NT: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. God presented him as the mercy seat by his blood, through faith, to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his restraint God passed over the sins previously committed. God presented him to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so that he would be just and justify the one who has faith in Jesus… For we conclude that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law… Do we then nullify the law through faith? Absolutely not! On the contrary, we uphold the law.” (‭‭Romans‬ ‭3:23-26, 28, 31‬ ‭CSB)

There are three big theological words used here to describe God’s remedy for our sin: redemption, propitiation, and justification. One of the absolutes about God is that He is just. Ignoring our sin would go against His just nature. Justice for our sin had to be served, for God cannot be unjust. God warned Adam and Eve in the garden that sin would lead to death – and that is true. There is another absolute about God: He is merciful. Because of His mercy, He delayed the just sentence for our sin – but the sentence could not be delayed forever. In due time, God sent His Son who brought redemption, propitiation and justification. What exactly do those words mean?

Redemption (apolytrosis in Greek) means separation or liberation obtained by the payment of a ransom. The wages of sin is death, and our sin created a debt that could only be satisfied by death… not our physical death, mind you, but complete death which comes as a result from being completely separated from the Source of Life. For us to be liberated from that debt without completely dying ourselves, someone else had to die in our place. That is exactly what Jesus did. He was completely innocent of sin and could therefore lay His life down as a substitute for our death. We can either accept Jesus’ redemption through faith, or we can remain in debt and pay-up at the end of the age through eternal death.

The Greek word hilasterion, translated here as “mercy seat,” is often translated as propitiation. Mercy seat is probably a better translation than the English word “propitiation,” for the idea has more to do with expiation than propitiation. Propitiation has more to do with appeasing or doing something to regain favor. Expiation has to do with extinguishing and removing guilt – which is exactly what Jesus does for us. Every year, on the Day of Atonement, the High Priest would approach the Mercy Seat of God and sprinkle it with blood. That blood was evidence of a life that had been sacrificed and would temporarily atone for or cover up any sins that had been committed. Jesus’ blood was not merely an atonement for sin. His shed blood was an expiation of sin. By placing our faith in Christ’s substitutionary sacrifice, our sin is extinguished and removed from us – as far as the east is from the west.

Justification (dikaioo in Greek) means declared to be just and righteous. Justification should not be confused with sanctification. Justification is a legal term and means in the eyes of the court, you have been cleared of all charges. Sanctification, on the other hand, is the process by which we are actually made righteous. Through Jesus Christ’s substitutionary sacrifice on the cross, all was paid. Jesus paid it all, as the old song says. When we place our faith in Him and His completed work, we are redeemed and our guilt is removed – which results in us being declared righteous. God was just by declaring us guilty and issuing our sentence. He then, in His mercy and love for us, fulfilled all the requirements of the Law and justified us by having His Son serve our sentence in our place. Salvation and justification is offered freely to us through our faith, but it cost God everything.

NT: “As it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one. There is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away; all alike have become worthless. There is no one who does what is good, not even one… Now we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are subject to the law, so that every mouth may be shut and the whole world may become subject to God’s judgment. For no one will be justified in his sight by the works of the law, because the knowledge of sin comes through the law. But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed, attested by the Law and the Prophets. The righteousness of God is through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe, since there is no distinction.” (‭‭Romans‬ ‭3:10-12, 19-22‬ ‭CSB)

At this point in Romans, Paul states his case: the entire world (Jew and gentile alike) are guilty of sin and unrighteousness. To back up his assertion, he quotes several Old Testament scriptures:

“The fool says in his heart, “There’s no God.” They are corrupt; they do vile deeds. There is no one who does good. The Lord looks down from heaven on the human race to see if there is one who is wise, one who seeks God. All have turned away; all alike have become corrupt. There is no one who does good, not even one.”

‭Psalms‬ ‭14:1-3‬ ‭CSB

“There is certainly no one righteous on the earth who does good and never sins.”

Ecclesiastes‬ ‭7:20‬ ‭CSB

Righteousness has been revealed to the pagan and gentle world through creation and conscience. Righteousness has been revealed to the Jews through the Law and Prophets. No one is without excuse for knowing what is right and good, yet no one is able live a completely righteous and sinless life. Not only that, humanity as a whole has given up on living righteously and has stopped seeking God altogether – turning their backs to God and seeking their own version of righteousness. For those few people who do try to obey all of the Law, if they are honest with themselves, will discover how incapable they are. The law itself can never make someone righteous, for no one can ever fully and perfectly obey it. All the law is effective at doing is revealing how unrighteous we all are, and how much we need God’s mercy. Thankfully, God’s mercy is completely expressed and received through Jesus Christ. While we are not able to live righteously, Jesus was. While we are deserving of God’s judgement, Jesus Christ was not – yet He took upon Himself our judgement and died ab excruciating death in our place. As we place our faith in Jesus Christ and accept His payment for our sin, we experience the mercy of God and are made righteous. This is part one of the good news of Christ – and it is available to anyone who believes.

