The Three Most Important Components To Righteous Living
It bothers me that many profess to know Christ yet live contrary to the fact. I realize that the Christian life can be a struggle because when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior we have residing within us two natures. One nature is the old us. The old us is our sinful nature that by default, is prone to sin even on our best day. When we are not conscious about our actions and thoughts, our old self will take the lead most every time. Paul stated in Romans 7:18-21, For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. At all times and in all circumstances, our propensity to sin is just as great as our decisions to live righteously. Therein lies the struggle. Since living righteously is a struggle, and our propensity to sin is our natural and normal default, how can we become more successful at living righteously? I have undertaken the task of breaking down the three most important components to living righteously. For our purposes I’m going to assume that you have already accepted Jesus as Lord and savior for it is in Him and Him alone that we find our righteousness and our right standing before God. If you have already accepted Jesus, the three most important aspect of living righteously life is…
1. Love for Jesus – Living righteously is the expression of the love we have for Jesus. We are in a love relationship. Normally when people are in love they go out of their way to do loving things for each other. Jesus said this about the way we express love to Him. "If you love me, you will keep my commandments. (John 14:15) Again the same chapter Jesus said, Whoever does not love me does not keep my words (John 14:24). God’s word is His standard for how we should live. We must obey His word to show Jesus that we love Him. When obedience is just a matter of what we ought to do it becomes a task. When obedience is the intentional way that we express our love to Jesus, then our desire to love Him makes it easier to obey His word. When we walk in consistent obedience to His word righteous living is the result. God’s word is the righteous standard, but it is our love for Jesus that compels us to live out His standard for us. We obey His word not simply out of duty nor to attain righteousness. We obey His word because we love Him. A second component to righteous living is…
2. Love for God’s word – God’s word is His revelation to us of who He is. In it we learn all about Him. We learn what He is like and what pleases and displeases Him. His word serves as a guide to all of life’s decisions. Because His word is so good, so right, impacted with so much wisdom and insight for all of living, taking in His word becomes our love and delight. The psalmist stated these things about God’s word. I will lift up my hands toward your commandments, which I love, and I will meditate on your statutes (Ps 119:4). In Ps 119:97 David said, Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day. In 119:113 he said, I hate the double-minded, but I love your law. Ps 119:167 states, My soul keeps your testimonies; I love them exceedingly. David was a man after God’s own heart. One reason that his love relationship with God gave him the testimony of being a man after God’s on heart was because he loved God’s word. To live righteously means that we must follow His word. It is easier to do the things we love. When we grow to love God’s word, it becomes a part of our being. A third very important component to a righteous life is…
3. Love for God’s Glory In and Through Me - So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God (1 Cor 10:31-32). This verse clearly states that all aspects of our lives are supposed to be used to glorify God. Our awareness of this fact will cause us to ensure that all our actions, decisions, and relationships are God honoring. For wherever we are in life and for the decisions we need to make all we have to ask ourselves is this one question. Will I be able to glorify God by my actions, decision, relationships, or by anything that I do? If the answer is no to any one of these, then you must repent and seek to honor God by doing what is best to glorify Him.
Living righteously is not hard when you love the Lord, His word, and His glory in your own life. Too often we look to be blessed by Him but not necessarily to become a blessing to Him by the way we live and by the intimacy we may or may not have with Him. I challenge you to grow in your faith and how you live by growing in your love for Jesus, for His word, and for God’s glory in your life.
Rev. Lawrence Robinson
