Nehemiah 11-12; Psalm 1; Acts 3
Scripture: Ps. 1:6 "For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish."
Observation: We need to be careful about this verse, because the world divides people into two categories, good and bad, based on their behavior. For this reason, most would interpret the verse like this: If you are a "good" person, God will take care of you; however, if you are a "bad" person, you will die and go to hell ( most people, even if they say they don't believe in hell, still assume that God will inflict serious punishment on "really bad" people when they die).
The problem with this is that God's Word says there is no one who is good (Ecc.7:20); therefore, there is nothing we can do to be righteous. So who are the righteous? I believe Paul says it best: "What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; but the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness, have not attained their goal. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone." (Rom. 9:30-32)
Definition of Righteousness: Conformity to the revealed will of God for my life
Application: The righteous are "God-controlled"
The wicked are "self-controlled"
It has nothing to do with my behavior and everything to do with my Jesus.
Prayer: Father God, today I desire to have no self - control but to be totally controlled by You so that I can be conformed to Your perfect will for my life and transformed into the very likeness of Your Son, Jesus.
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