Lovers of Righteousness

Hebrews 1:8-9 ESV

 

“But of the Son he says,

 

“‘Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,

    the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.

You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;

therefore God, your God, has anointed you

    with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.’”

 

The Son, the Son of God, who is God, is Jesus Christ our Lord and Messiah. God the Father calls his Son “God,” for he is God. He is the second person of our triune God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Matt 28:20; 1 Pet 1:2).

 

Jesus Christ is eternal just like God the Father. He was with God in the beginning and He is God. He is our eternal God, without beginning or end. And his kingdom will never come to an end no matter how fiercely Satan fights against it. Amen!

 

The Lord’s scepter, his staff, which is an emblem of his sovereignty, of his power and authority and of his Kingship, is a scepter (emblem, symbol) of uprightness (righteousness, morality, honesty). He rules righteously, justly, honestly and with all purity. There is nothing impure in this King at all!

 

Jesus, our Lord, and our sovereign King above all kings, loves righteousness and he hates wickedness. Amen! He is the only man to walk this earth who was fully righteousness and who never once sinned. So, he is the only one who completely loves righteousness and hates wickedness.

 

Since he was fully man, yet fully God, and because he was sinless, he was able to be our sacrificial Lamb for us on the cross to take away our sins. Only God can remove our sins. No other sacrifice could remove our sins. This book of Hebrews explains all of that to us.

 

And, as Jesus’ followers, we are also to hate wickedness and to love righteousness, which we can only do through him. And we can only do that through him by faith in him by which we die with him to sin, and we are reborn of the Spirit of God to new lives in him, whereby we now live to Christ and to his righteousness in his power and strength (Rom 6:1-23).

 

So, Jesus, who is fully righteous, and who hates wickedness and who loves righteousness is not going to provide a salvation from sin whereby his followers are free to continue living in sin, are free to disobey him, and whereby they are free to dishonor him as God and to go their own way.

 

Hebrews 1:10-12 ESV

 

“And,

 

“‘You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning,

    and the heavens are the work of your hands;

they will perish, but you remain;

    they will all wear out like a garment,

like a robe you will roll them up,

    like a garment they will be changed.

But you are the same,

    and your years will have no end.’”

 

The things of this sinful world are all going to perish one day along with all those who refused to bow the knee to Jesus and to make him their Lord and master. But our Lord will remain forever, as will his word (his truth, his righteousness). And only those living in his righteousness will live with him forever, too (Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-17; Gal 6:7-8; Rom 2:6-8; 2 Co 5:10).

 

For, he says that if anyone would come after him he must deny self, take up his cross daily (daily die to sin and to self) and follow (obey) him. If we hold on to our old lives (of living for sin and self), we will lose them for eternity. But if we lose our lives (die daily with him to sin), we will have eternal life, he said (Lu 9:23-26; cf. Rom 8:1-17; 1 Jn 1:5-9).

 

So, if we want to be saved from our sins and to have eternal life with God, by faith in Jesus Christ, we must be crucified with Christ in death to sin and live to Christ and to his righteousness. We must walk (conduct our lives) no longer according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit (Rom 8:1-17).

 

For, if we walk (conduct our lives) according to the flesh, in darkness, in disobedience to our Lord, as a matter of life course (addictively), we will die in our sins. We will not have eternal life with God (Rom 8:1-17; 1 Jn 1:5-9; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 5:3-6; 1 Jn 2:3-6).

 

Hebrews 1:13-14 ESV

 

“And to which of the angels has he ever said,

 

“‘Sit at my right hand

    until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet’?

 

“Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?”

 

Jesus’ enemies are those who are enemies of righteousness and holiness, so they include all who profess faith in Jesus Christ but who are willfully and deliberately continuing to live in sin, in God’s face, in absolute disrespect to him as Lord (King).

 

Thus, since we are his followers, they are our enemies, too, for they are opposed to us, as well, who proclaim the truth of God’s Word, who point out sin, who call for repentance, and who call for obedience and submission to Jesus Christ as our sovereign Lord.

 

Our fiercest opponents are often those within the church, the temple of God, which is not a temple built with human hands but by God’s Spirit. We are a temple without walls which is made up of living stones (us), with Jesus as our chief cornerstone and the one upon which this church is built.

 

Yet, they are most likely not part of his true temple but are those who have come into the sheepfold by another way other than through genuine faith in Jesus Christ. So, they gather together with some of the saints of God but that does not make them saints (true sheep).

 

Jesus’ enemies right now have diluted (altered, adulterated) his gospel to make it appealing and acceptable to human flesh. They have removed his righteous requirements for repentance, obedience, and submission, and they have gone on an all-out attack against his true gospel of grace.

 

Thus, they are also coming against the Lord’s servants and messengers who are spreading the truth of the gospel. But our Lord is our support, and he gives us the words to say, and he gives us courage to speak the truth, and he sends his angels to minister to us, too, to help us.

 

So, we don’t ever have to fear opposition or what humans may do to us, for our Lord is our strength and he will never leave us but will be with us always.

 

All Through the Night  

 

An Original Work / December 7, 2013

Based off Various Scriptures

 

Blessed are you when you’re persecuted

Because of your faith in Jesus Christ.

Blessed are you when people insult you,

And falsely say what leads folks to doubt.

Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is

Great in the heavens. You’re not alone.

 

When you are persecuted in one place,

Flee to another. God will be there.

You will be hated by all the nations

Because you testify of God’s grace.

Many will seize you and persecute you,

And put to death the foll’wers of Christ.

 

Yet, do not fear what humans may do to you,

For I’m with you all through the night.

I tell you, love your enemies with my love,

And forgive as I forgave you.

Pray for those who do evil against you.

Rest in my love and grace from above.

 

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