LIVING RIGHTEOUSLY IN AN UNRIGHTEOUS WORLD
EZEKIEL 14:12-23
Introduction: You and I are called to live blamelessly, shinning as lights in the darkness of a wicked and ungodly world. Paul in his second letter to Timothy said that “all who delight in piety and are determined to live a devoted and godly life in Christ Jesus will meet with persecution [will be made to suffer because of their religious stand]. (2 Tim. 3:12 AMP) In spite of the opposition which will arise, it is possible for you and me to live righteously in an unrighteous world.
I. The Example of Three Men Who Lived Righteously in the Face of Opposition
A. Noah – lived virtuously in the midst of a vile culture
1. What is culture? It is the ways of thinking, living, and behaving that define a people and underlie its achievements. It is a nation’s collective mind, its sense of right and wrong, the way it perceives reality, and its definition of self. Culture is the morals and habits a mother strives to instill in her children. It is the obligations we acknowledge toward our neighbors, our community, and our government. It is the worker’s dedication to craftsmanship and the owner’s acceptance of the responsibilities of stewardship. It is the standards we set and enforce for ourselves and for others: our definitions of duty, honor, and character. It is our collective conscience. - Winning the New Civil War, Robert P. Dugan, Jr., p. 169
2. Noah’s culture is described in Genesis 6:5-9 (ESV):
“The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. So the LORD said, "I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them." But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God.”
3. Noah lived in an extremely sinful age. There was little to curb wickedness in the world around him. Man’s mind was filled with wicked imaginations and continually dwelt on the inappropriate and vile. Those with a godly heritage intermingled with the wicked and were being absorbed into the world culture. Virtually all mankind had corrupted itself. Violence and vice were rampant upon the earth. But Noah remained virtuous in the face of violence and vice.
4. Hebrews 11:7 “By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.”
5. The world in which we live is best described as
• Secular – there is little or no place for God – Psalm 10:4 “The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God; God is in none of his thoughts.”
• Materialistic – driven by possessions and greed – Job 20:20 “"Because he (the ungodly) knew no contentment in his belly, he will not let anything in which he delights escape him.”
• Sensual – motivated by pleasure – 2 Timothy 3:1-5 “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power.”
6. "If you are living in a world where everyone limps, a person who walks normally is considered abnormal." – Peter Lord, Kent Crockett’s Sermon Illustrations, www.kentcrockett.com
7. It is possible to remain faithful in a sinful world. A scuba diver takes his environment with him: he lives in the water, but he breathes the air. In the same way Christians are to be in the world, but not of the world.
8. 1 John 2:15 “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”
9. Titus 2:11-12 “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age.”
B. Daniel – lived resolutely and undefiled under a repressive government
1. Daniel 6:6-10 “All the governors of the kingdom, the administrators and satraps, the counselors and advisors, have consulted together to establish a royal statute and to make a firm decree, that whoever petitions any god or man for thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. Now, O king, establish the decree and sign the writing, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which does not alter." Therefore King Darius signed the written decree. Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.”
2. Daniel 1:8 “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.”
3. As Christians we are called on to be good law abiding citizens who support and pray for our leaders.
4. 1 Peter 2:13-15 “Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men
5. But what are we to do when the laws of men come in conflict with the laws of God? Realize that Christianity was established by one whom the authorities considered a criminal. Christians living the Christian life will inevitably come into conflict with the world system. Scripture provides numerous examples of occasions where godly men and women and even Christ, Himself, knowingly and deliberately broke human laws that countered God’s law.
6. Acts 5:29 “But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: "We ought to obey God rather than men.”
C. Job – lived uprightly with a captious clan
1. Job lived under the roof of an overly critical wife and among friends that tended to find fault and make trivial and excessive criticisms of him.
2. Job 2:7-10 “So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord, and struck Job with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. And he took for himself a potsherd with which to scrape himself while he sat in the midst of the ashes. Then his wife said to him, "Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!"
3. In the darkest hours of his life, when everything was coming down upon him, Job’s closest friends turned against him. Because his circumstances were so incriminating, their traditional beliefs led them to conclude that Job had to have secret sin in his life. If he were righteous, they concluded, he would not suffer. Job’s deluge of hardship clearly meant that he was not nor could he be righteous. They, therefore, castigated him for not confessing his sinful state.
4. "A wrong spirit is a critical spirit. A person with covered sin in his own life will always be trying to uncover sin in others’ lives." – Adrian Rogers
5. Two taxidermists stopped before a window in which an owl was on display. They immediately began to criticize the way it was mounted. Its eyes were not natural; its wings were not in proportion with its head; its feathers were not neatly arranged; and its feet could be improved. When they had finished with their criticism, the old owl turned his head ... and winked at them.
6. Job 2:10 “But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?" In all this Job did not sin with his lips.”
7. Job 13:15-16a “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him. He also shall be my salvation.”
8. Discouragement often overwhelms those who have been undergoing long trials. When discouraged, best thing is to go where we can see from God’s viewpoint by coming before God in prayer.
9. God vindicated Job and then He shook up Job’s critics by ordering them to go to Job for prayer: “Therefore…go to my servant, Job… And my servant, Job, shall pray for you…” (Job: 42:8).
10. 1 Peter 1:6-7 “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
II. The Reward for Living Righteously in an Unrighteous World
A. Ezekiel 14:14 “even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver but their own lives by their righteousness, declares the Lord GOD.”
B. Daniel prospered – Daniel 6:28 “So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.”
C. Job received two-fold what he had lost – Job 42:12-13 “Now the LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; for he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, and one thousand female donkeys. 13 He also had seven sons and three daughters.”
D. Noah – found grace in the eyes of the Lord and was redeemed - Hebrews 11:7 “By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.”
E. The reward for living righteously in an unrighteous world is
1. God’s abiding presence and protection –
• Isaiah 43:2 “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you.”
2. God’s loving acknowledgment
• Job 42:7 “And so it was, after the LORD had spoken these words to Job, that the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.”
3. God’s name exalted
• Daniel 6:25-27 “Then King Darius wrote: To all peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you. I make a decree that in every dominion of my kingdom men must tremble and fear before the God of Daniel. For He is the living God, and steadfast forever; His kingdom is the one which shall not be destroyed, and His dominion shall endure to the end. He delivers and rescues, and He works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, Who has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.
4. Matthew 5:10-12 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven.”
III. The Limitation of Living Righteously in an Unrighteous World
A. Ezekiel 14:14 “Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness,” says the Lord GOD.” …14:19 “even though these three men were in it, as I live,” says the Lord GOD, “they would deliver neither sons nor daughters, but only they themselves would be delivered.” …14:20 “even though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live,” says the Lord GOD, “they would deliver neither son nor daughter; they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness.”
B. The righteousness of God is imputed to individuals by faith. It is not based on family, nationality, heritage, or denominations. No one can believe for you and you alone must give account to the Lord.
C. Romans 14:12 “So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.”
D. You alone must choose to accept Christ, to obey Christ, to live for Christ. You alone will choose whether or not you will live righteously in an unrighteous world.
