Righteousness and Peace
Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 139 viewsNotes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
SR ; Cor 5:21
New Year’s Resolution?
From the January 27 Conejo Valley COC bulletin by Tammy Ditmore
Now that we’re almost a month into 2019, have you made progress on your New Year’s resolutions? Are you well on your way to creating new habits that will lead to better lifelong behaviors? Or are you like me—still looking for the perfect time to get started? When I’m deep into the craziness of a holiday season, it’s easy to tell myself that I’m going to change things up right after the first of the year. I’m going to start eating better and exercising more. I’m going to keep my email inbox under control and learn how to actually use all my fancy task management apps. I’m going to become more disciplined about my Bible study and my prayer life. But when New Year’s Day rolls around, I realize that the holidays aren’t quite over yet. I really can’t start a new diet when there’s so much good food left in the house. And I need to wrap up these urgent projects and get all the Christmas decorations put away before I can settle into a daily routine that includes adequate time for exercise and prayer and sleep. When I get time, I think, when things settle down, when everything is “normal,” then I can focus on all the good things I want to do.
The fruit of that righteousness will be peace; its effect will be quietness and confidence forever.
Pursuing righteousness as a path to peace? Ditmore describes trying to find peace by “taking care of everything” while Isaiah reminds us that it is not our striving for peace that produces peace but peace is a result or fruit of a righteous life.
When I get time, I think, when things settle down, when everything is “normal,” then I can focus on all the good things I want to do. A few years ago, about this time of year, I realized I might be going at this the wrong way when I discovered this verse from Isaiah: “The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever” (32:17). Righteousness produces peace? This idea startled me because I don’t typically think to pursue righteousness as a path to peace. In fact, I tend to do just the opposite, seeking peace in my life so I’ll have time to focus on being righteous. As with my New Year’s resolutions, I tell myself that when I have more time, fewer worries, extra money, less stress, I will focus more attention and time on “becoming righteous.” And then I wonder why I never seem to find that peace. Jesus warned about spending too much time fretting over everyday chores and challenges, assuring us that God knows what we need and will provide it if we focus first on righteousness. “Do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well (). And that’s when we will find the peace that far surpasses the satisfaction of a successful New Year’s resolution.
Isa 32:17
“The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever”
Pursuing righteousness as a path to peace? Ditmore describes trying to find peace by “taking care of everything” Isaiah reminds us that it is not our striving for peace that produces peace but peace is a result or fruit of a righteous life.
Righteousness: God is righteous
Bring to an end the violence of the wicked and make the righteous secure— you, the righteous God who probes minds and hearts.
Your righteousness, God, reaches to the heavens, you who have done great things. Who is like you, God?
The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary Righteousness (Old Testament)
God’s ṣĕdāqâ is aimed at order in his creation and at leading his community to its goal; it is his salvific will in action
Bring to an end the violence of the wicked and make the righteous secure— you, the righteous God who probes minds and hearts.
The New Bible Dictionary, Third Edition Righteousness
God himself is righteous (2 Ch. 12:6; Ps. 7:9), and hence may be relied upon to act in accordance with the terms of his relationship with Israel. God is therefore a righteous judge who acts for his people (Ps. 9:4; Je. 11:20), and upon whose righteousness his people depend for deliverance and vindication (Ps. 31:1; Je. 11:20).
In the OT, since God is righteous he can be relied upon to act in accordance with the terms of his relationship with Israel. God is a righteous judge who acts for his people and upon whose righteousness his people depend for deliverance and vindication.
God’s people can be righteous too. OT righteousness can be thought of as a correct relationship to the will of God expressed and interpreted by the covenant with God. Righteous action flows out of God’s gracious election of Israel and giving of his requirements for living as his people.
In the NT there are many references to and ideas about righteousness.
1. Becoming righteous by following the OT law (negatively)
Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law.
Gal 3:21
Galatians--those who rely on works of law are under a curse. So there is a bleak view of attempting to live under law
2. Human attainment of righteousness sometimes viewed in a positive light:
The New International Version Chapter 2
25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him.
Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him.
So here is an honorable Jewish man striving to live according to the law and had a solid reputation of “being a good and honest man.” And Paul says in Philippians that he, in his life as a Pharisee, was faultless in terms of his legalistic righteousness.
So here is an honorable Jewish man striving to live according to the law and had a solid reputation of “being a good and honest man.” And Paul says in Philippians that he was faultless in terms of his legalistic righteousness.
3. Ultimately the NT says all human striving for goodness falls well short of conforming to the will of God. There are warnings in the NT about relying on our own perfection to make us right in God’s eyes. of course says there is no one righteous, all have sinned. And . Jesus tells a story specifically Luke says to people “confident in their own righteousness.” Two men went up to the temple. One guy, the Pharisee, “hey God I’m pretty awesome. Here’s all the good stuff I do. But the other man, a tax collector, would not even look up to heaven and proclaimed, “have mercy on me God a sinner.” And this was the man that went home justified (root word related to “righteous”) before God.
