Being aligned with above

Disney's Friends for Change (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

To become justified we ourselves do have to act in the right way. We must act justly and we also have to enact it. It’s in our own hands.

The word, “Tzedek,” which means “justice,” also means “righteousness.” 
The Hebrew word “Tzedaka,” which means “charity,” comes from that same word, “Tzedek,” which can mean that they are connected. Unless righteousness is rooted in kindness, in compassion, and in being a giver and caring for the poor and needy, etc., it is not “just.”

Being “right with God” but not with your fellow man is not aligned with heaven.

The world has chosen to go its own way, but along the way many people also demanded to have judges. As such we got the judges and in the Book of judges or "Shoftim" we can see how an
unjust society may be tried but also directed. 

In the Torah portion of Shoftim, “justice” is not a single word, because it is not a single concept. The double word is its own congruence. That’s the alignment to strive for – justice that is righteous and righteousness that is just – rooted in kindness, caring, and giving. Says Robert Frost,

“Nothing can make injustice just but mercy.”

What is done wrong shall have its consequences. Even when we regret what we did wrong we shall have to bear the consequences. sometimes we even may think we did the right thing but did something wrongly or it turned out badly. Living in this world we are under the events of this world, dependant on others but also on our own. And it is that self that can make the better choices, leaving those who want to be off the world for what they are and may think of us. They may laugh with us for us choosing an other way of life. But we have to make that important choice and have to go for the right way.
Even when we have the right intentions things may go wrong, but at least then we tried. Whatever we do it can always be that the world does not like it. When we did it with a right heart and good intentions who is to blame?

When we live in this world, we do have to grow up and have several decades of trying. With falling and standing up again we learn. By trial we grow and learn our lesson:

we might not be able to repair our world, we might not be able to change our community, we might not be able to uplift our family, we might not get to our goal,

That all seem so bad (you would think). But it should not all so be so bad. When we as person can change and become better in the end, it is not at all bad.  We should be able to transform ourself. 

Each of us has the ability to perfect our own soul; to begin that process of self-transformation.  The crux of this story:

we can’t begin to change the world, unless we first begin to change ourselves.

Best is that we try to be in alignment with the heavenly rules and statues God provided for His creation.Every day we should think about the Most Divine Creator and see ourself in His creation. Where do you want to stand in it? Where do you place yourself?

Are we willing to change ourselves and are we willing to try to go for a new spiritual life?

To get justice ourselves we have to show others justice and should we have charity and mercy for others. At the same time we should be willing to change and to get ourselves transformed under the working of greater forces than those of this world. Believing in the Great power of That One Who gave the authority to Jesus to judge mankind, we shall have less to fear when we try to follow those words of that sent one from God.

Following Jesus we can put our hope in becoming justified and when becoming righteous enjoying already now the blessings of a new life.

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Please continue reading: Looking for a spiritual new life

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God wants to be gracious to you

Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!

Isaiah 30:18, New International Version

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    God is slow to exercise his justice when that justice demands his people's punishment. "Gracious and slow to anger" is a phrase repeatedly used to describe God in the Old Testament. God longs to be gracious and bless his people. He extends time for us to repent and turn to him. In Jesus, God even gives us his own Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Let's hear the heart of God and respond by turning our lives and our hearts to the God who longs for us.

    Almighty God and Abba Father, how can I ever thank you for your love and mercy demonstrated in the sacrifice of your Son for my sin. Please forgive me for those times that I have not intentionally and wholeheartedly shown my appreciation for your grace in the way I live my life. Please perfect me by your Spirit just as you have forgiven me and cleansed me by your grace. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Dutch version / Nederlandse versie > God wil u gunst betonen

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2016 linkupdate

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God receives us on the basis of our faith

"In the sight of God all are sinners and their goodness is inadequate to justify them in His presence. There is only one standard of righteousness, holiness and justice, and that is God’s standard, and God will not at any time compromise that standard in order to accommodate the fickleness of men and women. Sin today is no less sinful than it was in the days of Noah or Eve. God has not evolved from a God who hates sin to a God who merely overlooks it. Human goodness compared with God’s standard of righteousness is stunted and impoverished. It is no good coming to God with our ‘scorecard’ which testifies that we are decent people, we pay our debts and never harm our neighbours. In the context of respectability this may be important, but in the context of salvation it is paltry. Our bit of righteousness is no passport to God’s favour. The Bible teaches that we have to repudiate our own withered morality and confess that we do not measure up to God’s standard. This is called Repentance.

Since men and women cannot be received on the basis of their natural goodness, which is inadequate and unfair, God receives them on the basis of their faith. The faith they show is counted by Him as righteousness. This is the great doctrine of justification by faith and explains why it is impossible to come to God faithless, and why those who come must believe. In order to show how the great principle operates the Apostle Paul takes the case of one man, Abraham. Abraham received certain promises from God which, at the time they were spoken, appeared, humanly speaking, to be impossible of fulfilment. But Abraham had faith in the promises in spite of adverse appearances and God counted this for righteousness:

"He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; but for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification" (Romans 4:20-25).

Paul insists that the principles which operated in the case of Abraham are true for every man who will come to God for salvation."

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Dennis Gillett
One Bible, Many Churches - Does it Matter What We Believe?

