"He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head; he put on the garments of vengeance and wrapped himself in zeal as a cloak." ISAIAH 59:17
The second item which we are commanded to put on as soldiers of the Lord, is the "breastplate of righteousness." Jesus Christ, the Lord of Righteousness, loves righteousness. He has a vehement fervor for justice. The soldier who has been taught and trained by the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead will not only have righteousness, but will do righteousness. He should love what is right and hate what is wrong. The child of God longs for a new earth "wherein dwells righteousness." He "hungers and thirsts for righteousness." If we haven't that testimony, then we haven't seen an answer to the cry, "Create in me a clean heart O God, and renew a right spirit in me," or perhaps that has never been our plea...
The breastplate keeps the heart clean, for out of the heart come the issues of life. How could be approach the King with soiled garments? Righteousness breeds holy boldness! If we had an audience with an earthly king, we would groom every hair on our heads. We would go over our clothes with a fine-toothed comb, and go over our teeth with a fine-bristled brush. We would check the mirror with the eye of a prosecuting attorney, looking for the finest of flaws. We would shine our shoes until the mirrored our face. The king's position commands such respect. How much more then should be cleanse our hearts and minds daily through the water of the Word, so that we might have a bold confidence before the King of Righteousness.
This devotion was excerpted from How to Win Souls and Influence People, chapter 2, beginning on page 18.
No comments:
Post a Comment