From the Home Place

June 25, 202

Wow! We were blessed with some rain last night!!! I haven’t wandered out to check the rain gauge yet, so I don’t know how much rain we really did get, but I do know it was the most we have received so far this year. There was a pretty good batch of small-white rocks with it, but they soon melted into the ground. Praise You LORD!

We are starting this one at 53 degrees, moving up to 63 for a high. The weather man is predicting a 91% possibility of some more rain before this day comes to a close. With 30 mph winds, the rain will come sideways, but I’ll bet that if it rains it will still be wet.

Rain always reminds me of God’s grace; both His grace and the rain fall upon the “righteous” and the “unrighteous” alike. Open your Bible and turn with me to Matthew 5:45 where we find two special words mentioned: “righteous” and “unrighteous.” In the Greek language, both of these words are in the “plural” and “masculine” form. This tells us that they can apply to all people and that each is a strong, powerful word.

We find the word “righteous” first used in the Bible refering to Noah. In Genesis 6:9 we read, “Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God.” Today, to be “righteous” is to “walk with God.” For you see my friends, no one can be declared righteous apart from a right relationship with God through the person Jesus Christ.

As Ephesians 2:8-9 reminds us, none of us can work our way into righteousness, it is always a gift of God’s amazing grace. The word “righteous” is actually a legal term, speaking of being found innocent of guilt. Because all humans are sinners, we are all found guilty of sin and are charged to endure death as a penalty. Oh “but God!” When a person lives a right relationship with the only truly righteous man to ever walk this earth, Jesus Christ, that person is then declared righteous by the righteous God!

As far as we know there are only two classes of people, the “righteous” and the “unrighteous.” Every person fits into one of these two categories. But the amazing part is that an “unrighteous” person exists until God Himself declares that person to be righteous because of their new relationship with Jesus. To be “righteous” is to be right with God, and that is accomplished only through the blood of Jesus.

So, for us as humans, we either have a loving relationship with Jesus, thus being declared righteous by God, or we have no such relationship, thus being called the “unrighteous” by God. You see my friends, it doesn’t matter what we might think of ourselves, what matters is what God calls us. Oh for sure, we can be religious and not be righteous. That was the problem the Pharisees had, they called themselves righteous and tried to leave Jesus out of the equation.

As you continue to read Matthew 5, you will notice these words in verse 20, “For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” The scribes and the Pharisees were attempting to work their way into God’s grace by keeping a set of manmade rules. But you see my friends, unless God declares a person to be righteous, then they shall always be unrighteous.

Now, finish reading the complete chapter of Matthew 5, I’ll wait…

Did you notice that when a person is declared righteous because of a correct relationship with Jesus, now the way said person treats others reveals if he or she really is righteous? 2 Corinthians 5:10 makes it clear that our earthly works carry great weight, but only after we have a right relationship with Jesus can such works be validated as righteous acts. Without Jesus we are only acting.

Yes, God blesses both the righteous and the unrighteous with rain, but only those who walk faithfully with Jesus are declared to be righteous; and the righteous will enjoy His righteous reign for eternity in heaven.

Have you been declared righteous through faith in Jesus? Blessings, Neal