Psalms: “The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in an earthen furnace, purified seven times. You, Lord, will guard us; you will protect us from this generation forever. The wicked prowl all around, and what is worthless is exalted by the human race.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭12:6-8‬ ‭CSB)

In our attempts at self-righteousness, humanity has become quite adept at spinning facts to our own benefit. Instead of admitting to wrong, we reframe and divert, lie and deceive to make ourselves look good while placing blame on others. This was going on in King David’s time and still goes on today. While the world pursues worthlessness and covers up their misdeeds through spin and deception, the Lord’s words are ever pure and true. Perhaps that is one reason why people avoid the refining words of God: they don’t want to face their own imperfections, and would rather live in their delusions of “goodness.” As painful as God’s words may be to our ego, when we listen to His words, believe His words and obey His words, He refines us – removing the filth and making us pure – and leads us into all righteousness.

OT: “Then David said to Ornan, “Give me this threshing-floor plot so that I may build an altar to the Lord on it. Give it to me for the full price, so the plague on the people may be stopped.” Ornan said to David, “Take it! My lord the king may do whatever he wants. See, I give the oxen for the burnt offerings, the threshing sledges for the wood, and the wheat for the grain offering — I give it all.” King David answered Ornan, “No, I insist on paying the full price, for I will not take for the Lord what belongs to you or offer burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” So David gave Ornan fifteen pounds of gold for the plot. He built an altar to the Lord there and offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. He called on the Lord, and he answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering.” (‭‭1 Chronicles‬ ‭21:22-26‬ ‭CSB)

At one point in King David’s reign, he was moved to conduct a military census of the nation. For some reason, unknown to us, that decision to take a census was considered a grave sin. Taking a census was not sinful, for God had instructed Israel in times past to number its people – so there must have been something sinful in David’s motivation. Perhaps it was pride, and the census was a way for David to boast in his accomplishments. Or perhaps it was a lack of faith in God, and David felt compelled to number the size of his army to alleviate his anxiety instead of trusting in the Lord. Either way, the census was a grievous sin and God disciplined David because of it. In order to assuage the consequences and appeal to God’s mercies, the Lord directed David to offer a sacrifice in worship to God at Ornan’s threshing floor. Ornan’s threshing floor was in a very significant place. It was atop Mt. Moriah in the same place Abraham offered his son Isaac some 1,000 years earlier. When David approached Ornan, Ornan was willing to give David the land along with the oxen and wood for the offering. David refused Ornan’s offer and insisted on paying the full market value for the land and the oxen. David knew that a costless offering would not be accepted as worship. True and authentic worship required genuine sacrifice. Once David paid full price for the land and oxen, and offered his sacrifice, God accepted David’s worship by sending down fire from heaven to consume everything that was on the altar.

One thousand years earlier, when Abraham worshipped God in that same spot, Abraham offered what was most dear to his heart: he offered his son of promise… his heir… the one who would carry his legacy into the future… the fulfillment of God’s promise to him. By offering his son, Abraham demonstrated that he had complete faith and trust in God – and because of Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice all, God attributed to him righteousness and established him as the father of faith. True and authentic worship is a renunciation of self-reliance and self-righteousness, and a declaration of complete submission, faith, and trust in the Lord. True and authentic worship is costly. The Apostle Paul taught in Romans 12, that the only reasonable act of worship that we can give is to present our bodies to God as a living sacrifice. That is a costly and painful act. Everything in our flesh tries to talk us out of that depth of surrender… every ounce of self-preservation that resides in our being wants to run away from that depth of surrender. True and authentic worship involves us letting go of our wishes, our passions, our desires in order to grab hold of God and His wishes, passions, and desires. It seems that what we call worship these days has nothing to do with sacrifice, but everything to do with self appeasement. In many circles, worship has become all about self-indulgence and gorging on the good feelings that come as we “soak” in God’s presence, instead of emptying ourselves before God, sacrificing our desires and aligning our lives with His purposes. Is my worship costing me anything? Is my worship experience all about me, or do I place me at the altar and trust the Lord with His provision – like Abraham of old? As Jesus said, the Father is looking or worshippers who will worship Him in spirit and truth. I want to be one of those worshippers who offers all to Him and allows Him to set my life ablaze for His glory.

