righteous vs good

[biffy]

I'm struggling with the difference between a righteous man and a good man..
I find that when I work harder to get closer to God I loose sight of it and that really hurts...
How would you describe the difference?

 

[ephraimanesti]

I'm struggling with the difference between a righteous man and a good man..
I find that when I work harder to get closer to God I loose sight of it and that really hurts...
How would you describe the difference?

MY DEAR SISTER IN CHRIST,

This is a tough question, because a "righteous man/woman" is, of course, good; whereas a "good man/woman" is not recessarily righteous.
i think i would describe the difference POSSIBLY as being: A "GOOD" man/woman is one who tries to do the right thing according to his/her personal beliefs regarding what is right and what is wrong as defined by his/her conscience and as formed by the standards of the society in which he/she lives.
A "RIGHTEOUS" man/woman, on the other hand, is one who tries to please God by following the wishes and directions of God as found either in the Scriptures or as directly communicated to him/her in his/her Heart by the Holy Spirit.
Please understand that i'm fumbling with the answers above, and hopefully other answers on this Thread will perhaps be more accurate and clear.
i am not quite clear on what it is that you "are losing sight of which hurts you." If you are seeking the Lord and His will for you with "All your heart, and all your mind, and all your soul, and all your Spirit" nothing should be causing you pain. As long as we are doing our best, God honors our efforts, even when, perhaps, we get off track. He will correct us, and guide us, and forgive our mistakes. You should not be feeling "hurt" but JOY as you do your best to please our Lord. Is the evil one perhaps attempting to turn you from your service to God by sowing doubts and fears in your mind? DO NOT LET THIS HAPPEN!!!!! Just do your best and trust your Loving Lord to guide you.

MUCH LOVE IN CHRIST AND PRAYER FOR JOY AND HAPPINESS TO REPLACE YOUR HURT!
ephraimanesti

 

[mysparrow]

I'm struggling with the difference between a righteous man and a good man..
I find that when I work harder to get closer to God I loose sight of it and that really hurts...
How would you describe the difference?

Sometimes i think we struggle with things needlessly, our walk with Christ should be easy, not a struggle, the word says, the way of the transgressor is hard. We are no longer transgressors, as we are new creations in him, and it is through HIS righteousness , that we are sealed with the spirit of promise, and made Holy and Blameless in his sight. Not through anything of our own doing, it is purely through his redemptive work in us, which he began, and will finish. When God looks upon us, he doesnt see anything but the blood of Christ. How do we walk in that?
Each day, submit your will to him, and lift him up, in praise, worship, and communication. Study to show yourself approved, and allow yourself to be a walking witness. If you will only submit to him each day, anew, and keep him first, renew your mind daily, with the washing of the word, you will see it get easier and easier. I hope this has helped some. Be encouraged ! You are his beloved!

 

[biffy]

Thankyou..you are obviously very God fearing...
I think my hurt is that I don't like myself very much..I'm working on it and praying about it all the time.
It hurts that I can't get close to Him.
He has every last bit of my heart but I know I will never be worthy enough to deserve any of His. I wish I could feel joy instead of hurt I just miss what I used to have with Him.

 

[ephraimanesti]

Thankyou..you are obviously very God fearing...
I think my hurt is that I don't like myself very much..I'm working on it and praying about it all the time.
It hurts that I can't get close to Him.
He has every last bit of my heart but I know I will never be worthy enough to deserve any of His. I wish I could feel joy instead of hurt I just miss what I used to have with Him.

MY DEAR DEAR SISTER IN CHRIST--MAY OUR LOVING LORD HEAL YOU OF YOUR HURT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You are obviously confused--may God's Love lead you out of the darkness of your pain and confusion and into the light of His Love!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

