What Really Matters?
By Dean Honeycutt
Mitchell County
Psalm 145:17 (KJV 1900) “The Lord is righteous in all his ways, And holy in all his works.”
The Bible says the Lord is righteous, and what does that mean? Well, the original meaning of this word meant that which is perfectly straight. Let me explain this in a way that I can understand. I am building a garage and I am laying cement blocks to build this garage. If I lay those blocks without something to guide me then those blocks will not be straight, or level and my building will look horrible and everybody who looks at it will know it is not straight. The row of blocks will look like a snake. Someone would even say the person who laid those blocks did not know what they were doing.
However, when I use a level and a string, I can lay those blocks straight. That string when pulled tight is the guide that I use to lay my blocks in a straight line. And we have a saying in carpentry work, “the string does not lie.” The blocks will be laid what we call “true” or straight. I cannot place those blocks in a straight line without that string. The string will continue to keep the blocks straight as I build the garage.
The word righteous or “straight” is the word God uses to describe Himself to us. Righteousness is the moral and ethical standard and course of standard which is the nature and will of God. Therefore, God is completely “straight” or righteous and the standard of which everything is compared to. This is the same thing when the Bible says God is Just and Holy. God is always completely perfect without error or flaw in all that He is and does. And God can never make a mistake or deviate from what is straight and righteous.
So, if God built a garage His garage would be perfect. The reason it would be perfect is that God is perfect, and he cannot make a mistake. My garage would not be perfect because I am not perfect. If I compare my garage to God’s garage one could see plainly my garage is flawed.
Therefore, if I compare my righteousness to God’s righteousness my righteousness is not straight, it is flawed. My righteousness is off course. The Bible says our righteousness is filthy rags. So, I am not good, I am not straight, and I am terribly flawed. And I cannot correct myself. No matter how hard I try I cannot be righteous or just.
So, what really Matters? Proverbs 14:34 (KJV 1900) “Righteousness exalteth a nation: But sin is a reproach to any people.”
What really matters is my relationship with God. What causes me to love people, love my family, act with kindness, treat others with respect, and act with integrity comes from God. I cannot do these things on my own. I cannot reform myself I have to transform my heart. Remember my righteousness is flawed so on my own I can never act and do the things that please God. So, I need His righteousness. And the only way to receive it is in Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ died on the cross for my sin and my unrighteousness. When I place my faith in Christ alone, the Holy Ghost at that moment of salvation comes and lives inside me. Giving me now a righteousness that I did not have before. Romans 8:10–11 (KJV 1900) “10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.”
The only Hope for our Nation is God. Not reform. The only way to stop violence and murder and stealing and vandalism and rioting and abortion and child abuse and pornography and the many other sins that are destroying our nation will not be solved by tearing down statues or defunding the police or politics. The only hope for our nation and true justice is Jesus Christ. Many people do not want to talk about the true sinful nature of man.
The media does not talk about the source of our sin because if they admitted a moral failure then they would have to talk about God and His solution to our heart problem. So do not expect them to go there or try to explain the truth about the heart of man. We live in a very deceitful world. Many people and young adults and children are being deceived by political movements that are ungodly.
I ask you the Church to wake up and pray and preach the Gospel. The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes. The church is absolutely being run over right now. The Bible affirms in the last days people would turn from the truth and believe lies. How many people out there are consulting pastors and what the Bible says about a godless nation? America is drowning in our sin. I often wonder about this Psalm. Psalm 60:1–4 (KJV 1900)
“1 O God, thou hast cast us off, thou hast scattered us,
Thou hast been displeased; O turn thyself to us again.
2 Thou hast made the earth to tremble; thou hast broken it:
Heal the breaches thereof; for it shaketh.
3 Thou hast shewed thy people hard things:
Thou hast made us to drink the wine of astonishment.
4 Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee,”
That it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah.
“Oh Lord help us give us a banner to display truth in Jesus’ name” amen.
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Pastor Dean Honeycutt shepherds Snow Hill Baptist Church in Bakersville, NC. He may be reached at 828-385-0213, snowhillbaptist@gmail.com, or visit their website at www.snowhillbaptist.com. You can read more from Dean Honeycutt HERE.
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