Choosing It

(Proverbs 11:5 KJV)  The righteousness of the perfect shall direct his way: but the wicked shall fall by his own wickedness.

As I was reading this chapter today the word “righteousness” (6666) kept jumping out at me.  I am around people of the Calvinist/Reformed tradition a lot.  Most churches are part of that theological family, even if they deny it or really don’t know.  One of the claims of these people is that we are all dirty rotten sinners who must sin every day in word, thought and deed.  They like to quote a couple of verses as proof.

(Romans 3:10 KJV)  As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

(Isaiah 64:6 KJV)  But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

If you read Proverbs that presents a problem because in this chapter “righteousness” (6666) is referred to five times and the “righteous” (6662) eight times.  Add to that “blameless” (8549) being used twice.  The point is that the Bible often refers to the righteous.  If they did not exist, how could this be?

So?  I am not looking for a deep discussion of meaning and context.  All I am trying to get across is that God expects us to live right and gives us the ability through the blood and the Spirit to do it.  It isn’t that “the devil made me do it” as much as “the Spirit empowers me to do it.”  Of course the “it” is different in each case.  Chose your “it”.