Publisher's Synopsis
The Bible says of us that embrace the word of God: "We are those who have died to sin" (Romans 6:2 NIV).
Are we really?
Or are we claiming to be what we were designed by God to be but refuse to be?
Every word of God is the mystery of God who is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:3).
All human beings are bound to obedience to the Law. And law refuses to let go unless death breaks its grip on anything the law controls. No human being becomes free from the law of life because they chose to not be bothered by the law. Only death frees anyone from the grip of the law! But Nothing frees any human being from their commitment by God to righteousness!
By placing their faith in the undying word of God, the word of God frees a person from the grip of the law of life and places them squarely in the custodianship of the undying word of God, from whom they can never separate forever.
Forcing their separation from the undying word of God, forces the person back to death through which they had escaped the law. This time around, eternal death-even while they are still naturally alive and interacting with everyone else in the world (Hebrews 6:4-8)!
I spent my last full day on the earth talking to my father about this.
I will let my father take over from here, since I am no longer in the body to speak to you myself about the overarching importance of reminding yourself always, that you have died to sin and should no longer be sinning!
God is the reason there is never too much of anything that is good:
In his frustration from his findings on the matters of life in our world, the wise King Solomon had warned:
"In this meaningless life of mine I have seen both of these: the righteous perishing in their righteousness, and the wicked living long in their wickedness. Do not be overrighteous, neither be overwise-why destroy yourself? Do not be overwicked, and do not be a fool-why die before your time? It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other. Whoever fears God will avoid all extremes." (Ecclesiastes 7:15-17 NIV)
The wise king was flushing out the knowledge he had accumulated from carefully observing life on the earth with life's endless ups and down, the way today's scientists study the things that are observable in our world and put forth their findings. God had given King Solomon both worldly wisdom and the power of discernment.
King Solomon was merely advising human beings on how to safely navigate through the world's many challenges in their natural abilities.
There is never such a thing as excessive righteousness; nor does wisdom ever become excessive!
What King Solomon is saying in the passage above is what Jesus Christ Himself commanded all His disciples:
"I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. 17 Be on your guard." (Matthew 10:16-17 NIV)
The righteous are persecuted by the wicked everywhere across the face of the earth.
The righteous have no hiding place because their righteousness makes them stick out like sore thumbs. And because they try to avoid violence, they are constantly visited with violence and are minimized in society.
The Bible says that everything that is lit up becomes light (Ephesians 5:13 NIV). Translated to human righteousness, anyone who strives towards the righteousness of God blends into God's righteousness, which has no limit.
Living our lives in accordance with the word of God makes us one with the word of God who brings us to God. And becoming one with the word of God, who is light, makes us a greater light and more fitting to live with God. We can, therefore, never be over-righteous or over-wise.
