The Path You Are On is Not Going to End Well Righteousness and Justice

 

The Path You Are On is Not Going to End Well

Righteousness and Justice

Doing the right things comes as we take the attitude of David

Search me, O God, and know my heart;

test me and know my anxious thoughts.

 See if there is any offensive way in me,

and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalms 139:23-24

Doing the right thing may not look like it ends well

Jesus did the right things and His end was death on a cross

But that was not the end

He rose again and through His death

We, who do not do the right thing, can find Mercy and Forgiveness

If we want to do what is right

We will need to be like Christ and have at the top of things to do

 To become Righteous, with Mercy and Forgiveness

 

 

 

Righteousness and Justice

 

Better a little with righteousness

than much gain with injustice.

Proverbs 16:8

 

Righteousness is very hard to understand at times.

 

Think about all the debates we hear about

and debates we get into about what is right.

 

The first to present his case seems right,

till another comes forward and questions him.

Proverbs 18:17

 

Just post on Facebook what you feel is right…

 

 And a good chance you will quickly

get someone who will question you.

 

I can’t count the times I thought I was right

and got the results of being wrong.

 

If you have driven in Florida in the winter time

you don’t have to worry about icy roads but…

 

 You do have to worry about the other guy.

 

If you are driving down the road

and you see a car not slowing down for a stop sign,

which is right?

 

Keep driving and let the other driver hit you

because you have the right.

 

Or…

 

Slow down and let the other driver blow

through the stop sign and live to drive another day.

 

Being right is more than the way you see things.

 

There is a way that seems right to a man,

but in the end it leads to death.

Proverbs 14:12, 16:25

 

In life there are a lot of us who are “Dead, Right”.

 

Moses gave the people some good advice.

 

Do what is right in the

sight of the Lord our God…

 

  He said, "If you listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you."

Exodus 15:26

 

There are four things that go together,

each one of them is very important

in order for things in your live to end well…

 

Listen carefully to the voice of the Lord

do what is right in his eyes

pay attention to his commands

and keep all his decrees.

 

To do what is right in God’s eyes

you have to do the other three.

 

The Book of Judges is

summed up in the last verse…

  

In those days Israel had no king;

everyone did as he saw fit.

 Judges 21:25

 

Imagine living in a land

where there was no government.

 

Everyone doing what

is right in their own eyes.

 

Even with kings and great leaders’

injustice takes place.

 

Proverbs 16 tells us the type of king

that will do what is right and stop injustice.

 

The lips of a king speak as an oracle,

and his mouth should not betray justice.

Honest scales and balances are from the Lord;

all the weights in the bag are of his making.

Kings detest wrongdoing,

for a throne is established through righteousness.

Proverbs 16:10-12

 

Even the best king, ruler, judge has fallen

short of righteousness and justice.

 

There is only one who is righteous

and full of justice…

 

The King of kings.

 

Jesus Christ turned what we have seen

as right and just, upside down.

 

Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount is full

of examples of a new righteousness.

 

Like love your enemies.

Matthew 5:44

 

Right starts in the heart

not with the action.

 

Murder, lust, greed,

all wrongs start in the heart.

 

On the flip side

all Righteousness and Justice

starts in the heart.

 

To do right we need to…

 

 Evaluate from whose eyes we

want to see our righteousness.

 

We look at ourselves

and do what is right in our own eye.

 

We can want to please others

and do what seems right in the eyes of other.

 

Or…

 

We can do what pleases the Lord

and do what seems right in the eyes of the Lord…

 

Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men,

to be seen by them.

If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

Matthew 6:1

 

Doing the right things comes

as we take the attitude of David…

 

Search me, O God, and know my heart;

test me and know my anxious thoughts.

 See if there is any offensive way in me,

and lead me in the way everlasting.

Psalms 139:23-24

 

Doing the right thing may

not look like it ends well.

 

Jesus did the right things

and His end was death on a cross.

 

But that was not the end.

 

He rose again and through His death…

 

 We, who do not do the right thing,

 can find Mercy and Forgiveness.

 

If we want to do what is right…

 

 We will need to be like Christ…

 

And have at the top of things to do…

 

 To become Righteous, with Mercy and Forgiveness.

 

 

 

Scripture Reading

 

Proverbs 16:8-12 NIV

 

8 Better a little with righteousness

than much gain with injustice.

 

9 In his heart a man plans his course,

but the Lord determines his steps.

 

10 The lips of a king speak as an oracle,

and his mouth should not betray justice.

 

11 Honest scales and balances are from the Lord;

all the weights in the bag are of his making.

12 Kings detest wrongdoing,

for a throne is established through righteousness.