I see righteousness
as being in a right relationship with God. You cannot have that
relationship unless you do it on His terms. One of those terms is to
love Him more than anything or any one. If that is not at the top of
your priority list, you are not pursuing righteaouness because you are not
loving. Kind of a chicken/ egg deal. Which comes
first?Terry
Why,
Terry, because I believe that God created in Genesis, it's chicken of course!
:-)
I
think anyone on the right path would show the fruits of the spirit: love, joy,
peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and
self-control.
I
was once explaining to my pastor and the elder in charge of membership that in
terms of being Christians, people are in various stages. Perhaps we should not
look at people as either in or out but at where they are individually and how
can we help them to the next step. He explained that in terms of baptism and
membership, we do need to know whether they are in or out. Then I said, why
don't we change that question from a two box answer to a line with Mother
Theresa on one end and Hitler on the other and ask people to rate themselves
on that line. Or better yet, have a bar graph with the fruits of the spirit
and rate them on that.
I
signed my email to him as Caroline, a point moving hopefully in the right
direction on the continuum. He addressed me as Caroline, who has been
instantly translated, once and for all, from the kingdom of darkness into the
kingdom of light.
I'm very fond of my church
and it's people like my pastor who makes it so.
Love,
Caroline
