Just Do The Right Thing

December 26

Zechariah 7-8

Psalm 147:1-9

Proverbs 31:6-9

Revelation 17

Just Do The Right Thing

“And the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another, do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart.’”  Zechariah 7:8-10 ESV

“Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute.  Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.”  Proverbs 31:8-9 ESV

Throughout the Bible it is clear that true faith is accompanied by love for others.  Our two Old Testament passages today underscore the importance of treating others with kindness and respect.  This is reiterated in the New Testament as well.  “What use is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but he has no works?  Can that faith save him?  If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,’ and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?  Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead by itself.” James 2:14-17 LSB   “Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.” I John 3:18 LSB   True faith is demonstrated in how we treat others.  Zechariah delivered a message from the Lord telling the Israelites that their religious rituals were of no use if they did not have love for others.  The passage in James is not suggesting that treating people well and meeting their physical needs can save you.  We can do nothing to earn salvation.  No matter how many “good deeds” we do for the poor, we will never be able to earn our salvation.  “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, so that no one may boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9 LSB  What James was saying and what is evidenced throughout Scripture is that when we have true faith, there will be evidence in our actions toward others.  If we do not have love for others, if we do not treat widows and orphans with kindness, if we do not act with justice and fairness in our dealings with people, if we devise evil toward others, and we do not defend the rights of the poor and the needy, then we should examine our hearts because we may not have true faith. 

A relationship with Jesus changes our hearts.  When the Holy Spirit indwells us, we cannot remain the same.  The process of sanctification is not immediate.  Sinful habits and patterns may take time to remove.  Bitterness, jealousy and resentment in our hearts doesn’t go away automatically, but over time, the Holy Spirit will purify our thoughts, motives, desires, and actions.  As we mature, our hearts will soften and we will exhibit tenderness and mercy toward others, especially those who are less fortunate than we are.  Believers in Christ should demonstrate Jesus’ love by doing the right thing even when it is difficult.  We should be the ones who take up the cause of the poor and stand for the oppressed and destitute.  We do not do that to virtue signal, as we see so often in our culture.  We do it genuinely out of an overflow of the love of Christ in our hearts.