Wise as Serpents, but harmless as doves!

Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.    Matthew 10:16

What an interesting directive Christ gives His disciples as He sends them out to minister.  The second part of the verse, to be harmless as doves is to be expected, right?  We are all called to be loving, peaceable, patient, kind, blah blah blah.  

I know what you are thinking.  Blah blah blah isn't good writing...haha.  Sorry, I felt I had to catch your attention for a minute, because Christ never called any of us to be a bunch of wimps. But we are called to be consistent with His character.  So, let's break this down, and see what we see!

Wise in this verse connotes a sense of skill or expertise.  It comes from the Greek word sophos and is synominous with words like
"intelligent", or one who can put things together, who has insight and comprehension, and "prudent", or primarily one who has quick and correct perceptions, hence, "discreet or being circumspect.

But, Jesus felt it important to give them an example of the "wise" He was referring to.  Jesus said to be wise as "serpents".  But, He didn't use any word.  He used the greek word "ophis" a masculine noun that is also used in Genesis chapter 3, the serpent that beguiled Eve.

But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 2Corintheans 11:3
 
This is also the same word Jesus used in Matthew against the Pharisees;

[Ye] serpents, [ye] generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? Matthew 23:33

The Serpent:

So, here's a question.  Why were the disciples being told to be like serpents, like the pharisees, like the devil?  Jesus did not want the disciples to be "like" those unrighteous individuals, but to be "wise" or well thought out, cunning, careful, and mostly "deliberate" as the devil and the pharisees.  We can say alot of nasty things about both parties, and it would all be true.  But you can't say that they weren't tenacious, aggressive, relentless and used all their extensive knowledge to their advantage.

The Devil, Satan, that old dragon were all names given to him by the scriptures. But he was also named Lucifer (Isaiah 14:12), son of the morning, shining one, angel of light (2 Corintheans 11:14). Some would even argue that the devil was referred to as the King of Tyrus in Ezekial 28.

Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.  Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone [was] thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. Thou [art] the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee [so]: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou [wast] perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.  Ezekiel 28:12-15

Lucifer was perfect, wise, and beautiful.  He knew God's laws and was an example for all other angels to follow.  That is, until he tried to make himself god and was cast off the Holy Mountain(Heaven).  Jesus is encouraging us to be well thought out, articulate, spiritually beautiful (Romans 10:15), perfect (Matthew 5:48), and wise (Proverbs 4:5,7)!  

The Devil was persistent.  He entered into the presence of the Lord  often.  If we read Job, it says he presented himself with the sons of God many times(Job 1).  Consider the temptation of  Christ (Matthew 4).  The Devil used wise words to twist the truth.  He quoted scripture.  But, Christ quoted scripture also, but in the proper context.  

What's this say to us?  We should approach the Lord often.  We should learn the Word, and learn it well.  We should pursue spiritual perfection, meaning becoming spiritually complete, mature .  In other words, we should seek wisdom, understanding, and all the other characteristics of the Holy Spirit!  Satan was perfect before he was cast out of Heaven.  I promise you, he knows God's word, and how to twist it, and he knows how to "look" kind, merciful, loving and all the rest.  We need to know the true God, so we can catch the counterfeit!  This is the meaning of being wise as a serpent!

The Dove

Yes, we are to be every bit as wise as a serpent...but harmless as doves as well. We are to not be a stumbling block.  We are not to live a sinful life.  We are to bring life to those that need it by sharing the gospel of Christ.


Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, [see that ye] love one another with a pure heart fervently: 1Peter 1:22

Let's consider the dove for a moment. of the 10 times that "dove" is mentioned in the New Testament, 5 of the times they were mentioned as a fowl of sacrifice, and 4 times it is mentioned as a form of the Holy Spirit.  This tells me one thing in a loud and clear way.  The dove pictures service to God Almighty, and one that pleases Him.  We are to be the same way, to have a servant's heart, and to be willing to sacrifice ourselves for God's sake.  Paul wrote:

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, [which is] your reasonable service. Romans 12:1 

Servants, be obedient to them that are [your] masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;  Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;  With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether [he be] bond or free. Ephesians 6:5-8

Practical Application of being Wise:

We get tangled up in all sorts of  issues in our daily lives.  We are bombarded with stuff that knock us down, if we let it.  The purpose of the Holy Spirit characteristic of wisdom is to have the ability to make the right choices.  As we face spiritual battles, we will have Godly guidance. We can win these battles with some wisdom.  How do we respond when someone gets in our face?  What do we do when we are judged unfairly?  What is the appropriate response when our teen points a finger at us, and makes demands, or says hurtful things?  Do we take that new job?

