PRACTICAL RIGHTEOUSNESS
Put together by Bongie Kuzwayo
[Genesis15v6] And he (Abram) believed the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.
Those of us who have believed in the Lord, are said to be righteous. Now this is positional righteousness. We still have to work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippiana2v12).
[Proverbs19v21] (BBE) A man’s heart is full of designs, but the purpose of the Lord is unchanging.
[Proverbs19v21] (KJV) There are many devices in a man’s heart; nevertheless, the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand.
[Proverbs19v21] (ISV) Many plans occupy the mind of the man, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail.
[Luke 19v12—15] Therefore He said, “A certain noble man went to a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. (13) So, he called ten of His servants, and delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Do business till I come.’ (14) But the citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, “We will not have this man to reign over us.” (15) And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded those servants, to which he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.
(v13) So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, “Do business till I come.”
Ten is a number signifying perfection of divine order.
[Mark4v24 –25] Then he said to them, “Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. (25) For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”
Heed = (blepo in Greek) = to see with the mind’s eye – to have power of understanding – to discern mentally, to observe, to perceive, to discover, understand – to weigh carefully.
Hear = to comprehend, to understand – to attend to, to consider what is, or has been said – to perceive the sense of what is being said.
Measure = (metron in Greek) = it means the rule or standard judgment = how you perceive and act on what you have heard.
To you who hear = those of you who heard intelligently by carefully evaluating what you heard, and practically demonstrated by your obedience = more will be given to you.
Will be taken away from him = to take away from another what is his, or what is committed to him – to take by force.
The mandate given to the ten servants, was, “Do business till I come.” This means, you do what you can with what has been entrusted to you (within your sphere of influence).
From a youth Jesus knew that His mission on earth was to do His Father’s business. [Luke 2v49] “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?”
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Most of the time we busy ourselves with what we think matters to us. Remember, God created each one of us for His purpose.
Do note:
(1) Ten were assigned to do business. Let us see ten as representing the whole church community.
(2) Three worked on the assignment. Let us see three as thirty percent of those who made an effort.
(3) One did what he thought was right in his own eyes and was dismally disqualified; was judged on the spot and was called wicked.
(4) Only two (twenty percent) obeyed the best way they could.
[Luke13v24] Strive to enter through the narrow gate; for many, I say to you, will seek to enter but will not be able.
That expression, “Strive to enter.” Means, it takes a lot of effort and sacrifice.
(5) Seven were those who would not have him reign over them. Let us see seven as seventy percent of the whole church community. In this category I want to include the false prophets who are playing games and using gimmicks to mislead the church. Also, the many in Israel who did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah they were waiting for.
[Matthew7v13—14] Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. (14) Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way that leads to life, and there are few who find it.
The rewards given to the two who traded – one was given authority over ten and the second one was given authority over five cities respectively. This speaks of dominion, which is the result of obedience. Dominion is given to mature sons and not to children or babes in the faith. The dominion mandate that was given to the first family (Genesis 1v28), continues to be a generational mandate. It is a demand to us today as kingdom citizens. The expression, “Do business till I come” is equivalent to the dominion mandate.
Minas = a metaphor for gifs given to you to serve in the kingdom.
[Romans12v6—13] Having gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them. If prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith, (7) or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches in teaching; (8) he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality, he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. (9) Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. (10) be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honour giving preference to one another; (11) not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; (12) rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; (13) distributing to the needs of the saints, given. to hospitality
[Matthew25v40] And the King will answer and say to them, “Assuredly I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to Me.”
The many thoughts or plans I am pursuing make my ear hard of hearing. Yes, I think I heard what God said – it is at the back of my mind. My thoughts or plans take precedence; I am obsessed with achieving what is in my mind. Now, this means my hearing was not intelligent because I did not give what I heard proper evaluation. Sometimes we want to obey but we want to achieve it in our own terms and not according to the terms of the One who has given the vision.
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Maturity (divine sonship) is measured by my application of the Scriptures. It is measured by my evaluation of what I heard.
[Philippians2v13] Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, (13) for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
We are going to look at King David and Samson, the judge:
(1) David was anointed King over Israel (1Chronicles11v3). Samson judged Israel for twenty years (Judges15v20).
(2) They were both men of great exploits. David killed a lion and a bear with bare hands; he killed Goliath with a stone from a sling (1Samuel17v49). Samson killed one thousand Philistines with a jaw-bone of a horse (Judges15v15).
(3) They were both hated and hunted by the Philistines. Philistine is a symbol of flesh.
(4) David came against Goliath in the name of the Lord (1Samuel17v45) When the Philistines came hunting for him, he inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my hand? (2Samuel 5v19) The second time around when the Philistines deployed themselves in the valley of Rephaim, David again inquired of the Lord who gave him a new strategy (2Samuel 5v23—24). And David did as the Lord commanded him (2Samuel 5v25).
(5) Samson knew that his strength was in his hair. He did whatever was convenient for him to conquer the Philistines. He played with his anointing and betrayed himself to a harlot, Delilah.
[Judges16v16—17] And it came to pass when she pestered him daily with her words and pressed him, so that his soul was vexed to death, (17) that he told her all his heart, and said to her, “No razor has come upon my head for I have been a Nazirite from my mother’s womb. If I am shaven, my strength will leave me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.”
Now Delilah divulged the secret to the Philistines. She lulled him to sleep on her knees, and called for a man and had him shave the seven locks of his head. Then she began to torment him, and his strength left him. He awoke from his sleep, and said, “I will go out as before, at other times, and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the Lord had departed from him (Judges16v19—20).
[Psalm147v10—11] He does not delight on the strength of a horse; He take no pleasure in the legs of a man. (11) The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His mercy.
(6) Samson in his entire history of judging the Nation of Israel, we hear him calling upon God for the very first time and it was the last time before he died.
[Judges16v28] Then Samson called to the Lord, saying, “O Lord, God, remember me, I pray! Strengthen me, I pray, just this once, O God, that I may with one blow take vengeance on the Philistines for my eyes.”
Strategies must come from, or must be approved by the Holy Spirit. He said, “I will build My church”.
(7) Samson’s specific and direct calling was to deliver the Nation of Israel from the Philistines. His very first mistake was to marry the enemy.
[Judges13v3—5] And the Angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, “Indeed, now you are barren and have borne no children, but you shall conceive and bear a son. (4) Now
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therefore, please be careful not to drink wine or similar drink, and not to eat anything unclean. (5) For behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. And no razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.
(8) In all the twenty years Samson believed in the strength of his hair and never in God. He always acted on his discretion in an attempt to fulfil God’s assignment.
Packaged in every word or commandment or assignment that God gives us, is:
(1) Faith to carry out the assignment. This means the how, the what and the when is given by God.
(2) Provision to accomplish.
(3) Protection.
(4) The Holy Spirit to order every step; giving us direction strategy.
Practical righteousness is measured by your application of the Scriptures; by you evaluation of what you heard.
Now family – I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified
AGAPE LESSON 6