Walking in Righteousness
(Prov 13:5 TNIV) The righteous hate what is false, but the wicked make themselves a stench and are filled with shame.
This morning we continue our series In this verse Solomon contrasts the desires of the righteous with the practices of the wicked. We all know that the wicked have wicked desires, lusts, and practices. We were all there. I don’t expect a sinner to live like a believer. I was once a sinner and I did my best to be a good one. But I praise the Father for sending His Son to die so that I could live. I am now made new in Christ Jesus (2 Cor 5:17) and I am called to walk in the newness of the life (Rom 6:4) Christ died to give me. The same applies to you. Jesus did not die in vain. He died for your salvation (to deliver you from hell and grant you access to heaven), but He also died for your sanctification (so that you could experience a change of life, while you are still in the earth).
Paul tells us that our minds must be renewed (Rom 12:1,2) once we come to Christ. The point being that we must learn to love what God loves and hate what God hates. Since the Father hates what is false, Solomon tells us that we are to hate it as well. While the wicked are a stench in the Father’s nostrils, we are to live our lives in such a way that we become a sweet smelling savor. There should be a clear difference between us and the world, between the righteous and the wicked, between the believer and the sinner.
John explains this well in his letters. Let’s take a look at a few excerpts from his first letter:
“This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in Him at all. So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness… But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, cleanses us from all sin. If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness” (1st John 1:5-9).
“Everyone who sins is breaking God's law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God. And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, and there is no sin in Him. Anyone who continues to live in Him will not sin. But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know Him or understand who He is. Dear children, don't let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous. But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. Those who have been born into God's family do not make a practice of sinning, because God's life is in them. So they can't keep on sinning, because they are children of God. So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God. This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another” (1st John 3:4-11).
So what does this mean to you? The message is straightforward and simple this morning: love what God loves and hate what He hates. Most believers don’t have a problem with learning to love what God loves, but many don’t want to truly hate what He hates. They make concessions and excuses for sin and before they know it, they are caught up in it. If you learn to literally hate what He hates you will develop distaste for wickedness and a true love for righteousness!
Father, I know that You are holy, righteous, and pure. You are light and in You there is no darkness. You are love and in You there is no selfishness. I have a sincere desire to become more and more like You. I have a hunger and thirst for righteousness. I declare, by faith, that I will learn to love what You love and hate what You hate. I will not make concessions or excuses for sin. I shall call right, right and wrong, wrong. I enter into this day having been made new in Christ Jesus and I walk in the newness of life! In Jesus’ name. Amen!
(Prov 13:5 TNIV) The righteous hate what is false, but the wicked make themselves a stench and are filled with shame.
This morning we continue our series In this verse Solomon contrasts the desires of the righteous with the practices of the wicked. We all know that the wicked have wicked desires, lusts, and practices. We were all there. I don’t expect a sinner to live like a believer. I was once a sinner and I did my best to be a good one. But I praise the Father for sending His Son to die so that I could live. I am now made new in Christ Jesus (2 Cor 5:17) and I am called to walk in the newness of the life (Rom 6:4) Christ died to give me. The same applies to you. Jesus did not die in vain. He died for your salvation (to deliver you from hell and grant you access to heaven), but He also died for your sanctification (so that you could experience a change of life, while you are still in the earth).
Paul tells us that our minds must be renewed (Rom 12:1,2) once we come to Christ. The point being that we must learn to love what God loves and hate what God hates. Since the Father hates what is false, Solomon tells us that we are to hate it as well. While the wicked are a stench in the Father’s nostrils, we are to live our lives in such a way that we become a sweet smelling savor. There should be a clear difference between us and the world, between the righteous and the wicked, between the believer and the sinner.
John explains this well in his letters. Let’s take a look at a few excerpts from his first letter:
“This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in Him at all. So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness… But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, cleanses us from all sin. If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness” (1st John 1:5-9).
“Everyone who sins is breaking God's law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God. And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, and there is no sin in Him. Anyone who continues to live in Him will not sin. But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know Him or understand who He is. Dear children, don't let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous. But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. Those who have been born into God's family do not make a practice of sinning, because God's life is in them. So they can't keep on sinning, because they are children of God. So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God. This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another” (1st John 3:4-11).
So what does this mean to you? The message is straightforward and simple this morning: love what God loves and hate what He hates. Most believers don’t have a problem with learning to love what God loves, but many don’t want to truly hate what He hates. They make concessions and excuses for sin and before they know it, they are caught up in it. If you learn to literally hate what He hates you will develop distaste for wickedness and a true love for righteousness!
Father, I know that You are holy, righteous, and pure. You are light and in You there is no darkness. You are love and in You there is no selfishness. I have a sincere desire to become more and more like You. I have a hunger and thirst for righteousness. I declare, by faith, that I will learn to love what You love and hate what You hate. I will not make concessions or excuses for sin. I shall call right, right and wrong, wrong. I enter into this day having been made new in Christ Jesus and I walk in the newness of life! In Jesus’ name. Amen!
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