NT: “Circumcision benefits you if you observe the law, but if you are a lawbreaker, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. So if an uncircumcised man keeps the law’s requirements, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision? A man who is physically uncircumcised, but who keeps the law, will judge you who are a lawbreaker in spite of having the letter of the law and circumcision. For a person is not a Jew who is one outwardly, and true circumcision is not something visible in the flesh. On the contrary, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart — by the Spirit, not the letter. That person’s praise is not from people but from God.” (‭‭Romans‬ ‭2:25-29‬ ‭CSB)

Circumcision was a rite initially given to Abraham to symbolize and serve as a reminder of God’s covenant with Abraham and his descendants. Basically, circumcision symbolized Abraham placing his entire legacy and posterity into God’s hands. Without God’s covenant and Abraham’s faith in that covenant, circumcision had no meaning – it was just a symbol. It had no substance in and of itself. Circumcision didn’t have the power to make a man a Jew – only identification with and faith in God’s covenant could do that. It was similar to our custom of wedding bands today. Wearing a wedding band on my finger doesn’t make me married. I wear a wedding band on my finger to symbolize and remind me of the covenant I made with my wife. The power to remain married does not exist in the wedding band – it is in my covenantal love and faithfulness for my wife, and her covenantal love and faithfulness for me. Similar to Judaism, Christianity has rites that symbolize our faith in Christ: baptism, taking communion, and becoming a member of the church. Baptism doesn’t transform us. We get baptized because we have placed our faith on Christ, placed our life in His hands, and received His resurrection life. Baptism is an outward symbol of an inward heart transformation. Taking communion doesn’t save us. We take communion to remind ourselves of what Christ did to save us and to identify with the victory that He won for us on the cross. Joining a church doesn’t make us a Christian. We join a church because we have been baptized into the Body of Christ by the Holy Spirit as we placed our faith in Christ. Baptism, communion, and church membership do not mean we belong to Christ any more than wearing a wedding ring makes me married. In order to be Christ’s and be counted among His faithful, a covenant must be made and faithfully kept. God is not looking for outward symbols – He is looking for authentic covenant, substantive faith, and heart transformation.

Psalms: “For the Lord is righteous; he loves righteous deeds. The upright will see his face.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭11:7‬ ‭CSB)

The Apostle James stated in his epistle that faith without works is dead. We act according to our beliefs. Works don’t make me righteous – but true and genuine righteousness will be evidenced through righteous works. In Psalm 51, David wrote, “You do not want a sacrifice, or I would give it; you are not pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken spirit. You will not despise a broken and humbled heart, God.” Works performed as symbolic ritual do not move God. God loves righteous deeds that are born out of a heart that has been made righteous through humility and faith in God and His Son Jesus Christ. Those who are truly upright are the ones who will be given the privilege of drawing near to God and seeing His face.

NT: “For all who sin without the law will also perish without the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. For the hearers of the law are not righteous before God, but the doers of the law will be justified… Now if you call yourself a Jew, and rely on the law, and boast in God, and know his will, and approve the things that are superior, being instructed from the law, and if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light to those in darkness, an instructor of the ignorant, a teacher of the immature, having the embodiment of knowledge and truth in the law — you then, who teach another, don’t you teach yourself? You who preach, “You must not steal” — do you steal? You who say, “You must not commit adultery” — do you commit adultery? You who detest idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? For, as it is written: The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.” (‭‭Romans‬ ‭2:12-13, 17-24‬ ‭CSB)

Many Jews in Paul’s day considered themselves immune from God’s judgement to come. After all, they were Jews – God’s chosen people… and they had God’s law to guide them. Comparatively speaking, they were much better off than the gentiles. The gentiles didn’t have God’s law and they were definitely not God’s chosen people. If God was going to judge anyone, it was definitely going to be the godless gentiles of the world. Paul sought to bring clarity into that delusion. It didn’t matter it you were Jew or gentile – if you had the law or not. What mattered (and what still matters) to God was actual righteousness – not a self-proclaimed belief of righteousness. Having the law did you no good if you didn’t obey it fully. According to Paul, there were actually gentiles that were “better off” than many Jews because they actually walked more inline with God’s law than those who had, knew, and understood the law. One of the dangers of self-righteousness is it give you a context to find fault in others without believing that you yourself are at fault as well. Self-righteousness leads to hypocrisy and deception, which ultimately leads to judgement and death.

