Religious, not Righteous

In reference to the ‘Yes’ win in Ireland’s same-sex marriage referendum, one man posted on Twitter, a photograph of a rainbow over the city of Dublin with the comment, “There’s a rainbow over Dublin currently. Very appropriate. God clearly approves.” The god of his creation clearly approves; the God of all Creation clearly does not. That rainbow is no sign of a blessing from God. On the contrary, it is a sign that the city and the nation are now officially under His curse and judgment. Romans 1:18-32 gives the full story: God gave them up to vile passions…. God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting…. 

Am I suggesting that the ‘Yes” win is the sole reason for the curse and judgment? No, but it is the last straw! When a nations’ people finally makes this decision, it is making it publicly clear to the God of the Bible that they want nothing to do with Him. In God’s time, He will make it publicly clear to that nation that He wants nothing to do with it! Every nation making the same decision can expect to experience the same result. No violation to Almighty God’s Marriage Law can bring blessing, but this violation to it tops them all. Someone says, “But the Irish are a religious people. Why would God…….?” True. The Irish are a religious people and that’s their problem; they’re religious, not righteous.    

A couple of Christian commentators are aghast at Pope Francis telling the Palestinian leader he thinks of him as “an angel of peace.” What else can they expect? Pope Francis doesn’t honor the God of the Bible; he doesn’t even believe the Bible, so how could he? He quotes the Bible, but all religious people do that; even Satan does that! Matthew 4:6. Another example of his disbelief in the Bible is made clear to us with regards Israel. God says Israel belongs to Him and that it is through the Jews that He has glorified and will continue to glorify His name Psalm 106:8. Pope Francis doesn’t believe that. That’s why he is siding with the “Palestinians” in pushing for the two-state solution. This Pope shows us he’s religious, not righteous.

Recently in the USA, a Roman Catholic archbishop embroiled in a child sexual abuse scandal testified that in the 1980’s, he didn’t know whether it was a crime for adults (priests) to have sex with children. “I’m not sure whether I knew it was a crime or not. I understand today it’s a crime.” Asked when it was he first discerned it was a crime for an adult to engage in sex with a child, the You Tube video shows him steadfastly eye-balling his questioner, shaking his head and saying, “I don’t remember.” Asked, “Do you have any doubt in your mind that you knew that in the 70’s?” Again, shaking his head, “I don’t remember if I did or didn’t.” By 1984 he was a bishop. “You knew it was a crime then, right?” Answer: “I’m not sure if I did or I didn’t.”

This man, with the ‘poor memory’ became a priest in 1970. That means his studies for the priesthood would have begun at least by the mid 1960’s. Somewhere in that time span he would have studied his church’s teaching on sexual morality. At the very least he would have discovered from his Catechism of the Catholic Church that all sexual acts outside of heterosexual marriage are forbidden. In addition, he would have known the laws of the land at that time. Homosexuality was a crime then. So was pedophilia. So was child molestation! So to say he didn’t know it was a crime for an adult to have sex with a child is extremely disingenuous indeed. He will not eyeball Jesus Christ in like manner when he stands before Him! The archbishop is religious, not righteous.  

According to what’s published on the Internet, abortion-on-demand advocate and 2016 Presidential candidate, Hilary Clinton, is a Christian. Lots of politicians say that, so what is a Christian? Short answer: A Christian is one who is born again John 3:3, 7. They firmly believe, For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God….. Ephesians 2:8-9. Christians are not difficult to detect; Jesus told us, by their fruits you will know them Matthew 7:20. Most certainly, a Christian knows he/she has been purchased with His (Jesus’) own blood Acts 20:28. My question therefore, would a true Christian, knowing they’ve been purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ, advocate for shedding the blood of defenseless, unborn children?

Perhaps Hilary Clinton is simply religious, not righteous. For that would explain why she says in relation to women’s reproductive rights, “Laws have to be backed up with resources and political will. And deep-seated cultural codes, religious beliefs and structural biases have to be changed.” Such a forceful statement is more Hitlerian than Christian! I don’t know her heart but it does not appear to me that this women is a Bible-based Christian. But it does appear to me that it’s Bible-based Christians she has firmly in her sights! Once upon a time even politicians looked upon Bible-based Christians as caring and compassionate people. Not today, it seems. Still, we know where we stand. If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you John 15:18.

In Harlem, New York, a righteous, not religious preacher regularly chastises black people in general and the men in particular. They hate him because he tells them the truth about themselves. He chastises them for deserting their wives and children and for giving no thought as to how they’re going to survive or the heartache they will experience. “70% and growing, because that’s what black men do.” He chastises them for their drug and alcohol dependence, when the money should be given to support the deserted family. He chastises them because they don’t want to hear the truth about who they are. The preacher is qualified to speak in this manner because over thirty years earlier, that’s what he did. “That’s what black men do!” he says.

His testimony: “When I got saved, I got saved from being an African-American; don’t call me that! That’s not what I am. Don’t expect me to act like you; I’m not one of you! Not only am I not an African-American, but I’m not a black man; don’t call me that either! I used to be, but can I tell you what it was like? When I was a black man, I was a typical black man.” Again, the above paragraph describes what he formerly was. Even the Christians among them he chastises because when tested, they put blackness and black culture before Christ. I have found the truth of this too, not only with Christians of different color, but also of different ethnicity. They get offended when being told such behavior is religious, not righteous.

Most of what passes for Christianity is religious, not righteous. That’s been the way of it throughout church history. The apostles Paul and Peter warned this would be so. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine…. 2 Timothy 4:3. Many will follow their (the false prophets and teachers) destructive ways….. 2 Peter 2:2. That time came even before Paul and Peter died, and long before the New Testament was completed. Jesus gave plenty of warnings too in Revelation Chapters 2 and 3. As soon as Christians knowingly deviate from any Scripture of the Bible they set themselves up to embrace that which is religious, not righteous. Most Christians don’t believe it, but to disregard any Scripture is to disregard all Scripture.

One’s attitude towards the Bible then, determines if one is religious, not righteous – or – if one is righteous, not religious. The former is highly respected by the world, the latter is highly despised by the world. To be righteous means to be upright before God – just, holy, right. How is this possible since God says, There is none righteous, no, not one Romans 3:10? By the way, religious people give witness to the truth of that Scripture even if they’ve never read it or heard it. That is why they are so zealous or passionate towards their good works. “To leave the world a better place than I found it,” is the motivation that drives multitudes of these people. That, they believe, is why God will, or should, grant them a place in heaven. They believe wrongly!

So how is it possible to be righteous before God? Your humility and repentance must come first. This only, releases you from self-righteousness. That, you give to Christ, and in exchange, you receive His righteousness. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him 2 Corinthians 5:21. That is how you become righteous, not religious. Everything God requires from us is granted under grace through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, not religious law. Jesus fulfilled the law Matthew 5:17. Fervent lips with a wicked heart are like earthenware covered with silver dross Proverbs 26:23. Not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith Philippians 3:9.