The Way of the Righteous

Psalm 1:6 “For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.”

Surely the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous…for it is HIs Way.  It is a matter of being right-wise with God.

Proverbs 11:30 “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.”

As Christians, the light we use in our own lives,  affects others.   

      (As my daughter says often….”We are harbor lights….showing the Way to Christ.   Or we are warning lights…pushing people away from Christ”.)

First, let us define “righteous”.  It means to be and do  right,  to be clean in God’s sight… it means to be innocent.

None is righteous in themselves….no, not one. (Romans 3:10)

For all who come to Christ Jesus by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9)….Christ’s blood and sacrifice cleanses us from our sin….and makes us positively righteous in God’s eyes.

This is our standing…which is in Christ Jesus.

But there is a righteousness which we are to be and do in this world…which has to do with our state.

Therefore, when it comes to being righteous….God  has to be our example….He must show us all that we should do…

…..but also He has to give us the grace or enabling to do.   Our part is to yield to what He shows us….including the Way we should go… and obey.

Hebrews 4:13 “Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.”

If we would only come to the full realization that this is true….we would acquire the full faculty of honesty in our souls.

God sees all.   

And He would have everyone of His own to come to Him knowing that He has seen,  does see, and will see all….where we are concerned.

Hebrews 4:12 “For the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

Praise God for His Word!   It divides!  

     It separates between soul (what we feel or think) and spirit (what the Holy Spirit shows us).

     It separates between joints (the workings of things, which we often see) and marrow (which is the real meat of the matter…the reason we do what we do).

     And after it separates for us, so that we can see…..it gives us discernment of our thoughts about things….and our intentions…which are not just our plans…but our desires.

     How many examples of what we are going through are in His Word?

     How many of His people have failed….yet been lifted up from that failure to grander heights of knowledge of Him?

Proverbs 4:18 (ASV) “But the path of the righteous is as the dawning light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.”

This is the path of all who have been born again.   We have light!   We have the means to get more light.

And  if we are not getting greater light…then…it is time to consider at what we stumble.

Proverbs 4:19 “The way of the wicked is as darkness:  they know not at what they stumble.”   

Because we have some light….even the gray light of dawn….we should know at what we stumble.   We should know what we have been tripped up in….and we can be enabled by the Holy Spirit to set things right.

Righteousness is imparted to us, because we are born again….we are in Christ Jesus.

Righteousness is grown in us, because the Holy Spirit is teaching and empowering us to be conformed to Christ Jesus’ in character.

By His righteousness we are accepted before God the Father.   

By the righteousness we do, in yielding to the Holy Spirit, we show Christ to the world.   

2 Timothy 2:19 “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal,  The Lord knoweth them that are His.   And,   Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”

God’s Word always separates. 

    ( As the angels told Lot  when taking him by the hand out of Sodom….

Genesis 19:17 “And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said,  Escape for thy life;  look not behind thee,…”)

We are to depart from iniquity….get out from it.   Escape….look not behind us.

The Lord’s eyes are always toward the righteous….ready to encourage, strengthen, and enable.  

     Let us:  turn our eyes upon Jesus…and grow in light.

Psalm 25:15 “Mine eyes are ever toward the Lord; for He shall pluck my feet out of the net.”