HOW CAN I LIVE RIGHTEOUSLY?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing
worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost
all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be
found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from
the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness
that comes from God on the basis of faith.
(Philippians 3:8-9)

MEDITATION:
The scriptures encourage us to live righteous lives, but what
does that really mean? One person’s definition may be entirely
different from another’s. There are false teachers in the world
who are giving people the wrong impression of what living a
life of righteousness really means.

The scriptures warn us about these types of messengers.
    But there were also false prophets among the people,
    just as there will be false teachers among you. They
    will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying
    the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift
    destruction on themselves.
    (2 Peter 2:1)

Jesus said:
    “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in
      sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.
      (Matthew 7:15)

When He spoke about the end times, Jesus told us:
        At that time many will turn away from the faith
        and will betray and hate each other, and many
        false prophets will appear and deceive many people.
        (Matthew 24:10-11)

    And…..

        For false messiahs and false prophets will appear
        and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible,
        even the elect.
        (Matthew 13:21)

Some people can have hidden agendas that have nothing
to do with following and obeying the Lord, but may be an
attempt to fatten their own bank accounts and/or feed their
ego.

Some of the false teachers claim there are only selected
individuals (called the elect) who can be saved. We know
that’s not what we find in God’s Word. When the Bible
says “whoever”, it means salvation is available to everyone.
    “Very truly I tell you, WHOEVER hears My word
      and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and
      will not be judged but has crossed over from death
      to life.
      (John 5:24)

Think about the impact this type of false teaching can have:
    How would others feel, and live their lives, if they were
    not considered as one of the ‘elect’ chosen to be saved?

    Would they choose to ‘live it up’ in a life of sin, because
    they don’t have any chance of going to heaven? None
    of us should be guilty of causing someone to believe
    God has omitted them from receiving His salvation
    (which might result in their choosing a lifetime of sin).

    Secondly, how can those who promote this incorrect theology
    determine which people are considered the ‘elect’, and which
    ones are not? It implies they are thinking for God, and we are
    told that we are to not be guilty of judging others (when we do
    judge others, we are usurping God’s position).

The Bible clearly tells that we are not qualified to pass judgment
on others (or ourselves), which means the people judging others
cannot even confirm that they, themselves, are a part of the ‘elect’.
Only God can confirm our salvation.
    There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One
    who is able to save and destroy. But you—who
    are you to judge your neighbor?
    (James 4:12)

There is only one door that leads to the kingdom of God and living
righteously, but mankind tries to create many other ideas for both.
For instance, some believe they are living righteously and have a path
to heaven if they are good people who treat others with kindness and
respect.

Some think that if they do enough good things, then God will honor
their efforts and welcome them into heaven. We could list many other
ideas and theologies of man, but there is only ONE PATH to heaven,
and it is through believing in Jesus as God’s Son, that He died for our
sins, and that He was resurrected in three days after His crucifixion.

Likewise, there is only one type of righteousness recognized by
God – it is a life characterized by a sincere faith in Christ. God’s
Word tells us that we must have a righteousness that comes from
Him because of our faith.

Whatever He gives us, He will recognize, but anything other than
what He has told us, He will not see as righteousness. If we expect
to live a righteous life and enter heaven, then we have to do it God’s
way, and not in some way that mankind has concocted.

ACTION:
Are you living a life that God can recognize as righteousness?
Or, have you created your own ideas of what is required for
living a righteous lifestyle?
Here is something for us to consider:
    Do I have a set of God’s commands that I have
    decided to obey, and others that I have chosen
    to ignore, or justify my disobedience of them?

When we receive God’s salvation, we enter into His process
of sanctification (set apart for God’s special use and purpose).
As part of our sanctification, God begins to mold us into the
person He wants us to be (which is a person of righteousness).

Through the work (and help) of the Holy Spirit (given to us
when we are saved), we have a yearning to become more like
Jesus. That means we have a willingness to adjust our words,
actions, thoughts, habits, focus, attitudes, etc. (in essence, our
everything).

If we fail to invite the Holy Spirit into our lives and embrace
His presence, then we cannot expect to become more righteous
in the way we live. Why? Because we are not capable of living
righteously in our own strength.

God knows us better than we know ourselves and He knew that
we would struggle separating ourselves from ‘worldly ways’ so
we could become more righteous and live more like Jesus. How
awesome is that? God gave us the help (Holy Spirit) He knew
we would need to be transformed and sanctified by Him!

The question we need to ask ourselves is,
    “What will I do with His gift, and how will my life change?”
One way we can measure the changes in our lives is to: look at
how we used to live and compare it to how we are living today.

