Why No One Cares If You're Righteous, Guest Post: Mike Holmes

Before we begin, Random Winners from yesterdays Book Give Away, “The Stacation Jar” are: 

Heather Day Gilbert from Writing beyond the Vows

Lindsey Harrel from Planting Seeds of Hope (Lindsey was unable to comment on my post yesterday due to technical issues, but she emailed me and tweeted about this charity)

Ngina Otiende from Intentional Today

Sheila from Longings End

Floyd from There Go I

Today, I have a guest! Please welcome Mike.  
Please forgive how this post looks, I'm not sure what's wrong on my end, but the content is good. It's not Mike's fault I'm computer illiterate. Please Read.

Mike Holmes a blogger and speaker who heads the Simple Strategies for Startups community. He is also the author of I Shall Raise Thee Up: Ancient Principles for Lasting Greatness, a book that shows the timeless laws that people, organizations, ministries, and companies use to become great. You can find him on Twitter, or you can pick up his free ebook Top Twitter Traffic Strategies

Why No One Cares If You’re Righteous

Paul wrote,

“For scarely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.” (Romans 5:7 KJV)

What causes people to consider dying for a good man but not a righteous one? The word “righteous” and “good” both carry the notion of being “beneficial”--the main difference is that the righteous man is beneficial to himself whereas the good man is beneficial to others.

That’s why righteousness is not a fruit of the Spirit but goodness is. We’re automatically righteous (or in right-standing) with God through faith in Christ, but we grow in goodness.

All of my life I grew up in the Black Pentecostal/Holiness circle. And in that circle there was always talk of “spiritual warfare.” What that usually meant was speaking in tongues, “dancing on the enemy,” “going to battle,” shouting...and yes even shouting at the preacher.

We did it all.

And not to take away from that, but when Peter spoke about Jesus doing spiritual warfare it was done through His good deeds:

“The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ— He is Lord of all—that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.” (Acts 10:36-38 NKJV)

God was with Jesus so He could do good; He’s with you so you could do the same.

Goodness won a bout with cancer

It was goodness that caused Doddie Osteen (Joel Osteen’s mother) to win a battle with cancer. When the doctor diagnosed her and told the family she had 6 months to live she did three things:

She and her husband prayed that she was completely healed

She found every Scripture on healing and confessed them everyday--several times a day.

And she ministered to other sick people by helping and praying for them .

I could get the first two...but that third one threw me for a loop. Could you imagine:

Helping other sick people while you’re sick

Ministering to others while you need to be ministered to?

It’s nuts!

And yet the Bible says,

“If you extend your soul to the hungry And satisfy the afflicted soul, Then your light shall dawn in the darkness, and your darkness shall be as the noonday.” (Isaiah 58:10 NKJV)

It’s when we help others that God makes sure we’re helped!

We’re called to be Good

Have you ever been in a ”righteous” businesses? If so you’d recognize this:

“Yeah…we won a lot of awards.”

“Yeah…we’re pretty awesome!”

“Yeah…YOU need to work with us!”

“We’re #1…We’re #1…!!”

Or what about a righteous church? This might sound familiar:

“Yeah…we’re all going to heaven…the rest of you…I don’t know…”

“Yeah…we pretty much got it together over here.”

“Man…I thank God I’m not like you!”

But more than being righteous...we’re called to be good...or be beneficial to others.

But what do you think? What are some qualities of being righteous? And being good?