The Vision of God's Righteousness
By Abraham Eli
A clear vision through appropriate lenses. Photo credit: David Travis
When you see and obtain God's righteousness you'll be alright in the end
Definition of Terms
The word 'vision' is the insight, hindsight, and foresight which a person has regarding a thing which isn't apparent to all, also known as revelation. The word, 'righteousness' is the yardstick by which something is judged to be morally right and acceptable, and thus becomes the standard for what is right or wrong, or what is acceptable or unacceptable.
Righteousness from an individual's viewpoint is what that individual considers to be right or wrong and acceptable or unacceptable. Such a yardstick for righteousness will make a community anarchical. To prevent anarchy, therefore, a community, city, or country would elect or select people from among them who would set standards for what is right or wrong and what is acceptable or unacceptable; this we call laws. Thus, laws in society let us know what is right and acceptable and what is wrong and unacceptable. To run foul of society's laws means prosecution, conviction, and incarceration.
The Righteousness of God
When, however, righteousness is of God, it is the standard by which God judges what is right from what is wrong; what is acceptable to Him from what is unacceptable. It is important to note that God's standard is markedly different from human laws, and are contained in the Bible.
The Vision of God's Righteousness
Therefore, when we speak of "The Vision of God's Righteousness" we are speaking of the revelation of God's standard of right and wrong. In other words, we are shown what we must do to live in a manner that is acceptable to God. Please note that what is acceptable to God is, in reality, unacceptable to men (Luke 16:15). And unless we know God's standard by revelation, as contained in the Bible, we would run foul of His laws, come under His judgment (which cannot be appealed) and be incarcerated in hell, which is unpalatable.
The Bible says, "Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he." (Proverbs 29:18, KJV). God's desire is for all human beings to know how to live by His standard so that none will face prosecution, incarceration, and thus, perish! In His word, God reveals His utter abhorrence of sin, His standards and justice, and His response to dealing with sin (Romans 1:18-19). To make Himself known to mankind, He has inspired several translations of His word to enable people to appreciate and understand the message He is communicating to man.
The word 'vision' in Proverbs 29:18 (KJV), is rendered in some translations as "divine guidance" (NLT), "seeing what God is doing" (MSG), and "redemptive revelation of God" (AMP); while the word 'perish' is rendered as "run wild" (NLT), "stumble all over themselves" (MSG), and "cast off restraint" (NKJV). Putting all these renditions together, we can appreciate the significance of a God-given vision, as it provides us with guidance, insight, foresight, and understanding of how God wants us to live.
The Absence of the Vision of God's Righteousness
In contrast, when there is no revelation of the righteousness of God, we have a state of anarchy, a situation in which everyone is a law unto himself, a situation in which what is considered right in one place is wrong in another, and so on. Proverbs 29:18 is telling us that whenever a community, city, or country does not know or cannot perceive what God is doing and why He is doing what He is doing, the people will run wild; they will be unrestrained; they will stumble all over each other; they will be rebellious and stubborn; they will exhibit an unhindered freedom, which is corrupted freedom, also called licentiousness or recklessness! Indeed, the laws they make for themselves will not be helpful to them as they would run counter to God's order. And this is the unfortunate state in which we find ourselves in the world today.
It is frightening to see the depth of decadence to which humanity has sunk. What is good for the goose, in contradiction to the old English proverb, is not good for the gander. Thus, we have situations in which powerful nations bully weaker nations that do not align with their view of 'right' while supporting other weaker nations that demonstrate behaviour that is inimical to the wellbeing of other nations, simply because they are their allies. We see that while powerful nations state that certain practices in other nations are justly wrong, some of these powerful nations would turn a blind eye to these same wrong practices or policies in their backyard?this is hypocrisy. While advocating freedom for all people, the same nations that advocate such freedom sponsor wars in other nations, making nonsense of the freedom they espouse!
On a micro-scale, when you look around you?in your home, neighbourhood, place of business, etc.?when you read the papers, listen to the radio, and watch the news on television, you see man's inhumanity to man?all based on an individual's sense of right or wrong! And when we talk of social media, that is another 'kettle of fish' as they say?fake news and obscene conduct is the order of the day on many social media platforms.
So, for instance, some people see nothing wrong with pornography, because they earn income from it, and the State collects taxes from them. We have situations in which the law favours the wealthy and influential, but not the weak and indigent. Elites rule, while the downtrodden legitimize the rule of the elite through the ballot, which sometimes is rigged. No poor man can rise in the political spectrum of nations except he is supported by the rich and influential, and they can remove him at will!
