RIGHTEOUS LIVING

The word righteous in relation to a person or conduct means morally right or virtuous.  Virtuous means honourable, good, upright, honest and worthy. To have morals means to be ethical, decent and principled.  It sounds simple, but we are required everyday to make choices, which could be challenging.  If you are working but need to attend an interview for a new job, do you call in sick or take a half-day holiday?

Living righteously is not the same as being religious.  It is more profound – it encapsulates the concept of appearance vs reality.  Righteousness is the condition of one’s heart; the purity and the good intentions, which drive us to live as God wills us to.  God sees our innermost thoughts and living right is striving against all odds to live as God intended.

Let us explore two attributes of righteousness, namely, Absolute Obedience and The Living Sacrifice.

Absolute Obedience

When we accept Christ as our Lord and Saviour, we make an informed choice to obey Him unconditionally.  The concept of Unconditional Obedience means going where God leads us without questioning His judgement.  God pulled us up and out of the dry, barren places – our rundown homes, our jobs or even bad relationships – and He requires something from us.  He requires our dedication, affection and obedience.

Psalm 119:35 & 133 says, ‘…direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight…direct my footsteps according to your word; let no sin rule over me…’  God will not lead us into a situation where His grace cannot sustain us.  He will not lead us astray and as Psalm 23:3 says, ‘…he leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake…’  When God’s name is at stake, His word will always be fulfilled for His children’s benefit. 

The book of Proverbs labours on the virtues of being honourable.  For example Proverbs 11:18 states that he who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward; Proverbs 13:6 states that righteousness guards the man of integrity and Proverbs 14:34 confirms that righteousness exalts a nation but sin is a disgrace to any people.

Why would a book in the Bible concentrate on this?  Because with righteousness as our breastplate, our hearts are protected against the deceitful plans of the enemy.

A right life says a resounding ‘yes’ to God with our heart, body and soul.  Simply thinking about doing the right thing is not enough.  There must be an accompanying action.  As Christians, we must seek righteousness by first seeking the kingdom of God .  The Bible reveals that our ability to prosper depends on our integrity, purity and righteousness because iniquity strips us of our dignity and makes the heavens as brass over our life. 

The Living Sacrifice

As sons of God, we must live a life of worship - blameless, honourable and respectable.  Serving God and being favoured by Him daily does not entitle us to sin indiscriminately. 1 Corinthians 6:20 urges us to honour God with our body.  We must seek and submit to the guidance of the Holy Spirit; acknowledge God’s presence and trust Him for He made us and He knows us better than we know ourselves.

Our choices in life must be governed by our love for God and our desire to please Him.  Choosing the right path enables us to walk closer to God and have Him near at all times.  Psalm 45:7-8 says, ‘…you love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy…’  When we live a life of worship, we derive strength from our integrity, (Proverbs 28:1), and our spiritual well-being is catered for. 

Psalm 101:2 says, ‘…I will be careful to lead a blameless life…’  As sons of God, who are led by God’s spirit and live in accordance with it, (see Romans), we will be honoured with a seat at His table, where the feast is spread.  His word confirms that being obedient and living right will be rewarded on earth and in heaven.  Proverbs 14:14, which says, ‘…the faithless will be fully repaid for their ways, and the good man rewarded for his…’ confirms this.  (See also Revelation 2:7).

The Fruits of Righteousness

Psalm 92:12-13 says, ‘…the righteous shall flourish like the palm tree…those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God…’  Walking right before God therefore safeguards our salvation, bolsters our prayers and enriches our anointing and gifts.

Walking right with God results in priceless blessings from Him.  For example, Shadrach, Meshach and   Abednego were saved from the fiery furnace and Job recovered all that he lost because they walked blameless before God.  1 Samuel 26:23 says, ‘…the Lord rewards every man for his righteousness and faithfulness…’

  Psalm 89:14 confirms that God’s throne is established on righteousness and Psalm 85:10-11 states that ‘…righteousness and peace kiss each other…righteousness looks down from heaven…and our land will yield its harvest…’  Where righteousness resides, success and rest abound.

Living right means putting God first and this might sometimes require us to sacrifice certain relationships and habits, which could be detrimental to our spiritual growth.  This might be costly to us in the short term, but will prove to be beneficial in the long term.  We must derive satisfaction from being principled and realise that as He is gracious and merciful, God will direct us to the right path, should we fall.

God’s word for us this year confirmed that this is our year of rest.  With His guidance, we shall no longer struggle to live right.  This month, let us apply the knowledge, which we have acquired.  May we learn to live a life of perpetual worship, which would safeguard us from the enemy and please God.

This is our year of rest and the word of God shall come to pass in our life.