The world continues to be awash in the ravages of sin. In every part of the globe, people are being killed for all sorts of reasons from religious fanaticism to deranged and evil men who kill simply for the sake of killing; and also to satisfy their savage urges they refuse to control. Others are demanding that their life styles be accepted as normal and that Christians be silenced and prevented for speaking to their sin. No matter the ungodly act, all of them are unrighteous acts perpetrated by the ungodly. But that isn’t the way God wants people to behave.

Just as bad seed can’t produce a good crop as Jesus said, he also said: For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. 45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.  (Luke 6:44-45) Jesus made it plain here that there is a difference between good and bad, right and wrong, righteousness and unrighteousness, and that which comes from the mouth is what is in the heart (in this case the character of the individual and hence his ideas or lack of ideas concerning morality).

Paul wrote to the Philippians (Chapter 1:11) the following concerning the conduct acceptable to God: 11 Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.  These good fruits would spring from the heart filled with righteous thoughts instead of the evil that springs from the unrighteous that dwell on immorality. He told Timothy (2 Timothy 2:21) to purge himself of those things that bring dishonor and then in verse 22 and 23 he wrote: Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 23 But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes. Doing as Paul told Timothy shows righteousness and is the well spring for good works.

Jesus told the people of his day: Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 5:16) The light of which Jesus spoke was the righteousness that resides in God and Christ and the whole purpose of good works is to glorify God. It stands to reason that when one is doing the good works propelled by righteousness that one can’t be engaging in immorality in any manner. Doing God’s will and the deeds of immorality are mutually exclusive. It is impossible to them at the same time. John wrote (1 John 3:7-10) 7  Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. 8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. 9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. 10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. The foregoing verses undeniably establish that righteousness creates morality and that those who don’t practice righteousness are of the devil and it is deliberate behavior.

The apostle Paul struggled with the right and wrong as he wrote in Romans 7:9-25. He knew the difference and pursued righteousness with his mind but due to sin, his body was going to die. He wrote in Philippians 3:9: And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:  Paul was a moral man and God’s righteousness through Jesus Christ kept him safe from all forms of immorality known as sin.

In Colossians 3:16-17 we find: Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. No matter what good deed is done, the righteousness of God won’t allow immoral deeds to be done. Think on these things and glorify good with righteousness by faith in Jesus Christ.

© 04-25-2007 DEC

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