Naturally, some people who will argue that there's absolutely nothing wrong with the way things are now. Such a position reminds one of an ostrich that buries its head in the sand but does not take to heart that the rest of its body is exposed!
Take a good long look at yourself and your land (wherever that may be), you'll see the decadence within and around. We know that lying is wrong, but we lie anyway and defend the lie and the lies told by people we love and adore. We know that stealing is evil, but we steal anyway and seek to avoid prosecution and incarceration. We engage in immoral sexual acts, against what is natural, and against what is sanctimonious, but we defend it anyway. And when things go wrong, as they always do, we blame someone else, but never take responsibility ourselves.
The Righteousness of God
The truth may be denied or refuted, but that doesn't change what it is?the truth. We may be able to defend ourselves in our law courts, but in the Court of God, it would be impossible because, He is all-knowing and all-seeing, neither would we be able to hide from Him, any more than an ostrich can hide by burying its head in the sand. The standard of proof in the Court of God is based on God's Law Book, the Bible. Besides, the only attorney or lawyer that can successfully defend anyone before God is the Advocate, Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Saviour of mankind from sin and the punishment of sin. The truth is Jesus Christ is the righteousness of God because He is the only one who has satisfied the standard of God in His laws. So, when a person accepts Jesus Christ, He not only becomes His Advocate but He becomes the individual's righteousness before a holy God, and is, therefore, accepted by God!
It is for this reason, that men and women everywhere are urged to turn to Christ and acknowledge the decadence and immorality in their lives. The changes you desire to see in society must begin with you?within you in particular?and can only be possible when you turn to God in simple humility, repenting of your sinful lifestyle. Your turning to God enables you to receive His grace?that is, Jesus Christ?thus enabling you to live by God's standard; something you cannot do on your own! So, call to Him to come and save you from the destructive influence of evil.
The Blessedness of Pursuing God's Righteousness
Proverbs 29:18 (KJV) concludes by stating, "but he that keepeth the law, happy is he"
The word 'happy' can be translated, 'blessed, fortunate, or enviable' (AMP). Hence, anyone who turns to God through Jesus Christ, having asked for and received God's forgiveness, can fulfil God's standard and can see and understand what God is doing. And it is such individuals who are truly blessed, fortunate, and to be envied!
God's intention is not to harm you, but to get you out of harm's way! Some adults will testify of how they despised parental discipline when they were younger, and now they are in prison, are junkies, have children they'd rather not have had when they did, or have wasted their youth and now live in regret.
Certain judgment await people who live in rebellion against God's standard. God's judgment is righteous because each person gets what he or she justly deserves. It is inconceivable that a righteous God will not judge righteously. When a man commits a crime and is caught, he gets the best lawyer he can afford because he does not want to be convicted and sentenced. But with God, no lawyer who can save a sinner, except the Advocate Jesus Christ! The Bible says, "My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world." (1 John 2:1-2, NKJV)
Self-defence before a holy God is futile. So, call upon God while He may be found, while the breath of life is still in you; give Him your heart, and surrender all to Him, and He'll send you the best lawyer?Jesus Christ. Whether you believe it or not, this world is going to end someday. And if it does not come to an end in your lifetime, be certain that you will surely leave this world someday. When that day comes and you stand before the God of all the earth, what will be your defence?
You Need a Vision of God and His Righteousness
Understand that unless your life measures up to God's requirements, you will not stand a chance on Judgment Day! And that is why you need the righteousness of God?the Lord Jesus Christ?please grab Him now that you still have the breath of life in you! Jesus Christ is the revelation of the righteousness of God. Anyone who catches Him enters into God's good Book, literarily?the Book of Life (Revelation 20:11-15).
So, this is my counsel to you, receive Jesus Christ by recognizing that you are a sinner who needs a Saviour, and God will give Him to you as your Advocate and Deliverer. It is like having a public defender assigned to you; except, Jesus has never lost a case and will never lose a case because He has already served the punishment of those who have Him as their Advocate when He died on the cross at Calvary some 2,000 years ago. So, double jeopardy always attaches!
The choice is, either choose self-defence and lose your case and go to hell, or, have Jesus as your defender, accept your sinfulness and repent of it, and walk into heaven?this is the standard that God accepts and the blessedness of all who accept God's righteousness. Which will it be for you?