God Has Told Us What is Good

[Christsfreeservant]

“He has told you, O man, what is good;​

and what does the Lord require of you​

but to do justice, and to love kindness,​

and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8 ESV)​

What was true when this was penned by Micah, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is still true today in the Messianic age. We have been told, too, what is good, and what the Lord requires of us in the way of holy living and us not walking in sin. And another word for justice is righteousness, and we are to walk in righteousness in genuine humility with our Lord. And justice is also fairness, honesty, integrity, and uprightness, which we are to practice.

[James 2:12-13; James 3:17; Jude 1:23; Galatians 5:22-23; Colossians 3:12; Romans 6:13-23; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 4:17-24; Ephesians 5:8-10; Ephesians 6:14; Philippians 1:9-11; Philippians 3:9; 1 Timothy 6:11; 2 Timothy 2:22; 2 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 12:11; James 1:20]

“The voice of the Lord cries to the city—​

and it is sound wisdom to fear your name:​

‘Hear of the rod and of him who appointed it!​

Can I forget any longer the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked,​

and the scant measure that is accursed?​

Shall I acquit the man with wicked scales​

and with a bag of deceitful weights?​

Your rich men are full of violence;​

your inhabitants speak lies,​

and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.’” (Micah 6:9-12 ESV)​

And the New Testament echoes the same types of sentiments. We are also taught to walk in the fear of the Lord, in honor, respect, reverence, and obedience to our Lord and to his commands. And to fear the Lord is to believe him and his word and to show respect for him and his word by obeying what he teaches us that we must all do as followers of Christ. And we are to believe his promises and his judgments and their conditions.

For we cannot just give lip service to the Lord and then expect that heaven is now guaranteed us regardless of how we live. That is not what the Scriptures teach! They teach that we must deny self, die daily to sin, and follow our Lord in obedience to his commands. For if sin is what we practice, and not righteousness, and not obedience to our Lord’s commands (New Covenant), then we don’t know God, we are not born of God, and we will not inherit eternal life with God unless we repent and we are obeying our Lord.

Yet there are many who profess faith in Jesus Christ who are still “wandering in the wilderness,” still walking in sin, in wickedness, in deceit, in conniving and trickery and manipulation, and in lying to cover up their wickedness. They are habitual liars and deceivers and those who make a practice of sin – of sexual immorality, thievery, lying, and unfaithfulness, who masquerade themselves as servants of righteousness, but who are hypocrites, in reality.

[Jn 3:19-20; 2 Thes 2:9-10; 2 Thes 3:1-2; Jas 1:19-21; 3 Jn 1:10; Matt 7:21-23; Matt 15:18-20; Mk 7:20-22; Lu 6:45; Lu 13:26-28; Jn 5:28-29; Rom 1:29-32; Rom 2:6-10; 1 Co 6:9-10; 2 Co 5:10; Gal 5:16-21; Eph 5:3-6; Col 3:5-11; Heb 3:12; 1 Pet 3:12; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10]

“’Therefore I strike you with a grievous blow,​

making you desolate because of your sins.​

You shall eat, but not be satisfied,​

and there shall be hunger within you;​

you shall put away, but not preserve,​

and what you preserve I will give to the sword.​

You shall sow, but not reap;​

you shall tread olives, but not anoint yourselves with oil;​

you shall tread grapes, but not drink wine.​

For you have kept the statutes of Omri,​

and all the works of the house of Ahab;​

and you have walked in their counsels,​

that I may make you a desolation, and your inhabitants a hissing;​

so you shall bear the scorn of my people.’” (Michah 6:13-16 ESV)​

Many people professing faith in Jesus Christ have this mistaken idea that a mere profession of faith in Christ is enough to secure heaven for them, but regardless of how they live. They believe that all their sins, even future sins, are all forgiven and thus no matter how much they sin, it will not be charged against them. And so they go on from bad to worse, living in immorality and idolatry, lying, cheating, and committing adultery without conscience.

But God will judge, and not just at the very end, but he will judge the sins of his people and those giving lip service to him only. For he disciplines those he loves and he rebukes and chastises them in order to bring them to full repentance and to genuine faith or to renewed faith in him and in obedience to his commands (see Revelation 2-3 and other NT verses). But at the end he will cast judgment on those who refused to obey him, and they will not inherit eternal life with God, even if they professed him with their lips.

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Jn 6:35-58; Jn 15:1-11; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-24; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-11; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 10:23-31; 1 Co 10:1-22; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]

For…

“He has told you, O man, what is good;​

and what does the Lord require of you​

but to do justice, and to love kindness,​

and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8 ESV)​

For Our Nation

An Original Work / September 11, 2012

Bombs are bursting. Night is falling.
Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.
Trust Him with your life today.
Make Him your Lord and your Savior.
Turn from your sin. Follow Jesus.
He will forgive you of your sin;
Cleanse your heart, made new within.

Men betraying: Our trust fraying.
On our knees to God we’re praying,
Seeking God to give us answers
That are only found in Him.
God is sovereign over all things.
Nothing from His mind escaping.
He has all things under His command,
And will work all for good.

Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.

Men deceiving: We’re believing
In our Lord, and interceding
For our nation and its people
To obey their God today.
He is our hope for our future.
For our wounds He offers suture.
He is all we need for this life.
Trust Him with your life today.