My hope is that this series will offer my readers a chance to consider the names, characteristics and descriptions of our God in the Word.
The remaining Names of God in this series might be considered descriptors, or characteristics of the Lord. We have reviewed the three primary Names of God, along with nineteen compound Names of God in our previous posts. As we venture through these descriptors of our God, I hope we will recognize all the many characteristics of our God that we tend to take for granted.
The Word is truly rich with descriptions of the Living God, and this effort of searching in the Word was quite illuminating. He truly is the ultimate subject of the Word, and His revelation of self-descriptions, or the accolades offered Him by His priests, prophets, kings apostles and faithful truly is a blessing.
May the Name of the Lord be praised, and by thinking on His name, may you have a blessed day.
| 59 |
| BREAST PLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS |
| Ephesians 6:14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, |
| As believers, we of all people should realize we have no absolute righteousness within our nature. We are a people that leans to evil, have tendencies to seek wrong, desire the unholy and look for trouble. It is deep within us to be selfish, self centered and concerned with our own comfort and interests. We understand that the extent to which He was sacrificed has in some way defined the depth of our sickness, our brokenness, our bent to things not of God. His crucifixion is the proof of His sacrificial love for those who are through and through of the wrong stuff. Oh Carl – You are exaggerating the human condition to make a point. That may be, but I would challenge you to prove your righteousness instead of simply claiming your righteousness. Obey every command delivered to us through the Word. Do not allow yourself any leeway, but commit wholeheartedly to continually obeying every command God has given us. You can choose either the Old Testament Law – the decalogue – or the New Testament teaching from Christ. Decide on either the easy one (decalogue) or the tough one (NT teaching). But once decided, commit to continually obeying every principle with 100% precision and commitment. I would suggest two outcomes are possible if you take on this discipline. One – You will convince yourself that you continually obey every command the Lord has spoken, and from that inner knowledge, a huge shadow of pride and arrogance will dominate every action, emotion and interaction with your peers, family and friends. Two – You realize there is no hope, that you don’t have the strength to obey, or the ability, or even the desire to follow after the Lord with every strength possible, and you become disheartened. Both of these results are not acceptable, and not intended by the Word, other than to show us our desperate need to look to our only Righteousness. Paul provides the truth of the breastplate of righteousness, the righteousness as a breastplate protecting our heart. Our own heart, though redeemed, is continually bombarded with temptations, and if we look to our own heart for righteousness, we will loose heart. The Breastplate of Righteousness is a protection for our lives, protecting the most vulnerable part of our life. He is the Breastplate of Righteousness, since the truth of His sacrifice is beyond our own understanding or experience. His sacrifice is a fact we can lean on, where our hearts find solace, comfort, encouragement and strength. As we continually look to Jesus as our Breastplate of Righteousness, we will eventually learn what it means to walk properly, to think correctly, to understand humility and grace, and to mimic Him (in some small way) in His acts of Righteousness. Realizing our heart has been protected by His never changing righteousness, will also create a heart trained to righteousness. This heart will eventually produce a likeness to His Spirit in your day to day activities. One more thing if I may be so blunt – My understanding of His Righteousness has totally morphed from my first days as a believer. It is much deeper, much stronger, much more subtle (at times), so dependent on the Spirit, rooted in the thought life, and full of mercy. He is our Breastplate of Righteousness. Is He covering your life? Is he protecting your own heart, no matter it’s condition? |
I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!
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