In a previous post, I asked a profound, uncomfortable question:
People are afraid to speak out about issues that they are concerned about. They are afraid of being labeled racist, even though government policies, from the schools to the city councils, are doing untold damage to others.
Tucker Carlson urged his viewers to stand up to the left-wing mob which is bullying everyone into silence. Yet, there are so few people, it seems, who are willing to speak up. This is especially troubling, as we see this cowardice prevalent among our elected leaders.
Our elected officials should be demonstrating some sort of courage in the face of the outrage, protest, cancel culture. And yet, all too many of them are simply cutting and running from challenges.
What's going on? Why the cowardice?
Well, what does God's Word have to say? Where do we get boldness? How do we get bold, strong, courageous?
"The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion." (Proverbs 28:1)
What makes people bold? Righteousness!
Yet righteousness is talked about so little in our ... churches! It's a subject which is constantly missing.
Righteousness means that we are declared right, and the righteousness that we need comes from God!
"No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD." (Isaiah 54:17)
We need God's righteousness, not our own.
"But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." (Isaiah 64:6)
Wow! Our righteousnesses, not just one act but many acts, are dirty, smelly, awful. They actually creat a bigger mess. The more that we try to make ourselves righteous, in good standing before God, the more unrighteous we reveal ourselves to be!
Consider this passage, in which Paul laments the state of his Jewish brethren who do not believe on Jesus (yet), but I submit to you that there are many people in the Body of Christ who are still trying to maintain their righteousness, and through their own efforts:
"3For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. 4For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." (Romans 10:3-4)
We need to submit to the righteousness of God. We need to be knowledgeable, not ignorant of His righteousness.
If we study God's Word, and we believe in Jesus, we discover that indeed we are not just righteous before God, but ...
"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." (2 Corinthians 5:21)
WOW!
In fact, this righteousness is something that Jesus gives us, and that we receive--and keep receiving!
"For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ." (Romans 5:17)
The Young's Literal Translation brings our opportunity:
"[F]or if by the offence of the one the death did reign through the one, much more those, who the abundance of the grace and of the free gift of the righteousness are receiving [emphasis mine], in life shall reign through the one -- Jesus Christ." (Romans 5:17, Youngs)
People in the United States, and particularly the churches, do not have courage in the face of the cultural malaise and tyrannical onslaughts on our streets because they do not have the revelation of God's rightoeusness.
This makes sense, considering this passage, too:
"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." (Isaiah 41:10)
What takes away our fear? We know that the LORD is holding us up with his right hand, and with HIS righteousness!
With the revelation of His righteousness, we have these promises:
"14In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee." (Isaiah 54:14)
1. You will be established, unmoved, unshakable.
2. You will be far from oppression (political tyranny)
3. You will not fear.
4. Terror, menace will be far from you.
These are great promises which kick in once we recognize and receive the full revelation of our righteousness in Christ.
And there's more:
"No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD." (Isaiah 54:17)
5. Every weapon formed against you will fail.
6. You will condemn every person, every tongue that speaks out against you.
7. You receive an inheritance from the LORD.
It is a real shame that the twin gifts of grace and righteousness are not abundantly preached in Ameica's churches today. There is hardly any preaching about Christ Jesus Himself!
This is why cowardice has become all too commonplace in our times.
We need to get back to the Gospel, the rich fulness of the Good News as revealed to Paul, who shared in Pisidian Antioch:
"38Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: 39And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses." (Acts 13:38-39)
Through Jesus we receive the forgiveness of sins--of all our sins past, present, and future--arnd we are justified from all things, and this justification is imparted to us apart from the law of Moses, the Ten Commandments.
It's no longer about our keeping the rules. It is all about the Ruler keeping us!
When we preach and promote the righteousess of God in Christ, the cowardice of mankind in this world, in our countries, will fall away.
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