The Attributes Of God – God Is Righteous

What are God’s attributes? When we talk about the attributes of God, we are trying to answer questions like, who is God, what is God like, and what kind of God is He? An attribute of God is something true about Him. Each Friday we will look at the attributes of God. This week, God is righteous.

“The LORD is righteous in all His ways and faithful in all He does.” – Psalm 145:17 (NIV).

The righteousness of God, one of the most prominent attributes of God in the Scriptures, is also one of the most elusive. Initially, distinguishing the righteousness of God from His holiness or His goodness seems difficult. God always acts righteously; His every action is consistent with His character. God is always consistently “Godly.” God is not defined by the term “righteous” as much as the term “righteous” is defined by God. Righteousness is part of God’s character. Since He is righteous, that means that there is no other way for Him to act because He must remain true to who He is. 

We live in an age when the distinction between right and wrong is becoming increasingly blurred. Our culture believes that what is morally right varies from person to person and situation to situation. Yet God’s standards do not change; they are timeless. God’s laws are a reflection of His own righteous nature. Through faith in Christ, we are given His righteousness. He bore our sin at the cross, then blesses us with the gift of His righteousness when we come to faith in Him.

Romans 3:21-22 (ESV) says, “But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction.” Romans 5: 17 says, “For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.” 2 Corinthians 5:21 adds, “For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.”

Isn’t it amazing that our God would make that kind of trade? It seems beyond comprehension to imagine that a holy, righteous God would take our sin upon Himself so that He could cover us with His righteousness. But if He didn’t do so, we would have no hope. God could have chosen to remain unknown to us, but He didn’t. Instead, He offers us the righteousness of Christ.

Discussion Questions:

  1. When you hear the word righteousness, what do you think of? 
  2. From your perspective, how does a person become righteous or unrighteous?
  3. Do you struggle with trying to measure your righteousness against that of others? What about that of Jesus? 

What If Today Is It?

“Resolved never to do anything which I should be afraid to do if it were the last hour of my life or before the last trumpet blew.” – Jonathan Edwards, 5th Resolution

Every decade or so, people predict that the world is going to end. For example, some people said that the world was going to end on December 21, 2012, at least according to the Mayan calendar.  Going back further, it was forecasted that computers would fail to handle the three zeros in the number 2000, and thus there would be a catastrophic meltdown of civilization. Again, the day came and went, and here we are in the year 2022.

The Lord Jesus Christ told us that the world will end one day. He said, “And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:14) However, Jesus made it clear that the precise date of this apocalyptic end is a secret that only the Father knows: Mark 13:32 says, “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows.”

But what if today is our last day? We do not know when we will come to the last days of our lives, but one day, you will wake up in the morning, and it will be your last day on earth. How must you live so that you will not regret it when that day comes? The Bible makes it very clear that this earth is not our forever home.  We are merely passing through until our day comes to meet our Lord and Savior.

We should strive to live each day as though it is our last. According to James, we don’t even know what our life will be like tomorrow.  “Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.” (James 4:13-14) There is nothing wrong with making plans and filling our calendars but we must not be so obsessed with our plan that we miss God’s plan.

Paul knew that his life was near the end and that he had fought the good fight of faith: “As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near.” (2 Timothy 4:6)  He looked ahead to the crown of righteousness, which the Lord had waiting for him, but this crown wasn’t only for him but for all who had a deep, abiding longing for Jesus’ return. “And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:8). He could reflect on his life with the satisfaction of knowing that he had given it everything he had and faithfully kept the faith until the very end. 2 Timothy 4:7 says, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.” What about us? Can we say that we are fighting the good fight of faith today and every day and living like today could be the last day of our lives?

It may not be the last day you live here on earth, but it may become a great day for you and those you care about.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What would you do if today were the last day of your life? 
  2. What would you not do if this was the last day of your life? 

Resist Discouragement

Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.”– John 14:1.

Discouragement is a temptation, a common one. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind” (NIV)   If we linger in discouragement it can be costly. It can sap us of our energy and dreams, and it can consume a lot of time. It can keep us from doing what we need to do because we don’t want to face it.  

The book of Nehemiah illustrates how the enemy can discourage us, and how we should respond to discouragement in a way that prevents more damage and that moves toward healing our wounds.