Like the Jews of Paul’s day, Americans are very much in danger of living their lives in self-righteousness, hypocrisy and deception. After all, our nation was founded on Christian principles… we have a masterpiece of a constitution to guide us and guarantee our freedom of religion, speech, assembly and expression. We are a “Christian” nation with “In God We Trust” as one of our national mottos. We are the proverbial city shining on a hill. It’s been “prophesied” that we are God’s chosen nation. There is no way that God would judge us. As the United States became infected with COVID-19, the sickness of self-righteousness and deception in the American church was exposed. One side of the church may say, “We are for social justice… and because we are for social justice, we are more like Jesus.” And they point their fingers in judgement at the other side. The other side may say, “We are for law and order and the sanctity of life – so we are more like Jesus because we are all about obeying God’s commandments.” And they point their fingers back. The truth of the matter is that both sides have ceased following Jesus fully and have made a mockery of the Gospel to the unbelieving world. What then can we do to see the church healed? Humble ourselves, repent, turn to God, place our faith fully in Christ and follow Him completely – doing the work that He has called us to do as He transforms us by His grace. We need to present our bodies as living sacrifices to the Lord once again and quit trying to be conformed to the world – but instead be renewed in our minds and conformed to the Kingdom of God.

Psalms: “I have taken refuge in the Lord. How can you say to me, “Escape to the mountains like a bird! For look, the wicked string bows; they put their arrows on bowstrings to shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart. When the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord —his throne is in heaven. His eyes watch; his gaze examines everyone.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭11:1-4‬ ‭CSB)

As David surveyed the current landscape of his day, he realized there was no where on earth to escape the reach and influence of darkness and wickedness. The only place he could find refuge was in the presence of the Lord as he came before the Lord in humble and sincere worship. How do we stay safe from the influence of the world? How do we keep our minds free of deception? How do we prevent ourselves from falling in the trap of self-righteousness and hypocritical judgement? How do we stay above all the noise and distractions and maintain our godly discernment? We do it the same way David did in His day. We take refuge in the Lord by regularly and consistently coming before Him in humility and worship to seek His face, study His word, follow His ways and pray into His will.

OT: ““So now this is what you are to say to my servant David: ‘This is what the Lord of Armies says: I took you from the pasture, from tending the flock, to be ruler over my people Israel. I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have destroyed all your enemies before you. I will make a name for you like that of the greatest on the earth… Furthermore, I declare to you that the Lord himself will build a house for you. When your time comes to be with your ancestors, I will raise up after you your descendant, who is one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son. I will not remove my faithful love from him as I removed it from the one who was before you. I will appoint him over my house and my kingdom forever, and his throne will be established forever.’”” (‭‭1 Chronicles‬ ‭17:7-8, 10b-14‬ ‭CSB)

When David was fully settled into Jerusalem and settled in his role as King, he felt it wrong that he would have a palace and God’s presence would dwell in a tent. He wanted to build God a proper home. God’s response to David was quite amazing. God doesn’t need a house… if He desired a home of brick and mortar, He would have had one built. God doesn’t want to dwell in buildings – He desires to dwell within hearts that are humble towards Him. Because David had maintained his humility before God – God had blessed him mightily. God took David from the humblest of places and raised him up to be the King of God’s people… and that wasn’t the end of what God would do. David wanted to build God a house, but God said, “No – I will build you a house… not a physical house of wood and stone, but a lineage and a legacy that will endure forever.” Out of David’s bloodline would come a descendant that would not just be David’s son, but the Son of God. God would establish His Kingdom with David’s heir, the Son of God –  and that Son would build God the kind of home that He desired. The Apostle Peter spoke of that home in 1 Peter 2:4-5. When we come in humility and faith to Christ Jesus, we become living stones that are used to build a spiritual house and a holy priesthood. Because David was humble, God blessed him by building him a house that would eventually bring forth the One Who humbled Himself most of all, Jesus Christ. And because Jesus humbled Himself, God established Jesus as King forever. When we humble ourselves in worship to God and His Son, we enter into that everlasting legacy and are built into the house for God that David desired to build so many years ago. It is truly amazing what God will do through those who humble themselves and allow God to glorify Himself through their life.

