Christian Character: The Way of Righteousness I: 04 MAY 14

Psalm 1 (NKJV)

The Way of the Righteous and the End of the Ungodly

1 Blessed is the manWho walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,    Nor stands in the path of sinners,    Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord,    And in His law he meditates day and night.3 He shall be like a tree    Planted by the rivers of water,    That brings forth its fruit in its season,    Whose leaf also shall not wither;And whatever he does shall prosper.4 The ungodly are not so,But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.6 For the Lord knows the way of the righteous,But the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Question: What is the way of the righteous? The answer is listed in five distinct portions listed below from the passage.

1) Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly.

2) Blessed is the man who does not stand in the way of sinners.3) Blessed is the man who does not sit in the seat of the

scornful.4) Blessed is the man who has his delight in the law of the

Lord.5) Blessed is the man who meditates on the law of the Lord day

and night.

These five blessings come from a man, woman, or child being righteous before the Lord. The three types of people that are avoided and the actions committed for the law of the Lord are certainly a part of the way of righteousness.

1) The blessing on a person comes from walking in the counsel of the godly, not the ungodly. The godly counsel should be from God, His Word, and other like-minded believers. Ungodly counsel is from the devil, the systems of this world, and folks that do not follow Jesus Christ. The

counsel of the ungodly is plenteous, destructive, and designed to cause failure.

2) The blessing on a person comes from not standing in the way of sinners. What is the way of sinners? Is it not found in John 10:10? The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. This is the way of sinners, always has been, and always will be. Apart from Jesus Christ a person will stand in the way of sinners and be drawn into the world’s system of stealing, killing, and destroying. Standing in the way of sinners is all about selfishness. However, the righteous should stand in the way of sinners as a preventive measure to bring the person light, godly counsel, and a godly life as an example of Christian character.

3) The blessing on a person comes from not sitting in the seat of the scornful, but sitting in the seat of the faithful. A scornful person is not convinced that he or she needs God. In turn this type of person will scoff and mock at those trying to stand in the way of sinners as a preventive measure. This scornful person is truly cynical, lacking in faith, and abundant with excuses. The motive of the scornful person is demise in accordance with the first section of John 10:10.

The ungodly, the sinner, and the scornful person all work for the same boss, the god of this world, Satan. This is the employer of these types of people until they submit their lives fully to Jesus Christ.

END SESSION I

Christian Character: The Way of Righteousness II: 11 MAY 14

Psalm 1 (NKJV)

The Way of the Righteous and the End of the Ungodly

1 Blessed is the manWho walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,    Nor stands in the path of sinners,    Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord,    And in His law he meditates day and night.3 He shall be like a tree    Planted by the rivers of water,    That brings forth its fruit in its season,

    Whose leaf also shall not wither;And whatever he does shall prosper.4 The ungodly are not so,But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.6 For the Lord knows the way of the righteous,But the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Part I focused on the three types of people that are clearly not associated with Jesus Christ, the damage they can bring, and the trouble they can cause to other unbelievers and even to those that believe.

The Word of God admonishes us to not walk in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in the seat of the scornful. We are called to be the antonyms of these types of people. For us to receive the blessing from God and to be in the way of righteousness it is absolutely imperative that we adhere to this counsel. How do we adhere to it?

The Psalmist clearly tells us that part of being in the way of righteousness and receiving a blessing is to delight ourselves in the law of the Lord as mentioned above. It is important to note that delighting in His law means that we delight in Him. We cannot possibly delight in the law of the Lawgiver if we do not delight in and love Him. Our intent should always be centered about love, not personal intentions based on obligatory practices.

Delighting in the law of the Lord is clearly about trust. Do we trust God enough to believe that what He has laid out for us to walk in is for our best interest? If we walk this law in the flesh then we are doomed for utter destruction if left unchecked. If we walk in the Spirit then there is no condemnation (Romans 8:1). If we walk according to the letter of the law then there will be trouble. Delight in the law of the Lord because you love Him. If we truly love Him then His commands are not burdensome (I John 5:3). The only time His commands become burdensome is when we try to accomplish them in our own strength.