Nehemiah was the man that God raised up to accomplish an important task – to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Despite all their efforts, however, they faced plenty of opposition from their hostile neighbors. Essentially they were saying that Jews were totally incapable of building the wall of Jerusalem when the Jews were working so hard every day under the blazing sun. Nehemiah’s response as given in vs.4-5: “Hear us, our God, for we are being mocked. May their scoffing fall back on their own heads, and may they themselves become captives in a foreign land! Do not ignore their guilt. Do not blot out their sins, for they have provoked you to anger here in front of the builders.” These words were spoken to God, and not to those who had spoken against the Jews.

Nehemiah did not react at all to their criticism. He did not retaliate against the enemies with equal actions or words. Neither should you react when you receive criticism from others. You will also notice that Nehemiah pours out his feelings to God frankly and honestly, and then just rests his case with Him. Be content to know that God will deal appropriately with the ones who have criticized you unjustly in His own good time.  

When you are discouraged, remember God’s promises. Nehemiah 4:15 says, “When our enemies heard that we knew of their plans and that God had frustrated them, we all returned to our work on the wall.” Psalm 34:19-20 says, “The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time. For the Lord protects the bones of the righteous; not one of them is broken!”

The main application for you is to press on with whatever God directs you to do in your journey of life. Whatever difficulties you face, you must keep your morale high, because God is with you every step of the way. You can only accomplish so much on your own, but you can “…do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13).

Discussion Questions: 

  1. Have you ever become discouraged in some aspect of your life and thought about quitting? Think back on what made it so discouraging and how you dealt with it at the time.
  2. How can the story of Nehemiah help you deal with discouragement this week? 

Refocus On God When You Are Drifting

“The Christian life is first and foremost a life of contemplation – listening to Jesus, considering Jesus, fixing the eyes of the heart on Jesus. Everything else in the Christian life grows out of this. Without this, the Christian life is simply unlivable.” ― John Piper.

Every day you can read articles on the problem of people drifting away from their life’s purpose or dreams. Those articles remind us that not only can we drift away from our life plans–work, family, creative endeavors, for example, we can also drift greatly from God. What does it look like when we drift from God and how do we stop the drift? One way to prevent drifting is to refocus on God.

The issue of focus is central to our walk with Christ. The Book of Hebrews emphasizes the importance of fixing and focusing our eyes on Jesus. “We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.” (Hebrews 12:2) Hebrews 3:1 says, “Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest.”  

The concept of drifting is certainly not unfamiliar to us. How many times have you reached the bottom of a page only to realize that you weren’t paying close enough attention to recall what you just read? And how many times have you driven for miles without realizing that you missed your turn-off? Life’s purpose and dreams require focus and refocus: especially for spiritual priorities. 

I know it sounds simple enough, but is it?  If you or I am going to stay focused on God, we have got to include the things of God in our daily lives. God will restore you: Deuteronomy 30:1-5, 8-9, (MSG) explains this point very well: “Here’s what will happen. While you’re out among the nations where God has dispersed you and the blessings and curses come in just the way I have set them before you, and you and your children take them seriously and come back to God, your God, and obey him with your whole heart and soul according to everything that I command you today, God, your God, will restore everything you lost; he’ll have compassion on you; he’ll come back and pick up the pieces from all the places where you were scattered. No matter how far away you end up, God, your God, will get you out of there and bring you back to the land your ancestors once possessed. It will be yours again. He will give you a good life and make you more numerous than your ancestors… And you will make a new start, listening obediently to God, keeping all his commandments that I’m commanding you today. God, your God, will outdo himself in making things go well for you: you’ll have babies, get calves, grow crops, and enjoy an all-around good life. Yes, God will start enjoying you again, making things go well for you just as he enjoyed doing it for your ancestors”

Read that passage when circumstances bring you down when you are drifting or have the inclination to not stay the course.  

Discussion Questions: 

  1. Is focusing or refocusing harder in your mind? Why? 
  2. What can we do this week to refocus the areas we may be drifting?  

Ever Feel Like Giving Up?

“But the people mocked these messengers of God and despised their words. They scoffed at the prophets until the Lord’s anger could no longer be restrained and nothing could be done.” – 2 Chronicles 36:16.

Ever feel like giving up? Ever feel like quitting? Ever feel like your situation is so hopeless that the only thing you can possibly do is leave? Just walk away, head out the door and never look back? Or do you quit too soon rather than pressing on and pressing through the circumstances in your life thinking you want to make it stop, even when it is too soon? 