NT: “He will repay each one according to his works: eternal life to those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality; but wrath and anger to those who are self-seeking and disobey the truth while obeying unrighteousness. There will be affliction and distress for every human being who does evil, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek; but glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does what is good, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. For there is no favoritism with God.” (‭‭Romans‬ ‭2:6-11‬ ‭CSB)

Paul wrote very plainly that God will repay each person according to their works – whether they lived their life in self-seeking pride and arrogance or in God-seeking humility and faith. Those who humble themselves, place their faith and dependence on the Lord, and submit fully to His word, will and ways; they will be graced with glory, honor, and peace. Those who walk in self-serving pride, which leads to evil – not so much.

Psalms: “Lord, you have heard the desire of the humble; you will strengthen their hearts. You will listen carefully, doing justice for the fatherless and the oppressed so that mere humans from the earth may terrify them no more.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭10:17-18‬ ‭CSB)

Once again, from David himself: God hears the desire of the humble, and upon hearing their desire, strengthens their heart.  What does a truly humble person desire? A person who is truly humble before the Lord is going to desire what the Lord desires – not his own desires… and God, by His Spirit, strengthens them in their humility to see those desires fulfilled. What are God’s desires? Part of what God desires is justice for the vulnerable and oppressed. A truly humble person doesn’t demand his own rights, but considers others (even the rejected of the world) before themselves. Instead of demanding what they deserve, they stand and fight for the rights of others. Loving God and His desires first, then loving others – those are marks of true humility… and God will give grace for that all day long.

Proverbs: “Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life. Don’t let your mouth speak dishonestly, and don’t let your lips talk deviously. Let your eyes look forward; fix your gaze straight ahead. Carefully consider the path for your feet, and all your ways will be established. Don’t turn to the right or to the left; keep your feet away from evil.” (‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭4:23-27‬ ‭CSB)

Throughout history, men and women who started out well allowed their hearts to be lifted up when things started going well for them. Even David allowed his heart to be lifted up – which led him into adultery and murder. That is why in Psalm 51, when he repented from his sin, he said, “Create in me a clean heart.” Solomon’s words of advice: “Guard your heart above all else.” Don’t allow your heart to be lifted up in pride. Instead, stay humble by keeping your eyes fixed on the Lord, His word, His will, and His ways. Be careful what you do and always make sure that what you are doing and the places you are going line up with what God is doing and where His is going. If you live humbly in this way, the God will grace your life and establish your ways…because your ways will be His ways.

OT: “They brought the ark of God and placed it inside the tent David had pitched for it. Then they offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings in God’s presence… David appointed some of the Levites to be ministers before the ark of the Lord, to celebrate the Lord God of Israel, and to give thanks and praise to him… On that day David decreed for the first time that thanks be given to the Lord by Asaph and his relatives: Give thanks to the Lord; call on his name; proclaim his deeds among the peoples. Sing to him; sing praise to him; tell about all his wondrous works! Boast in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his face always… He is the Lord our God; his judgments govern the whole earth. Remember his covenant forever — the promise he ordained for a thousand generations… Let the whole earth sing to the Lord. Proclaim his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his wondrous works among all peoples. For the Lord is great and highly praised; he is feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the Lord made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy are in his place. Ascribe to the Lord, families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name; bring an offering and come before him. Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness;” (‭‭1 Chronicles‬ ‭16:1, 4, 7-11, 14-15, 23-29‬ ‭CSB)

Once David inquired of the Lord and learned the proper way to move the Ark of God, he brought it to Jerusalem and placed it in a tabernacle that he built for that purpose. Then they worshipped the Lord before the ark in the presence of God. After they worshipped, David instituted a new order of Levites who would stand before the ark day and night and offer continuous praise and thanksgiving to God. To begin, David instructed Asaph to lead the congregation in praise to God through a glorious psalm that called everyone to give thanks to the Lord and remember His covenant, ascribe to God the glory that He deserved, and worship the Lord in the splendor of His holiness. The word translated as “thanks” here is the Hebrew word ‘yadah’, which literally means to extend your hands as you lift up reverent worship, thanks and praise. Giving thanks and praise to God, honoring the Lord and ascribing to Him the glory that He deserved was a top priority for King David, and he made sure that it was a top priority for the nation that he led. It is easy for us to become consumed by the things that surround us and fight for our attention. It is easy for us to lose proper perspective and become overwhelmed by the cares and responsibilities of life. It is easy for us to forget the invisible God and place trust in the visible things of creation instead. Constant praise helps to prevent that drift from living in the presence of God to being surrounded and overcome by the forces at work in the world. David didn’t want to lose his way, and he didn’t want the people of God to lose their way, so he made praise and thanksgiving to God an ever-present personal and national priority.