Is our delight truly in the law of the Lord? Are we honestly striving to make His law our delight? Should following the commands of God be delightful for us? If we truly love Him and are truly concerned about His heart then we will do our

very best to follow His law. If we follow His law based on our love for Him then the natural progression is our delight in serving and pleasing Him. If we are following His commands based on a selfish motive then His law will not be a delight. His law will be a cumbersome set of ideals that are too tough to follow because our priority is on the law and not on the Lawgiver. If our focus is on the Lawgiver then His law will be a delight. If we focus on the law and not the Lawgiver then this can lead to hatred of His law, and hatred of Him if left unchecked. Why? We were not meant to accomplish His commands outside of His sufficient love and grace given to us to do them. We must trust Him and His law.

Psalm 119 has much to say about delighting in the Law of the Lord.

Psalm 119:16—I will delight myself in your statutes; I will not forget your word.

Psalm 119:24—Your testimonies also are my delight and my counselors.

Psalm 119:47—And I will delight myself in Your commandments which I love.

Psalm 119:70—Their heart is as fat as grease, but I delight in Your law.

Psalm 119:77—Let Your tender mercies come to me, that I may live; for Your law is my delight.

Psalm 119:92—Unless Your law had been my delight, I would then have perished in my affliction.

Psalm 119:143—Trouble and anguish have overtaken me, yet Your commandments are my delights.

Psalm 119:174—I long for your salvation, O Lord, and Your law is my delight.

END SESSION II

Christian Character: The Way of Righteousness III: 18 MAY 14

The Way of the Righteous and the End of the Ungodly

1 Blessed is the manWho walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,

    Nor stands in the path of sinners,    Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord,    And in His law he meditates day and night.3 He shall be like a tree    Planted by the rivers of water,    That brings forth its fruit in its season,    Whose leaf also shall not wither;And whatever he does shall prosper.4 The ungodly are not so,But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.6 For the Lord knows the way of the righteous,But the way of the ungodly shall perish.

We spoke of avoiding the counsel of the ungodly, not standing in the way of sinners, and not sitting in the seat of the scornful, delighting in the law of God, and meditating in His law day and night.

What can we expect for being faithful as a lifestyle for the man, woman, or child that loves God. The blessing that comes from this obedience to His commands is that the doer of such is indeed blessed.

This same person also has a great delight in the law of God. A delight is not simply a like for something, but a deep-seated joy concerning something, in this case, the commands of the law given by the Lawmaker Himself. It is important for us to remember that a person cannot delight in the law of the Lord unless that person loves the Lawgiver. Several verses from Psalm 119 were discussed and read, and the common theme was that the Psalmist absolutely DELIGHTED in the law of the Lord.

Along with delighting in the law of the Lord is a meditation on the law itself. It stands to reason that a person delighting in the law of the Lord will meditate on it. A person is probably not going to meditate on something that he or she does not delight. These two are interconnected, and the Psalmist is clear that the law of the Lord is a lifestyle.

To meditate on something day and night is a way of living. Meditation is not a passive ordinance for obligatory practices; it is an active passion that a man, woman, or child of God MUST actively engage for it to become real. Notice that the Psalmist states that the blessed man meditates day and night IN His law,

not on His law. This shows the reader that there is a relationship with the Lawgiver, not just a following of His law.

Let’s take a look at some verses that deal with this meditation concept.

Joshua 1:8—“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

Sound familiar? It should! This was written long before Psalm 1, but the theme is absolutely on the money. There is this theme of meditation IN the Book of the Law, not on the Book of the Law. This suggests clearly that meditation is very personal with God and His Word, not passive and with little interaction. It is important to keep in mind that we as parents and couples and families should be so familiar with the Word of God that it is what comes out of us naturally. The more we meditate IN it, the more we love the Lawgiver, the better our walks, and the easier it becomes to obey what He has commanded us. It is a matter of trust!

Psalm 4:4—Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still. Selah

The command is for us to be angry, but to do it in a righteous way. The way of the righteous is to allow for righteous anger only. This is important when it comes to personal interaction with our spouses and children. How we deal with each other on this personal level will speak volumes of our righteousness! How much or how little we have will show through in how we control our anger. It is important to be angry about things that God is angry about. We are commanded to meditate in our spirit with His Spirit when we are alone with Him. What should we meditate on? Should it not be the Word of God? Take careful thought of God and His Word; this will ensure assistance to us in our walks with Him.

Psalm 63:6—When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches.