There are so many scenarios we could consider, but the main point is Godly wisdom can help here.  Wisdom will tell us to be calm, stay firm, ask forgiveness, or seek counsel.  Wisdom will give us direction, help with what to say, and when to say it.  Sometimes the wisest thing to do is nothing at all.  But, be careful, lest we believe we came to these answers on our own, thinking we are all that!  

We always need to give God the credit when we make that Godly wise choice.  Also, remember, sometimes that Godly choice is not always the easy choice to make.  As a close friend of mine says, "always choose the hard right over the easy wrong"!  Let us pray for wisdom again this week.  Write in your journals those times you needed wisdom, and how you responded to the situation.  Here are some verses to consider for our personal quiet time this week.

Who [is] a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but [is] earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife [is], there [is] confusion and every evil work. 

But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, [and] easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.  And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.  James 3:13-18

Isaiah 11:2                    Romans 11:3
1Corinthians 1:30        1Corintians 2:6,7
1Corintians 2:12-16     Colossians 1:9
Colossians 3:16

Wisdom Part one: Am I wise...or just a wise crack?

The Passage

For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where [is] the wise? where [is] the scribe? Where [is] the disputer of this world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:

But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness;

But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, [are called]:

But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, [yea], and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

That no flesh should glory in his presence.

But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. 1Corintheans 1:17-31
 

A History Lesson:

Wisdom has a very distinct history that many of us never really paid attention to. We read scripture as the one above here and think," well, that makes sense" and give it no more thought. But the story behind the scripture makes it so much more entertaining. Back before Paul wrote the letter to the Corintheans, oh say around 5th Century, B.C. a popular trend was taking place. Early on, those that were considered wise, were craftsmen who were masters, able to teach others to do their skill with "cunning".

And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, To devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, And in cutting of stones, to set [them], and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of workmanship. Exodus 31:3-5

In this usage of the words wisdom and cunning works, it refers to his depth of skilled ability. This is an important distinction to remember. Later, there were a group of elites commonly known as "sophites", derived from the greek word sophizo (to make wise) who were teachers and philosophers and would travel around and instruct nobles, political leaders and such in the art of rhetoric. This group of professionals were skilled in the arts of language.

It was a common practice to use negativity or words of trickery to influence the audience into believing what they were saying, or in the least, confound the listener to the point of agreement so as not to look like an idiot for not understanding.

It was this particular practice that certain persons such as Socrates and Plato spoke out against, which caused quite a stir in the affluent circles. Socrates did not believe that one should pay for education, and the use of "erroneous reasoning" was ill fitted for a teacher/philosopher.

As a general note here, King Solomon was in fact nick-named the Sophist King by some, and was sought to be visited by many such as Queen Sheba because of his renowned wisdom. Fast forward to the 1st century AD, and we find the beginning of what is known as the 2nd Sophism era

The Importance of Wisdom:

Many places in the Bible it tells us to seek wisdom (Proverbs 4:7), to be filled with wisdom (Colossians 1:9), to ask for wisdom (James 1:5). But, unlike the sophites, God wants us to have His Godly wisdom. This wisdom is based on the spiritual matters, the weightier matters. The sophite would use fancy verbiage to try to persuade and appeal to their intellect. This had brought power and influence to them. This is why Paul wrote that he did not preach with "wisdom of words" as did the sophites, but he preached Christ. When Christ came on the scene, He defied their logic and confounded their reasoning.

Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 1 Corinthians 2:13

The Greeks had many gods, but when Paul preached Christ, and that there was only one God, it flew in the face of their haughty ways. In fact, the wealthier they were, the more gods they worshiped. When a family member came home and said they had accepted Christ as their savior, it went against their societal fabric. It was the belief that the more gods you had, the more powerful and influential you were. No, to preach Christ was a really, really big issue.

