'righteous' Tagged Posts
Daily Devotions
Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind: ‘Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?’” vss. 1-2 Job 38:1-3 According to the book bearing his name Job is a righteous man who loses his health, property, and family as the result of an inexplicable test prompted by Satan and approved by God. In spite of his blameless life he endures horrible suffering, and then to top it off, his friends suggest that he has brought all…
Daily Devotions
The righteous flourish like the palm tree, and grow like a cedar in Lebanon… In old age they still produce fruit; they are always green and full of sap…” vss. 12, 14 Psalm 92:11-15 This psalmist had seen firsthand that the righteous flourish in the community of faith. Their obedience and reverence for the Lord brought encouragement to all the believers. In their presence good works were obvious and they never stopped growing, but more than that, and this is…
Daily Devotions
for the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.” vs. 6 Psalm 1:4-6 The psalmist was certainly no nihilist, i.e. one who believes that life is meaningless and that there are no eternal values. Rather, he had a strong conviction that there is a right way to live, a way that is looked over and protected by the Lord. He also believed that there was another way, one that was pretty…
Daily Devotions
For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus…” vss. 22b-24 Romans 3:19-24 For Paul it was obvious. Since we’re all sinners no person could ever be made righteous by obedience to the law. At its best all the law can do is make us aware of our sin–so if we truly want to…
Daily Devotions
But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing a wedding robe, and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?’ And he was speechless.” vss. 11-12 Matthew 21:11-14 Matthew really didn’t need to add this little addendum to Jesus’ parable. Up to this point the story was straightforward and blunt, and it had a happy ending–the banquet hall was filled. But now…
Daily Devotions
Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity, and I have trusted in the Lord without wavering. Prove me, O Lord, and try me; test my heart and mind.” vss. 1-2 Psalm 26:1-8 The psalmist was a righteous man, and he knew it! And he didn’t want anyone to confuse him with the sinners that may have hung around the temple precincts. And he was so confident in the way that he had lived that he asked…
Daily Devotions
The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” vss. 41-42 Matthew 13:36-43 The parables of Jesus were short, pithy descriptions of life in the kingdom. Generally they had one main point but were occasionally difficult to understand. In Matthew’s gospel, a few have allegorical descriptions attached…
Daily Devotions
For just as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.” vs. 19 Romans 5:12-19 Paul had loved the ancient stories of the Hebrews and had tucked them away in his memory bank. And now as he attempted to explain the righteousness of God to the Romans, he drew on one of those stories to make sense of his message. He explained that the disease of…
Daily Devotions
He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption…” vs. 30 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 Paul sensed that one of the problems in the Corinthian congregation was that some of the people had begun to think more highly of themselves than they ought to think. He reminds them that when they were called to become believers they were all nobodies, and none of them was in any…
Daily Devotions
For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus…” vss. 22b-24 Romans 3:19-25 For years Martin Luther struggled with his own sinfulness, believing that there had to be some way by which he could, by his own effort, be free from the horrible burden of guilt. But nothing worked, and his anguish continued until…
Daily Devotions
The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.’” vss. 11-12 Luke 18:9-12 While there are literally hundreds of ways in which we can differentiate ourselves from others, there are a couple of categories that transcend even race and skin color. Jesus describes them as the righteous and…
Daily Devotions
Look at the proud! Their spirit is not right in them, but the righteous live by their faith.” vs. 4 Habakkuk 2:1-4 For a variety of reasons there are millions of people in our country who no longer trust in the election process, and some are wondering if this will ultimately lead to widespread chaos. Obviously, many are concerned about this trend because once trust is gone, whether we’re talking about elections or relationships, it cannot easily be restored. And…
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