“We’ve lost sight of the fact that some things are always right and some things are always wrong. We’ve lost our reference point. We don’t have any moral philosophy to under gird our way of life in this country, and our way of life is in serious jeopardy and serious danger.” —Billy Graham
Righteousness.
- Righteousness is doing the right thing for the
- Righteousness is doing the right thing when
- Righteousness is doing the right thing
- Righteousness is doing the right thing at our
“Righteousness is living like you wouldn’t be ashamed of selling your parrot to the town gossip.”
“I just couldn’t justify ME to ME. I couldn’t look at the people I let go and say I applied a different standard to me. Every fiber of my person wanted to stay. But professionally, this was the best decision that had to be made.” —Ernest “Bud Miller, Former President and CEO of Arvida
“Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.’ All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: ‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel’ (which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called His name Jesus.” —Matthew 1:18-25
Level 1 – Justice: an ethic of
“Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.” —Matthew 1:18
“If, however, the charge is true and no proof of the girl’s virginity can be found, she shall be brought to the door of her father’s house and there the men of her town shall stone her to death.” —Deuteronomy 22:20-21
Level 2 – Mercy: an ethic of
“This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Administer true justice; show MERCY and COMPASSION to one another.’” —Zechariah 7:9
“Because Joseph her husband was a RIGHTEOUS man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.” —Matthew 1:19
“If a man marries a woman who becomes displeasing to him because he finds something indecent about her, he writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her, and sends her from his house.” —Deuteronomy 24:1
“For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.” —Jesus, Matthew 5:20
Level 3 – Faithfulness: an ethic of the
“But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.’” —Matthew 1:20-21
“You have heard it said, ‘Do not murder…but I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment.’” —Matthew 5:21-22
“You have heard it said, ‘Do not commit adultery. But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery.’” —Matthew 5:27-28
“But now a RIGHTEOUSNESS from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This RIGHTEOUSNESS from God comes through FAITH in Jesus Christ to all who believe.” —Romans 3:21-22
“The revolution of Jesus is in the first place and continuously a revolution of the human heart or spirit. It did not and does not proceed by means of the formation of social institutions and laws, the outer forms of our existence, intending that these would then impose a good order of life upon people who come under their power. Rather, His is a revolution of character which proceeds by changing people from the inside through an ongoing personal relationship to God in Christ.” —Dallas Willard, Renovation of the Heart: Putting on the Character of Christ
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.” —Matthew 23:25-28
Harry Potter destroys the elder wand