In Joshua 6, we read about God’s unconventional plan for the battle of Jericho. God told Joshua to have the armed men march around the city once each day, for six days. The priests were to carry the ark, blowing trumpets, but the soldiers were to keep silent. On the seventh day, the assembly marched around the walls of Jericho seven times. The plan was very unusual if not strange.

God’s infinite ways often don’t make sense in our finite minds. Sometimes you have to be willing to do the unconventional when fulfilling whatever dream God has given you.  But it is difficult to know if you give up too soon. 

Joshua 6:1 tells us that Jericho was “tightly shut.” Sometimes it can feel like our circumstances are “tightly shut” as well stopping us from moving forward and progressing in our dream. In Joshua 6:2 God says, “I have given you Jericho, its king, and all its strong warriors.” God did not say, “I will deliver Jericho into your hands.” He said, “I have given you Jericho.”  It was done. All the Israelites had to do was follow the instructions. But here’s the challenge: What do you do when you see a big wall standing between your promise and your present situation?

There will be times when you’re doing everything you know to do, and you still don’t see any movement. The Israelites walked around Jericho for six days, and as far as they could tell, nothing happened. Not one brick fell. The Bible does not tell us this but you have to imagine that some people wanted to stop walking around Jericho because they didn’t see any progress. I’m sure they wanted to see a few bricks fall so they knew they were headed in the right direction. Just because you don’t see God working does not mean He isn’t. Jesus said, “…“My Father is always working, and so am I.” (John 5:17) The writer of Hebrews says: “So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.” (Hebrews 10:35-36)

There will be times when you are on lap number 7  on something in your life and wondering if it is time to stop. Every circumstance is different, but the next lap may be the one that results in a blessing from God. Trust God and don’t give up too soon.

 Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you ever get tired of working on your goal? Maybe you’re trying to lose weight. Or you’re trying to start a new business. Or maybe you’re trying to write a book or start a new habit. How do you keep from giving up?
  2. Life is full of challenges that distract our focus away from God. How do you keep focused on God daily?

The Attributes Of God – God Is Holy

What are God’s attributes? When we talk about the attributes of God, we are trying to answer questions like, who is God, what is God like, and what kind of God is He? An attribute of God is something true about Him. Each Friday we will look at the attributes of God. This week, God is holy.  

 It was in the year King Uzziah died that I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple. Attending him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. They were calling out to each other, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with his glory!”Their voices shook the Temple to its foundations, and the entire building was filled with smoke. Then I said, “It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.” – Isaiah 6:1-5

In Isaiah 6 we learn about Isaiah’s unique encounter with God. There is a progression in his throne-room vision of God. What he sees utterly terrifies him – God is high and lifted up, and the train of His robe fills the temple. He is beyond comprehension. We get no description of God other than him sitting on a throne high and lifted up and the train of His robe filling the temple, and His total, perfect holiness. In the vision, he sees and hears angelic creatures crying out, “Holy, holy, holy.”

Isaiah sees a glimpse of God’s absolute holiness and he finds himself utterly devastated. He feels a profound sense of dread in the presence of a holy God. He realizes that God is totally holy, perfect, and pure and that he is by comparison unclean, impure, and sinful. 

The God of the Bible is a Holy God.  As we meditate on God’s supreme holiness, we cannot help being overcome with a sense of awe. The psalmist tells us, “Worship the LORD in all his holy splendor. Let all the earth tremble before him.” (Psalm 96:9) Solomon writes, “Fear of the LORD is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.” (Proverbs 9:10)  

John Piper has this definition of God’s holiness: “God’s holiness is His infinite value as the absolutely unique, morally perfect, permanent person that He is and who by grace made Himself accessible — His infinite value as the absolutely unique, morally perfect, permanent person that He is. Our goal is to be holy as He is holy.” Leviticus 11:44: “For I am the Lord your God. You must consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy.…” 1 Peter 1:15 says “But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy.”

Discussion Questions:

  1. Can you define the word holiness in general and more specifically for your life?
  2. Do you believe a person can become holy?

What Is Involved In Living The Christian Life?

“But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” Exodus 9:16 (NIV).

Our current sermon series is entitled Building a Better Future. It is difficult to build a better future without a sense of purpose and an understanding of the “why” as well as the “what.” What do we live for in the Christian life and why are we doing it?

