This is what will happen when you seek after walking uprightly – fulfilling what Jesus said in Matthew 6:33.
Matthew 6:33 | NKJV (33) But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Matthew 6:33 | AMP (33) But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides.
We need to learn God’s ways, more than we need to learn God’s rules.
Psalms 81:13 | NKJV (13) “Oh, that My people would listen to Me, That Israel would walk in My ways!
Ways – a road, a course of life, mode of action, method of operation.
An ignorance of God’s ways will keep us out of God’s highest and best for our lives.
What does a foundation or uprightness look like?
Psalms 15:1-5 | NKJV (1) A Psalm of David. LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill? (2) He who walks uprightly, And works righteousness, And speaks the truth in his heart; (3) He who does not backbite with his tongue, Nor does evil to his neighbor, Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend; (4) In whose eyes a vile person is despised, But he honors those who fear the LORD; He who swears to his own hurt and does not change; (5) He who does not put out his money at usury, Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved.
This is not a salvation Psalm. This Psalm is God’s plan for how to succeed, and have His blessing, prosperity and advancement in life as a believer.
The world can bring happiness, success and advancement but there will always be some type of sorrow with it. When God brings these things to your life there will be no sorrow with it.
Proverbs 10:22 | NKJV (22) The blessing of the LORD makes one rich, And He adds no sorrow with it.
When the world brings prosperity, it will not last. When God brings prosperity, it lasts.
Proverbs 8:18 | NKJV (18) Riches and honor are with me, Enduring riches and righteousness.
Durable – Hebrew: antique, valued.
The devil will try and tell you, “I can make you rich and it will not be as slow as God.”
Psalms 15:5 | NKJV (5) He who does not put out his money at usury, Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved.
Notice the end of the Psalm talks about you can arrive at place of not being moved.
What we see in verse 5 is that God is endeavoring to get us to a place where we will not be shaken. This simply means a place of stability in our life.
In verse 1 of this Psalm, abide and dwell mean to stay on a permanent basis.
Psalms 91:1 | NKJV (1) He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
Three Things To Do:
Psalms 15:2 NKJV (2) He who walks uprightly, And works righteousness, And speaks the truth in his heart;
- Walk uprightly
- Do works of righteousness
- Speak the truth from our heart
The three things that we are TO DO can be said very simply: your walk, your work, and your words.
- Walking upright means simply do not sin.
The Bible teaches us to flee sin.
Walking in holiness is not nearly as difficult as walking in un-holiness (sin).
The Bible says the way of the sinner is hard.
Proverbs 13:15 | NKJV (15) Good understanding gains favor, But the way of the unfaithful is hard.
This is our witness to non-believers around us. They want to see that you can live free from sin. They want to see that it is possible to walk free from sin.
Psalms 4:4 | KJV (4) Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.
Psalms 119:11 | NKJV (11) Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.
1 John 2:1 | NKJV (1) My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
1 Corinthians 15:34 | NKJV (34) Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame.
We must depend on the greater One on the inside of us to live free from sin. The power of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God are available to help us live free from sin.
Again, Jesus did not die just to save us from sins but to also to save us from sinning.
It is not trying to live separately from the world (people) that keeps you from sinning because you can live in a commune by yourself somewhere and still sin.
Witnessing is not telling the world to be holy; it is telling them that Jesus came to set us free from sin and its results.
- The next thing in verse two we see is the works of righteousness.
Psalms 15:2 NKJV (2) He who walks uprightly, And works righteousness, And speaks the truth in his heart;
Ephesians 2:10 | NKJV (10) For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Remember, our goal as Christians is not just to go to heaven. It should be to do those good (God) works which further God’s plans here, now.
Matthew 5:16 | NKJV (16) Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
Works of righteousness come from a giving heart.
2 Corinthians 9:8 | NKJV (8) And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.
Colossians 1:10 | NKJV (10) that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
Our fruit is not for ourselves. A tree does not consume its own fruit. It is for the passersby.
1 Timothy 6:18 | NKJV (18) Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share,
1 Timothy 6:18 | MSG (18) to do good, to be rich in helping others, to be extravagantly generous.
- He speaks the truth from his heart.
