I realized this word-righteousness is the defining word that separates Christianity and definitely Latter Day Saints from a lot of other spiritual paths, as well as our culture at large. The word righteousness has become almost a bad word among most. Its now seen often as old fashioned, harsh, judgmental, a word for the past that we have all out grown. It denotes that there are standards, commandments, rules, morals and principles that need to be followed. It implies that God does judge us for our thoughts, intentions and actions. All of this is not something most people want to think about or embrace.
In the name of freedom, righteousness has been tossed away. The popular idea of God now is that if God is love, then God does not judge but unconditionally accepts all that we do as perfect. Nothing is a sin. There is no right or wrong, bad or good. I have gone back and forth on this over the years. Of course we all want freedom, and this is the most beautiful gift we have been given by God, free will. We want to live as we feel. Throughout I have embraced this idea myself because the idea of total freedom, with no judgments sounded so appealing. But this truly is not as simple as it seems. I thought at times it was simple, or could be simple, but have come to a place where I understand now that it is not simple.
One of the things that must be taken into account is the opposing desires of the spirit versus the natural man. Now in our culture the natural man part of us, has begun to rule. So people are now simply following those desires and allowing the natural man part to run the show, to lead them where it will. I have toyed with that idea through out my life and even at times let it rule me too. I was doing this quite unconsciously as are most others. But not too long ago, I witnessed first hand what can happen to people when they are allowing the natural man to lead rather than the spirit. It is not pretty. The natural man is our animal self and needs the spirit to lead, otherwise it does think, desire and act like an animal. Sex is no longer beautiful loving making, that is sacred, deep and a spiritual merging, but simply an act no better than what 2 dogs can do.
Also, when one moves away from the spirit, then one needs to fill in that gap, and that is where addictions begins. All of this is a sad substitute for the Spirit. In the name of "no judging" anything and everything goes. This is has now become the idea of freedom. Yet it is only living in the spirit that one understand the importance of righteousness and how this is the narrow road, that is not created to hinder us, but actually to keep us safe, to protect us from hurting ourselves and others. Because God is love, He wants us to be to live in the light, live a life that is worthy of us, that cherishes us. Only through embracing righteousness can we truly live the lives we were born to live. Righteousness lifts our natural man part to the glorious place of spirit and from there we desire only to do good. We want to be honest, we enjoy giving, loving, helping. We are sensitive to the light, and know when something is dark and we turn away from that. We want the light. We love purity, holiness, gentleness and kindness. We value virtue and feel the beautiful power of it. The Spirit has a very different mind than the natural man.
The Spirit also gives incredible clarity, where the natural man is easily confused, which is how it ends up walking down very dark roads often unknowingly and then falling into ditches it can barely get out of. How fortunate we can have the Spirit as our constant companion as we navigate the maze of life. We as Latter Day Saints can get baptized first in water then by the Spirit and we are then truly not alone. Having this Spirit with us, guides us throughout our day. Now as any Latter Day Saint will testify, this does not mean we are perfect, or that we don't make mistakes. But it does mean we receive incredible clarity, truth and help not to go awry. Of course its up to us to listen and up to us to live in a way that makes it easy to hear the Spirit in our lives. The more we partake in the things of the Spirit, then righteousness just feels normal, and at times automatic.
Let's understand that righteousness is of God and that it is the love of goodness. Righteousness is how God loves and protects us.
by Shalaina