Interesting! How often are we remembering God? Are we remembering Him for what He has done for us? Or are we remembering Him because He did not do for us what we wanted? This passage suggests that the Psalmist is in a quiet place, his bed, to remember what God had done for Him. He meditates on God in the night watches. This suggests that meditation is not restricted to an area of time; it can be utilized whenever and

wherever. The Psalmist does not just think about God; he meditates on Him with very serious consideration!

Thus far today we have looked at this concept of meditation. Some key takeaways from today’s lesson are written below.

1) Meditation is a lifestyle, not a passive thought here and there. It is something that must be practiced; it is an acquired discipline. It will cost you time, but it will pay you with eternity.

2) Meditate IN the law of God! Meditate ON the person of Jesus Christ. Those that meditate in the law should be those that love the Lawgiver. If you are meditating in the law of God then you have delight in His law. If you delight in His law then you delight in Him!

3) Meditation is very personal in nature, not impersonal. Meditation has its focus on a person, Jesus Christ. Meditation does not have its focus on you or me, only Him.

4) Meditation requires us to be still. If we are still then we can hear from God. If we are of a calm spirit then our chances of becoming angry drop significantly. In the event that we become angry it is important that we do it righteously.

5) Meditation is what is expected from the way of the righteous.

END SESSION III

Christian Character: The Way of Righteousness IV: 25 MAY 14

We have looked at five different aspects of the way of the righteous in the last four weeks. Those characteristics are as follows:

1) Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly.

2) Blessed is the man who does not sit in the seat of the scornful.

3) Blessed is the man who does not stand in the way of sinners.4) Blessed is the man whose delight is in the law of the Lord.5) Blessed is the man who meditates in His law day and night.

These are all well and good, but what is the bigger picture here? What really is the product given over to those in the way of righteousness? Besides the blessings that come from being obedient to Jesus Christ, what can we expect as those that are in the way of the righteous? Verse 3 paints a very clear picture for us on this matter.

Verse 3: He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf shall also not wither, and whatever he does shall prosper.

***He or she (the blessed man or woman or child) that has taken it upon himself or herself to follow the five portions of righteousness will indeed be:

1) Like a tree. This person is not just like any tree planted just anywhere. No, this person is like a tree planted by the rivers of water. This person is adjacent to the Source, with a deep root system. This person is firmly rooted in Jesus Christ, His Word, His Father, His Holy Spirit, and His church. This person is next to the Living Water, Jesus Christ. John 4 speaks of Jesus being the Living Water to the woman at the well. This person has an endless supply of what he or she needs because he or she is firmly rooted in Jesus Christ in accordance with Philippians 4:19: 19 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. This person is constantly fed and placing roots deeper day by day. This person, as long as he or she stays near/in the Source, will not be uprooted in accordance with John 10:28: 28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. We are secure in Jesus Christ when we are in the way of righteousness. This person is absolutely rooted in eternal life.

2) This person brings forth fruit? What is the season in which this person brings forth fruit? This season is whenever good works for Jesus Christ are performed. Anytime that something is done to further the Kingdom of God then fruit is created in that season. Fruit should be brought forth at any time, not just in a setting like church. Fruit can be brought forth in our prayer closets, when we love and discipline our children properly, when we love our spouses correctly, etc. Fruit comes in many forms. It is up to us to ensure that our trees are sprouting good fruit, not rotten fruit. We must make sure that the works we do are those given by the Lord in accordance with Ephesians 2:10: 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. The key is to stay hooked into the Living Water, Jesus Christ. It is also important to work as a team of trees, as it were, to live in unity and to spur one another on to do good works in accordance with Hebrews 10:24: 24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, We need to rely on each other and

ensure that the fruit we are producing is acceptable to God. We must tap into each other and feed off each other.

3) This person’s leaf shall not wither. When faced with harsh conditions this person endures, this person continues to stay hooked into the Source, the Living Water, Jesus Christ. Regardless of what may come, this person will hold. A strong root system of prayer, study, and church will keep the tree’s roots and nourishment strong. The foundation is what is important. Sure, the tree may take a few hits, may suffer some broken bark and branches, and may even lose a few leaves, but this is to be expected in accordance with John 16:33: 33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” The trials that we as trees will face are there to make us stronger and better as Christians in accordance with James 1:2-4: 2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. We are made stouter and more robust as we are proved in these areas.

