Scripture

“For the time is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will raise up a righteous descendant from King David’s line. He will be a King who rules with wisdom. He will do what is just and right throughout the land. And this will be his name: ‘The Lord Is Our Righteousness.’”

~Jeremiah 23:5-6, NLT

Quote

There is one decisive difference between Christianity and the world’s religions: Religion begins with man working his way toward God or whatever he perceives to be God. Christianity is God coming to us in the person of Christ.

~Jack Taylor

I have a lingering fear, I don’t think most folks understand grace and I meet very few people who sense their depravity and who openly confess that Christ is the only way. The Hebrew word that we translate ‘righteousness’ is tseh’-dek and originally it meant to straight or stiff. It literally means to do what is right. God is the standard: He is right, and He does right. He established right and He upholds right. Psalm 19:8, The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart. The same thing is echoed in Psalm 119:128. Can you draw a straight line? I can, with a ruler but without a ruler, it is impossible for me to draw a perfectly straight line. There is no doubt that some can draw a straighter line than others, but no human can draw a straight line without a ruler or a guide. Understand that righteousness is a perfectly straight line. Jesus came and lived a perfect life. God, who is the ultimate standard, demands a straight line. To meet His righteous demand, we must walk a straight line which is impossible for we humans to do. What does this mean? It means we need a Savior! We cannot do what God demands; is there anyone who can do it for us? This is the gospel, the good news, Jesus did for us what we could never do for ourselves.

Religion is as old as the hills. It began with Cain who sought to make himself presentable by some other means rather than what God has ordered. Like Satan, he sinned against God’s order, he stepped out of line. His attitude said, “I will approach You how ever I please.” It didn’t work then, and it will not work now. There is only ONE approach and that is Jesus. We either repent and trust Jesus or we are doomed. While I am on the subject, there is a scarlet thread that runs throughout the Bible. From beginning to end, the Bible is about Jesus. Jesus is in every chapter. There is no way you can understand Genesis 4 without knowing Jude and the rest of the Bible. From the garden to the present, mankind has sought to offer God something other than what He demands, and it will not work. It is religion and it will not work. So, you go ahead and bring him the best you have, the fruit of your own labor and it will be rejected. Only one thing pleases Him and that is Jesus.

Extra

Thankful for a great Sabbath with a lot of liberty. I heard a funny story in our men’s bible class yesterday. I know that all of you do not know Don Murphy but many of you do, When Don was about 18 years old, he and a friend bought a sailboat, and they decided their maiden launch would be from Triana on the Tennessee river. As it happed, there was no wind, not any. So they paddled out into the middle of the river hoping to catch a little breeze. As they were sitting adrift in the middle of the river, they noticed a barge loaded with coal approaching. Don’s friend was familiar with the laws of the river and he told Don to relax because according to Hould’s Law they had the right of way, and the barge would have to go around. Don questions him as the barge got closer but he insisted that they stay put, the barge would have to go around. Guess what, the barge did not change its heading and it was headed directly for Don’s craft. At the last minute he and his friend paddle frantically and the barge missed them by a couple of feet. With a sense of sweet relief, they paddle to the bank where another friend of Don’s is waiting to greet them on their historic maiden voyage. This friend was full of the spirit or should I say ‘spirits’ and he came running toward Don and the boat hollering “I want in,” and before Don could stop him, he ran from the bank and jumped into the middle of Don’s sailboat. The boat was made out of Styrofoam and it broke in half. The Titanic went down. Actually, it floated but in two different directions. I’m not familiar with Hould’s law but I am familiar with Murphy’s law with definitely applies to Don and myself: