This is what the Lord says: “Maintain justice and do what is right, for my salvation is close at hand and my righteousness will soon be revealed. Blessed is the one who does this—the person who holds it fast, who keeps the Sabbath without desecrating it, and keeps their hands from doing any evil.” Isaiah 56:1-2
The Lord tells His people that His righteousness is revealed when His people preserve justice and do what is right. To find what is right in God’s eyes, we need to go to His word. The challenge in going to His word is not to take scriptures out of context. We need ensure that we apply them correctly in the light of other scriptures.
For example, God’s word tells us to help the poor and the needy (see Deuteronomy 15:11). There are also scriptures that tell us that debt is bondage (See Proverbs 22:7). Therefore, we are to have an open hand towards those who are in need, but do it with the money we have. It may look like a compassionate thing to do to help the needy unconditionally, but the scripture does not support borrowing to help the needy. Unfortunately, some people jeopardize their own finances by borrowing to help others. God tells us to do right with what we have.
Another example about doing right is a woman who desires to serve in her church, but her husband is not interested in getting involved. There are many scriptures about loving God and serving God, but some people equate this with serving in the church. The wife thinks that the husband should love serving in the church, and if he is not, then they are not equally yoked. This causes some women to choose service in the church over their marriage, and they begin to grow apart and develop serious marital issues.
The scripture tells us that we are to love God with all our hearts, minds, and strengths, but this can look very differently for every person and every couple. The primary work of service should happen in our spheres of influence and should not be narrowed down to church activities. In addition, God created marriage before there was ever a church. Our marriage is supposed to reflect our relationship with Christ. If we have to jeopardize our marriage in the name of service at church, is definitely a misunderstanding of the scriptures and God’s heart. Doing right requires a proper application of God’s word!
Do you have a balanced view of the scriptures? Do you have an understanding of God’s heart regarding acting justly and doing right?
