September 14 - Everlasting Righteousness 영원한 의

September 14 - Everlasting Righteousness

 

“Your righteousness is everlasting, and your law is true.” – Psalms 119:142

 

God never did and never can do wrong to anyone. He faithfully performs the promises that made them.  Zeal against sin should constrain us to do what we can against it. Our love for the word of God is evidence of our love for God because it is designed to make us partake in his holiness. Men's real excellence always makes them low in their own eyes. When we are small and despised, we need to remember God's precepts so that we may have them to support us. 

 

The law of God is the truth, the standard of holiness, and the rule of happiness, but the obedience of Christ alone justifies the believer. Sorrows are often the lot of saints in this vale of tears; they are in heaviness through manifold temptations. There are delights in the word of God, which the saints often most sweetly enjoy when in trouble and anguish. “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” (John 17:3). May we live the life of faith and grace here and be removed to the life of glory hereafter.

 

Human righteousness and God’s righteousness should be clearly distinguished. A human is not truly righteous since they are a depraved sinner. The prophet Isaiah said, “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind, our sins sweep us away” (Isaiah 64:6).  God’s righteousness can be distinguished in three ways. 

 

First of all, God’s righteousness is distinctive in its source. God Himself is the source of righteousness (Isaiah 45:8). Second, God’s righteousness is distinctive. God’s righteousness fulfills the judgment of the law and the commandments. Jesus Christ, who was without sin, fulfilled God’s law. “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). Jesus Christ, who was without sin, was crucified on the cross for our righteousness (1 Peter 2:24). Third, God’s righteousness is distinctive in its time. His righteousness is eternal and lasts forever. The Bible says God’s righteousness is eternal (Psalms 119:142). 

 

Therefore, our clothing of righteousness by God lasts forever. We receive this righteousness only by believing in Christ by faith. This grace is for all who believe and are given for free. Human righteousness cannot be measured since we are not righteous. Our righteousness is not legally valid. Only God can legally justify us by His grace. That is perfect and complete righteousness. 

 

“Let it stand, therefore, as an indubitable truth, which no engines can shake, that the mind of man is so entirely alienated from the righteousness of God that he cannot conceive, desire, or design anything but what is wicked, distorted, foul, impure, and iniquitous; that his heart is so thoroughly envenomed by sin that it can breathe out nothing but corruption and rottenness; that if some men occasionally make a show of goodness, their mind is ever interwoven with hypocrisy and deceit, their soul inwardly bound with the fetters of wickedness.” – John Calvin.

 

 

Today’s Prayer: Praise the wonderful God who causes mountains and hills to burst into song and all the trees of the fields to clap their hands (Isaiah 55:12). Give thanks that the LORD “comforts his people and has compassion on his afflicted ones” (Isaiah 49:13). Confess any lack of joy which you may have and admit to God your failures to receive his joy. Commit yourself to consider life as pure joy, whatever the circumstance, since Jesus Christ is alive and victorious overall. Ask the LORD to restore the joy of his salvation (Psalm 51:12) so that you may be a prime exhibit of Christ’s life-changing power. 

Prayer Pointer: The more we receive in silent prayer, the more we can give in our active life. - Mother Teresa

Bible Reading: Proverbs 25-27; 2 Corinthians 6

 

 

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9월 14일 - 영원한 의

 

“주의 의는 영원한 의요 주의 법은 진리로소이다” - 시 119:142

 

 

하나님에게는 절대로 실수가 없고 또 누구에게도 잘못하지 않으시고 약속을 신실하게 지키십니다. 죄에 반항하는 자들에게는 범죄하지 않도록 제약이 필요합니다. 하나님의 말씀을 사랑한다는 것은 하나님을 사랑하는 증거이며 우리로 그의 거룩함에 참여하도록 하셨습니다. 인간의 진정한 우수성은 사람들의 눈에 띄지 않습니다. 그리스도인들이 초라해 보이고 무시를 당할 때 우리에게 힘을 주시는 하나님의 말씀을 기억할 필요가 있습니다.   