4) This person is going to prosper. Just like the tree will prosper because of its location in and near the Living Water and because of its root system, so will the person who stays hooked into Jesus Christ. However, just because this person will prosper, it does not give an open license to this person to simply do whatever strikes his or her fancy. The tree has boundaries—it will not grow well with shallow roots nor will it continue growing well away from the Source. To prosper is to bring forth fruit and to bring souls to Jesus Christ.

***It is important that we as husbands, wives, and parents be in the way of righteousness, that we ensure we stay hooked into the Living Water, that we dwell together in unity, and that we encourage each other. What we do will be reflected in what our children do. How do our trees look???

END SESSION IV

Christian Character: The Way of Righteousness V: 01 JUN 14

As we move from Psalm Chapter 1 to Psalm Chapter 15, we will continue to explore this concept of the Christian character found in the way of righteousness. Psalm Chapter 15 records several character traits that each of us should possess as children of the Most High God.

The Character of Those Who May Dwell with the Lord

A Psalm of David.

Psalm 15 Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle?Who may dwell in Your holy hill?2 He who walks uprightly,    And works righteousness,    And speaks the truth in his heart;3 He who does not backbite with his tongue,    Nor does evil to his neighbor,    Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend;4 In whose eyes a vile person is despised,    But he honors those who fear the Lord;He who swears to his own hurt and does not change;5 He who does not put out his money at usury,    Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.

He who does these things shall never be moved.

The emphasis for this lesson will be placed on Verse 2, specifically, this concept of walking uprightly.

***He who walks uprightly? What does it mean to us to walk uprightly? Is this about spiritual or physical posture? We can make some distinct inferences from the Scripture.

A) Walking uprightly is a lifestyle, not a shifting characteristic that can be turned on and off dependent upon the situation.

B) Walking uprightly is in the way of righteousness.C) Walking uprightly is very godly and should come natural to

us once we have tasted and seen that the Lord is good in accordance with Psalm 34:8: 8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!

D) Walking uprightly takes patience, perseverance, and absolute consistency.

E) Walking uprightly is not for show—it is for our love of God and others (1st and 2nd Commandment).

We also asked the question about what comes to us from walking uprightly. Here is what we discovered.

Proverbs 2:7—He stores up sound wisdom for the upright.

We receive SOUND WISDOM when we walk uprightly. There will not be a situation so difficult for us to undertake that we will not be able to handle when we have sound wisdom.

Proverbs 2:7—He is a shield to those who walk uprightly.

We receive PROTECTION from Jesus Christ when we walk uprightly. What are we protected from? How about ourselves?? We are protected from the forces of darkness that are after us because we are walking uprightly with Him.

Proverbs 2:21—For the upright will dwell in the land, and the blameless will remain in it.

We receive LONGEVITY and STABILITY when we walk uprightly. There will be no uprooting of those of us who are walking uprightly with Him.

END SESSION V

Christian Character: The Way of Righteousness VI: 08 JUN 14

In our last session we began a thorough dive into Psalm Chapter 15. As we viewed the way of righteousness in Psalm Chapter 1 so we will also view the way of righteousness in Psalm Chapter 15. This will be a very extensive study into several facets of the way of righteousness.

We viewed three verses last Sunday that equated to this concept of walking uprightly mentioned in Psalm 15:2. Verse 1 asks an aged-old question, “Lord, who may abide in your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill?” The rest of the Psalm clearly lays out the answer. As mentioned before we viewed Verse 2 and found some passages that closely relate.

The ultimate residence for the person of God in the way of righteousness is with Him in His Holy tabernacle. Being in the presence of God is all about being in the way of righteousness for the believer.

Verse 2: He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart.

Please feel free to refer back to Session V for the five inferences gathered as well as the three verses studied.

However, there are plenty of other verses concerning this concept of walking uprightly. Here is what we discovered.

Proverbs 3:32—But His secret counsel is with the upright.

We have RELATIONAL DEPTH with Jesus Christ when we walk uprightly. This is huge, especially considering the world in which we live. There are countless obstacles that invade the path of righteousness, and it is imperative that we have His secret counsel. This relational depth is a strong, robust relationship with the Holy Spirit, the One who provides this secret counsel.

Proverbs 10:29—The way of the Lord is strength for the upright.

We will have STRENGTH from the Lord when we walk uprightly with Him. We cannot endure the hardships of life without the strength of the Lord. The Bible mentions that David strengthened himself in the Lord in accordance with I Samuel 30:6: 6 Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God. When we are in right alignment, we are going to have all the strength we need, and then some, even if conditions are not very promising.

