How Can I Be Righteous?

How Can I Be Righteous?

There is no one who does good…God is present in the company of the righteous.

Psalm 14:1,5

----------------------------

Psalm 14:1-7 (NIV)

1 The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good. 2 The Lord looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. 3 All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one. 4 Will evildoers never learn-- those who devour my people as men eat bread and who do not call on the Lord? 5 There they are, overwhelmed with dread, for God is present in the company of the righteous. 6 You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor, but the Lord is their refuge. 7 Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the Lord restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!

----------------------------

It is difficult for us to understand how we can be so characterized as unable to do

good, because “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God,” (Rom 3:23)

and our “righteous acts are like filthy rags.” (Isa 64:6) However, I remember quite

vividly an experience some years ago when I visited the little shanty home of a

Christian couple in one of this world's most dangerous communities on the outskirts

of a city in South America. I was investigating the needs of children with mental

challenges who were living in this environment. My friend helped me find the home

of a local leader and immediately I was welcomed into their little one room house.

We sat and visited for a time and the lady of the house rose to offer me,

an esteemed visitor all the way from Canada, a cold drink.

I had seen the raw sewage running down outside the home. In fact, I had to step over

the ditch and around the mud to arrive at their home. I knew that the area was not

serviced by any municipal planning board.

In a few moments, a simple tray arrived with a glass of a homemade, water- based

drink. It was the very best that they had and they were prepared to sacrifice their best

to honour their special guest. No matter how hard they tried to do everything well,

I was frightened to drink... but I did. (No, I did not get sick.)

God describes our attempts at honouring Him and pleasing Him through our

own efforts of righteousness as ‘filthy rags.’The Psalmist has given us a clue to

understanding the challenge. The acts of righteousness that we try to offer are in

a dirty jar! All of us have become corrupt! We are the ones who are

contaminated with all the ugliness of our sin.

Have you ever rejected someone’s effort to do something wonderful, simply because

the person offering the good thing has such a corrupt reputation that you cannot

disconnect the act of kindness from the hateful things he or she represents?

The apparent hypocrisy destroys the potential for good.

However, David places an important statement in verse four. Between the total

depravity of man found in verse three and the company of the righteous in verse

five, we read that people fail because they “do not call on the Lord.” (Ps 14:4)

That is how we become righteous. It is when sinners repent before God, receive His

forgiveness and turn their lives over to embrace His leading, that we become clean

jars. Now our lives can be lived according to God’s heart and every act we

live in obedience to Him becomes a testimony of a miracle that He

is performing in us and through us.

 

----------------------------

Heavenly Father, it seems that no matter how hard I try, I fail to do the things

that I know I should do and, in fact, the things I want to do. And then, even when I

overcome some great personal weakness and finally have a victory I am reminded

that my righteousness acts are like ‘filthy rags’ in Your presence. It hardly seems

to be worth the effort. Help me to understand how I can be adequately, if not

wonderfully righteous in Your eyes. Amen.

 

- Noel Churchman

 
Noel was the Executive Director of Christian Horizons form 1976 to 2001. The devotionals we will be using are from a book he wrote in 2005 called “Walking with God”. Noel’s reflections are grounded in his experiences as an educator, and provider of supports for individuals with exceptional needs as well as his life as a dedicated follower of Christ.