We probably all have some ideas about how Christians should live in order to please God. We may think we need to try our best to do the right thing, do good works, or live up to some kind of moral or ethical standard.  The Bible tells us that Jesus encourages all believers to grow in relationship, commitment, and obedience to Him. This is the essence of how to live a Christian life. Our relationship, commitment, and obedience are done out of love. John 14:21 says, “Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”

Any discussion of how to live a Christian life should focus first and foremost on the teachings of Jesus Christ. The entire Bible is full of insight into who God is, our sinful predicament, God’s plan to redeem us, and how we should live in light of these realities. As 2 Timothy 3:16 says,  “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.”

Though Jesus taught about many topics, everything comes back to that ultimate goal of loving God and loving our neighbor. The best place to start when seeking to live the Christian life is to prioritize loving God above all else. If at the end of the day we can look back and feel like we loved God well, then we’ve accomplished the most important purpose for which we were created.

One practical thought in seeking to love God is to ask the question, “What does God find most loving?” That question can be a great driving force behind seeking to love God as best as we can every day.

If you want to follow the teachings of Jesus to live a Christian life, don’t overcomplicate things. Focus on loving God and loving others and let them guide the way you live each day.

God didn’t mean for us to live Christian lives in isolation. He calls us to community with other Christians. Together, we can help each other live grace-filled lives that bring glory to God. We need to help each other as we figure out what it means to live a Christian life in this crazy world.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is the key to living a victorious Christian life?
  2. Read Philippians 1:18-26: Paul says, “living means living for Christ.” How does for me to live is Christ impact my daily activities.   

How Should The Christian View Cancel Culture?

Then Peter replied, “I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism. In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right.”– Acts 10:34-35.

Wikipedia describes cancel culture as a form of ostracism in which someone is thrust out of social or professional circles – whether it be online, on social media, or in person. Cancel culture is a “gotcha” system to describe people who do or say something we don’t like or agree with so we choose to disassociate from them or worse cancel them from our lives.   

But what does cancel culture mean for the Christian? As Christians, we’re called to live like Christ, no matter what the culture around us looks like. Can you cancel people and love them at the same time? The apostle Paul also wrestled with this question. In his culture, there were religious leaders who believed they were better informed, better educated, and thus superior. Paul was once one of them. But then things changed. After experiencing Christ, he was different. He became so passionate about Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection that he wanted the entire world to know about it. Did Paul cancel his old friends? No. He engaged with them. He sought to speak their language and related with them — sharing in ways they would understand. He strived to make a difference, not just a point.

Romans 12:18 says, “Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.”Read that one more time and notice it doesn’t say to live at peace only with the people who agree with you, or the people who are part of your voting bloc, or people who don’t ridicule or insult you. It says, “live in peace with everyone.”  And pray for them rather than canceling them. When you pray for them, don’t just pray that God will change their mind. Ask God how He sees them. Ask God to help you love them as He loves them. Ask God to cancel your anger so you don’t need to cancel a relationship.

To be clear, there may be reasons to cancel people from our lives. But we should ask ourselves: Should we engage instead of cancel? The good news of Jesus is powerful. It transforms the hearts of men and women everywhere. And if we believe it, there must be another way to engage with people. Perhaps the best way to be a witness for Jesus is to love the people we are tempted to cancel.

Remember the challenge that Jesus issued to each of us when He spoke these words, “But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you.” (Luke 6:27-28)

Discussion Questions:

  1. In 2 Timothy 4:14–15, the apostle Paul writes: “Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm, but the Lord will judge him for what he has done. Be careful of him, for he fought against everything we said” How do we leave judgment to God and be wise in these kinds of situations? 
  2. Given the instructions in Romans 12:14–19, what is the way forward for the church in a culture that wants to “cancel” those who disagree?

How Do We Handle Naysayers?

“Whatever you do you need courage. Whatever course you decide upon, there will always be someone to tell you that you are wrong.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Naysayers are everywhere. Sometimes they are in your home, they show up at work, they hide among your friends and they are usually in your family. They come in all sizes and all shapes. It is our job to notice it for what it is and remain committed to our dreams.

Nehemiah had been charged with the task of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. He knew the task was not going to be easy. He was appointed by God for the challenge and started gathering the right people, placing them in strategic positions to rebuild the wall which would guard the unprotected city. The challenging task of rebuilding the wall takes form as each person is dedicated to a portion of the wall in a beautiful lesson of organized engineering design. Everything is running like a clock. Yet, when we turn to chapter 4, we find Sanballat and Tobiah the Ammonite angrily trying to discourage Nehemiah and his workmen from finishing their God-given task.