God does not change

"Let's get one thing clear; God is not changeable. He does not suffer from moods or depression. There is no "shadow of turning"; the Bible says, with Him.

That means that He does not have double standards. It also means that we cannot do things behind His back as it were. We are always in His sight. He is faithful and consistent.

There are examples, of course, of God's kindness and mercy in the Old Testament. The law of Moses, strict as it seems, was founded on very merciful principles. If it had been kept properly, it would have resulted in a clean, caring and just society. Provision was made for everyone down to the very poorest of the people. Even the humane treatment of animals was provided for.

Why then was there this idea of an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth? How does this square with the very different teaching of Jesus? Did not Jesus tell us to love our enemies and do good to those who hate us?

Yes, he did. Indeed it was Jesus himself who invited us to make this comparison. He first mentioned this difference between established teaching and his own word.

We need to know first, however, what the "eye for an eye" idea meant. This is not the licence to retaliate that it sounds to be. It was concerned with the operation of justice.

Think back to the last argument you heard. It probably began with something quite trivial. Before long, however, it escalated. Something was said that evoked a retort. That provoked another comment which, in turn, led to a slightly stronger reply. Gradually the two sides forced each other further apart. Each answer became a little more extreme. Soon people were saying things that were exaggerated and which later might be regretted.

That is always the case. Human nature always has to go one better (or one worse). The tendency is to hit back harder. "He has blacked my eye, I'll black both his:"

It was exactly that which the law was designed to prevent. It was not so much a permission as a restraint. First the wrong had to be established. When that was done, punishment had to be administered. But the punishment must fit the crime. It was not literally the gouging out of eyes, but a just measure of punishment.

Jesus plainly said that he did not come to destroy the law. He did not change it to mean something else. What he did do was to take the principles of the law a step further.

For example, he pointed to the law which said a man must not murder. Jesus looked at what gives rise to murder. He considered the root cause. He said that a man should not be angry with another. If a man controls his anger he will not commit murder.

Jesus drew attention to the commandment not to commit adultery. Again, he saw that the basic failure of man in this sin was his lust. Jesus instructed that a man should control his lust. He taught that the desire and planning of such an act was wicked. It was as bad as the act itself if only the opportunity to carry it out was missing.

So with the law which permitted a punishment equal to the crime. The law restricted the retaliation. It was far better, as Jesus taught, if man could overcome his desire to retaliate altogether. He should love his enemies and do good to those who hated him. Vengeance should be left to God. He will see that true justice is done ultimately."
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Brother John S. Roberts
The Bible, the Lord Jesus and You
God Does Not Change

Act as if everything you think, say and do determines your entire life

"Act as if everything you think,
say and do determines your entire life
- because in reality, it does!"
- Laurelle Adrian

"Therefore, prepare your minds for action;
be self-controlled;
set your hope fully on the grace to be given you
when Jesus Christ is revealed."
1 Peter 1:13

Lord let me always do right.
Girded me with the armour of truth and justice.
Let me always be sensible and sober in order to work on this earth for you.

Dutch version / Nederlandse versie > Handel alsof alles wat je denkt, zegt en doet uw hele leven bepaalt
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2013 update:

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Growth in character

"We are to speak the truth in love; the body is to increase unto the edifying of itself in love.

There is to be more than growth in knowledge and in numbers within ecclesial life. Our characters must increase and develop and our personality traits often must be modified.

The ecclesia, with all its component parts, is supplied that we, individually and collectively, might come "unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:11- 13). Love and persistence, forgiveness, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, wisdom, judgement, holiness, justice, integrity are all to improve for we are to "grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ" (v. 15).

This is a vital area of growth, for the saints of all ages are to be joint rulers of the world with Christ."
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Principles of Ecclesial Life - Growth in character
Brother Don Styles
http://www.christadelphianbooks.org/dstyles/poel/index.html

“Furthermore, he gave some people as emissaries, some as prophets, some as proclaimers of the Good News, and some as shepherds and teachers. Their task is to equip God’s people for the work of service that builds the body of the Messiah, until we all arrive at the unity implied by trusting and knowing the Son of God, at full manhood, at the standard of maturity set by the Messiah’s perfection. We will then no longer be infants tossed about by the waves and blown along by every wind of teaching, at the mercy of people clever in devising ways to deceive. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in every respect grow up into him who is the head, the Messiah.” (Eph 4:11-15 Cjb)

Dutch version / Nederlandse versie > Groei in karakter

Kindness

Dutch version / Nederlands > Vriendelijkheid

"There is no exercise better for the heart
than reaching down and lifting people up."
- John Andrew Holmes

"… make every effort to add to your faith goodness;
and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control;
and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, Godliness;
and to Godliness, brotherly kindness;
and to brotherly kindness, love."
2 Peter 1:5-7

"Constant kindness can accomplish much.
As the sun makes ice melt,
kindness causes misunderstanding,
mistrust, and hostility to evaporate."
- Albert Schweitzer

"He has told you, O man, what is good;
And what does the LORD require of you
But to do justice, to love kindness,
And to walk humbly with your God?"
Micah 6:8

Lord God, grant that I may be humble enough to help others.
Let me always do right and approach others with gentleness.
That I may be disarmingly friendly and constructive.

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2013 update:

Albert Schweitzer, Etching by Arthur William Heintzelman. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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