Just, Righteous, Grace

 

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

Back in June, 2008, I was writing on this very blog about "Righteousness." Fortunately, I've learned a number of things since then and have a better understanding. Oh, I didn't find anything I would really change - those verses are just as they were fifteen years ago, 500 years ago, or 2000 years ago, or more!

Funny to me is when God brings three or more different people/events/material/"things" together that focuses us on one train of thought for more than one person. You see, Sunday morning our Sunday School class was supposed to be learning more about Romans' chapter 8, but our regular teacher was out and our substitute went for 1 John 5. That was followed by our worship service where pastor began with Titus 2:11+, and delved into II Peter 3:8+. At the same time, a question was posted on that "Righteousness" blog page. I was thinking about Sunday's messages, but that one Comment turned into this blog page.

A verse I used back in 2008: As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: (Romans 3:10 KJV) is just as true today as it was when Paul wrote his epistle, and David wrote in Psalms 14. We are all sinners at some time or other, even after we accept Jesus as our savior. The difference for a Christian is that we are saved through God's grace:

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV)

See that welcome sign on the graphic above? We do not become sin free when we accept God's gift. We still have a nature compatible with the world we live in, and may I assure you - this is a sinful world, but it is not sin filled. There were just and righteous men long before God removed the consequences of our sin as it relates to our eternal life:

But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:22-23 KJV)

There are no Bible verses that promise us freedom from the consequences of our sin. If we've hurt people, they will still be hurt after we are saved. If we hurt people after we've been saved, they will hurt. There are consequences to our actions for sin whether before or after salvation.

When we come to God with belief and faith, we come just as we are. As the hymn "Just As I Am" lists, there are several descriptions for us to select that apply to each of us. So - how then do we know a Christian? Look at II Peter 1:3 and the following verses that pretty much show the path of Christian growth:  FAITH, VIRTUE, KNOWLEDGE, TEMPERANCE, PATIENCE, GODLINESS, BROTHERLY KINDNESS,  and my favorite word from I Corinthians 13: CHARITY.

Righteousness isn't there. Righteousness comes with our faith in God. For good lessons in faith, read Hebrews chapter 11. Look up each one of the people listed and find out what faith in God did to change their lives. One not listed there is Lot. His uncle Abraham is listed, but Lot lost his family, his wife, his home, even the town he lived in, because he was considered a "just" man who had cast his tents toward Sodom. Here's what Peter wrote about that:

And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) (2 Peter 2:6-8 KJV)

Please note two specific words that describe Lot in those verses:  "just" and "righteous." By God's grace, Lot was considered just and righteous, even though sinful people: vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds

Our faith in God should mean that we work to learn how to avoid temptation. We learn from the Bible what sin is. We avoid it because it has consequences. God provides us ways to avoid it:

The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished: (2 Peter 2:9 KJV)

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. (Matthew 6:13 KJV)