Sin and Righteousness
Why is righteousness so important, you find mention of it all over the bible.
Matthew 6:33 (Jesus said) “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you.”
Matt 5:6 (Jesus) “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”
Proverbs 14:34 “Righteousness exalts a nation.”
Righteousness, what does it mean?
Godly, holy living; things which are just and right before God, without sin, acting as God wants, how God acts.
It is also our standing as believers before God because He accepts us as righteous because of the sacrificial death of Jesus for us, Romans 5:19. But although we are born again, of God the Holy Spirit, and we are a new Spirit person, we still have the old person we call the flesh. So we are two people and they fight against each other, one is holy and loves the things of God, the other is sinful and loves ungodly things. Read Romans 8:5-17 for more about that.
But let’s get back to our righteousness behaviour, why is it so important?
When we act in righteousness we;
Are in fellowship with Him and we can be very intimate with Him,
God can direct us and use us for His purposes,
We give glory to God through our actions and thoughts,
Our lives are a witness and testimony to God but also to principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this age and spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. This is important to God, Ephesians 6:12; Revelation 12:11.
Righteousness is best for us and we feel happiest when we are close to God.
In recent years I have started to think that our sins as believers were not so important to God based on the fact that He knows us so well and God the Holy Spirit in particular puts up with so much sin on our part. I mean have you ever thought about how much you sin in your thoughts in one day, and the Holy Spirit who lives in us, still sticks around! But my creeping theory that sin was not so important for believers has been brought up short recently after I studied the seven letters to the churches at the beginning of the book of Revelation.
Let us have a brief look at these letters, they are in Revelation chapters 1 and 2. As we read these words remember that this is your loving Lord Jesus speaking, who you know and pray to every day.
Of the seven churches that Jesus asks John to write to, all but one have achieved some good things but five are in trouble with the Lord. To the first church in Ephesus Jesus said, Rev 2:4, “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have fallen; repent and do the first works or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place-unless you repent.” (NKJV). This church had fallen away from the love of Jesus and had not tried to get back to that position. Jesus said He would come and remove the presence of God if they did not repent.
Then we jump to Rev 2:12-17, the church in Pergamos. You can read it. This church was compromising with people who taught idolatry and sexual immorality. Jesus said that if the church did not repent, He would come and fight against the ones acting and speaking in sin and no doubt it would be very chaotic and the whole church would be affected by Jesus’ actions.
2:18-29, the church in Thyatira. This church was being tempted by an individual to mislead the believers into sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols with wrong motives. Jesus said He would kill the individual’s followers.
3:1-6, the church in Sardis. Jesus said this was a dead church and He would come like a thief in judgement of them.
3:14-18, the church in Laodicea. Jesus said this, 15-17, “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 “So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of my mouth. 17 “Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’-and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked- “
Wow, “vomit you out of my mouth”, I would not have believed Jesus would say that to a church! Vomiting is a violent action, Jesus was not mincing His words. Some Christian friends told me recently that “nothing bad comes from God”, really?
But Jesus ends His words to these churches with this explanation, 3:19, “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. 20 “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.”
So this is all discipline from the Lord but why is He so tough on the sins of these churches and by implication on us? Because sin separates us from God. Even as born again, spirit filled believers, our sins will separate us from God. And God desires, more than anything else, to be with us. That is why, in the Old Testament, He wanted a temple built; to be in the mist of His people. 1 Kings 6:12,13, “Concerning this temple which you are building, if you walk in my statutes… I will dwell among the children of Israel, and I will not forsake My people Israel.” And Jesus said in John 17:24, “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am..” The main desire of Jesus is that we be with Him where He is in glory!! God loves to be with us and always in communion/fellowship with us. Praise Him!
Something more on the discipline, I find it very helpful to think of a loving father who is discipling his child. A parent who does not love their child will not take time to discipline their child. But if that child is misbehaving and will not respond to talking, pleading, encouragement from the father what will the father do? He will resort to tougher and tougher discipline until the child responds.
The church in the west is generally very weak these days and those outside the church are becoming more and more ungodly and anti-God. So what do you think God will do? Just a thought.
What about you? What sins are in your life at the moment. Do you have secret sins that no one knows about? God knows, but He says “Come close and repent.”
Recently God has been speaking to me about something I had not realised before. That I can be arrogant. Maybe He was waiting for the right time because now I am really thinking about it and trying to change my behaviour throughout each day.
Do you have bad thoughts? Do you fantasize about violence, gossiping or sex? Of course you do, and don’t you want to stop? Confess these thoughts to God and ask Him to help you. God wants to help you, you cannot live in righteousness without His help. God is for you and not against you. God will go to any lengths to get you in His presence, we know that because He sent His Son to die for us! Praise Him.
Is God speaking to you right now about sin in your life? Take some time now to confess all to Him and receive His forgiveness. 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
God loves you and wants you right beside Him, no sin is better than His presence!
Questions
Is there someone whom you trust, who you can be accountable to? Can you meet them once a week, pray and share the sins that you are struggling with?
Why not get a concordance (or Google) and do a bible study on righteousness, we have only touched upon this important subject in this article.
Some sins, like addictions, can take time to stop. But you can make an agreement with God that you will not give up and with His help you can change.
Addictions can also me spiritual and demonic so get help if you need it.
Prayers
Keep praying for Uganda. We need a leadership which is strong, just and not paranoid about opposition.
Pray for those who have been taken for their opposition to the president. That they will be treated justly and those who are innocent will be freed soon.
We do not want Uganda to go in this direction of secret abductions and killings. Equally we do not want anti-government protesters to take the law in to their own hands in their discontent. God continue to help and have mercy on Uganda.
Hugh Pilcher