We know the power of worldly pleasures and how they can
cause us to take our eyes off Jesus. Satan know the areas
where we are weak, and naturally those are the places where
he will attack us. We assume he is affecting our lives whenever
we find ourselves making excuses for, or justifying the things
we do that are not righteous in God’s eyes.

God tells us that we should create an environment for the
Holy Spirit to live within us, but we may have the idea that
our body is our own. However, when God saves us, we now
belong to Him. Why? Because Jesus paid the price for us to
belong to Him (which includes our heart, mind, body and soul).
    Do you not know that your bodies are temples of
    the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have
    received from God? You are not your own; you
    were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God
    with your bodies.
    (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

When we read these scriptures, we should ask ourselves,
    “Is there anything in my life that does not honor God?”
What do we have in our lives that creates a contaminated
temple where the Holy Spirit would not want to live?

We should be honest, and think about any questionable areas
of our lives that we might be justifying as ‘okay’, but in God’s
eyes, they are considered ‘sinful acts of disobedience’.

At the same time, think of anything we may be doing that
could have a negative impact on another believer (or a lost
person). Are there any things in our life that others might
consider as a sin? If we do those things, then we are causing
confusion for them, which could make them stumble, or fall.

If a lost person sees a professing Christian doing what they
perceive as a sin, they can get the idea they are as good as,
or even better than a Christian. As a result of what they see
in us, they could fail to see the need for salvation. Paul tells
us to abstain from anything that could cause someone to fall.
    It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do
    anything else that will cause your brother or sister
    to fall.
    (Romans 14:21)

if we are causing others to fall, we are not living a righteous
life and we are inhibiting God’s effort to sanctify us. We may
not like it, but we should realize the influence our actions
and words can have on others, and adjust them to comply
with what God expects of those who are followers of Jesus.

Part of God’s sanctification is to transform us from being
selfish (doing the things that please us), to becoming selfless
(considering the impact our lifestyle has on others). It is a
journey that we can struggle with, because we were born
with a selfishness that only God can help us overcome.
    Therefore if you have any encouragement from being
    united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any
    common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and
    compassion, then make my joy complete by being
    like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit
    and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or
    vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above
    yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each
    of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships
    with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus
    (Philippians 2:1-5)

To summarize, if we want to live a more righteous life, we will
have to make some significant changes in our lives. Some of
the changes will require us to remember and accept the fact
that we now belong to the Lord. As a result of His ownership,
we need to choose to live the life He expects of us, instead of
creating our own guidelines for living.

Does that mean we will lose the joy of living? Of course not!
Since God loves us, would our Heavenly Father want us to
live a sanctified life that is miserable and without joy? Our
obedience opens the door to new blessings from the Lord.

God’s ways are always better than ours, but Satan wants us
to believe our ways are better. God wants us to enjoy life the
right way, by giving up some things we ‘think’ are good, in
exchange for the things He has for us, which are ‘much better’.

When we discover God’s purpose for our lives, when we pursue
that purpose (using the spiritual gift God has given us), and when
we embrace the Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives, we will start
living a life that is much better than the one we have been living.
We will be able to look past the present, and look to our eternal
destiny, because we know how God rewards those who belong to
Him.
    But in keeping with His promise we are looking
    forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where
    righteousness dwells.
    (2 Peter 3:13)

    And now, dear children, continue in Him,
    so that when He appears we may be confident
    and unashamed before Him at His coming.
    (1 John 2:28)

This is the type of life Jesus (the One we are following) lived,
and it gave Him comfort when He faced the cross where He
would be crucified. When He chose to obey the Father and
sacrifice His life so you and I could be forgiven, Jesus focused
on the joy He knew awaited Him after His death on the cross
(“the joy set before Him”)
    Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great
    cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that
    hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let
    us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,
    fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of
    faith. For the joy set before Him He endured the cross,
    scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of
    the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such
    opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow
    weary and lose heart.
    (Hebrews 12:1-3)

Anytime we struggle with making what we consider a
sacrifice (giving up things we want to do) in order to 
live righteously, we need to do as Jesus did – focus on the
the rewards awaiting us at the end of our earthly journey.
And when we do, we can discover the joy of living a life
of righteousness that is pleasing to our Creator.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, I sincerely want to live a righteous life
that is pleasing to You. Forgive me if I have created my
own definition of righteousness and ignored what You
consider as righteousness. Open my eyes to any areas of
my life where I am not living obedient to You. I realize
there is nothing I can do to be worthy of Your love, and
yet You have given me Jesus, as my Savior and my Lord!
Thank You for blessing me abundantly!”

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