A Christmas Gift To All-Our Righteousness Comes From God-Part Three

It is important that I stress at the beginning of each part of this series that the Scripture references are taken from the Spirit Filled Life Bible. It is not my desire or intent to cause offense to anyone, but it is my desire to present each of you with the truth that our righteousness come from God in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ. And, not just our righteousness but our salvation and deliverance from the snares and pits of those that desire to repay us evil for our kindness. We do not call down wrath, but stand on the ever unfailing Word of God which is our sword against those who would come against us for our hurt or for their own selfish ambition. God's wrath comes through our own disobedience and desire to follow after our own fleshly desires rather than the desire of God for our lives. He is a gracious and merciful God, but He is also a jealousy God when we place ourselves and things in the place that only He should be.

Proverbs 10:2-3; "Treasures of wickedness profit nothing, but righteousness delivers from death. The Lord will not allow the righteous soul to famish, but He cast away the desire of the wicked."

When we seek our own righteousness and self-seeking ambitions we find ourselves in places of desolation. In order to receive truth, we must deny our own righteousness and seek His righteousness. For the truth is that when have no righteousness outside of Him. Jesus is the righteousness of God!

Proverbs 11:6; "The righteousness of the upright will deliver them, but the unfaithful will be caught by their lusts."

Our righteousness in God is through Jesus Christ and our promise of deliverance is in Him. If we continue to follow our own hearts and selfish-ambition we will find ourselves in states of confusion, hardships and empty, even if we think that we are doing well. We are caught in pits and snares through the lust and deceptions of our own hearts. It is these things and not the acts and words of others that bring certain judgments and wrath upon us. We can no longer afford to follow the ways of the world if we desire and want the fulfillment of God's blessing upon our lives and land.

Proverbs 11:19; "As righteousness leads to life, so he who pursues evil pursues it to his own death."

Jesus the righteousness of God leads to life eternal. Without Him the path leads to spiritual death. In this passage we can gain an understanding if we will, that it is our own pursuits that determine life and death. Whose path or you following, His or yours? His leads to life while the pursuit of selfish-ambition leads to death-spiritual and not always physical.

Proverbs 12:28; "In the pathway of righteousness is life, and in its pathway there is no death."

Jesus is the righteousness of God, and in Him there is no separation from God-the Spirit of man is life, but without Him the spirit of man is death.

Proverbs 13:6; "Righteousness guards Him whose way is blameless, but wickedness overthrows the sinner."

The righteousness of God, Jesus Christ who is the only blameless One, will uphold us. But, our selfish-ambition will overthrow us in one way or another-we are assured if we follow this path to fall short of all our plans-and be lead astray through the deceptions of our own making-or the desires of another if we forsake the truth and follow after them. Jesus is our blessed assurance.

Proverbs 14:34; "Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people."

When we count on our own righteousness and turn from the principles and statutes of God as a collective people in a nation-our nation is no longer exalted-and the sin of the people of the nation becomes a reproach to God. He is a jealous God and our actions as a nation promotes His wrath or blessing. Which do you prefer wrath or blessing?

Proverbs 16:31; "The silver-head is a crown of glory, if it is found in the way of righteousness."

It is the experiences of life that change our appearance, actions and desires. To have obtained a silver-head through the struggles in life is one thing, but to obtain a silver-head through the presence of God is blessing. Age is an honor if accomplished in righteousness and a struggle if we follow our own path. Age is suppose to to bring growth, wisdom, maturity,understanding, knowledge and truth, but there are far too many of us who have followed the desires of our own hearts and continue to walk around the mountain with no clue how to get out; We must let go of our own wisdom and seek God's wisdom herein lies the truth to overcoming.

Proverbs 21:21; "He who follows righteousness and mercy, finds life, righteousness and honor."

If we follow, study and gain the wisdom and understanding of Jesus; we find grace for our short comings and life through His completed work. In the righteousness of God through and in Jesus Christ we learn to honor ourselves, our bodies as the temple of God, and others-our perspective of respect changes for both ourselves and others. For if we are Christ then His Spirit dwells within us, through His wisdom and guidance we are led by His Holy Spirit to the place of gaining honor amongst mankind.

Isaiah 1:21; "How the faithful city has become a harlot! It was full of justice; Righteousness lodged in it, but now murders."

Our nation was founded on the principles of God, and God-fearing men who drafted our Constitution and Bill of Rights. We have traveled far from those principles as a people individually and collectively. A place where we once hallowed and bow our knee to an Almighty God, now we allow our laws to be changed and make those things that God considers to be an abomination to be acceptable. How long before we understand that we are taking away the blessing of God from our nation by our own actions or the lack of them?

Isaiah 11:4-5; "But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth. And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, and faithfulness the belt of His waist."

Through Jesus He will judge the poor in spirit. He will establish and exalt the meek in the earth, but the spoken words of His mouth will not return to Him void. His words will cut off the wicked and their plans if we will but turn and call upon Him while we may be heard. The nation will be upheld when the people return to His righteousness and not their own, and are once again faithful to His principles and statutes.

Isaiah 26:10; "Let grace be shown to the wicked, yet he will not learn from righteousness; in the land of the uprightness he will deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the Lord."

Throughout the written pages of the Bible, time and time again evidence is presented that God gave many warnings to the people of the land to turn from their wicked ways and return to Him. He is not quick to bring His wrath, but He is just and fulfills the words He speaks when the people will not head the voice of the Lord. He has shown His grace and mercy to our nation for a long time, but we as a people and nation have not headed the voice of His word. We have not taken seriously the consequences of our actions, have not turned from following our selfish-ambition and fleshly lust-therefore, if we do not receive His righteousness we will receive His wrath that we may repent and return to Him, His righteousness, principles and statutes.

Now to Part Four.