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“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
When it comes to matters of life, faith, and culture, we must think as God thinks. We must persuade our hearts and minds of His ways and adjust accordingly, rather than bend His Word and ways to conform to modern thought and culture.
God’s ways of life are never out of date. God’s ways are righteous and He leads us along the path of righteousness, in all that we do. Our faith is not separate from culture. In fact, our faith should shape culture.
What is righteousness?
Righteous means "as it should be." Evil means "as it ought not to be." When something or someone is righteous, they are as they should be in God's eyes. When a cultural system is righteous, it is operating as it should in God's eyes.
How does this apply to our lives?
There is a righteousness regarding our identity as children of God. Once we place our trust in the finished work of Christ, God cleanses us and places His Spirit in us, making us righteous before Him. Righteousness is a state of existence God gives us through Christ. It’s not a standard we live up to.
There is also a righteousness (as it should be) to life and culture. In other words, there is a proper way and order to everything, according to God's perspective. There is also a righteousness (as it should be) in sexuality, gender, relationships, justice, government, and every other aspect of life and culture.
When we go against God's natural order, the result is death. The death is not directly from God, it's produced on its own merit.
Righteousness is not achieved through rule-keeping and self-effort, it can only be recognized as God's truth and respected. We can yield to God's grace which empowers us to live well within the salvation He has provided in Jesus, but we can never attain righteousness on our own. Through behavior or laws.
As culture continues to reject God's righteousness, the more death, and destruction we will have in society and culture.
In our current political climate, there is no one party that is righteous, but there are policies proposed that are closer to God's natural order than others. No elected official can legislate righteousness, but we can vote for people who honor and respect God's natural order of creation. We can vote for people who value God’s righteousness or the way He created the world to function.
“When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan.”
Some consider it judgmental or dogmatic to advocate for God's ways, but it is proven, the closer we govern society to God's ways, the better the state of humanity.
Every political party claims to speak for God. The Democrats say we need to take care of people’s basic needs. The Republicans say we need to first and foremost protect life. Libertarians say we need to take personal responsibility for our lives. All of which are godly values and principles. But all of those systems are flawed because they are man-made.
The government can not make a better society for us, but it can protect our right to do so. Vote in such a way that gives you the most freedom to follow God and makes room for His righteousness and values.
Stand Up for Righteousness
I’ll ask a question to personalize these ideas. Where can you speak up for righteousness? How can you speak up for God’s natural order? Where can you speak up for how God says it ought to be?
Maybe it’s at work when people are telling inappropriate jokes. Maybe it’s at the skate park with your kids. Maybe it’s at a restaurant when someone is forcing another person to say the name of a person who has been killed. Maybe it’s online when people are discussing transgender issues.
We can’t go around picking fights, but we can make God’s truth known when opportunities arise.
How else will our children know of God’s truth if they don’t hear it in church and hear it from us?
The culture is trying to tell people that all love is ok, referring to homosexual relationships. Grown adults are subjecting their children to hormone therapy because they believe gender is fluid. The education system willingly subjects our children to debt and calls it normal. Violence in the streets is encouraged by political parties because it fits their agenda. Even some Christians are saying the sacrifice of Jesus wasn’t necessary.
I’m not trying to be negative and say the world is going to hell, I’m saying that believers need to speak up for God’s righteousness and truth when we have the opportunities. People will not know if we don’t. Once we do, the Holy Spirit then has an opportunity to work on those people.
That’s the pesky thing about truth, once you hear it, you have to confront it. You will either let it change you, or you will harden your heart and fight against it.
But there are people out there who have not heard about God’s ways. They’ve heard from Netflix, they’ve heard from their progressive teachers. They’re heard from political candidates but have they heard of God’s righteousness from you?
God Is Building His Body
I am not proposing that we stand on the corner, threatening people with hell. I am suggesting that we lay down our fear of man, our hesitation in offending people, and speaking up for God’s ways when we have the chance. How will people know if we don’t tell them?
You have a unique position in God’s body. God has specific assignments for you. I want to help you find and fulfill those assignments in the weeks ahead. But we all have the responsibility to be God’s ambassadors in the world. Pray for boldness. Pray for opportunities. Speak up for God’s righteousness when you can.
