Tag Archives: Righteousness

Our Words and Actions—A Pebble in the Lake of Life

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While bushwhacking off trail in the Mount Hood National Wilderness the other day, I stumbled onto this little no name lake that’s not even on the map—a pristine jewel in the vast wilderness! Almost no one comes here. The beauty of it caused me to pause and reflect on some of the deeper things of life.

Everything we do, say and think is as if we were dropping a pebble in the lake of life, in the sea of humanity; the ripples reach out and far and wide and touch many lives, affects many people, and can even affect the course of human history for good or bad in ways we don’t know. Ask yourself this: In  everything that I do, say and think, am I advancing the kingdom of Elohim or not? Am I glorifying Him and pointing people to Yeshua or not? A simple but serious question.

A little no name lake in the Mount Hood National Forest.

I’m naming this no nameLake Jared Lake after my youngest son with whom I was able to share this experience in Yehovah’s vast, untouched, pristine wilderness.

If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of Elohim. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which Elohim supplies, that in all things Elohim may be glorified through Yeshua the Messiah, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. (1 Pet 4:11)

 

Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of Elohim. (1 Cor 10:31)

 

And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Yeshua, giving thanks to Elohim the Father through Him. (Col 3:17)

Yehovah Elohim, help me to be salt and light in this world at all times in all ways! Amein.

 

Let our robes of righteousness speak louder than our words!

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Exodus 39:1, The holy garments for Aaron. The vestments of the high priest (kohen hagadol) are symbolic of the robes of righteousness that saints should be wearing in preparation for the return of the Messiah.

Gold symbolizes purity of heart. Blue symbolizes heaven and spirituality. White linen pictures robes of righteousness. White symbolizes purity and sinlessness. Red represents blood—the blood of Yeshua that cleanses from sin. The high priest wore a belt that represents truth, according to Paul (Eph 6:14). White linen pants represented sexual purity. The white turban represented purity of thought and humility (the opposite of conceit). He wore a gold crown inscribed with the words, “Kadosh l’YHVH” meaning “Set-Apart to YHVH.” The dangling pomegranates represented the fruits of the Spirit of Elohim, which should be manifesting in the life of the saint. The golden bells jingled when the priest walked. As we walk through life, people should hear and see our good spiritual fruits.

All of our actions speak loudly and clearly as to who we are and what we believe. Also, Yeshua said that our words reveal the true condition of our heart (Luke 6:45). How do people really view us? What are we really like when we are alone—our thought life and our words—our secret life? Is there a discrepancy between our secret and public lives? If so why? How set apart and righteous are we … in reality?

If we are called to be a set-apart priesthood then hadn’t we better get busy cleaning up our act and start acting like one?

Jewish tradition tells us that a rope was tied to the leg of the high priest in Second Temple times so that while ministering in the innermost sanctuary of the temple if he was impure and YHVH struck him dead (as happened to Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, when they offered up strange fire) the corpse could be dragged out by the rope. Doesn’t all this show us that we should take being righteous and set apart seriously? Remember Hebrews 12:14: “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man will see the Master.”

 

Are you good for your word?

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As a pastor, I have been amazed over the years how many people that claim to follow Yeshua and the Torah make promises that they don’t keep. In our ministry, I can’t tell you how many times people have made commitments to help us, then at the last minute flaked out leaving my wife and I to do their job. frankly, this has happened too many times to remember.

James exhorted us to let our yes be yes and our no be no (Jas 5:12). In other words, don’t give your word unless you plan to keep it. This is the mark of a true, mature saint.

Here’s what the Torah has to say about this subject.

Numbers 30:2 (3), Vows. A vow (Heb., neder) is literally “a pledge to do something.” It places upon oneself or others or upon objects of one’s choice a status equivalent to that of a commandment of the Torah (The ArtScroll Stone Edition Chumash, p. 900).

One’s word is one’s bond. A neder is so strong that a person violating it can suffer the court-imposed penalty of lashes (Ibid.) The Set-Apart One of Israel is not a man that he should lie (Num 23:19). If we are to be set-apart or kadosh as YHVH is kadosh (1 Pet 1:16; 2:9; Heb 12:14), then we must be people of our word not only in large matters, but in the smallest of matters too. Are you too casual with your words? Do you make commitments in order to sound good to others, yet you have no real intention of fulfilling your obligations? Liars will have no part in the New Jerusalem (Rev 21:8).