The real importance with Godly wisdom is that we can grasp the concept of how God's word and Spirit work together to create life. We can grasp the concept that God lives within us, that we can become perfected through the process of growing the inner man, and being spiritually complete. We get the idea that Christ was crucified for our sins and by being a sinless sacrifice, he was the last sacrifice required for remission of sins. These things confound the wisdom of men, and are stumbling blocks to the Jews who don't believe in Christ. And this is why Paul wrote:

But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

because you don't have to be rich and powerful to believe that Christ died for you!

The Practical application of Wisdom:

The secret to wisdom is that it gives us inspiration to tough situations. We may not understand the reasoning for the answer, but we know it to be the right one. Of the 234 times that wisdom is mentioned in the Bible, it is paired up with understanding 53 times.

Wisdom [is] the principal thing; [therefore] get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. Proverbs 4:7

The Holy Spirit Characteristic of understanding is so important to combine with the Holy Spirit of Wisdom. Wisdom tells us how, understanding tells us why! Next week, we will continue with Wisdom, but from a different angle. We need to ask God to fill us with wisdom, just as Solomon did, but remember to give God the glory, and not ourselves for the wisdom He bestows on us. The only reason we have any good thing at all is because of God's gracious love for us.

But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, [and] easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. James 3:17

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Colossians 3:16

Here's a few verses to consider for our personal quiet time:

2 Chronicles 1:11                           Proverbs 1:2-5

Proverbs 24:3-7                              Isaiah 33:6

Jeremiah 9:24,25                            James 3:15
Revelation 13:18

Joy unspeakable

"These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full." Jesus (John 15:11)

As I sat at my kitchen table preparing this lesson on joy, I had every intention of just going through the motions of explaining the meanings of the word, quoting locations and idioms we need to keep in mind.  But, the fact of the matter is joy, for most of us, has been stolen from us.  We go about our daily lives beaten and dazed from all sorts of events that have occurred, not even realizing that the real damage is the joy and peace of our Father has been systematically ripped from our hearts.

This is not a new phenomenon.  Since the battle of the heavens with Satan and his minions against the righteous forces of God, we here on earth have been battered by the bitter, hateful enemy of our Heavenly Father.

The writer of Ecclesiastes speaks of the drudgery of life, much of it folly. But, this is not the state of mind God wants us to be in.   In fact He has inspired many writers to share the hope and joy of His salvation for us (Psalms 51:12, Habakkuk 3:18).   That we can in fact be joyful, even in stressful, anxious times of our lives.   Let us examine this concept this week, and maybe comfort each other as we learn of the comfort God has for us in the form of joy.

The Importance of Joy:

Joy in the Word of God takes on a few aspects.  First, it is an emotion of elated happiness (1 Kings 1:40).  It can mean that a person is a joy to another.   It is an attitude that we should have, especially in terms of our relationship with God (Psalm 119).  In other parts of the scriptures, the joy of the Lord is referred to as our strength (Nehemiah 8:10).

Joy fights depression, anger, stressful attitudes, anxiety and helps us enjoy the moment by recognizing truly funny things.   But, the most important aspect, I believe, is the product of growing our faith, and emboldens the peace that comes from our being sealed in the promise of our salvation.  The writer of Hebrews said about Christ;

"Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of [our] faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:2

He used an interesting phrase "who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross".  I don't believe Christ was very joyful that he was about to be impaled onto a tree.   In fact, in the garden he was recorded in asking if there was another way to accomplish his task (Matthew 16:39).  He knew it wasn't going to be very pleasant. Besides the physical pain and agony, he would "endure" all the sins of the world cast upon him, causing for the first time in his life the separation of him and our Heavenly Father.

How amazingly terrible that must have been.  No, this was not to be a joyous occasion.  What the writer of Hebrews was referring to was the events after the cross, the victory over death and sin, and the ability of all to achieve this victory without the physical sacrifice that Christ had to endure on that cross.  Paul writes;

O death, where [is] thy sting? O grave, where [is] thy victory? The sting of death [is] sin; and the strength of sin [is] the law. But thanks [be ] to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:55-58

Christ knew that for us to experience salvation, to understand what real joy was, he was the only one that could finish it, thus the author and finisher of our faith.   He knew that this would create an opportunity for our everlasting joy...not just a momentary emotion, but an eternal experience.

It was for this purpose in fact, that He came to this earth, to fulfill all the prophecies and law. Lest we forget, man's righteousness is nothing but filthy rags.  And, without the protection of Christ's grace and righteousness, we would be no better off than those of the old testament times.

