Righteousness by Service

"This is what the LORD says: 'Maintain justice and do what is right, for my salvation is close at hand and my righteousness will soon be revealed. Blessed is the man who does this, the man who holds it fast, who keeps the Sabbath without desecrating it, and keeps his hand from doing any evil.' " -Isaiah 56:1-2 NIV

What does it mean to do what is right? Is it simply an act of obedience? The above passage tells us that righteousness comes from doing what is right in God's eyes.

This past weekend, some gentlemen from the Greater Philadelphia church of Christ visited us. They were itinerant preachers of sort, simply going around the country strengthening churches and doing community service projects. Over dinner at the Sacramento Church, they shared about how they encountered a group of men recovering from substance abuse answered the call to service. Those men's task were to serve a women's shelter and to help the poor. That group and the trio from Philadelphia all understood that the call to service is an act of righteousness. They also realized that only by the saving grace of Jesus Christ that they are able to perform such vital service.

Earlier, before the Philadelphia Trio arrived, a group of people from the Sacramento Church performed similar projects in downtown Sacramento by serving the homeless and cleaning up our building. After meeting them, both groups were inspired to do more top serve our communities and to continuously spread the gospel.

(For more info about this group, log onto http://www.immanuelbymile.com to see their blog of this journey).

Acts of service is an act of righteousness. Serve someone today so you can continue to share the love of Christ and draw people to Him.