So we know we can’t follow the law. We know we can’t rely on our own goodness and make our faith a series of check boxes that we must mark off so that we say “there I’ve done it. God now must give me something I’ve earned.” So what is “righteousness”? There are some helpful (and heavy duty) references in Romans (stick with me here).
Ro 1:17
For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”
But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.
But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile,
-32
The law and the prophets actually point to this: our righteousness is given to us through our faith in Jesus. Our standing before God as innocent and clean in his sight is not of our own doing, not from being Jewish and following the law, not from attending church, it’s a gift to us. It’s apart from the law. Jesus’ blood is our righteousness.
OK, we’re righteous I get it. What’s righteousness for anyway? What do we do now that we’re righteous?
A clue in Ro Ch. 1. As Paul is greeting the Roman church telling them what his job as an apostle is:
Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name’s sake.
Aha! I knew there was a catch! Righteousness isn’t about being great and perfect and being “right” all the time. It’s also about being obedient. Paul’s job as an apostle was to reach out beyond the Jewish people whom Paul struggled to reach and often fought with to the Gentiles (that’s us BTW) and call us to obedience. But did you hear where that obedience rises from? From faith. Our faith in Jesus is our righteousness. Our faith also is the fuel for our obedience.
Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith.
So there is a law we follow. Not the law of works = righteousness, but the law of faith that is the catalyst and the motivation and the desire for obedience.
As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.
Isn’t that what God wants? Not people struggling over and parsing words of law and comparing their every action up against an impossible standard. God wants obedient children who see the ways they used to live when they were ignorant and no longer want to conform to those desires. Those desires that are still with us sometimes which is the struggle for those who desire to live by faith. OK, there’s much more that could be said.
Let’s return to the rest of the Conejo Church bulletin article. Ditmore after reading the Isaiah passage:
The fruit of that righteousness will be peace; its effect will be quietness and confidence forever.
So as we’re grappling with what righteousness is, we’re remembering what Isaiah promises at least one thing that righteousness also produces—peace.
The author says she does just the opposite of what Isaiah says . . . “seeking peace in my life so I’ll have time to focus on being righteous. As with my New Year’s resolutions, I tell myself that when I have more time, fewer worries, extra money, less stress, I will focus more attention and time on “becoming righteous.” And then I wonder why I never seem to find that peace. Jesus warned about spending too much time fretting over everyday chores and challenges, assuring us that God knows what we need and will provide it if we focus first on righteousness.”
In fact, I tend to do just the opposite, seeking peace in my life so I’ll have time to focus on being righteous. As with my New Year’s resolutions, I tell myself that when I have more time, fewer worries, extra money, less stress, I will focus more attention and time on “becoming righteous.” And then I wonder why I never seem to find that peace. Jesus warned about spending too much time fretting over everyday chores and challenges, assuring us that God knows what we need and will provide it if we focus first on righteousness. “Do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well (). And that’s when we will find the peace that far surpasses the satisfaction of a successful New Year’s resolution.
So good. So practical. When I read that I said I’ve got to share that with my friends at SM. I seek peace in my life so I’ll have more time to be righteous. That’s the opposite! Peace is the fruit of righteousness.
So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
And that’s when we will find the peace that far surpasses the satisfaction of a successful New Year’s resolution.
In fact, I tend to do just the opposite, seeking peace in my life so I’ll have time to focus on being righteous. As with my New Year’s resolutions, I tell myself that when I have more time, fewer worries, extra money, less stress, I will focus more attention and time on “becoming righteous.” And then I wonder why I never seem to find that peace. Jesus warned about spending too much time fretting over everyday chores and challenges, assuring us that God knows what we need and will provide it if we focus first on righteousness. “Do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well (). And that’s when we will find the peace that far surpasses the satisfaction of a successful New Year’s resolution.
“Do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well (). And that’s when we will find the peace that far surpasses the satisfaction of a successful New Year’s resolution.
Result of asking rejoicing and praying is “Peace”
Result of asking rejoicing and praying is “Peace”
Not a quiet moment on the couch at the end of a busy day. It’s never all done!
Not a quiet moment on the couch at the end of a busy day. It’s never all done!
Not “calm” or “serene”
“Prince of Peace” God’s peace creates wholeness and harmony ()
; ;
In the middle of this peace talk, we find a military term—“guard.” Garrison—a detachment of soldiers sent into the city to monitor the comings and goings. God’s peace will do that for your heart!
: “an inheritance kept in heaven for you who through faith are shielded (same word as guard) by God’s power.”