The Practical Application of Joy:

Joy helps us get through tough times in life.  James understood the importance of joy when he explained that we should count it as a joyous occasion when we face trials because these tests help us grow our faith, our patience and most importantly facilitate our spiritual perfection.

My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing [this], that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have [her] perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. James 1:3,4

Those of us that know Christ as our Savior have a certain security in all we do. We do have a safety net.  As we learned of righteousness, Christ's righteousness hides our sins from God's view, and his grace casts it away from us.  We can feel joy because of this assurance.  This is the reason we can experience joy, unspeakable joy, as it is a miraculous position to be in.

Given this fact, we then should be driven to share our joy with others. This isn't a guilt trip here.  I don't want anyone to feel any pressure from me on this.  But, if you knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Christ could change a friend or family member's life, I bet you'd want to let them know.

Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.            Romans 15:13,14

Many of us have tried to share the good news with our friends and family.  Here's some more good news.   God still has that person's life in mind...oh yes he does. He loves them as much as He loves us.  In fact, the Bible says there is more joy in Heaven when a sinner repents, than 99 just (righteous) persons that need no repentance (Luke 15:7).  Be joyful in the fact that God has it under control.  We just need to keep sharing the good news, and trust that God will handle the rest.

So, when life sucks, when the rent is due, or that child has stretched the last nerve.  When the car doesn't start, or the traffic keeps you from getting to work on time...again, rejoice in the Lord, for He still loves you, and you are still His child...no matter what Satan throws at you!  Remember, whatever comes your way, as you see the victory, your faith will become a stronger and you will become a more capable warrior for God's kingdom.

Our exercise this week is simple.  Keep up our daily quiet time, and add to your journal times that you are tested this week, but had victory over it.   As an example, when you are about to lose your temper, but you don't, or when you are tempted to lie to someone, or when you feel like cussing but don't, write it down.   Maybe you have a drinking problem, or feel like quitting, but are able to overcome those things, even if it is just once, write it down.

Remember, victory over trials will cause growth, and our joy will grow because of it.  If you feel you can, write about your victories this week in our comment area below. Others will be encouraged by your victories too.   I pray you will be filled with joy unspeakable this week!

But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee. For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as [with] a shield. Psalm 5:11,12

Here are a few scriptures to consider for your personal quiet time.

Psalm 67                       Ecclesiastes 2:26

Isaiah 51:11                  Matthew 13:44

Luke 15:7                     John 16:21,22

1 Peter 1:8-11

Righteousness is being God right, not self right!

Then Saul, (who also [is called] Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him, and said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, [thou] child of the devil, [thou] enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? Acts 13:10-11

Boy, oh boy! This week is gonna be big. Because, I've been waiting to write about this topic for awhile now. The thing is, righteousness takes some foundational background. We needed to cover a few topics like faith, grace, mercy, love, and so on to give this topic a footing. Why? Because the the writer of Hebrews explains that new believers aren't able to rightly wield righteousness with full intent and purpose. Why? Well aren't we full of questions this week, ha-ha. The simple reason is that "babes" are still trying to get their heads wrapped around what it means to be a Christian. They aren't quite ready for the meatier matters of God's word. And Righteousness is right up there with the meatier matters!

For every one that useth milk [is] unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, [even] those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Hebrews 5:13-14

That's not to say "babes" or new Christians don't have any righteousness in them. That would be a silly statement. We were created in God's image after all.  We all have that ability to seemingly "know right from wrong".  But to truly "get it" we need  Christ in us.  As soon as a person confesses their faith in Christ, righteousness is delivered as part of the package.  Paul wrote about this in Romans 3:22, Even the righteousness of God [which is] by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

But, I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's back up into the Old Testament for a moment and get a history lesson.

A History Lesson:

After Adam allowed sin to work within him and his wife, God had to come up with a plan to bring man back to Him, a plan of reconciliation if you will. Because, one that is out of God's favor has everything to do with righteousness, or the lack of it that is.  It just so happened that God picked a nomadic character named Abram to be the seed that would sprout a nation of people, and would also bring forth the Savior of the World.  Abram would become Abraham, who was called a man after God's own heart and friend, all because of Abraham's faith in God (Genesis 15:6) (Hebrews 11).

