Reaping Righteousness

Reaping What You SowThroughout my involvement in politics, particularly in the last six years, I’ve met many a patriot who believes we can return our nation back to its greatness. There is one problem though. Many of these people do not want to deal with the “social issues” and want to concentrate mainly on fiscal issues primarily, and then national security secondly. There is one problem with that; it won’t work the way they envision it. In fact, it’s already been tried (is being tried) and it always fails.

Why is that? Because to reap righteousness, you must sow righteousness. We learned in church last Wednesday of the principle of righteousness. Bro Pete explained that “righteousness is doing what is right in the sight of the Lord.” He gave the Old Testament example of building and keeping a legacy through the lives of King Jehoash (Joash), his son King Amaziah, and his grandson King Uzziah:

    “Jehoash did what was right in the sight of the Lord all the days in which Jehoiada the priest instructed him.” (2 Kings 12:2)
    “In the second year of Joash the son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel, Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, became king. He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, yet not like his father David; he did everything as his father Joash had done.” (2 Kings 14:1-3)
    “Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jecholiah of Jerusalem. And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father Amaziah had done. He sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God; and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him prosper.” (2 Chronicles 26:3-5)

(NOTE: Beginning in 2 Kings 11, Jehoash is spelled Joash)

We have three generations of kings leading their nation with righteousness. The Bible highly recommends this:

    “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.” (Proverbs 14:34)

Bro Pete also made the analogy of a gardener planting green bean seeds and getting upset of not getting say squash. He then asked one of our experienced gardeners what would happen if we planted jelly beans. Bro Bruce said, “Nothing.”

Exactly. To try to reap righteousness from a watered-down, sugar-coated gospel is like planting jelly beans and expecting anything to grow. To plant one vegetable seed and expect another vegetable to grow is nonsense. The Bible makes that clear:

    “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.” (Galatians 6:7-10)

If we are not sowing righteousness as a nation, can we really expect to reap it? Of course we cannot, but far too many Christian conservatives are approaching our nation’s woes in exactly that manner. If we allow wickedness to continue to rule in our nation and state capitals, should we expect anything less than wickedness?

    “It is an abomination for kings to commit wickedness, for a throne is established by righteousness.” (Proverbs 16:12)

We have modern-day Pharisees and Sadducees leading this country, those masquerading as righteous men and women, pretending to represent Biblical righteousness by introducing some wickedness into public policy and telling us that a little bit of righteousness is better than none. Really? You ready to tell the Lord Jesus Christ that?

    “Now when His disciples had come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.’ And they reasoned among themselves, saying, ‘It is because we have taken no bread.’ But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, ‘O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you have brought no bread? Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up? Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up? How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread?—but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.’ Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” (Matthew 16:5-12)

We say we believe in the power of faith and that we seek righteousness, giving the appearance of godliness, but when it comes time to let the rubber meet the road, we always compromise on righteousness for pragmatism. We are living in the perilous times and among the perilous men of which the Apostle Paul warned:

    “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!” (2 Timothy 3:1-5)

Beloved, if we truly want to see righteousness return to America, then we must do what is right in the sight of the Lord. We must stop asking what we believe is the right and pragmatic thing to do, and ask what is the righteous thing to do, of which God would approve. That is the litmus test I have placed my decision-making process under: What does God’s Word say about it and would He approve?

If I am sowing anything other than righteousness, then I am not reaping righteousness.

Have a blessed weekend and please remember to go to church on Sunday.

In Christ
Dave
Ps. 37:4

If you’re receiving these devotionals for the first time and would like to receive them on a regular basis, please email me at jeffers221@bellsouth.net and use “Please add to Devotional List” as the subject.

    Copyright © 2013 David Jeffers

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,