“Your righteousness is righteous forever,
and your law is true.” Psalm 119.142
One of the greatest lies man has ever convinced himself of is that truth is relative. Many a man has foolishly accepted the notion that truth and righteousness are determined by time, context, culture, or a host of other societal pressures. That thinking is not only flawed. It’s a lie.
Righteousness is determined by the only righteous being—God! He is the only one who is righteous, so he is the only one who can authoritatively define what is righteous. And, by his amazing grace, God has defined righteousness in his Word. The special revelation of God, contained in Scripture, is perfect, inerrant, and unchanging. The righteousness that it reveals carries those same qualities.
We must fight against the temptation to believe that righteousness exists on a sliding scale—that time, culture, or societal norms define what is righteous. God is righteous. His law is righteous. All other things must be measured against this plumb line.
In what ways have you seen society change its standard of righteousness? How have you let culture and worldly influences affect your own understanding of righteousness? In what ways has God’s Word corrected and shaped your view of what is good, right, and true?
Heavenly Father, you are forever righteous and true. Your Word is perfect and sure. Give us, deal Lord, an exalted view of your truth, of your standard of righteousness—that we might walk according to your ways. Amen.