Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Self righteousness is not righteousness


I want us to look at a few Bible verses today and see what we can learn from those. They are Genesis 38:24-26:”24 About three months later Judah was told, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar is guilty of prostitution, and as a result she is now pregnant.” Judah said, “Bring her out and have her burned to death!” 25 As she was being brought out, she sent a message to her father-in-law. “I am pregnant by the man who owns these,” she said. And she added, “See if you recognize whose seal and cord and staff these are.” 26 Judah recognized them and said, “She is more righteous than I, since I wouldn’t give her to my son Shelah… ” (NIV)

If you look at all context we see that Judah committed sin by having intimacy with Tamar. However, having found out that she became pregnant he took on a position of self righteousness and decided to punish Tamar for her act of immorality. Only when he found out that the act was carried out with him he understood his sin and mistake. I believe this is one of the situations in the Bible that teach us to look at ourselves and judge ourselves, not others. It happens quite often that when we judge others we actually do the thing ourselves and maybe even worse things than the person whom we condemn for doing this or that sin.

If we want to be righteous let us first apply right standards for ourselves and apply the same standards for others too. This is how we will avoid being hypocrites. There is no one who would not sin and we have to learn to forgive and not to sit in the seat of the Judge. I do not mean tolerating sin, I mean not living double standards. Let us put on real righteousness, not self righteousness.

God bless you. See also:

http://bible-verse-of-the-day-blog.blogspot.com/2012/06/22-bible-verses-about-blessings.html
http://bible-verse-of-the-day-blog.blogspot.com/2012/05/bible-verses-about-pride.html
http://bible-verse-of-the-day-blog.blogspot.com/2012/05/26-bible-verses-about-grace.html

Friday, June 1, 2012

22 Bible verses about blessings of God in life


Let us look at some Bible verses about blessing today. In this life we either see curse or blessing. A lot depends on your attitude to God, his word, people around you and life in general. Even if you think you live under a curse today, there is hope and you should believe that this will change and you will be blessed by God Almighty. Read the extracts and enjoy them. 

1. Genesis 12:2
“I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.“

2. Genesis 27:36
„Esau said, “Isn’t he rightly named Jacob ? This is the second time he has taken advantage of me: He took my birthright, and now he’s taken my blessing!” Then he asked, “Haven’t you reserved any blessing for me?”

3. Genesis 39:5
„From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the LORD blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the LORD was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field.“

4. Exodus 23:24-26
“Do not bow down before their gods or worship them or follow their practices. You must demolish them and break their sacred stones to pieces. Worship the Lord your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you, and none will miscarry or be barren in your land. I will give you a full life span.”

5. Deuteronomy 11:25-27

“No one will be able to stand against you. The Lord your God, as he promised you, will put the terror and fear of you on the whole land, wherever you go. See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse — the blessing if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today…”

6. Deuteronomy 23:5
“However, the LORD your God would not listen to Balaam but turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the LORD your God loves you.”

7. Deuteronomy 28:2
“All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God…”

8. Deuteronomy 28:8
“The LORD will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The LORD your God will bless you in the land he is giving you.”

9. Psalm 37:26
“They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be a blessing.”

10. Psalm 109:17
“He loved to pronounce a curse— may it come back on him. He found no pleasure in blessing— may it be far from him.”

11. Psalm 128:2
“You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours.”

12. Proverbs 10:6
Blessings crown the head of the righteous, but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked.”

13. Proverbs 10:22
“The blessing of the LORD brings wealth, without painful toil for it.”

14. Proverbs 11:11
“Through the blessing of the upright a city is exalted, but by the mouth of the wicked it is destroyed.”

15. Isaiah 65:16
“Whoever invokes a blessing in the land will do so by the one true God; whoever takes an oath in the land will swear by the one true God. For the past troubles will be forgotten and hidden from my eyes.”

16. Ezekiel 44:30
“The best of all the firstfruits and of all your special gifts will belong to the priests. You are to give them the first portion of your ground meal so that a blessing may rest on your household.”

17. Joel 2:14
“Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave behind a blessing— grain offerings and drink offerings for the LORD your God.”

18. Zechariah 8:13
“Just as you, Judah and Israel, have been a curse among the nations, so I will save you, and you will be a blessing. Do not be afraid, but let your hands be strong.”

19. Malachi 3:10
“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.”

20. Romans 15:27
“They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews’ spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings.”

21. Romans 15:29
“I know that when I come to you, I will come in the full measure of the blessing of Christ.”

22. 1 Peter 3:9
“Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.”


See also:


http://bible-verse-of-the-day-blog.blogspot.com/2013/07/15-inspirational-bible-verses-for.html
http://bible-verse-of-the-day-blog.blogspot.com/2012/05/bible-verses-about-pride.html

http://bible-verse-of-the-day-blog.blogspot.com/p/bible-verses-about-wisdom.html