 

하나님의 율법은 진리요, 거룩함의 표준이요, 행복의 법칙인 것입니다. 오직 예수 그리스도께서 순종하셨기 때문에 하나님은 이 진리를 믿는 자들을 의롭게 합니다. 많은 성도들이 눈물의 골짜기에서 슬퍼하며 여러가지 시험때문에 힘들어 합니다. 그러나 하나님의 말씀에는 기쁨이 있기 때문에, 성도들은 때때로 환난과 괴로움 중에도 가장 즐거워하는 것입니다. "영생은 곧 유일하신 참 하나님과 그가 보내신 자 예수 그리스도를 아는 것이니이다”(요 17:3) 우리는  이 세상에서 믿음과 은혜의 삶을 살다가 내세의 영광의 삶으로 옮겨지기를 원하는 것입니다.  

 

인간의 의와 하나님의 의는 분명히 구별됩니다. 인간은 타락한 죄인이기 때문에 의로워질 수 없습니다. 이사야 선지자는 “대저 우리는 다 부정한 자 같아서 우리의 의는 다 더러운 옷 같으며 우리는 다 쇠패함이 잎사귀 같으므로 우리의 죄악이 바람같이 우리를 몰아가나이다” (사64:6) 라고 말합니다. 하나님의 의는 인간의 의와 세 가지 관점에서 구별된다고 성경은 가르치고 있습니다. 

 

첫째, 하나님의 의는 하나님 자신이 의의 근원이 되시기 때문에 인간의 의와 구별된다고 성경은 말합니다(사 45:8). 둘째, 하나님의 의는 의의 본질에 있어서 독특하게 율법과 계명의 심판의 기준에 도달합니다. 죄 없으신 그리스도께서 하나님의 율법을 완성하신 것입니다. “우리에게 있는 대제사장은 우리의 연약함을 동정함을 못하실 이가 아니요 모든 일에 우리와 똑같이 시험을 받으신 이로되 죄는 없으시니라”(히 4:15). 죄가 없으신 그리스도는 우리의 의를 위해 십자가에 죽으셨습니다(벧전 2:24). 셋째, 하나님의 의는 시간적으로 구별이 되는데    하나님의 의는 영원하며 무궁합니다. 성경은 하나님의 의가 영원하다고 분명히 가르치고 있습니다(시 119:142). 

 

그러므로 하나님이 우리에게 주시는 의의 옷은 영원하며 이 의는 오직 예수 그리스도를 믿음으로 받습니다. 이 의의 은혜는 믿는 모든 자들을 위한 것이며 값없이 주어집니다. 인간의 의는 처음부터 없었기 때문에 우리의 의는 측량할 것이 없고 법적으로 유효하지 않습니다. 오직 하나님만이 주시는 그의 은혜로 우리를 법적으로 의롭게 하실 수 있고 이것이 온전하고 완전한 의인 것입니다.  

 

"그러므로 사람의 마음은 하나님의 의로부터 완전히 소외되어 사악하고, 왜곡되고, 더럽고, 불순하고, 사악한 것 외에는 어떤 것도 생각하거나 원하거나 계획할 수 없다는 것이 의심할 여지 없는 진리위에 서십시오. 인간의 마음은 죄에 의해 너무나 철저하게 독이 생겨서 부패와 썩은 것 외에는 아무것도 내뿜을 수 없습니다. 어떤 사람들이 때때로 선함을 과시한다면, 그들의 마음은 항상 위선과 속임수로 얽혀 있고, 그들의 영혼은 내적으로 악의 족쇄에 묶여 있습니다." – 존 칼빈

 

오늘의 기도: 산들과 언덕들이 노래를 발하고 들의 모든 나무가 손뼉을 치도록 역사하시는 놀라운 하나님을 찬양하고 (사 55:12), “그의 백성을 위로하고 고난 당하는 저들 긍휼히” 여기시는 하나님께 감사하십시오 (사 49:13). 기쁨이 부족했던 것과 당신의 잘못으로 기뻐하지 못한 것을 하나님 앞에 인정하고 고백하십시오. 정황이 어떠하든지 예수 그리스도께서 살아계시고 모든 것에 승리하게 하신 것을 믿고 삶의 모든 것에 대해 기뻐하기로 결단하십시오 주님께서 구원의 기쁨을 다시 회복시켜 당신이 그리스도외 변화의 능력을 보여주도록 기도하십시오 (시 51:12). .  

기도 지침: 우리가 조용한 기도에서 더 많은 ,것을 받는다면, 우리의 적극적인 삶에서 더 많은 것을 줄 수 있다.  – 데레사 수녀

성경 읽기: 잠언 25-27장; 고린도후서 6장