**Sip Saturday is written by our Saturday morning contributor, - A beautifully gifted Christian author who seeks to honor the Trinity in her writing. She hopes that her words will encourage women to draw closer to God, whether that is through her fantasy series or her weekly devotionals.
Cornerstone Scripture:
But of the Son he says,
“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,
the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.
-Hebrews 1:8 ESV
Relationships can be messy. After all, people aren't perfect, and the most loving person can hurt you. If relationships were convenient, then everyone would be able to stay in a long-lasting marriage or friendship. The truth is, that relationships are hard and they take work to maintain. Especially in adulthood, when busyness threatens to destroy even the long-lasting relationships. In order to keep such relationships, you must set aside time and make an effort to continue them. Otherwise, the relationship will deteriorate, and eventually, disintegrate.
Righteousness is often considered having a right relationship with God. And who has a better relationship with God the Father than Jesus Himself? That is why this passage says the scepter of uprightness (righteousness) is His. Jesus shows us how to have a right relationship with God by the actions he took when he lived on earth. Throughout his time here, he would ask God before taking certain actions (John 17), and move to a quiet place to pray and connect to God (Luke 6:12). Undoubtedly, he was taught by priests at a young age the Words of Scripture, and he used the Word to explain his beliefs and defend himself (Matthew 5-7; Matthew 23).
But how can you and I, fallen human beings, have a right relationship with God? After all, we have to admit that sometimes, we neglect God. We get so busy we forget to spend time with him, or we are angry, hurt, or resentful, and ignore Him. Sometimes Sunday morning is the only time in which we honestly seek Him. How does one seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness? (Matthew 6:33). At first, we thought it was to pray, read God's Word, and attend church. All of those are good actions, but that is not how we attain righteousness.
"Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness…" (Romans 4:4-5 ESV).
Faith? That's it? Yes. Faith in God is what makes us have His righteousness. Because of Jesus' death and resurrection, faith alone is enough. His sacrifice imbues us with His righteousness. And because we already have a right relationship with Him, all we must do is maintain it. There is no need for an introduction, and we can confidently approach God's throne (Hebrews 4:16). Instead, our acts for maintaining a relationship with God (reading the Bible, praying, and going to church), are really "his due" as it says in Romans. After all, a good relationship is maintained by connecting with the other person.
So, if you don't do those things (reading the Bible, etc), it isn't necessarily that you will lose your relationship with God. Instead, it is more that you will become distant, and your relationship with God will deteriorate. Maybe, like a broken marriage, you will wake up one day and realize you no longer know your partner (in this case, God). Don't let your relationship with God fall apart. Cling to him. Draw near to him. And rest assured, he will be right there, waiting for you. Always.
Let's pray.
Dear Lord, thank you for imbuing us with your righteousness. This graceful act causes us to want to pour out our love to you. Help us make time and put in effort to maintain a good relationship with you. Amen.
Amen! Great piece.