Proverbs 11:6—The righteousness of the upright will deliver them.

We will have DELIVERANCE of all manner of things when we are walking uprightly with Him in the way of righteousness. Any time that we operate in righteousness we are going to be delivered from many things. Some we know of, some we may hear about later, still some we may never know about this side of glory.

Proverbs 11:11—By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted.

We will have DIRECT IMPACT on the city that we live in because of our upright walk with Jesus Christ. Upright men and women are going to make a difference in a city that needs God. The city is going to be elevated by God because of His righteous folk that live within it.

Proverbs 14:2—He who walks in his uprightness fears the Lord, but he who is perverse in his ways despises Him.

We will have FEAR OF THE LORD when we walk in uprightness before and for the Lord. It is good to have fear of the Lord so that we maintain a healthy, reverential awe for God. When we lose sight of who He is, then we are prone to become sinful and stray off the course of the way of the righteous.

Proverbs 14:9—Fools mock at sin, but among the upright there is favor.

We will have FAVOR from God when we walk uprightly with Him. Favor is a beautiful thing from God that always comes because of obedience to His Word. If we are not in alignment with Him then we cannot surely expect to receive any favor. Favor is not something that we necessarily deserve. It comes when God declares it needs to come, and it is not based on a system of retrieval from Him by the things we do.

Proverbs 14:11—The house of the wicked will be overthrown, but the tent of the upright will flourish.

We will have SUCCESS, PROSPERITY, and GROWTH when we walk uprightly with Jesus Christ. Refer to Psalm 1:3 (…And whatever he does shall prosper). When we are walking uprightly then we are going to be successful as Christians. The world we see is a different type of success smattered with love for God, love for others, and God’s joy clearly pouring out into a lost world.

Proverbs 15:8—The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but the prayer of the upright is His delight.

Our prayer is HIS DELIGHT when we are walking uprightly with Him. We can expect our prayers to “warm His heart.” And why would they not? He is our Father, and He loves us each very dearly. Listening to and delighting in His children is a natural expression of his character.

END SESSION VI

Christian Character: The Way of Righteousness VII: 15 JUN 14

We still want to consider this realm of upright living. We left off last week with Proverbs 15:8--The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but the prayer of the upright is His delight.

Let's continue the study with some more Scripture concerning being upright.

Proverbs 15:21--Folly is joy to him who is destitute of discernment, but a man of understanding walks uprightly.

***When we have the correct understanding given by God through the Holy Spirit then we will walk uprightly. Our understanding must be God-given for this to be true; this will not work for natural understanding. We will not walk uprightly because we are depending upon our own strength and wisdom instead of His.

Proverbs 16:17--The highway of the upright is to depart from evil; he who keeps his way preserves his soul.

When we are walking uprightly then evil is going to be far from us. This is not to say that evil will not come our way; however, when we are upright and focused on Him then our soul (mind, will & emotions) are going to be preserved. We will be so steadfastly seeking Him and being obedient to Him that evil is going to seek other places to produce turmoil. James 4:7 speaks of this concept of submitting to God first: 7 Therefore submit to God.

Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Proverbs 21:18--The wicked shall be a ransom for the righteous, and the unfaithful for the upright.

This is comforting news to those of us that are in the way of righteousness. We do not have to worry about what will become of those that are continually against us; God has that under His sovereign control. We do not need to waste time deciding how "they should get theirs." We should be actively speaking to them and showing them the way of righteousness.

Proverbs 21:29--A wicked man hardens his face, but as for the upright he establishes his way.

Those that are walking uprightly in the way of righteousness are walking in an established way. The wicked man is obstinate, stiff-necked, and full of arrogant pride; this person is the direct antithesis of the person that walks uprightly. Upright folks know where they are headed; wicked folks are stumbling around because their way is not established.

Proverbs 29:10--The bloodthirsty hate the blameless, but the upright seek his well-being.

Ever wondered who hates you in this world? If you are walking uprightly then the forces of darkness working through those that are unsaved are going to hate you. Be not afraid, and let not your heart be troubled. We are upright folks, and we have a mission to accomplish while here on this planet. We are called to seek the well-being of the blameless. Really, though, to seek a person's well-being is to bring Jesus Christ to that person!