Psalms 15:2 NKJV (2) He who walks uprightly, And works righteousness, And speaks the truth in his heart;
You are speaking from a heart that is filled with the Word of God.
There are two kinds of truth that we speak from:
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- Truth from the Word of God
- Truth that is not a lie.
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Psalms 34:12-13 | NLT (12) Does anyone want to live a life that is long and prosperous? (13) Then keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies!
Ephesians 4:25 | TPT (25) So discard every form of dishonesty and lying so that you will be known as one who always speaks the truth, for we all belong to one another.
The moment that your words leave the truth, they become a lie. Don’t stretch or shade the truth.
When we are speaking about our walk, our works and our words, that is pretty much the sum total of our lives. God wants us to walk uprightly in all of these areas.
Three Things NOT To DO:
Psalms 15:3 NKJV (3) He who does not backbite with his tongue, Nor does evil to his neighbor, Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend;
- Backbite with our tongue
- Do evil against our neighbor
- Take up a reproach against our neighbor.
The person that God blesses is the one that does not do these three things:
- Does not backbite with his tongue
Someone who backbites with their tongue is someone who says one thing to your face and something else behind your back.
Proverbs 6:19 | NKJV (19) A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren.
Backbiting is an abomination to God. God hates this.
Although this happens to all of us, we have to come to the place where we understand that God will protect us and if necessary, vindicate us.
Psalms 101:5 | NKJV (5) Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, Him I will destroy; The one who has a haughty look and a proud heart, Him I will not endure.
What we need to do is forgive and let it go and let God handle the payback part.
Jesus did not say for us to go into the world and try to defend ourselves. We have to let God handle that. We have much more important things that we need to be doing.
Isaiah 54:17 | NKJV (17) No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, And their righteousness is from Me,” Says the LORD.
God has promised that He would watch over us and one day at His doing you will be able to condemn the tongue that rises against you.
Notice that this verse says that the weapon may be formed but it will not prosper. (to succeed or be victorious)
We do not have to worry about the weapon formed and let God handle it. NO weapon formed against you will prosper.
Job 5:21 | NKJV (21) You shall be hidden from the scourge of the tongue, And you shall not be afraid of destruction when it comes.
Understand that this is all part of human nature and that you have to let God handle this.
The more that you walk and live in a sanctified life, you can rest assured people will not like it.
Leave the revenge up to God.
- Does not do evil to his neighbor.
This goes a step further than just gossip or backbiting. It is trying to expose your neighbor for what you believe him to be.
Again, you are going about trying to handle God’s business.
Romans 12:19-21 | NKJV (19) Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord. (20) Therefore “IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM; IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP COALS OF FIRE ON HIS HEAD.” (21) Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
The thing that you and I must always remember is that we do not have all the facts. We are better off to let God, Who does know everything to handle it and expose them, if He so chooses.
We are always better off if we extend mercy and grace to someone and walk in forgiveness than try and expose the wrongs of everyone especially other Christians.
Remember, always overcome evil with good. You will always come out on top that way because that way God is able to cover and protect you and then deal with the other people.
Getting even should be left in the hands of God.
You will never make your candle burn brighter by blowing someone else’s out.
- Does not take up a reproach against his neighbor.
Reproach – to find fault with, to shame, blame, or censure.
In short, it is your attitude towards an offence.
Offence is usually a surprise and contradicts your perception of a person and challenges your confidence in them.
What is the answer to an offence? Sit down and talk about and work it out between you and them. This is scriptural.
What we need to do with each other is just give each other a break.
Offence not dealt with will fester and grow and then shape your total perception of that person or the environment where they are. It is like a pair of glasses that you are looking through.
When you take up an offence, you become self-righteous and critical and then began to create a world of your own suffering.
Proverbs 20:3 | NKJV (3) It is honorable for a man to stop striving, Since any fool can start a quarrel.
Romans 12:16-18 | AMPC (16) Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty (snobbish, high-minded, exclusive), but readily adjust yourself to [people, things] and give yourselves to humble tasks. Never overestimate yourself or be wise in your own conceits. [Prov. 3:7.] (17) Repay no one evil for evil, but take thought for what is honest and proper and noble [aiming to be above reproach] in the sight of everyone. [Prov. 20:22.] (18) If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.