Blessed Are The Children Of The Righteous

Minister:
Date: AM
Text: Proverbs 20:7
Psalters: 267, 326, 360, 26
Sacrament of Baptism
  1. The just man and his integrity.
    1. The “just” or righteous man is a regenerated, justified believer who strives to live according to God’s standard.
      1. It means that he is in conformity to the law of God from God’s perspective.
      2. The just man is also spiritually-ethically righteous.
    2. His integrity means he is complete or whole; translated “upright” (Prov. 2:7; 10:9) and “perfect” (Job. 1:1).
      1. It expresses one’s character. He lives out what he believes (10:9; 11:3).
      2. It is to be spiritually sound, striving to meet God’s standard for honor, pure, and good (it is not relative).
      3. Integrity is contrasted to being perverse (10:9), i.e. not conformed to the standard (a pervert).
  2. The righteous strive to walk in his integrity.
    1. Your “walk” is your whole life.
      1. To walk in integrity means that one’s life is lived in the sphere of integrity (God’s law).
      2. This is true in varying degrees and no one does so perfectly.
    2. The righteous walks, lives in his integrity (Gen. 17:1; Deut. 18:12,13).
    3. In our text this command comes to parents.
  3. Then his children are blessed (happy) – even long after their parents are dead.
    1. Parent’s integrity is a great blessing, because joy, meaning and purpose of life are only found in obedience to God.
      1. This happiness (and joy) is being right with God, having a good conscience before God, enjoying God’s friendship.
      2. Those who live in disobedience have only short-lived joys and then know the guilt and shame of sin.
    2. God’s grace miraculously applies the just parent’s walk to the children of believers, using their instruction and integrity.
      1. God graciously uses that to bring their children to righteousness and their integrity
      2. If you want any hope that your children will walk in integrity, then walk before your children in integrity.