NT: “For though they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became worthless, and their senseless hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, four-footed animals, and reptiles… They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served what has been created instead of the Creator, who is praised forever. Amen… And because they did not think it worthwhile to acknowledge God, God delivered them over to a corrupt mind so that they do what is not right. They are filled with all unrighteousness, evil, greed, and wickedness. They are full of envy, murder, quarrels, deceit, and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, arrogant, proud, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, senseless, untrustworthy, unloving, and unmerciful. Although they know God’s just sentence — that those who practice such things deserve to die — they not only do them, but even applaud others who practice them.” (‭‭Romans‬ ‭1:21-23, 25, 28-32‬ ‭CSB)

Paul, in the last part of the first chapter of Romans, tells a much different story than the story of David in 1 Chronicles. Paul’s story is the story of humanity (Jew and gentile alike) who neglected to glorify and give gratitude to God. They did not consider it worthwhile to acknowledge God and retain Him in their understanding and discernment. Because they dismissed God from their lives in order to pursue their own desires, they devolved into idolatry and depravity. This is a difficult portion of scripture to read, and I imagine many who explore the Bible disregard these verses – for they offend our flesh and convict us of things we don’t want to admit to. But sadly, this is the path of any and all who exchange the truth of God for the enticing deception of the world. We don’t mind reading these passages so much if we can point our finger at others and deflect these charges to the world around us. Don’t let Paul’s story lead to self-righteousness. Instead, we should let these words catalyze in honest self-examination unto leading us to the righteousness we can only receive from God as we return our gaze to Him and glorify Him once again.

Proverbs: “Keep off the path of the wicked; don’t proceed on the way of evil ones. Avoid it; don’t travel on it. Turn away from it, and pass it by… The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, shining brighter and brighter until midday. But the way of the wicked is like the darkest gloom; they don’t know what makes them stumble.” (‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭4:14-15, 18-19‬ ‭CSB)

The words of Solomon that he undoubtedly received from his father David, summarize this plea from the Lord so well. Keep off the path of the wicked… keep off the path that resists the way of God… keep off the path that launches out into the wild in arrogant independence. The path of the righteousness – the path of consistent and continuous praise and worship to God – leads us on the upward and ever-brightening call of God as we are transformed from glory to glory to glory. On the other hand, the way of the wicked leads to ever-increasing darkness and blindness. If you are on the way of the wicked, the good news is, it is not too late. You can repent… you can turn away from the path you are on and turn back to God by confessing your wrong and placing your faith in the salvation of Jesus Christ.

NT: “For God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth, since what can be known about God is evident among them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, that is, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what he has made. As a result, people are without excuse.” (‭‭Romans‬ ‭1:18-20‬ ‭CSB)

There are many who claim that atheism is the result of enlightenment – that belief in God is base and that truly enlightened people come to the realization that “god” is an idea constructed by man… that there truly isn’t a god… that instead of “god” there is reason and science. According to the Apostle Paul, the exact opposite is true: man didn’t evolve into atheism, but instead devolved into atheism… and ultimately, there is no such thing as atheism, for innate in every human being is the knowledge of God. Mankind began its existence knowing and acknowledging God, but because of humanity’s unrighteousness, humanity suppressed the truth of God and devolved into the worship of false gods, which devolved further into the denial of God all together. All the while, God has not kept His existence hidden. The evidence for His existence… the evidence for His eternal power… even the evidence for His divine nature is displayed throughout the intricate, incredibly complex, and creatively inspired design of the natural world. Those who are truly enlightened (having knowledge and spiritual insight) can look at creation and see the masterful handiwork of God. As a result, Paul says, no one has an excuse for their denial and rejection of God and will eventually be held accountable for their humanistic arrogance. Psalm 14 states that only the fool says in his heart that there is no God and has been corrupted by his own unrighteousness. Those who are truly wise are those who seek God and live according to His righteousness.