So, God raised a nation of believers out of Abraham's children. They became the ones known as the Israelites, the Jewish nation. They were governed by God's law. As a symbol of their commitment to God, each male born into a Jewish family, or or any male person converted to their religion was circumcised (Genesis 17:10-14).  And the law of their covenant with God was what set them apart from all other nations. And one who followed God's laws was considered righteous by God, as this person was acting on faith.

For the righteous LORD loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright. Psalms 11:7

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Psalms 23:3
 
Alas, pride and prejudice seemed to seep into the ones that should have known better.  Fast forward a few thousand years, and we find that the religious leaders of the day had become corrupted with their power and prestige.  Christ warned us that unless our righteousness exceeded that of the scribes and pharisees, we would not see heaven (Matthew 5:20).  Self right became a very dangerous trap.

The importance of Righteousness:

The crux of the relationship with God, especially when it comes to righteousness, is Christ. Paul writes:

Even the righteousness of God [which is] by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth [to be] a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, To declare, [I say], at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Romans 3:22-26

As God's covenant with His people was hinged on their faith, so it is with the new covenant. We must first believe in Christ, that He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, was crucified for our sins, and rose on the third day to be our mediator and Lord of our lives. His righteousness made way to cover our sins by the grace power of the blood. That is not to say we should continue to live in sin, but to strive to become perfected in His Word and Spirit.

As circumcision became the sign of commitment to God's covenant to His people, so it is with His new covenant Through Christ, but with a twist. As the old covenant was based on action, on the physical, the new covenant is based on faith and the renewing of our minds. Paul continues to write:

And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which [he had yet] being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also: Romans 4:11

As the new covenant with God is through Christ, we don't need to be physically circumcised to be the sons of God, but our hearts need to be circumcised of unwanted thoughts and desires, those things that keep God from blessing us...He calls it sin.  It is the power of Grace to cast out this sin, but it is the job of righteousness to protect our hearts as is spoken of in Ephesians 6:14 and in Isaiah 59:17. 

As the warrior's breastplate serves to protect the heart and all the vital organs of the body that sustains life, so does righteousness protect our way of thinking and living.  It can do this because righteousness warns us when we are about to sin.  It is our compass that keeps us focused on God right, and not self right!  You've heard of the moral compass before, right?

And if Christ [be] in you, the body [is] dead because of sin; but the Spirit [is] life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Rom 8:10-11

For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness,
and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. Rom 14:17

The kingdom of God this passage speaks of is within us, and is the key to our spiritual growth and maturity. As our knowledge grows of the Word, we can more effectively use it to guide our decisions in life.  The Holy Spirit then gives us the ability to discern, understand, and put into action that which we know is right.

For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.  Romans 10:3 

 
The Practical Application of Righteousness:
 
As with all the other lessons we've had in the Holy Spirit, the key factor is to grow it within us by asking God for that specific characteristic. Also to study what God says about it in His Word. Then to practice it in our lives. Again, Paul writes to Timothy a letter of encouragement and instruction that is very appropriate here as well. He said:

All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. II Timothy 3:17

This tells us to study, study, study. The Word of God is our first defense against the evil one. Christ used it as a defense against Satan during His temptations in the desert. Our second weapon is of course His Spirit.

And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever. Isaiah 32:17

And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace. James 3:18

For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Galatians 5:17-18

So, our guidance is to study. We need to become strong in His Word so we can know the difference between "God-right" and "self-right". We are to practice our faith in Christ. This means as we go day by day, we trust He is in control. We live by faith that God knows best, and His wisdom is higher than ours. We need to be peaceable with ourselves and others. 

As was said at the beginning, to live a righteous life takes some growth, maturity, wisdom. It is the responsibility of those who are living a righteous life to teach the new Christians in the way of Jesus, so they can begin to live that righteous life as well.

Here's our homework this week. If you are a new Christian, continue in your daily personal study time. Also, seek out a Godly mentor to ask questions, to pray with, to use as an accountability partner. If you are a seasoned Christian, seek opportunities for teachable moments. Pray for God to show you a young Christian that may need a confidant. It is our duty to bring the "babes" up in a Godly manner.

Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: Hebrews 12:28

Here are a few scripture to consider during your personal quiet time.

Romans 5:17-18                   Romans 10:3-6

II Corinthians 6:4-9              Galatians 2:20-21

Galatians 3:28-29                 Ephesians 4:17-24

1 John 3:23-24