YHVH established order in the family structure. The man, as the head of the family, holds veto power over promises made by those under him in his family. This may be politically incorrect nowadays in a society characterized by egalitarianism, and feminism and children’s “rights,” but the Word of YHVH in the Torah is clear on this matter. This is given because the husband and father holds responsibility for promises made by those in his family (Num 30:15). To what degree are you swayed by the mores of society in this regard as opposed to the Word of Elohim? What rules do you play by in your marriage and family—society’s or YHVH’s?

 

Are You a Slave to Sin or Righteousness (i.e. Torah)?

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Romans 6:14–15 says,

For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under the law, but under grace.…What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? Elohim forbid!

What is Paul saying here? Paul is saying that sin (i.e., Torahlessness, 1 John 3:4) shall not have dominion over those who have faith in Yeshua and who have died to their old sinful nature as pictured by the baptism ritual (Rom 6:1–10). The Bible is clear: the wages or sting of sin is death (Rom 6:23; 1 Cor 15:56), for sin is the violation of the Torah (1 John 3:4), and those who are spiritually alive to Elohim through Yeshua (Rom 6:11) not only have had their sins forgiven, but they’re not continuing in habitual sin (1 John 3:4–9). They are walking under YHVH’s merciful grace, so that if they sin (i.e., violate the Torah), they can repent and receive his grace (1 John 1:9) instead of death. This is why Paul can say that the redeemed believer is no longer under the (penalty of) the Torah, but is under grace (Rom 6:14).

Because we are under grace and we have been spared by Elohim’s mercy from the penalty for sinning (i.e., violating the Torah), which is death, does this mean that we can continue in sin (i.e., continue violating the Torah, Rom 6:15)? Certainly not! Paul strongly affirms this in verse fifteen. Elohim’s grace doesn’t give us a license to sin (i.e., to violate the Torah, 1 John 3:4). If a saint sins, he must repent of his sin and not continue in his sin (1 John 1:9), so that the mercy and grace of Elohim will cover his transgression.

Paul then goes to say (Rom 6:16–23) that since we are no longer slaves to sin because of our relationship with Elohim through Yeshua, we now have become slaves to righteousness (i.e., Torah obedience, see Ps 119:172 where righteousness is defined as Torah-obedience). The Torah not only defines what sin is, but also shows us how not to sin. It is the grace of Elohim that not only gives us grace or unmerited pardon for violating the Torah (i.e., sin), but the same grace divinely enables us to live in obedience to the Torah, so that we will not come under the (penalty of) the Torah through sinfulness. This is why Paul can go on to declare that the Torah is holy, and the commandment holy, just and good (Rom 7:12). It reveals to us the path of righteousness and how not to sin by showing us how to love Elohim and our neighbor.

 

What Is Righteousness? Righteousness Vs. Pseudo-Righteousness

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Righteousness is one of those biblical words that can mean a lot of things to a lot of people. Often righteousness is defined more by the traditions of the churches or religious movement we are a part of (e.g., don’t lie, steal, commit adultery, drink alcohol, dance, play cards, smoke, etc.) than by what the Word of Elohim actually teaches. Have you wondered what the word righteousness really means?

In this study, we have attempted to look up nearly all 297 references in Scripture to righteousness, then list the main scriptures that capture the quintessential meaning of righteousness and then categorize them topically. By this means, we hope to let the Bible itself define righteousness instead of men’s traditions and religious philosophies.

It behooves us to know what righteousness is, since Yeshua declared that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled, and that those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake will inherit the kingdom of heaven (Matt 5:6 and 10). Additionally, he commands us to “seek first the kingdom of Elohim and his righteousness” (Matt 6:33). Elsewhere the Scriptures tell us that “the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of Elohim” (1 Cor 6:9). Yeshua also taught that it was necessary for the righteousness of his disciples (and us) to exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees (Matt 5:20). What did he mean by this? And finally, in Revelation 19:7–9 the bride of Yeshua is described as wearing “fine linen, clean and bright” garments which is “the righteous acts of the saints” (NKJV). Notice it doesn’t say “righteous beliefs,” but righteous acts.” What are the righteous acts of the saints?

The Etymology of the Word Righteousness

Let’s first define the word righteousness.

It is the Hebrew word tsedawkaw (Strong’s H6666 and is derived from H6663; TWOT 1879b) and means “justice, truthfulness, ethically right” or “morally straight.” The KJV translates tsedawkaw as follows: righteousness (128 times), justice (15 times), right (9 times), righteous acts (3 times), moderately (1 time), righteously (1 time).

Tsedawkaw derives from tsadak (a primitive root; Strong’s H6663) meaning “to be just, be righteous, to have a just cause, to be in the right, to be righteous in conduct and character, to be put or made right or justified, to make someone righteous, to do or bring Continue reading →