Walking uprightly is a lifestyle for Christians. Many things are promised to us if we walk uprightly, but these are not simply means to an end. Walking uprightly is based out of our love for Him and for others. If our intent is based on principles other than love then perhaps our motives need to be re-visited.

What are we showing and teaching our children? Are we walking uprightly or are we providing a facade based on selfish intentions?

END SESSION VII

Christian Character: The Way of Righteousness VIII: 29 JUN 14

As we venture away from this concept of upright living we now want to explore the second part of Psalm 15:2, “works righteousness”—He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart. This will prove to be a lengthy study; however, it will apply in so many ways to our personal lives, how we interact with one another, and how we train up our children in the way that they should go.

Three questions were posed during the lesson that brought out some great discussion.

1) What does it mean to “work righteousness?”2) Is there a difference in being righteous and working

righteousness?3) What are some of the benefits given to us by God that from

working righteousness?

It was mentioned that working righteousness is an active lifestyle, not a passive immobility. When you are on the path of righteousness and you slow down and/or stop, then you are not working righteousness. It is also important to note that working righteousness is not something that we have the power to do within ourselves because the righteousness that we have does not ultimately come from ourselves. The righteousness that we have comes via Jesus Christ. Self-righteousness has nothing to do with godly righteousness, and it does not fit into the way of righteousness.

It was mentioned that being righteous is separate from working righteousness only in the small instances where we stop on our walks in the path of righteousness to have a mountain top experience or for a period of rest. We can safely say that we are being righteous because we have been working righteousness. However, the danger arises when we somehow think that we have arrived in our behavior of being righteous. Lastly, if we have to announce that we are righteous then chances are we are probably not working righteousness as we should. It is a delicate balance of ensuring that the proper credit is given to Jesus Christ and no other.

It was also mentioned that “being in righteousness” is the same as “working righteousness.” How is this possible? Being in righteousness indicates that we are engrossed in what we are doing for Jesus Christ; we are working righteousness, therefore, we are also being in righteousness. The preposition “in” is what certainly makes the difference here.

As with any form of obedience to Jesus Christ there are many blessings that will come to us when we obey. Again, this is not to say that we work righteousness so that we can get the

blessings of Jesus Christ. No, we work righteousness based out of our love for Him and our love for others (Commandments #1 and #2).

The Scriptures viewed this morning were quite meaningful, and they dealt with a cornucopia of topics. The first three were discussed separately as they dealt with wisdom.

The question was posed, “What is wisdom?”

Some answers that came were: experience, knowing what to do when God tells you, and knowing what not to do when God tells you. It was mentioned that it is extremely important that we seek wisdom for any decision; we do not always have the right answer. We should not think that we the right to think that we have the answers. Wisdom from God is what is going to get us through difficult times, not worldly wisdom. Worldly wisdom will leave us stranded and in even more danger than when we started.

Proverbs 8:8—All the words of my mouth are with righteousness; nothing crooked or perverse is in them.

Wisdom and righteousness are interconnected. It stands to reason that if we are seeking wisdom then righteousness is going to be a byproduct of our seeking. Whenever we are utilizing wisdom in a tough situation we are going to be working righteousness. These are not separated concepts; they are married to one another. Godly wisdom is going to produce words that are edifying, whereas worldly wisdom is going to produce something crooked or perverse, even if it may not sound that way when it is spoken or put into use.

Proverbs 8:18—Riches and honor are with me, enduring riches and righteousness.

With wisdom come riches, honor, enduring riches, and righteousness. When wisdom is being utilized then this is what we can expect to receive. These are temporal and eternal, and they are full of righteousness. Using wisdom is actually working righteousness. If we are using worldly wisdom then we can expect to receive the opposite of what is listed here. Again, wisdom and righteousness are interconnected and must be sought after and worked by us.

Proverbs 8:20—I traverse the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of justice.

Wisdom is found in the way of righteousness and justice. Wisdom is not found on the broad way that leads to destruction; it is found on the straight and narrow path that leads to eternal life with Jesus Christ. Wisdom does not reside apart from

righteousness nor does righteousness reside apart from wisdom. Both are found in the way of righteousness. When we are utilizing wisdom then we are working righteousness, and we are on the way leading to Him.

Proverbs 10:2—Treasures of wickedness profit nothing, but righteousness delivers from death.

