If you’ve ever seen oxen yoked together…you’ll see one thing quickly…they must move together as one. The yoke forces them to move in the same direction, even if they don’t want to. This hitch they are joined together by suddenly becomes a burden as they both pull in opposite directions. When we are unequally yoked with unbelievers, it soon becomes a wrestling match of the wills…a match between light and darkness…truth and deceit…with no one winning.
Tag: righteousness
Job 25:4 ” How then can a man be righteous before God? How can one born of woman be pure? “
The simple answer to these questions is…we can’t. In our immoral human state, we are not innocent before God and in right standing with Him, and no matter what we try to “do” to become righteous we will fail, for all of our good works are like filthy rags in His eyes, (Isaiah 64:6) The only way we can stand pure before God is to accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Jesus came to seek and save the lost, (that’s us) and to bear on His body our guilt and shame that we may stand before our Heavenly Father sinless and perfect…washed in the blood of Jesus.
Romans 10:4 ” Christ is the end of the Law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.”
Jesus Christ came to earth and died on the Cross to fulfill the demands of the Law. He freed us from the impossible observances of those Laws…giving us instead His perfect Law that offers freedom from sin and guilt. For anyone who puts their faith and trust in Jesus…the old Law-keeping vanishes, as the new covenant is activated in their heart.
Proverbs 4:18 “The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.”
Our journey with the Lord is just that – a journey. It’s not a stagnant, or stationary time in our lives when we just stand still… waiting. We need to be growing daily, pushing ourselves ever closer in becoming more like Jesus. And as we mature, we become established, full of Godly wisdom, and able to further the Kingdom of Heaven. For just like that first gleam of dawn, the light of God will shine brighter and brighter within us.
Ezekiel 33:12 ” Therefore, son of man, say to your countrymen, ‘The righteousness of the righteous man will not save him when he disobeys, and the wickedness of the wicked man will not cause him to fall when he turns from it.’ “
God is a God of new beginnings. For there is no one on the face of the earth that is beyond God’s reach. If we but turn away from willfully deviating from the right path…our moral wrongdoing will not be judged.
But in contrast – every wonderful work you’ve done in the past does not entitle you to salvation if you choose to sin…for God is a just and fair God who judges by His own standard of righteousness.
Jeremiah 51:56 “For the Lord is a God of retribution; He will repay in full. “
The Lord is a just and fair God. To the Believer and the unbeliever He is the same. To one there is reward, to the other punishment. To one there is requital, to the other, retaliation. Measure for measure it’s the same…paying back in full, in all righteousness… we all will stand before Him to be judged one day.
Ephesians 2:8-9 ” For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.”
It is simply by God’s unearned and unmerited favor that we have the chance to be saved. It’s by His absolute free expression of His loving kindness towards us that we may come into a right relationship with Him through His Son Jesus Christ. This divine gift…the gift of eternal life is not to be taken lightly, or with a casualness that doesn’t fully take into account the terrible price Jesus Christ paid for our freedom. The gift of salvation can not be bought with a price…for what Jesus did for mankind was priceless.
III John 11 ” Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God.”
“Has not seen God…” A perfect case in point for this scripture is when the prophet Isaiah saw the Lord seated on His throne high and lifted up. (Isaiah 6:1) At that moment Isaiah cried out, “Woe to me! I am ruined! For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” When we perceive the glory, majesty, and power of the living God we suddenly become painfully aware of just how unclean and totally inadequate we are. Our sinful life is laid bare before Him…we have no excuses, no defense before a totally righteous and perfect God. Our only hope then is in the Lord’s unwarranted grace and forgiveness.
Isaiah 26:7 ” The path of the righteous is level; O upright one, You make the way of the righteous smooth.”
Walking on uneven and bumpy ground can be very challenging…and even dangerous. At anytime our feet can slip and we can fall. But if we stand on solid, level ground, we can walk with confidence, even if the path is shrouded in shadows. Our journey through life is like that…it can be either be smooth or rough…life or death, depending on the path we choose.
Psalms 85:13 ” Righteousness goes before him and prepares the way for his steps.”
Your righteousness goes before you…your honesty, integrity and fairness towards others goes ahead to establish and place you in the exact location the Lord wants you in next. You may think your journey for this season of your life is a mystery, with many unanswered questions…but the Lord has your path already made firm and sure. It’s time to step out.
Safetypinlove 