The Foundation of God's Throne

Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne;
Lovingkindness and truth go before You.

Psalms 89:14

There is a chapter in the New Testament that completely changed my understanding of the Bible. I first encountered these verses as I was memorizing Romans in my first year of college.

But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is He? (I am speaking in human terms.) May it never be! For otherwise, how will God judge the world?

Romans 3:5-6

The third chapter of Romans presents God's perfect righteousness in human terms as a prerequisite for Him to execute judgment. Without God's righteous judgment all creation would be lost to the domain of darkness.

But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. 

Romans 3:21-26

The backdrop of the gospel is that God is righteous, and His righteousness requires judgment and condemnation of evil. This righteousness in God's terms is much more than judgment and condemnation. The perfect righteousness of God is His self-sacrificing unconditional love, which extends mercy and forgiveness in response to an unjust and ungrateful world.

Jesus said that God's Law is based on two commandments, both involving sacrificial love.

And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” 

Matthew 22:37-40

God's righteousness means that He is always faithful and true; His faithfulness is the expression of His perfect love and mercy.

The Bible records promises that God made to great men of faith like Noah, Abraham and David. The promise to Abraham shows how people can become part of his family, not by flesh (birthright) or by keeping the Law of Moses, but by faith in God. This promise remains certain today for all who believe and confess their faith, because God is faithful. The Law of Moses did not nullify this promise (Romans 4:13-15), nor does Faith nullify God's Law (Romans 3:31), nor does Faith nullify the requirement for perfect righteousness to enter into the kingdom of heaven (Psalm  24:3-4).

The apostle Paul spends several chapters explaining this apparent conflict of Law and Faith in his epistle to the Romans. The conflict is resolved by a promise that took precedence over the Law of Moses and the nation of Israel. This promise was given to David when he was king, in which God promised to establish his Son as the ruler of an eternal kingdom that would be for all people of all nations, who are born not of flesh but of spirit, because of His own blood that is poured out on the altar of God to atone for all sin of all time.

If you are following this (and this may be hard to really grasp at first), you will begin to understand how fundamentally important it is for the Body of Christ to proclaim and demonstrate God's righteousness. This is why Paul said in his epistle to the Corinthians "For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes." This is why Paul said to the Galatians "may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." We remind ourselves and the world that God so loved us that He sacrificed His Son for us, so that our sins could be forgiven and washed away. 

This is the righteous, faithful, merciful and self-sacrificial God of the Bible, the one true God that we serve by receiving the Spirit of His Son into our heart. Because Jesus our Messiah is seated at the right hand of God we are empowered to put on His robe of righteousness and enter boldly into the throne room of God.

Understanding the foundational nature of God's righteousness has helped me understand many truths of the Bible, such as the meaning and purpose of creation, the nature of spiritual warfare, the foundation of a righteous government, and many questions non-believers pose in rejecting the Bible. I hope to share these truths in related posts, so if you're interested please subscribe to my blog or bookmark this page. Many blessings to you!

The Sanctification of Elijah

A few months ago I was wondering why Elijah the prophet was given such a prominent place in the Bible. After all, he didn't write any books, nor were any named after him. I don't believe there is any messianic prophecy credited to him, but he was the subject of much messianic prophecy in both the Old and New Testaments.

Pastor Greg Laurie reminded me of this subject recently on TBN when he spoke about Elijah. That inspired me to study more and write about this amazing man of God.

Elijah the Tishbite appears in 1 Kings 17 with a message for the king:

“As the Lord, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, surely there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.”

Elijah was bold and brash. He was maybe a little scary, coming from the presence of God. But I see “except by my word” and think of something else.

Elijah was zealous and proud. Maybe not arrogant but definitely self-confident. This is a quality that creates boldness, and perhaps this is why God chose him for this mission. But his story starts before this chapter. It starts with a rugged but simple man in prayer.

Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. ‭‭James‬ ‭5:17

When Elijah appeared before Ahab he had already prayed earnestly and the drought had already begun maybe six months earlier. When Elijah said he “stands before God” he meant that he had standing with God, like an appointment or an office to represent God. This gave him the boldness to speak. But after this meeting with the King he had to run and hide for three years.

During this time of severe famine God continued to sanctify Elijah. You can see the result of this in the following chapters. Elijah still had hubris when he spoke to the people on Mount Carmel:

“I alone am left a prophet of the Lord, but Baal’s prophets are 450 men.” ‭‭18:22‬

But when it came to the time to call for rain, Elijah did not make a public spectacle commanding rain to come down, but remembered God’s promise:

“Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the face of the earth.”‭‭‭ 18:1‬

So he went up to pray and wait for the Lord in a posture of humility:

So Ahab went up to eat and drink. But Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he crouched down on the earth and put his face between his knees. He said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” So he went up and looked and said, “There is nothing.” And he said, “Go back” seven times. It came about at the seventh time, that he said, “Behold, a cloud as small as a man’s hand is coming up from the sea.”‭‭18:42-44‬

The famine ended and Elijah ran faster than a chariot to Jezreel, possibly assuming that King Ahab would put his wicked Canaanite wife out on the street. Elijah may have thought his troubles were over until he met Jezebel in her wrath. Apparently for the first time in his life Elijah feared for his life. Immediately he ran to hide in the Judean wilderness, then made his way to the mountain of God where got another lesson in humility.

Then he came there to a cave and lodged there; and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” He said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.” ‭‭19:9-10‬

God brought him to the mountain top and spoke to him, not through a mighty destructive wind or an earth shaking voice or a fiery blast, but in a low whisper:

“What are you doing here Elijah?”

Elijah gave Him the same excuse for a final time:

"I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.” 19:14

Now God gave him his marching orders, to anoint other kings of Syria and Israel, and to anoint another prophet named Elisha to replace him. And oh, by the way:

“I will leave 7,000 in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him.” ‭‭19:18‬

To this command there was only a response of obedience. Elijah went and did what God told him to do. His mission now was to pass the mantle to Elisha (yes that’s where “pass the mantle” comes from.)

Elijah’s human bravado was broken but his place in God’s heart and in God’s kingdom was lifted to new heights. Elijah humbled himself to resign his special appointment, but God himself exalted Elijah, and soon brought him into His eternal presence escorted by a chariot of fire (yes that’s where that movie got its name).

Elijah’s voice continues to cry out like a voice in the wilderness, calling us to a decision:

“How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.”