Blessed Are The Children Of The Righteous
Minister: |
Rev. Ronald Van Overloop |
Date: |
3/4/2012 AM
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Text:
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Proverbs 20:7
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Psalters: |
267, 326, 360, 26 |
Sacrament of Baptism |
- The just man and his integrity.
- The “just” or righteous man is a regenerated, justified believer who strives to live according to God’s standard.
- It means that he is in conformity to the law of God from God’s perspective.
- The just man is also spiritually-ethically righteous.
- His integrity means he is complete or whole; translated “upright” (Prov. 2:7; 10:9) and “perfect” (Job. 1:1).
- It expresses one’s character. He lives out what he believes (10:9; 11:3).
- It is to be spiritually sound, striving to meet God’s standard for honor, pure, and good (it is not relative).
- Integrity is contrasted to being perverse (10:9), i.e. not conformed to the standard (a pervert).
- The righteous strive to walk in his integrity.
- Your “walk” is your whole life.
- To walk in integrity means that one’s life is lived in the sphere of integrity (God’s law).
- This is true in varying degrees and no one does so perfectly.
- The righteous walks, lives in his integrity (Gen. 17:1; Deut. 18:12,13).
- In our text this command comes to parents.
- Then his children are blessed (happy) – even long after their parents are dead.
- Parent’s integrity is a great blessing, because joy, meaning and purpose of life are only found in obedience to God.
- This happiness (and joy) is being right with God, having a good conscience before God, enjoying God’s friendship.
- Those who live in disobedience have only short-lived joys and then know the guilt and shame of sin.
- God’s grace miraculously applies the just parent’s walk to the children of believers, using their instruction and integrity.
- God graciously uses that to bring their children to righteousness and their integrity
- If you want any hope that your children will walk in integrity, then walk before your children in integrity.