The Blessing of Righteousness
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8 Truths about Righteousness & Righteous living
8 Truths about Righteousness & Righteous living
Oh, the joys of those who do not
follow the advice of the wicked,
or stand around with sinners,
or join in with mockers.
But they delight in the law of the Lord,
meditating on it day and night.
They are like trees planted along the riverbank,
bearing fruit each season.
Their leaves never wither,
and they prosper in all they do.
But not the wicked!
They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind.
They will be condemned at the time of judgment.
Sinners will have no place among the godly.
For the Lord watches over the path of the godly,
but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.
How Blessed are those who hunger and thrist for Righteousness!
For the Lord watches over the path of the godly,
but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.
The ESV:
for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.
Righteousness- tsaddiq-
righteous, upright, just, i.e., pertaining to being a person in accordance with a proper standard
1. Righteousness begins with the Lord
1. Righteousness begins with the Lord
And this will be his name:
‘The Lord Is Our Righteousness.’
In that day Judah will be saved,
and Israel will live in safety.
Jehovah Tsidkenu- Jesus is the fulfillment of the Lord being our Righteousness- The Lord our Righteousness
For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.
ESV- 2 Cor 5:21
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Jesus is our righteousness- He is the reason we are made right with God
We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.
To be righteous is to be made right with God- meaning there is no offense between you and God
Yet it was our weaknesses he carried;
it was our sorrows that weighed him down.
And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God,
a punishment for his own sins!
But he was pierced for our rebellion,
crushed for our sins.
He was beaten so we could be whole.
He was whipped so we could be healed.
The Word pierced in the Hebrews means pollute
chalal (חָלַל, 2490), “to pollute, defile, profane, begin.”
Jesus took our sins upon Himself on the cross- they are no longer on our lives- He was polluted so that we might be made clean
in other Words He bore them- When He died He died as my Sin
When I was died (Baptism) I died to my sin
Jesus Says in John 3:14-15
And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life.
Jesus takes the poison of Sin that Kills us
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
2. The Lord Watches over the Righteous
2. The Lord Watches over the Righteous
He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths,
bringing honor to his name.
Evs- Psalm 23:3
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.
God watches over the steps of the Righteous
For the Lord watches over the path of the godly,
but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.
3. The Blessing of the Lord is upon the Righteous
3. The Blessing of the Lord is upon the Righteous
The blessing of God is the tangible and intangible evidence of God’s hand on a person’s life—empowering them to prosper, live righteously, walk in peace, and fulfill His purposes, both now and eternally.
God’s blessing includes:
God’s Favor and Approval- Numbers 6:24-26
Provision and Faithfulness- Deuteronomy 28:1-2
Spiritual Empowerment- Ephesians 1:3
God’s Guidance and Protection- Psalm 23
Righteousness , Prosperity, and Peace- Proverbs 10:22
Protection- Psalm 23:4-5
Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands.
The blessing of the Lord makes a person rich,
and he adds no sorrow with it.
God blesses the live and labor of the Righteous:
Give generously to the poor, not grudgingly, for the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do.
There you and your families will feast in the presence of the Lord your God, and you will rejoice in all you have accomplished because the Lord your God has blessed you.
4. Righteousness is the key to answered Prayers
4. Righteousness is the key to answered Prayers
God Hears the prayers of the Righteous, Which means God hears your prayers:
The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right,
and his ears are open to their prayers.
But the Lord turns his face
against those who do evil.”
ESV- “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayer.”
Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops.
Elijah was considered the greatrest prophet right next to Moses-
James tells us the key to Elijah’s prayers being answered was righteous with God- He feared God above anyone else
5. Hungering for Righteousness is hunger for the things of God
5. Hungering for Righteousness is hunger for the things of God
but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
Jesus Said Matthew 5:6
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
What this means is that the person who hungers and thirst for righteousness is the the person who wants to do right by God-
It is a hunger for the things of God
In their lives
in their marriages
in their families
In their Ministries
In their speech
in their actions
in their finances
And God bless the righteous
they want to meat His requirements no one else’s nor their own justified requirements
Well i did this because someone said, or did this- it was my response
Well at least i’m not that bad
or at least I didn’t kill somebody
The Hunger for righteousness is the pursuit of Holiness
For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”
It is the pursuit to fulfill God’s righteous requirements of covenant- and this comes with the promise of being satisfied-
The Word means to eat one’s fill- it speaks of a life that is satisfied- not lack
The Lord is my shepherd;
I have all that I need.
He who earnestly seeks after and craves righteousness, mercy, and loving-kindness will find life in addition to righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God) and honor.
