paths of righteousness
11Nov07
What does it mean that God leads us in the paths of righteousness for his own names’ sake?
What does it mean that God leads us in the paths of righteousness for his own names’ sake?
I think that one of the things that it means is that our holiness should be rooted not in a concern to establish ourselves as holy primarily. The Psalmist is asking God to lead him down the righteous path so that God’s name will be praised. He recognizes and wants to remind God that God’s name, God’s reputation, is at stake in the way we live. There is a wonderful union with God that lays underneath the Psalmist’s understanding of who he is and how he should live. To be a Christian is to have Christ’s name given to us. The primary way that Christ is revealed to the world is by his name-bearing people walking down “the way” of Christ. We too can pray what the Psalmist prays in an effort to remind ourselves what is at stake in the way we live our lives.
God does the establishing, that’s for sure.
And you bring up an amazing point. God has allowed his own name to be attached to us. He specifically chose that - knowing full well what it could get him!
So do people blaspheme God because of us?
Apparently, yes. When we who call ourselves Christians and come in Jesus’ name do something that is contrary to God’s nature it makes sense that people would blaspheme God because of us who come in His name.
Also, about the original topic, God created us to glorify Him! Isaiah 43:7 says “everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.” And you see verses like that all over the Bible! The “eternal gospel” that the angel in Revelation 14 preaches is “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.”. In Ephesians chapter 1 verse 6 we see that one of the reasons He adopts us as sons is “to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.” God saved us so that we may glorify Him! Sin by it’s very definition is falling short of the glory of God! God takes His glory very seriously! Him leading us in paths of righteousness for His names’ sake means that as a result of Him giving us Himself and leading us in His ways we will give Him the glory that He so richly deserves! And giving God glory is certainly not a burden or something that we have to give because well, I guess we owe it to Him now. It’s as natural as someone praising something they like! Because we love God, we love the paths of righteousness He leads us in, we naturally glorify His name! It’s almost impossible not to!
You’re so right - God’s is totally focused on demonstrating his character and his ways in us. It’s an amazing dialog all thru Scripture - you’ll see God repeatedly saying “you bear my name,” and then you’ll see God’s people praying “remember we bear your name!” You’ll find it in all its glory, and you’ll also find it with the full weight of the responsibility attached to it. And that weight is only there to bring us to a point of total dependence on God, because honestly of ourselves we don’t have what it takes to represent God.
You’re dead on when you say God’s not interested in an “I guess I owe you this” mentality, he wants the inspiration that jumps up in response to his love. But it’s not a cruise-control feature. It’s all about passion, yieldedness, cooperation; consciously allowing the Holy Ghost to lead us. I do see God telling us over and over that we can have anything in the realms of the kingdom of God that we have faith for. What kind of righteousness do we have faith for?
Exactly the kind of righteousness God gives us faith for. Eph 2:8-9 says “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Faith is a gift from God, not something we can work up! Jesus says in John 15:4 to “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.” We’re called to abide in Jesus and then we’ll bear fruit. As we spend time at His feet in the Word He enables us to bear that fruit of righteousness for Him. I don’t think we’re supposed to worry about “do I have the faith for this or that” God gives the faith, we just need to focus on abiding in Him.
I definitely agree with you about giving God glory not being a cruise control feature, it’s definitely something that we should be striving for and growing in, but at the same time it is a natural response to who God is and what He’s done and is doing in our lives.
You’re speaking right to it. All our passion is directed into abiding in the vine. The vine (Jesus) said “have God’s faith.” Faith jumps up out of divine inspiration as a response to hearing the Word. And that faith produces verifiable righteousness. So it’s all of God: abiding in the vine sees the fruits of righteousness produced in our lives.
Now the righteous live by faith - so because everything you do involves faith, you need faith for everything you do. And that faith produces works. These are NOT the works of the law, neither are they works of unrighteousness - they are the works of faith.
What we’re seeing in the earth today is the fruit of a generation or two of teaching that faith doesn’t work. People have faith for “positional righteousness,” so that’s exactly what they get - righteousness in word only. It’s a theological game that the world just looks on and laughs at. They can say one thing and do another just as well without God!
So you and I agree with every one of God’s people that abiding in Christ is what we live for, now and forever. Now…what’s our responsibility in terms of real faith and real righteousness being seen in the earth today?
That we shall not be just hearers of the word, but doers of the word. That we shall believe in the one he has sent. Everything that we put our hand to will be be done as if we were doing it unto God. When the world sees us working according to our faith, that no matter what the odds are against us we know that God will keep His promise to us of victory, because we are seeking first his kingdom and we see no longer with eyes of the flesh but rather that veil has been removed and know we are reflecting His glory as the Spirit transforms us into His glorious image, the world cannot say anything bad about the children of God, for we let everything be done without whining or complaining.
(really just wanted to enter the discussion. tired of just sitting back and listening/reading. time to speak up)
Good start! Obviously this is a challenge the Holy Spirit can quicken in everybody reading. The question isn’t a matter of “How are you going to stress more and try harder?!!” - it’s this:
How can we cooperate with God to get to the place where the only way we can explain what’s going on in our lives is this? That would be awesome >>
Challenging is good, as is your question. The only thing that comes to mind is what I read last night out of Annacondia’s ‘Listen to Me, Satan’ where he talks about the commonly heard principle; “It’s not believing in God, it’s believing God”. Jesus said we have the authority to cast out demons, to heal the sick. God’s asking us to believe that. Almost immediately after answering this question another one seems to always pop into my head: “What are your motives?”. Too many times people want to be led in paths of righteousness for their own name’s sake.
We need to pray without ceasing for God to annoint us for HIs purpose, to believe that we do have authority and power, so that signs and wonders will take place and that in seeing these, people will believe.
That’s it. When we can move past righteousness just meaning “not being bad” or “not going to hell,” there is sooo much available. We’re talking about where God walks, how he walks, who he wants to walk with, and exactly how to walk with him.