Recently I had a few younger men who wanted to study about preaching and how to give better lessons at their local congregations. While in the course of our study, I asked a simple yet pointed question: “What is righteousness?” At first, no one wanted to answer for fear of misquoting a scripture. Then I restated the question this way: “What is the root word of righteousness?” Softly, someone said, “right.” To which I replied, “correct, righteousness is the state of being right.”
Now, I’ll ask you the same question I asked those young men, “Is it ever wrong to be right?”
Think about that for a little while.
In America today, living as a Christian is getting more and more unpopular, or so we are told. Most of the folks that we meet personally don’t seem to have a problem living along side of Christians without being Christians themselves. However, the news casters, celebrities, and the ever truthful politicians are communicating the message that being a Christian is evil.
Let me ask you another question. “Where do your convictions and sympathies lie?”
“Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” Isaiah 5:20. Paul tells us that the world has a “spirit” and God has a Spirit, 1 Corinthians 2:12-13. He also speaks of wisdom, both worldly and godly. Since Christians are sanctified from the world, we can reasonably deduce that Christians are to have God’s wisdom to know right from wrong.
Again I ask you, “Where do your convictions and sympathies lie?” “Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?” Romans 6:16. The spirit of the world leads to death! That spirit or way of thinking is constantly trying to persuade you to cross over to its side. Many times we may foolishly and ignorantly try to pair with the world’s way of thinking, all the while trying to cling to our commitment of sanctification. We CANNOT have it both ways!
Fellowshipping the works of darkness, or even the ideas and justifications of them, is not pleasing to God. “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.” Ephesians 5:11.
I want to exhort and encourage you as a Christian to continue to be faithful in spite of the rhetoric that is being spewed from the liberal few. Be careful when you can see yourself justifying “the lesser of two evils.” We can NEVER choose evil and we should NEVER be ashamed to choose what is RIGHT. The ungodly are trying to engrave on your mind that being righteous is hurtful and therefore the “RIGHT thing to do” is hide your righteousness. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16.
It is NOT wrong to be right. “Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” Galatians 6:9.
Keep the faith that was once delivered,
Sean S. McCallister