In righteousness… established
“All your children shall be taught by the LORD, and great shall be the peace of your children. In righteousness you shall be established.”
(Is 54:13-14)
As a young preacher, Alfred decided to bite the bullet and boldly preach to street prostitutes in his home town. They should have received the good news of salvation, but it sounded to them as business sabotage, and they instead insulted the man of God and promised him serious vengeance! A few days later, Alfred was attending to visitors at his home when suddenly an armed man cocked his gun and was ready to execute the promised sentence; but the young preacher fell prostrate and entered the most frightening minutes of his life. He made final prayers for his attacker, his young wife and their baby boy; yet it was not time for Alfred to meet his Creator. It must have been God’s intervention that moved back the hand of the enemy. Alfred survived and has over the years not only attained a doctorate in theology but continued preaching righteousness without fear or favour, as he did at the Kampala Diocesan Convention.
As the former chapter is a prophecy of the humiliation and exaltation of Christ, of his sufferings and death, and the glory that should follow, Isaiah 54 is a prophecy of that part of his glory which relates to the flourishing estate of his church, as the fruit of his death. The foundation of this prosperity and glory is righteousness. The complete fulfillment of these glorious promises is dependent on the people’s righteousness. The turning of nations to worship the One True God will be turning to righteousness. There is no other way, no other foundation, no other route to the promised glory – only In righteousness you shall be established.
A life of righteousness will many times take you through times of ultimate testing and suffering, but the fruit at the end of the tunnel is sweet and everlasting. We have a gospel of righteousness to proclaim! In these days when liberalism and complacency have attacked the Church, leader and born again Christian should be the first to watch the need for righteousness and just living in their own lives, before going out preaching the same. Believers in Christ cause mockery upon His Name when they take lightly this matter of righteousness. But when the Church is firm on this virtue, then righteousness will find a place to stand in the public square, in the market place, in our education institutions, in government systems, and in the nation.
God bless you all!