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: 18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, 21 Who by Him do believe in God, that raised Him up from the dead, and gave Him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.”  1 Peter 1:17-21

The hands of sinful men striking the sinless Son of God.  The thorns of a tree representing the wages of sin placed on Jesus’ head and mocking Him as king.  The words of men against the Living Word of God, condemning Him to die a cruel, cursing death.  It is a “Cursing death” because the Scriptures say, “(For he that is hanged is accursed of God;)” (Deut.21:23;  Gal. 3:13).

What will you do with Jesus?  Will you just account Him as a good man, a good teacher, a good example; or maybe a work of fiction?  Your indecision about Jesus has eternal consequences as well as the wrong decision.  No decision is your decision.  Choose Jesus as the God-Man who died for your sins, was buried carrying your sin away, and rose bodily from the grave and eternally lives.  Trust Him with your life, and you too can live with Him.

-Tim A. Blankenship