This verse talks not only about deliverance from the second death (the lake of fire called Hell in the Scriptures), but it is also talking about deliverance from a life lived engrossed in fleshly desires and translated into a life engrossed with Jesus Christ. Once we make that decision to take Jesus Christ on as our Savior and Lord then His righteousness is imparted to us and thus begins the deliverance from death. Granted, this deliverance from death is assured, however, we still must do our part and run the race.

END SESSION VIII

Christian Character: The Way of Righteousness IX: 06 JUL 14

We left off with Proverbs 10:2 from last week’s session. We looked at how wisdom and righteousness are intertwined; they are inseparable. Where one is you will certainly find the other, and vice versa. Proverbs 8 is an excellent study for wisdom, its power, its everlasting foundation, its beauty, etc. On the way of righteousness will wisdom surely be.

We also looked at Proverbs 10:2 and reviewed how righteousness delivers from death. It delivers from the second death known as Hell, but also from death that comes when one lives without a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Some verses that are closely tied to this deliverance from death can be found in Revelation.

Revelation 2:11—“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.

Revelation 20:6—Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

Revelation 20:14—Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

Revelation 21:18—But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

Being in righteousness and working righteousness while on the way of the righteous has eternal ramifications as clearly evident in Scripture. It is important to do a self-inventory to see where we stand with God. It is not that we are scared or so worried about going to Heaven because we might fail Him. It is that we are truly in love with Him and want to please Him. By doing this our places in Heaven are secure in Him.

Today’s study focused on several other verses in Proverbs.

Proverbs 10:3—The Lord will not allow the righteous soul to famish, but He casts away the desire of the wicked.

***Working righteousness while on the way of righteousness provides two things for such people. The soul of this person is not going to famish spiritually, but also the righteous soul will not famish physically. Proof of this can be found in the following verses.

Psalm 37:25—I have been young, and am now old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging bread.

Also, Jesus speaks very clearly of the same concept, except this time the focus is on the spiritual vice the physical.

Matthew 5:6—Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.

Proverbs 10:6—Blessings are on the head of the righteous, but violence covers the mouth of the wicked.

***When we work righteousness then a spiritual product of our obedience to work that righteousness produces blessings. The blessings that we receive are often quite noticeable, but some are not seen until a later time, especially after traversing through a dark time. Conviction is also a blessing because Someone, namely the Holy Spirit, loves us enough to let us know when we are straying off the way of the righteous. There is not a quantity attached to these blessings. It cannot also be assumed that the increase in the working of righteousness will somehow bring about more blessings. It is enough to work righteousness as we should because we are in love with Jesus Christ. Notice that the wicked do not have blessings; they have violence that covers their mouths instead.

Proverbs 10:7—The memory of the righteous is blessed, but the name of the wicked will rot.

What kind of legacy are we leaving behind for our children? Scripture is clear by stating that those that are working righteousness are going to leave behind a blessed memory. People

will remember a person that lived righteously. The name of a wicked person will not have such a blessed memory; his or name will eventually rot. Again, the intent is to not leave behind a blessed legacy for the sake of leaving a legacy; we leave behind that which is good because our love for the Master hopefully supersedes any other intent that we may have in our hearts.

Proverbs 10:11—The mouth of the righteous is a well of life, but violence covers the mouth of the wicked.

***Working righteousness obviously begins within our spirits. Our spirits then dictate to our souls (mind, will, and emotions) to work righteousness, and then our bodies follow through from that initial thought of righteousness within our spirits. In short, good and right things are going to come out of mouth of the one who works righteousness. If we choose to not work righteousness then we are not going to offer up little, if any, words of life.

Matthew 12:34—Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

Luke 6:45—A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

Whatever you put into your spirits is what certainly will come out of you. Righteousness produces life-giving speech. Unrighteousness produces life-taking speech.

Proverbs 10:16—The labor of the righteous leads to life, the wages of the wicked to sin.

***When we work righteousness in our spiritual journey then it will show itself clearly in our natural lives in how we work. The person that excels at working righteousness also excels at what he or she does for a living. The person that does not work righteousness does not produce fruitful labor that leads to life. This person produces labor that leads to death.

Romans 6:23—For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Proverbs 10:20—The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; the heart of the wicked is worth little.

***If we are working righteousness then it is going to be reflected in our speech. The words we say are going to be precious and life-giving. Why? The heart that they spring from

is full of righteousness; whatever comes from that heart will be very valuable (choice silver), not just some value, but great value to the hearer of those words (Proverbs 25:11—A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.). It is easy to tell when righteousness is not being worked; what is said will have little to no value attached to it.

