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Archive for the ‘Righteousness’ Category

The famous Abraham Lincoln had a favorite joke: “If we consider the tail of a lamb as a leg, how many legs would a lamb have?” — His answer: “Four, considering it one doesn’t make it one!”

Except….whatever God considers is just that!

God considered something for Abraham:

Abraham “believed the Lord, and God counted it to him as righteousness”. — Genesis 15:5-6

God considered Abraham righteous though Abraham had done and continued doing some pretty stinky things! God considering him righteousness was all that was required!

King David, too! He wrote:

“Blessed is he whose sin is covered unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity.” — Psalm 32:1-3a

The word imputeth means to consider. He wrote about those to whom the judge of the universe looks at and says, “Not Guilty!” That is a blessing!! Where do you get that?!

The Bible says

“It was not written for [Abraham’s] sake alone … but for our sake also, unto whom it shall be reckoned (considered), who believe on him that raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up for our trespasses, and was raised for our justification. — Romans 4:23-25

Joining our lives to Christ enters us in that consideration.

So, If We consider five (5) unrighteousness men in a room as righteous, how many righteous men are in the room? — Five, if they have given their lives to Christ, God considers it so!

— fritz

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The Old Testament had strict dietary laws generally based on inherent animal characterises — fish with fins and scales, “clean”, fins without scales, “unclean”. Animals chewing the “cud” and parting the hoof were ok to eat but those having one without the other, no good!

It all seems so arbitrary and many have tried to explain it by saying there are, perhaps, special heath benefits. But the Bible indicates why — and it had nothing to do with health.

“And ye shall not walk in the manners of the nations which I cast out before you … I am the LORD your God, who has separated you from other people … Ye shall therefore put a difference between clean beasts and unclean” — Leviticus 20:23-25

The “therefore” of this verse specifically links dietary law to the kinds of people God was replacing.

Old Testament dietary law was an object lesson teaching there were “clean” and “unclean” people based on their inherent actions.

In the New Testament God, again, links dietary laws with people groups, but with a twist — something happened with the advent of Christ!

Follow a telling story from the biblical book of Acts:

The apostle, Peter, has a vision of unclean animals on a sheet and is commanded to eat. He refuses, as any good Jew would, because they were “unclean”. Then the vision’s voice says,

“What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.” — Acts 10:15

Just then three (3) gentiles show up at the door wanting to hear about Jesus, and a light goes on in Peter’s head!

I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him” — Acts 10:34-35

Before Christ, people rarely changed — they were forever as they were born. Not so in Christ! Jesus is in the life changing business! The symbolical dietary law has been superseded by Christ who changes the human heart making the unclean forgiven and holy! As the Apostle Paul wrote to those who come to Christ from the world,

“[S]uch were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” — 1st Corinthians 6:11

— fritz@langgang.com

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“The LORD is my shepherd…He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake” – Psalm 23:1a, 3

It’s after his restoration of our soul that we can be lead in paths of righteousness.

That restoration makes us want to do the right thing, only then can enables us follow, not as a precondition but as the result. This is his work, and he gets the glory for it.

Charles Wesley, Anglican Priest and brother to John Wesley who founded the Methodist Church, wrote in his hymn “O For A Thousand Tongues to Sing”

He breaks the power of cancelled sin
He sets the prisoner free
His blood can make the foulest clean
His blood availed for me

– fritz

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