Righteousness in ProgressSample

RIGHTEOUS WISDOM

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The first characteristic of righteousness that the psalmist points out is doing what is right. “Save me and rescue me, for you do what is right” (Psalms 71:2, NLT).

We all know that it’s not always easy to know what the right thing is. Life is complicated, and there are usually as many sides to any story as the number of people involved. But when Jeremiah prophecies about the fulfillment of righteousness through Christ, he shows us the secret to doing what is right. “‘For the time is coming,’ says the Lord, ‘when I will raise up a righteous descendant from King David’s line. He will be a King who rules with wisdom. He will do what is just and right throughout the land’” (Jeremiah 23:5, NLT).

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God’s perfect wisdom is a crucial building block that forms His righteousness. “‘But true wisdom and power are found in God; counsel and understanding are his’” (Job 12:13, NLT). The Lord understands everything perfectly. He has all the necessary information and insight to make the best decisions for His creatures. His ways are righteous because they are based on perfect wisdom.

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This means that we need the same wisdom if we were to live righteously. In his letter to Titus, Paul gives the first Christians some guidance on wise and righteous living (Titus 2). He encourages young and old, male and female, to “live wisely” (v.2, 5, 6, NLT). And the way the believers were to do it was by their example. “And you yourself must be an example to them by doing works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching” (v. 7, NLT).

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And that is our first weapon for righteous living. Practice what you preach!

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Can you think of areas in your life where your behavior doesn’t reflect what you teach other people to do? How can you change that?

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Let us ask the Lord for His perfect wisdom to do what is right in every circumstance. And let our example bring His righteousness to the world around us. “Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous” (1 John 3:7, NLT).