Righteousness That Exalts

Series: Proverbs

by D. Marion Clark April 3, 2013 Scripture: Proverbs 14:34

Proverbs 14:34

Righteousness exalts a nation,
but sin is a reproach to any people.

Righteousness exalts a nation. It is good for a nation to excel in liberty; it is good for a nation to become prosperous and enable its people to prosper. It is good for a nation to protect its people from threats. But, as ultimately an individual is judged by his righteousness, so a nation.Thus, above all, we are to hold our leaders and ourselves accountable for ethical behavior, to act righteously within our country and in our dealings outside the nation. It matters what kind of neighbor we are and what kind of community we are.

Having said this, let us remember as Christians our citizenship in the kingdom of our Lord. God will judge the nations, including America, and we do well to call our nation to righteousness. But it is his own nation – the Church – that he will hold most accountable, for we represent the rule of God. Are we distinctive in our churches in the way that we treat our neighbors. Do we amaze our enemies by our love for them? Do we put to shame slander against us by our righteousness which is displayed by holy, moral living and by compassion, mercy, and pursuit of justice even for those who hate us? Do we demonstrate worship that is defined by God’s standards and not the world’s? Do we do business according to God’s righteous law rather than the world’s?

Righteousness exalts the church, the world-wide nation of God. And always remember, that it is only the righteousness that is Christ’s which exalts a nation, a church, and an individual.

© 2024 Tenth Presbyterian Church.

Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to reproduce and distribute this material in its entirety or in unaltered excerpts, as long as you do not charge a fee. For Internet posting, please use only unaltered excerpts (not the content in its entirety) and provide a hyperlink to this page, or embed the entire material hosted on Tenth channels. You may not re-upload the material in its entirety. Any exceptions to the above must be approved by Tenth Presbyterian Church.

Please include the following statement on any distributed copy: By D. Marion Clark. © 2024 Tenth Presbyterian Church. Website: tenth.org