Everything we do or don’t do costs something, whether time, money, or other resources. We call it “opportunity cost.” When I select to look at a movie on the couch, there exist a number of other things I’m not doing—fixing the brakes on my automotive, cutting the grass, reading a book, and more. Every alternative we make possesses this dynamic.
The query becomes, is that this alternative value the associated fee? I might have a chill time on the couch. If I’ve worked 60 hours that week, I would like to provide my body rest. The rest is value the associated fee of not doing other constructive things for that short time frame.
As a part of God’s like to us, he reveals the associated fee and consequences of our decisions, especially the massive and necessary ones. The Father desires to show us wisdom. Therefore, he’s honest about the associated fee and clear regarding consequences. The alternative is ours, but he holds us accountable for those decisions.
We often struggle with the associated fee of doing right. Why don’t we see immediate advantages? Why must we sacrifice for good? Fortunately, God understands the struggle and teaches us, like a Good Father, how the best thing is at all times value the associated fee, whatever it may be.
What is Righteousness?
We can simply define righteousness as doing what is correct. But who defines what’s right?
Biblically, God defines himself as righteousness. What he does, subsequently, is the perfect thing. Righteousness doesn’t exist aside from him. True righteousness flows from his leadership and character. “The Lord is righteous in all his ways and sort in all his works.” (Psalm 145:17) To live right means to align our actions, thoughts, and desires along with his nature, being, and can.
For us, then, living right begins with establishing or maintaining a right relationship with God. We can’t have righteousness aside from him, so we must remain near him and follow him to do what is correct. In the Old Testament, obedience to God’s law showed righteousness. “And it is going to be righteousness for us, if we’re careful to do all this commandment before the Lord our God.” (Deuteronomy 6:25) However, while the Law got here from God, and he dwelt with them in a way, the covenant of law depended upon human nature to follow the divine standard, which failed. The Law only revealed our need for a special covenant relationship. We needed righteousness, the Person.
This got here though the brand new covenant, by faith, believing and trusting Christ. “This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who consider.” (Romans 3:22) God imparts his Spirit, righteousness, to our hearts so we are able to live from his power and being.
We don’t only receive righteousness by faith; we live it out. The apostle John clearly states: “Little children, let nobody deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he’s righteous.” (1 John 3:7) True righteousness flows from God through us to others, in love, justice, mercy, and integrity.
Why Is Sin Wrong?
If God alone is righteousness, sin becomes any motion aside from him. Sin directly opposes the person of God, his nature, and his design. As with putting sawdust in a vehicle’s gas tank, going against God’s way damages his creation, us, others, and the very earth. Everything God created expresses his perfect order and purpose. Sin goes against that order. Just as he did with righteousness, John addresses sin: “Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.” (1 John 3:4) Sin is anarchy, disorder, against God’s design.
God alone is sweet, and his designs produce greater good. To resist his creative order results in negative consequences, evil.
God designed us to live in intimate relationship with him and one another in peace, love, and truth. Sin rejects that design. Paul describes in Romans 1:25 how people “exchanged the reality about God for a lie and worshipped and served the creature quite than the Creator.”
Sin harms us, severing us from God (Isaiah 59:2), who’s life, giving us death. Turning from God, we walk in spiritual death. Even sins that appear individual, like pride or lust, twist our hearts and keep us from living in love and peace. This sin then harms others. Every lie, alternative of greed, anger, or selfishness hurts other people. Jesus summarized the law as loving God and loving others (Matthew 22:37-40). Sin violates God’s intent, resulting in hate and division. “What causes quarrels and what causes fights amongst you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war inside you?” (James 4:1-2) Sin goes even further, binding and enslaving us.
Thankfully, God doesn’t leave us on this hopeless state. In his love, he offers a way back. Yet we must consider his warnings.
Why Is it God’s Love to Warn People Against Sin?
Because sin results in harm, to us and others, God warns us against such sin. For God to face by and do nothing, despite how we deserve the results, God warns, corrects, and calls people back to himself. He desires our good and life.