Psalms: “Rise up, Lord God! Lift up your hand. Do not forget the oppressed. Why has the wicked person despised God? He says to himself, “You will not demand an account.” But you yourself have seen trouble and grief, observing it in order to take the matter into your hands. The helpless one entrusts himself to you; you are a helper of the fatherless. Break the arm of the wicked, evil person, until you look for his wickedness, but it can’t be found.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭10:12-15‬ ‭CSB)

Psalm 9 and 10 are both cries from King David for justice. Psalm 9 is a cry for justice from the external enemy nations that surrounded Israel and threatened her well-being. Psalm 10 is a cry for justice from those within Israel who rejected God’s righteous word, will, and ways. Why do people become wicked and engage in unjust behaviors? According to David, it is because they deny God and have no authority to whom they are accountable – they believe that they are able to fulfill their self-serving desires and get away with it. Humans, left to their own devices, are inherently self-serving – especially those who have no absolute system of morality to guide them. As a result, the oppressed, the vulnerable, the fatherless either get ignored or used. True selfless justice can only come from the All-loving Selfless One, and those who acknowledge Him and align with His word, will, and ways by faith-filled obedience. That begs two questions: 1) Can true justice for the oppressed come from those who deny the existence of God and His system of righteousness? 2) Can you truly be submitted to God and committed to His purposes without having a heart bent toward justice for the oppressed peoples of the world? From what I can tell, the definite answer to both of those questions is “No.” The only way to see true selfless and empowering justice in the world is to acknowledge God and become truly righteous as He is righteous. The only way to become truly righteous is by complete faith in Jesus Christ. The only way for people to have faith in Jesus Christ is to hear His gospel. The only way for people to hear His gospel is for Christ’s true disciples to proclaim it. If you want to see true justice flow down like a river, preach the gospel and make disciples of those who believe.

OT: “David consulted with all his leaders, the commanders of hundreds and of thousands… “Then let’s bring back the ark of our God, for we did not inquire of him in Saul’s days.” Since the proposal seemed right to all the people, the whole assembly agreed to do it. So David assembled all Israel, from the Shihor of Egypt to the entrance of Hamath, to bring the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim… At Abinadab’s house they set the ark of God on a new cart. Uzzah and Ahio were guiding the cart. David and all Israel were dancing with all their might before God with songs and with lyres, harps, tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets. When they came to Chidon’s threshing floor, Uzzah reached out to hold the ark because the oxen had stumbled. Then the Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah, and he struck him dead because he had reached out to the ark. So he died there in the presence of God… David feared God that day and said, “How can I ever bring the ark of God to me?” So David did not bring the ark of God home to the city of David; instead, he diverted it to the house of Obed-edom of Gath.” (‭‭1 Chronicles‬ ‭13:1, 3-5, 7-10, 12-13‬ ‭CSB)

Before Saul was made king… when Samuel was still a young boy, the Ark of the Covenant was captured by the Philistines in battle. The Ark brought nothing but trouble for the Philistines, so they placed the Ark on an ox cart and sent it away. The oxen brought the Ark to the Israeli town of Kiriath-jearim. The Ark remained there for several decades – the last 2, in the house of Abinadab. For all of David’s life up to that point, the Ark was hidden away in someone’s house and unavailable for public worship. David was not content for the Ark to remain hidden away. He wanted to return it to it’s designated place in public worship, and he wanted it nearby so that he would have ready access to God’s presence. There was nothing wrong with David’s desire to have the Ark near him. What was wrong was his casual attitude toward it. David had spent much of his life developing an intimate relationship with the Lord God. I wonder if David’s familiarity with God led to his casual attitude. Instead of treating the Ark with the honor and respect it deserved… instead of transporting it on the shoulders of the anointed priests in the way specifically prescribed by God, David threw the Ark on an ox cart – just as the pagan Philistines had done. True worship is not just about familiarity and intimacy with God. It also involves reverential fear and respect. God is loving and merciful. He is patient and slow to anger. He is also holy, and we must regard Him as such, or we fail to truly worship Him. If we simply view God as our best friend and not as our Holy Heavenly Father, then we risk viewing His commandments as suggestions and His will and ways as optional. God has prescribed and described the way to worship Him, and in order to truly worship Him and abide in His Holiness, we must not deviate and begin worshipping Him in ways that are convenient for us. The electricity that flows within our homes is powerful and extremely helpful – but if we don’t treat it with proper respect, it can be dangerous and even deadly. That’s what happened to Uzzah – he didn’t handle the power of God’s presence and glory in the proper way… because David had lost a level of healthy respect for God’s holiness through familiarity. We need to be careful to not make the same mistake David made. Now that we live in the era of grace through faith in Christ, we must make sure that we do not take God’s grace for granted and presume that we can concoct our own convenient ways of approaching God and handling His power and glory.

