Proverbs 14:34 “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach
to any people.”
Considering all that is going on in our
nation and in the world right now, this verse really says volumes. The Complete Jewish Bible states it like
this: “Righteousness
makes a nation great, but sin degrades any people.”
What is
righteousness? Webster defines it as
follows: “The quality or state of being righteous; holiness;
purity; uprightness; rectitude.” Great
words—but what is he actually saying.
Holiness is defined as “perfect moral integrity or purity; freedom from
sin; sanctity; innocence.” Immediately
we run into a problem. How does one
determine what is moral integrity or purity?
Purity is defined as “cleanness; freedom from foulness or dirt….Freedom
from guilt or the defilement of sin; innocence.” Another problem—How does one determine what
sin is? As a Christian, I know that only
the truth of God’s word can give me the right answers to those questions. Those who refuse to accept God as the
sovereign authority over our reality actually have no foundation for making
such determinations. They are dependent
upon the reasoning and logic of man, and such a foundation is about as firm as
shifting sands. Jesus stated it as
follows:
Matthew 7:24–27 “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of
mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house
upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew,
and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And
every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be
likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain
descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house;
and it fell: and great was the fall of it.”
Webster went on to define
righteousness as being upright or honest and just. He also declared that it included possessing
rectitude—rightness of principle or practice; exact conformity to truth, or to
the rules prescribed for moral conduct.
As you can see, to be able to determine what is honest, what right
principles are and what is true all require a foundation from which such
determination can be made. Only God
provides a foundation that is sure and solid.
Any other standard that is used for such determination is unstable and
as changeable as the men that embrace it.
Our nation and the world as a whole
have decided to embrace the wisdom of man over the wisdom of God. I do not believe that there is a nation in
existence today that can be described as righteous. I believe that every nation in existence
today embraces sin over righteousness.
Thankfully, there are individuals in the world that cling to faith in
God through Jesus Christ and in the truth of His word. These
people are those who belong to the true kingdom of God; it is this kingdom only
that can be called righteous—but only because Jesus has imparted His
righteousness to each person that is a part of that kingdom.
2 Corinthians 5:21 “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who
knew no sin; that we might be made the
righteousness of God in him.”
Romans 3:21–22 “But now the righteousness of God without the law
is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by
faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe….”
As I continue to observe how the
nations of the world are speeding toward a society that completely rejects God
and embraces the “god of this world,” I know that the time of His return is getting
ever nearer. Jesus posed a very
pertinent question—Luke 18:8 “….Nevertheless
when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?”
2 Corinthians 4:3–4 “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them
that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them
which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the
image of God, should shine unto them.”
Come Lord
Jesus!
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