5. Righteousness is a way of life
5. Righteousness is a way of life
Joshua 24:15- Chose today whom you will Serves, But as for me and my House we Will serve the Lord-
Joshua had made up His mind- I am going to live righteously before my God
“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life. And if you love and obey the Lord, you will live long in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”
It is called righteous living-
This is what separated Noah from the rest of the world and in turn His righteous was of living saved His life
This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless person living on earth at the time, and he walked in close fellowship with God.
Righteous Living is the path to Blessing
Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
It is the Path that Lord’s leads you life down- like a shepherd leads sheep to the area where they will thrive and have provision-
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.
Living a righteousness life is following the Word of the Lord-
Daniel followed the Lord and prayed
Joshua followed the Lord and marched
The Three Hebrew boys followed the Lord and wouldn’t bow
Elijah followed the Lord and stood against the prophets of Baal
Those who are honest and fair,
who refuse to profit by fraud,
who stay far away from bribes,
who refuse to listen to those who plot murder,
who shut their eyes to all enticement to do wrong—
these are the ones who will dwell on high.
The rocks of the mountains will be their fortress.
Food will be supplied to them,
and they will have water in abundance.
The ESV Says
He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly,
who despises the gain of oppressions,
who shakes his hands, lest they hold a bribe,
who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed
and shuts his eyes from looking on evil,
The Path of Righteousness is the Path where God leads you and provides for you
it is called Righteous living-
Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.
Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.
You chose what life you are going to Life- and you can live a righteous life Because God sent Jesus Christ so your sins could be taken away, and He gave you the Holy Spirit and empowered you to live in right Standing with Him
Listen to the Spirit
He has called you to be Holy as He is Holy-
“Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.
Jesus’s sermon on the mount is a sermon on how to live a righteous life- and He ends it with this illustration or parable
“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”
6. Righteous living produce Righteous fruit-
6. Righteous living produce Righteous fruit-
They are like trees planted along the riverbank,
bearing fruit each season.
Their leaves never wither,
and they prosper in all they do.
And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
7. Righteousness is the key for Spiritual Victory
7. Righteousness is the key for Spiritual Victory
The Bible says Proverbs 28:1
The wicked flee when no one pursues,
but the righteous are bold as a lion.
Why are they Bold and confident?
Because the Eyes of the Lord watch over the Righteous!
The Righteous understand where they stand with the Lord
Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you.
I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.
The angel of the Lord encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;
he is their stronghold in the time of trouble.
The Lord helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.
It is because of this the Righteous stand boldly for God, the Word of God, the Will of God, and the Kingdom of God
Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness.
Righteousness is armor that protects your life
It prevents the devil from having access to your life- Becase sin and wickedness are the doorway to the demonic.
The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right;
his ears are open to their cries for help.
ESV Psalm 34:15
The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous
and his ears toward their cry.
Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
but the Lord delivers him out of them all.
Nlt- Psalm 34:19
The righteous person faces many troubles,
but the Lord comes to the rescue each time.
For the Lord protects the bones of the righteous;
not one of them is broken!
8. Righteousness comes with Promises and Rewards
8. Righteousness comes with Promises and Rewards
And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.
Sincerely seeking God is living a righteous life- and righteousness only comes through faith
For the Scriptures tell us, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.”
So the promise is received by faith. It is given as a free gift. And we are all certain to receive it, whether or not we live according to the law of Moses, if we have faith like Abraham’s. For Abraham is the father of all who believe.
In the same way, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” The real children of Abraham, then, are those who put their faith in God.
What’s more, the Scriptures looked forward to this time when God would make the Gentiles right in his sight because of their faith. God proclaimed this good news to Abraham long ago when he said, “All nations will be blessed through you.” So all who put their faith in Christ share the same blessing Abraham received because of his faith.
Righteousness is the pathway of Faith and God rewards the righteous!
The fears of the wicked will be fulfilled;
the hopes of the godly will be granted.
ESV Proverbs 10:24
What the wicked dreads will come upon him,
but the desire of the righteous will be granted.
The hopes of the godly result in happiness,
but the expectations of the wicked come to nothing.
The way of the Lord is a stronghold to those with integrity,
but it destroys the wicked.
The godly will never be disturbed,
but the wicked will be removed from the land.
The Godly- means the righteous- and the word trighteous means those loyal to God-
it is just a future reward
If the righteous are rewarded here on earth,
what will happen to wicked sinners?
Jesus Leads the Righteous-
Jesus Leads the Righteous-
Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”
Final Encouragement
Final Encouragement
And this righteousness will bring peace.
Yes, it will bring quietness and confidence forever.
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Let us walk in righteousness—not by our own strength, but by the grace of God through Jesus Christ. The blessing follows the righteous!