Like a loving parent warning a child not to the touch a hot stove, God warns us against the results of sin. “My son, don’t despise the Lord’s discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the Lord reproves him whom he loves.” (Proverbs 3:11-12)
Often, we take offense at God’s correction. But his correction proves his love. And if we’re in the best relationship with him, it proves our intimacy. For each, he corrects out of affection, for our greatest, to redeem us or further grow us in his will.
Throughout Scripture, God sends prophets, teachers, and even his own Son to warn people. God doesn’t want anyone to perish. His warnings flow from mercy and his desire for all people to repent (2 Peter 3:9).
Why don’t people listen? Because the sin feels good within the moment, it’s in our human nature. The consequence will not be immediate. We don’t see the negative consequences soon enough, selecting as a substitute the temporary pleasure of pride and lust. However, God tells us, sin has a terrible cost, one we are going to see in the long run.
Why Does Righteousness Have a Cost?
In contrast, the best thing has a value within the immediate but offers a reward in the long run.
Doing the best thing carries a value for several reasons. First, living right expresses God’s nature. Walking in his righteousness aligns with the Father’s character, which incorporates sacrifice for the nice of others, as we see in Christ. “Be imitators of God … and walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us.” (Ephesians 5:1-2) Righteousness means giving of ourselves for the sake of God and others. Yet because this aligns with God, he gives back to us way over we ever sacrifice, based on his everlasting and infinite resources.
Second, our fallen world opposes God. The Father’s righteousness goes against the ways of the world. The systems of humanity reward pride, selfishness, and power, regardless of what name they place upon it. Jesus taught his disciples, “If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own … but I selected you out of the world, subsequently the world hates you.” (John 15:19) Doing right brings rejection and hardship on this world.
Third, our own human, sinful nature wants immediate reward, not a delayed one. With the Spirit, we are able to select sacrifice within the moment, knowing the later reward outweighs what we lost. And what we sacrifice, we’d never get to maintain anyway. The reward promised later? We never lose that. However, we battle our lust for the immediate on this. “The desires of the flesh are against the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:17) The right path appears like death because we deny ourselves within the moment, but whether it is for God and his Kingdom, we only gain in the long run.
The apostle Paul tells us in Romans 8:13, “If by the Spirit you place to death the deeds of the body, you’ll live.” The cost of righteousness is temporary, at best, while the reward is one we are able to’t lose. Ever. “Blessed are those that are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the dominion of heaven,” Jesus said in Matthew 5:10.
What Does the Bible Say about God Always Rewarding the Righteous?
The whole Scripture consistently calls us to live within the moment in light of eternity, which frequently includes a value. But God at all times guarantees to reward those that do what’s right, even far beyond the immediate cost. God, by nature, is a rewarder, a giver. It’s a part of his identity. “Whoever would draw near to God must consider that he exists and that he rewards those that seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6)
Jesus taught in Matthew 19:29, “Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and can inherit everlasting life.” We must remember the important thing phrase, “for my name’s sake.” Many sacrifice and pay the associated fee for all types of causes and goals. But we pay the associated fee of righteousness, of following God, and that leads to exponential blessings, each on this life and the following.
Paul encourages us with this same principle in Galatians 6:9: “Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we are going to reap, if we don’t quit.” Rewards will at all times come, guaranteed since the Father himself guarantees them. We may grow drained, however the secure future hope keeps us faithful. Jesus promised heavenly treasure to those that do good, even when nobody sees it. The Lord does. “Your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6) God notices what others miss. We may feel unseen or forgotten by others, but God sees and never forgets to reward. Christ also focused on the everlasting value coming with giving to the needy. “Whoever gives to certainly one of these little ones even a cup of cold water … will in no way lose his reward.” (Matthew 10:42) Jesus, God within the flesh, says there’s no technique to lose the reward!
Jesus ultimately lived this principle on the cross, believing in an absolute reward for obedience. He knew it was value it. “Looking unto Jesus, the creator and finisher of our faith; who for the enjoyment set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is about down at the best hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2)
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Klaus Vedfelt