NT: “I am obligated both to Greeks and barbarians, both to the wise and the foolish. So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith.” (‭‭Romans‬ ‭1:14-17‬ ‭CSB)

I remember using this scripture as the basis of a presentation of the gospel to a group of men living in a drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility in Santiago, Dominican Republic. Those men were in that rehab facility because they were aware, at some level, that they were powerless to change… and that drugs and/or alcohol had power over them. I told them that I had a gift for them – and that gift was a gift of enormous power: the power of God. I then went on to describe the power of God. God’s power is unlike any power on earth. Men use dynamite to blast through mountains that stand in their way… men use massive bombs to win decisive victories in war… but none of those powerful tools can even come close to matching the power of God. Not only does God have the power to flatten mountains and decisively defeat the most menacing enemies – He has power to create life and sustain it forever. The gospel is no trivial thing… it is not a powerless imagination of our minds or an empty hope within our soul. The gospel is the power of God for salvation. The same power that created the universe… the same power that spoke the sun into existence… the same power that breathed life into every living creature on earth… the same power that overcame the certainty of death to bring Jesus back to life again – that same power resides in the words of the Gospel that we share. As soon as someone believes the gospel, the power of God is released in their life to flatten the most insurmountable mountains, defeat the most tenacious enemy, and bring new abundant, overcoming, and everlasting life to a once-dead soul. That power is available to anyone – and we as Jesus’ disciples, have the privilege of proclaiming those words of power to people who need it most. The gospel is nothing to be ashamed about. If we truly understood the power that we wield when we share the gospel, I image we would share it more often. That afternoon, I gave those men in the rehab facility an opportunity to receive a gift of power – and almost every man that was present believed the words that I spoke… and as soon as they believed, the power of God filled their life to save them to the uttermost. Let’s not treat the things of God casually – but give them the honor and respect they deserve – and may we see people saved, set free, and brought into new life as a result.

NT: “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God — which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures — concerning his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who was a descendant of David according to the flesh and was appointed to be the powerful Son of God according to the Spirit of holiness by the resurrection of the dead. Through him we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the Gentiles, including you who are also called by Jesus Christ.” (‭‭Romans‬ ‭1:1-6‬ ‭CSB)

This epistle to the Roman church was written before Paul ever made it to Rome – and the church that he was writing to wasn’t established by him. However, Paul was not his own man. He described himself as a ‘doulos’ (bondservant) of Christ. He was devoted to Christ to the disregard of his own interests. Not only that, he was called and appointed to the office of apostle, and set apart to proclaim and explain the gospel (good news) of God. What was the reason for Paul’s assignment and the grace he was given that was commensurate to his calling? It was that all believers (Jew and Gentile alike) would be discipled unto obedience by grace through faith to Christ Jesus – the Son of God and rightful heir to God’s Kingdom. Even though Paul didn’t know the Roman believers personally, Christ his Lord and Master had called him and graced him to impart to the Roman church, his knowledge and understanding of God the Father, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the working of the Holy Spirit in and through them all. For the Roman church to thrive and bear fruit, they needed to understand the gospel and the grace that was available to them to obey Christ – and Paul was the man to impart that understanding – so the epistle to the Romans was written. Not only did it impart Godly wisdom and understanding to the Romans, it imparts Godly wisdom and understanding to believers around the world to this  day.

Proverbs: “Listen, sons, to a father’s discipline, and pay attention so that you may gain understanding, for I am giving you good instruction. Don’t abandon my teaching. When I was a son with my father, tender and precious to my mother, he taught me and said, “Your heart must hold on to my words. Keep my commands and live. Get wisdom, get understanding; don’t forget or turn away from the words from my mouth. Don’t abandon wisdom, and she will watch over you; love her, and she will guard you.” (‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭4:1-6‬ ‭CSB)

There is no godly succession without godly impartation. King David knew that, so he was careful and deliberate in imparting to his son Solomon the wisdom that he had found through his life-giving relationship with God. So through the Biblical proverbs, the wisdom that was imparted to David by God… that was imparted to Solomon by David, is imparted to us as we read these words in faith and reverence unto obedience. Do you have people in your life that you trust to impart godliness into you? Are there people in your life that you are imparting the godliness you have received? For there to be kingdom continuity from generation to generation, we need to be intentionally involved in godly impartation.