NOW--look at what you have said. You say that our Lord "HAS EVERY LAST BIT OF YOUR HEART" and yet you say that "I CAN'T GET CLOSE TO HIM." What is this feeling? Where did this feeling come from? NOT FROM GOD, I ASSURE YOU!!!!!
We have a God who LOVES us SO MUCH that if we take just ONE TINY STEP IN HIS DIRECTION, HE WILL RUN A MILLION MILES TOWARDS US WITH OPEN ARMS--HE IS THAT DESPERATE (yes, i use that word--DESPERATE) FOR OUR LOVE. Re-read the story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) to see Jesus' illustration of God's Love for us. Absolutely nothing--ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!-- can get in the way of, or change, the LOVE God has for us but we ourselves by turning our back on His Love and walking away. (We have freewill, after all, and God will not violate that gift by forcing His Love upon us, against our will.)
So, whatever has come between you and God's Love for you IS NOT FROM GOD'S END, AND THEREFORE MUST BE FROM YOURS. You say, "I MISS WHAT I USED TO HAVE WITH HIM." So, my question, is when and why did things change? When and why did your joy in the Lord turn to hurt? When and why did your closeness with God turn to hurt and estrangement?
A clue might be the fact that you say "I DON'T LIKE MYSELF VERY MUCH." Are you, perhaps, projecting negative feelings you have about yourself onto God, who, in fact, LOVES YOU MORE THAN YOU WILL EVER BE ABLE TO COMPREHEND? i feel very strongly that the Evil One has a hand in all of this, because i can find no other explanation. Is there perhaps a sin you have commited, and not confessed and forsaken, that has caused you to imagine a distance between you and the God Who Loves you? Satan takes things like that and twists them around to use against us to convince us that God doesn't Love us anymore, in order to turn us from Him Who gave His Only Begotten Son for us because He Loves us so much. If this is the case--Repent, Confess, and turn back to God, and ALL WILL BE RESTORED IN AN INSTANT.
If, instead, this problem has to do with your negative feelings about yourself--low self-esteem, poor self-image, imaging you are unlovable, or whatever--you need to see that this also is a tool the Evil One tries to use against us--trying to convince us that we are unlovable in God's eyes and, therefore, can never be "good enough" to deserve His Love. As a Christian, you have to know that this is not true--that although "we have ALL sinned and fallen short of the glory of God"(Romans 3:23) yet God Loves us beyond measure ANYWAY--Loves each of us--YOURSELF INCLUDED--so much that He gave us--YOURSELF INCLUDED--His only begotten Son as a means of establishing an ETERNAL LOVING RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM.(John 3:16)
i could go on and cite Scripture after Scripture--THE WHOLE BIBLE, ACTUALLY--to document the above TRUTH REGARDING GOD'S NEVER-CHANGING LOVE FOR YOU, but this response is getting way too long as it is and i am sure you know the Scriptures as well as i do. The question is--WHY ARE YOU NOT APPLYING WHAT YOU KNOW AS A CHRISTIAN TO BE TRUE TO YOURSELF PERSONALLY? GOD LOVES YOU--HE ALWAYS HAS AND HE ALWAYS WILL--AND THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO INCREASE THAT LOVE AND THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO DECREASE THAT LOVE--IT IS AND ALWAYS WILL BE COMPLETE, TOTAL, PERFECT AND LASTING!!!!!!
DO NOT LET SATAN ROB YOU OF YOUR HERITAGE AS A BELOVED CHILD OF GOD! ACCEPT GOD'S LOVE FOR YOU WITHOUT QUESTIONS; ENJOY HIS LOVE FOR YOU WITHOUT DOUBTS. YOUR ARE, AND ALWAYS WILL BE, HIS BELOVED DAUGHTER.

MAY YOU BE BLESSED AND MAY YOUR EYES BE OPENNED TO GOD'S UNCHANGING LOVE FOR YOU--HIS BELOVED DAUGHTER,
ephraimanesti

 

[janny108]

I think the key lies in your phrase about "working harder". Righteousness is our God given right to stand in the presence of God without any sense of sin or condemnation (Romans 8:1) When we get a sense of who we are in Christ because of the work HE DID for us, by substituting Himself for us and taking our sins upon Himself.

Nothing wrong with good works, but as Christians our relationship with God is more important than our works. Cause you can have a lot of good works, and some people are not saved, or they do them for a less than pure motivation (to please people maybe?)

The difference too, is in how you feel afterwards.Do you feel better for this giving, or feel worse?

Jan

 

[Johnnz]

It seems to me that your past is intruding into your relationship with God. You don't think too highly of yourself, and so you think that God doesn't either. THere is that encouraging verse "Even when our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart".

God's grace means that we know we are never good enough, but God has chosen to love us and to accept us because of Christ.

John
NZ

 

[Treasurer]

Isnt it Hebrews, that speaks on the OT people who it was counted unto them as righteousness, because they -well basically were willing to follow the Lord. They believed and followed. Stayed the same all through time, was the same with the disciples, come and follow me and I will make you fishers of men. Believe in me. And it shall be counted unto you as righteousness (or you shall be saved, given eternal life by believing in the Son of God).

I also like the verse (not sure of where it is off hand, not at home right now) but I like it. "I hunger and thirst after righteousness".

Reminds me of the dream I had after reading Isaiah, which he was given a dream of Jerusalem as well. In my dream I was preparing the way to the city of Jerusalem, there were huge bolders in the way. I was working very hard to clear the path to Jerusalem, it was hot and sunny. So I sat by the shade of one of the bolders. An angel came and asked me what I wanted to drink? I said I was thirsty for righteousness. So he filled me a cup and said I could have all I wanted.

Righteousness was given to all of us, we do not earn it though. But it is just the same as like he did with the disciples. He still calls, and says: follow me. We just have to be willing to follow and believe. Have faith ( to walk out where dreams live and the impossible becomes reality).


There is another place of course in the scriptures- NT, that speaks on good and bad. It is basically speaking on being someone mature in christianity. Someone who is, well I guess far enough in their walk to be like a Daniel or Moses or Joseph. Men of tried faith. Their metal has already been tested and they belong to God. They know the difference between what is good and what is bad, and choose what is good, right and just. Like Joseph for example, he chose prison opposed to sin-Potiphers wife.


So I dont know, perhaps the righteousness is the holiness. The divine. We are following after godliness and not self. So therefore it is not by our own merits. Like Moses parting the water, he only did what God told him to do. God did it.

Where good and bad, is a choice. We are involved, yes the Lord can and will direct our paths, but we have to want him to. And most people dont let him. Like the one scripture says, in all ways acknowledge him and he shall direct your paths.

Well God bless you journey and paths in life. Keep searching for your answers, you will find them.

 

[millerrod]

a man of God be it rightess or good knows Love and lives Love