For almost 2 weeks now Joe Biden has been pressured to drop out from the presidential race from Democrats due to his poor performance in the recent presidential debate. Many of his colleagues are questioning his health over a 90-minute time span.
The news media has also criticized the president over his poor performance, despite his accomplishments over the past 3 ½ years. Despite the presence of older elected officials in Congress. Doubters want to focus on the negative aspects of aging.
- Forgetful
- Poor health
- Memory issues
- Appearance
The Bible however, mentions the blessings of getting older (Job 12:12, Psalm 92:12-15, Proverbs 20:29, 2 Corinthians 4: 16.) I find it ironic that there is less concern about the Republican choice of who will be a year older in his final year of his presidency than Pres. Biden is now.
There is also less concern from conservatives about his health and his actions both legally and morally. It’s clear neither candidate is perfect. The easy way out is to rationalize it as a political witch-hunt or a criminalized justice system.
However, there is a biblical way to handle the hypocrisy; we can’t forget God is sovereign and only He is righteous.
What is Righteousness?
Righteousness is more than just a spiritual idea because there is more than one kind of righteousness. Righteousness is defined as, “Morally right or justifiable, arising from an outraged sense of justice; acting in accord to divine law.”
The world’s view of righteousness is based upon man’s perceptions and ways and it is achieved through human effort. This righteousness is works-based. It is flawed due to the fallen nature of man.
True righteousness comes from God because He alone is perfect (Psalm 18:30, Matthew 5:48.) God’s standard is perfection and all of mankind lost its perfection after the fall in the garden.
Because we are fallen, Christianity emphasizes the need to be righteous (Matthew 5:6, Romans 1:16-17, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Galatians 2:21, 2 Timothy 2:22, Titus 3:5.) The Apostle Paul remembered his Jewish education about righteousness and where it comes from.
Ṣeḏeq
Judaism emphasizes God’s people being righteous because they are called to be God’s holy people. The Hebrew word for righteous in the Old Testament is ṣeḏeq and it can also mean, “Morally right, justice, straight or rightness,” depending on the context it is used in.
One of the names given to God is based on His righteousness, Jehovah Tsidkenu, the Lord is our righteousness. God’s righteousness is what separates His people from a fallen world. Judaism has specific actions to help God’s people to stay righteous.
- Good works
- Seeking justice
- Acting morally
- Growing in wisdom
When Jesus began his earthly ministry, He constantly encouraged His followers to be righteous like God (Matthew 5:6; 6:33.) Jesus warned His disciples not to pursue the righteousness of the Pharisees (Matthew 5:20.)
The Pharisees were self-righteous hypocrites who did what their father did (Matthew 23:23-39.) Jesus raised the bar for the Pharisees and challenged their authority. Jesus taught His followers to be like God, not man.
The French Elections
This week there was another surprising defeat for European conservatives who have abused and cherished their power. The far-right conservatives of France lost their control. Again, it shows we cannot rely on our hearts or actions to save us.
Whether we want to admit it or not conservatives are just as broken and fallen as the rest of the world. We can’t put our faith or hope into ourselves or the things of this world. Power and money puff up and blind God’s people also.
Things and works cannot save us (Ephesians 2:8-10.) When we rely on our own righteousness we prove how lost we still are.
- Prideful
- Deceptive
- Narcissistic
As believers, we must rely on the perfect righteousness that comes through Jesus alone. The Apostle Paul taught the early church that we cannot boast about our salvation because we can’t earn it (Ephesians 2:8-9.)
There is no perfect man or political party that can save the world. Adolf Hitler believed he could purify Germany and save his nation; broken men cannot save us, because only God is ṣeḏeq!
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