Proverbs 25:11—A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.

END SESSION IX

CHRISTIAN CHARACTER: The Way of Righteousness X: 13 JUL 14

The last session focused on concepts of working righteousness that included administering life-giving speech, leaving a blessed legacy for our children, blessings coming forth because of our obedience to Him in working righteousness, and being filled both physically and spiritually.

Today’s session will continue to explore the Proverbs and what they have to say concerning righteousness.

Proverbs 10:21—The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of wisdom.

***Working righteousness is going to produce speech within us that will feed many with the truth. What people need today are words that produce life. It is far too easy to condemn, judge, and make sport of other people by not choosing our words correctly. Righteousness brings forth words that are useful and valuable as mentioned in an earlier lesson. The verse clearly indicates that wisdom is attached to the righteous because fools do not have the wisdom of the righteous.

Proverbs 10:24—The fear of the wicked will come upon him, and the desire of the righteous will be granted.

***This is outstanding news for those working righteousness, but bad news for the wicked. The desire of the righteous man, woman, or child will be granted. What is your desire? Does your desire line up with God’s Word and His will for your life? If we delight in the law of the Lord then He will give us the desires of our heart. Do not expect him to give us desires that do not line up with loving Him with all your heart, mind, soul, body, and strength, and loving our neighbor as ourselves.

Proverbs 10:25—When the whirlwind passes by, the wicked is no more, but the righteous has an everlasting foundation.

***Working righteousness produces a foundation that is secure and everlasting. Jesus Christ puts it rather nicely with a passage in Matthew.

Matthew 7:24-26—“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded upon the rock. “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

It can be concluded that the person working righteousness has his or her house built on the solid Rock, Jesus Christ. The person that does not work righteousness has his or her house built on the sand: human wisdom, the world’s systems, and other means that are contrary to Jesus Christ.

Proverbs 10:28—The hope of the righteous will be gladness, but the expectation of the wicked will perish.

We that are working righteousness have a hope that is gladness, not sadness or madness. Our hope is not in vain, and our expectation will not perish.

Proverbs 10:30—The righteous will never be removed, but the wicked will not inherit the earth.

Though we may die physically, though we may be put through exhausting trials and tribulations, we are not going to be removed. The earth will be inhabited by us, and the wicked will have no part in it. Our foundation is sure and everlasting.

Proverbs 10:31—The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but the perverse tongue will be cut out.

Again, when we are working righteousness we are going to bring forth wisdom when we speak to others. Granted, our wisdom may not be received well by some, but when His wisdom exits our mouth, we have been obedient to Him. It is imperative that what we say is righteous; it will be if we are working righteousness.

Proverbs 10:32—The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked what is perverse.

This concept of the lips and mouth comes to light once again. Working righteousness will produce righteous speech, and also the wisdom associated to ensure that what is said is acceptable. In other words, the righteous person is going to carefully consider

what is said before saying it, whereas the unrighteous person will let fly whatever comes to mind. Refer to the earlier verses about the good treasure and the evil treasure from the two types of people found in Luke 6:45.

Proverbs 11:4—Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.

The world is depending on its riches to save them, but there is no saving from the wrath of God except through salvation found in His Son, Jesus Christ. Working righteousness is not affiliated with working riches. We will be delivered from death because of our righteousness founded in Jesus Christ. This is what was spoken of in Proverbs 10:2 and its subsequent discussion.

Proverbs 11:5—The righteousness of the blameless will direct his way aright, but the wicked will fall by his own wickedness.

Working righteousness directs our ways aright because our focus is on God and other people, not ourselves. Blameless people are those that have given their lives over to Jesus Christ; they are not perfect, but they are being perfected day by day. They will walk in the way of righteousness because of what the Scriptures say.

Psalm 37:23—The steps of a good man are ordered by God.

This is exactly what Proverbs 11:5 is referencing. The wicked do not understand this, nor do they want any part in it; this is why they will fall by their own wickedness.

Proverbs 11:6—The righteousness of the upright will deliver them, but the unfaithful will be caught by their lust.

Working righteousness is associated with upright behavior. This, again, produces deliverance. Deliverance can come in many ways: the second death, disease, sickness, hardships, etc. God is faithful to those that are working righteousness, and our response to Him should be a faithful one as well.