Which Righteous Man Do You Want To Be?
There are a lot of people who were mentioned as righteous in the Bible, but these people led different lives. There were some that were poor and others that were rich. There were some who died from illness and others who lived the full length of their time on earth. It is interesting to note that God has left that decision solely for us to choose. So which righteous man do you want to be?
The Bible called both Abraham and Lot his nephew righteous but do you know that these two lived an entirely different life. Although they both lived under God’s grace more than 400 years before the law was given, Abraham was very blessed by God whereas Lot lost all that he had in the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Both men had large herds and flocks. When their herdsmen started quarrelling over space, Abraham took the initiative to make peace. He even let Lot pick the lands that he wanted. Both men were righteous, but one was more gracious than the other.
Lot picked the well-watered plain of Jordan, where the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were. He dwelt there and pitched his tent as far as Sodom. Eventually, he lived in Sodom. Sodom and Gomorrah in the Bible represent a sinful lifestyle. Some Christians think, “Since I am righteous by faith and under God’s grace, I can live a sinful lifestyle: I can do whatever I want because I am under grace.”
Let us learn from Lot. He first saw Sodom, it looked nice and attractive, then his feet walked toward it and finally he went into it. One great Man of God said, “Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay and cost you more than you want to pay.” What did Lot end up paying?
He was captured when four kings plundered Sodom and Gomorrah. And even after Abraham rescued him with the help of God, he did not learn his lesson. He went back to Sodom. Some Christians live from one bail-out to another. God delivers them from, say, debt, and they go right back to borrowing money or gambling! Sodom and Gomorrah were eventually destroyed. Lot escaped with only the clothes on his back and even lost his wife in the process.
My beloved, you are the righteousness of God in Christ. When you truly understand what Jesus did to make you the righteousness of God, it will cause you to fall out of love with sin and fall in love with God. Then, it will not be hard to have a heart for God, as Abraham did, and like Abraham, be blessed in all things!
So by knowing all this which righteous man do you want to be?
