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Effect Of Righteousness Isa. 32:17-18 “And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever. And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places;” Righteousness is defined as upright, just, morally right and virtuous conduct. Righteousness is always determined by a set of standards. A set of standards is a law. Someone must decide what is upright and what is not upright, what is moral and what is not moral, what is just and what is not just, what is virtuous and what is not virtuous. The absence of adherence to law or righteous conduct is lawlessness or iniquity. There is a breach today in righteous living. That breach is lawlessness. For the work of righteousness is peace and quietness and assurance (safety) and rest. Righteousness is always first on God’s list of standards. Righteousness is more important than living a joyous and fulfilling life. But if we want a joyous and fulfilling life we must first live in righteousness. God will not fellowship with people who are living in unrighteousness. Light cannot fellowship with darkness (2 Cor. 6:14). The blood covenant is not a covering for man’s lack of righteousness. The blood covenant is to enable man to come into Christ’s righteousness so we can be released from the control of Satan. Our behavior of righteousness is the transformation process. It fills in the breach that exists between the time we accept the Lord and the time we go to be with Him. The redemption that is operating in us today is to bring us into righteousness with peace and rest. “The kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.” All of that is in harmony with God’s law of moral and social behavior. God has allowed mankind to discover the laws of physics, chemistry and biology, even genetics. But He will not allow them to discover the social and moral laws. What are they? “To love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love your neighbor as yourself.” All the laws of righteousness proceed from these two basic laws of the Kingdom of God. The goal of God is righteousness. The goal of man is peace and quietness, but it will never happen until righteousness is obtained. The Kingdom of God is a Monarchy. Under this dominion the law of God rules and righteousness is the order of the day. The kingdoms of this world refuse it. People want their own independence. They have produced a democracy which says, “The people shall govern themselves and it shall produce life, liberty and the pursuit of fun (happiness).” The outcome of this democratic society now says the government must not be linked in any manner with faith in God, trust of God, dependence on God. Who is going to win - Righteousness or the pursuit of human happiness? Today’s issues are all about the rights of people. But what about the rights of God? This is the beginning of the great apostasy mentioned in 2 Thessalonians 2:3. Since God’s chief desire for people is to be in right relationship with Him, He is no longer enlisting people who want to play with life. And because righteousness has not been the focus of today’s preaching, the emptiness in people’s lives causes them to question the laws of God. As a result, they lack the direction of God in their lives and have no understanding as to what He expects of them as children of the Most High. All those who do not know or understand God and who pursue their own happiness instead of seeking His Kingdom and His righteousness shall fall. Self-philosophy is based on the assumption that man is innately good and that if he be educated and dealt with fairly he will produce a fruitful life. When human happiness and God’s laws come into conflict, the outcome of self-governing is always in favor of human happiness. The distress we are under today is to bring us to the place of understanding and obedience which then allows us to be recreated into the image of Christ Jesus. We are to flee from teachers who put human happiness and peace before righteous living. This means we are to turn away from pursuing our own interest in the world and pursue discipleship that produces faithfulness to God and in Jesus Christ. Joel 3:14 “Multitudes, multitudes are in the valley of decision. For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.” Will you fall? Or will you choose to submit to the law of the Spirit of Life, which is the effect of righteousness? -Pr. Steve March Newsletter 2004 | Effect of Righteousness | Grace | Pastor's Journal March 2003 Respect for the Recompense of the Reward | Be Not Fruitless or Barren part 3 of 3 |
Biblical Counseling for Leaders
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