 Nehemiah 4:2-4 says, “…“What does this bunch of poor, feeble Jews think they’re doing? Do they think they can build the wall in a single day by just offering a few sacrifices? Do they actually think they can make something of stones from a rubbish heap—and charred ones at that?” Tobiah the Ammonite, who was standing beside him, remarked, “That stone wall would collapse if even a fox walked along the top of it!”

They tried everything they could to get Nehemiah and his workers distracted. “The wall is weak!” “You are weak!” “It will take too long!” “Who do you think you are?” They went on and on, arguing against building the wall. If we took the time to reflect back on our life we could probably remember situation after situation when people tried to discourage us to do what needed to be done to fulfill God’s direction for our lives. Had we listened to naysayers along the way we may not be doing what God wants us to do. Likewise, had Nehemiah and his workmen listened to the naysayers, the work would have stopped and God’s task would not have been completed.  

There will always be opposition when we take a step of faith or run after a new challenge.  But the key to remember is this: Don’t let your critics distract you from God’s call. Don’t let yourself get lost in bitterness or resentment. Don’t let envy and jealousy of others keep you stuck.  Simply continue to move forward, remembering that when God puts you before a challenge – that challenge becomes God’s. God simply asks that you show up and trust Him – no matter how loudly the critics shout.  Move forward in faith and watch with amazement as God helps you overcome “even the most convincing naysayer.”

Has God given you a dream? Even if it looks impossible and some people in your life are saying you are nuts for doing it – do as Nehemiah and his workers did: keep on working until you finish the task.

Discussion Questions: 

  1. Naysayers are a test: agree or disagree and why? 
  2. Why do you think people might want you to fail?  Share a time when someone predicted your failure and how you responded. 
  3. Read Nehemiah 4:4-5: How does Nehemiah’s prayer in these verses influence you? Why should praying be the first step when you experience ridicule, insults, or pain?

How Do We Respond To Critics

“But the people mocked these messengers of God and despised their words. They scoffed at the prophets until the Lord’s anger could no longer be restrained and nothing could be done.” – 2 Chronicles 36:16.

No one likes criticism, but encountering some is inevitable, so we need to learn how to respond in a godly way. Although you might be tempted to become defensive or angry, remain calm and listen. The words may hurt, but great benefits come to those who carefully consider what is said. The Bible is replete with people being criticized. 

The Bible does not say anything about people mocking Noah and his family while they were building the ark, you have to assume given the situation, that people ridiculed what they were doing.  Then there is Nehemiah. He got the king to see his point of view. He got all the materials he needed. And he inspired the people to get to work. Then came the discouraging insults: “Sanballat was very angry when he learned that we were rebuilding the wall. He flew into a rage and mocked the Jews,saying in front of his friends and the Samarian army officers, “What does this bunch of poor, feeble Jews think they’re doing? Do they think they can build the wall in a single day by just offering a few sacrifices? Do they actually think they can make something of stones from a rubbish heap—and charred ones at that?”Tobiah the Ammonite, who was standing beside him, remarked, “That stone wall would collapse if even a fox walked along the top of it!” (Nehemiah 4:1-4)

Jesus was ridiculed by everyone present during His crucifixion. The crowds cried “Crucify Him!” before Pilate. The soldiers beat and mocked Him. People who passed by Him hanging on the cross hurled their insults at Jesus. The religious leaders mocked Him. Even the criminals who were dying beside the Lord threw in their own ridicule  Handling criticism and ridicule with grace is possible because Jesus portrayed it and He’s our example to follow.

Something wonderful happens when we take on an attitude of grace toward people who have been malicious or judgmental or spiteful toward us: their criticism can’t affect or change us. We understand that the problem is with them, and not with us. So, instead of being offended and hurt, we are free to joyfully minister forgiveness and grace into that person’s life. The result is that instead of the unfair criticism succeeding in tearing us down, it actually serves to build us up, spiritually and emotionally, as we follow in the footsteps of Christ.

Every rebuke is an opportunity from God. It’s a chance to let your Christian character shine by showing love to your critic. If he is angrily attacking you, your respect and kindness become a powerful testimony. Criticism is also an occasion to humble yourself and accept the Lord’s correction.

 Discussion Questions:

  1. How should you respond when your faith and beliefs are ridiculed?
  2. What can we do differently this week when faced with criticism?