BUILDING YOUR ENVIRONMENT FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS
Righteousness makes a nation great; sin is a disgrace to any nation. (GNT)
One thing about the word of God I love so much is it's clearity. the scripture we read makes us to understand that a nation can do righteousness and a nation can sin also. it is a possibility that can be achieved. as bad as the state of our nation Nigeria is, God's word has made us to understand that it is possible to have a better Nigeria. the undoing of any nation is sin and the uplifting of any nation is a total subscription to righteousness. for a nation to be righteous, it takes righteous individuals. how can we achieve this? what is the biblical pertain? this is going to be our concern today. before we go into minute details, let's look at the mystery of our environment. in our context we are talking basically on our moral and spiritual environment.
THE MYSTERY OF OUR ENVIRONMENTS
An android English dictionary app defines environment as: That which environs or surrounds; surrounding conditions, influences, or forces, by which living forms are influenced and modified in their growth and development.
Environments has the power to influence. who you are today is a product of environments you've experienced.
Environments can be built, rehabilitated, and destroyed by humans. this means your actions and inactions influence your environment.
Building liveable and lovable environment calls for deliberate labour. first you need a vision, quality materials and work.
an environment has a location. this means you'll learn to stay at the location of the environment you've built.
UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE ENVIRONMENTAL SINS.
before we talk of the way to build our surrounding or environment for righteousness, you need to understand that there are sins that adapt certain places or locations. Hebrew 12: 2 talks of sins that easily beset us.
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.
you need to hear what the word of God is saying. it says there are sins that are easy for us. these sins vary from person to person. what tempts mr A might not be a reason for worry to mr B. why did the Bible say this sins are easy? because they find root in our environments. the working condition of a doctor is different from that of a banker so what tempts them are different. let us take look at Eve the mother of all humanity. the tree she eat from was in her garden. she didn't have to travel far from home. her tempter and temptation was in her home. somebody will say but why did God put it there? I agree it was God who put it there for the scripture says so. Even you have put things you told your children and people around not to touch. see how easy it was for Eve to sin. she just took of it. (Gen 3:6). her environment provided a temptation and she fell for it. your wife/husband can become a source of temptation. your children, business, ministry, relationships etc. the urge for sex as natural and beautiful it is in marriage has become a major source of temptation in our days and we can't do anything about it. it's your body and you can't travel without your body. know what is around you that can make you sin and begin to beat it. (1cor 9:27)
No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. (NIV)
beat your environment until it obeys your desire for holiness. Eve didn't discipline her environment. the snake was subject to her authority by creation. her husband named it so why didn't she make the snake know it's place? looking at Gen 3, her manner of responses to the serpent connotes infiriority. who was the snake to teach her? from where did the snake learn from? the problem is that she didn't discipline the serpent. christians who want to fall don't discipline there environment and by that get lead astray. you should be the one to teach unbelievers matters about what is right and wrong. you work in an office and your fellow worker advice you to lie to your boss. it's nothing he or she says. even God will understand. should an unbeliever be your moral teacher? the serpent has opened schools of sin i know but you shouldn't be a student there.
WAYS TO BUILD YOUR ENVIRONMENT INTO RIGHTEOUSNESS
I will be mentioning few workable and universal partways to build environments into righteousness. they are universal because they can work anywhere in the world. but first let's talk about the tool needed for this venture.
when we talk of righteousness you should know it's a national and individual issue. if we are going to build anything righteous, it's going to be by the infallible word of God. you cannot talk of righteousness outside God's word. the Bible is the brain behind the concept of righteousness. Your moral coach should be the Bible. don't follow preachers who preach outside the Bible even if it sounds good and spiritual. the deviation from scripture is what sponsor error and error of any sort is an absolute dive into unrighteousness. follow pastors and preachers who preach and teach the word of God even if he or she doesn't sound deep. God spoke to Joshua about the law which is the word. Joshua 1:8
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall read [and meditate on] it day and night, so that you may be careful to do [everything] in accordance with all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will be successful. (Amp)
ways to build your environment:
LET THE WORD BE POPULAR IN YOUR FAMILY.
how do things get popular? Through promotion or advertising. watching TV isn't a sin but is a vanity. Playing sports is good but the profit is little. For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come (1Tim 4:8). don't allow the word to be looked upon as old fashion or archaic in your home. this will demand your creativity in battle with the creativity of the entertainment industry. don't worry, the Lord will support you. advertise the word not only to those under you but first to yourself. let the study of your Bible in your eyes be more attractive than anything on earth through your consistent advertising to yourself and your family. Deu 6:1-9
Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the Lord your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it: 2 that thou mightest fear the Lord thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged. 3 Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the Lord God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey.
4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: 5 and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. 6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: 7 and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. 8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. 9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.
LET THE WORD BE STRONG IN YOUR SECRET.
The word of God shouldn't be treated well outside and anyhow in the secret. the rise of righteousness is that righteous done in the secret. the secret means our heart and a location human eyes can't see. isn't it obviouse that the evil men do is done in the dark? john 3:20,21
For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
people pretend outside and mask their own unrighteousness. however the result is reproach to the nation. your secret sins affects everyone in the nation. when politicians loot government money they think it's nothing but that money was ment for people who will now pay a great price because of another's greed. when a doctor helps a girl to abort a baby he should know he is killing a life and sponsoring sodomy (immorality). many people have killed themselves and their spouse because of extramarital affairs. Even Adam and Eve did their did in secret. no wonder they hid when God came visiting. may we not hid in our day of Devine visitation. let the word take root in your heart and secret. Remember,
"Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people".
HOW TO GET THE WORD INTO YOU
Generally, study weares the body. Ecc 12:12 And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.
for us to understand the scripture, it will require labor. righteousness is not for lazy people. labor for the word.
THIS IS MY COUNSEL
to the learned - read and study God's word daily.
to the unschooled who can't even read this article, oral reading in church and at home should be done for them. there are audio bible that can be played for them. I am sending you my dear to those who can't read around you.
CONCLUSION
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Colossians 3:16
12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
Hebrews 4:12,13
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