Being Made Righteous in Christ
Good Morning Friends,
I do like C.S. Lewis. He has a way of getting one to think. For example regarding good and evil he points out that just because there is such a thing as bad does not mean that there is no God. He argues against a dualism of bad and good fighting each other as equals. He points out that there is only one power and it is used for good or stolen by evil and used in the wrong way.
Atheism is just too simple. If we have a sense of what is just and unjust, what set the standard for justice? If the world has no meaning… how could we ever come to that conclusion? Friends, there is a natural law but it leaves open some decisions for human determination and often they are in line with our instincts and intuitions but sometimes we have to break the rules in order for the most loving thing to take place. Then sometimes we think the wrong things. Sometimes our negative thinking gets in the way of our being effective. Friends, what we do each day is of infinite importance because each decision is compounded exponentially. If we do not have the right perspective this brings us into tension even as we seek peace and purpose. Making the right choices and behavior is critical. This is why it is so important that we are Being Made Righteous in Christ.
Scripture:God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.
Genesis 1: 31 (NIV)
The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”
Genesis 2:18 (NIV)
Do horses run on the rocky crags? Does one plow the sea with oxen?
But you have turned justice into poison and the fruit of righteousness into bitterness—
But you have turned justice into poison and the fruit of righteousness into bitterness—
Amos 6:12 (NIV)
Where then does wisdom come from? Where does understanding dwell? It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing, concealed even from the birds in the sky. Destruction and Death say, “Only a rumor of it has reached our ears.” God understands the way to it and he alone knows where it dwells, for he views the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens.
Job 28:20-24 (NIV)
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.
Psalm 19:1-2 (NIV)
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction
Proverbs 1:7 (NIV)
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:
Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NIV)
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV)
Whatever is true, . . . noble, . . . right, . . . pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things.
Philippians 4:8 (NIV)
Message: Let’s connect the dots. Genesis makes it clear that from the beginning some things are good and some are bad. We see it revealed in nature. We see it in our own lives. We have autonomy in this creation but it is not absolute. Then the rules sometimes conflict…to everything there is a season. That kind of messes up the deal a bit for it forces us to think and choose. And here in the choosing…on the journey we sin and fall prey to negative thinking. We need to meet the challenge of this situation effectively. The worst fate is perhaps not choosing at all. But justified by our faith through the grace of believing in Jesus we can proceed towards what is praiseworthy. In Christ we have a new life and a new purpose. Friends, the only way I know for us to be made righteous is for Christ to be in us. So tune up your thinking to be in harmony with God. Think on the good things and know what you do today makes a difference.
Pray we are rational but not too simplistic. Pray we value human life but still consider consequences. Pray we recognize God’s natural laws and objective values. Pray we follow them but not independent of consideration of the outcomes. Pray we are in right relationship with God. Pray we have the right perspective. Pray we discover the wisdom that comes from God. Pray we realize that it is not good to be alone. Pray if we have a thorn in our side that will not go away, that God’s grace will be sufficient to bring us joy. Pray we are not a parasite in paradise.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 