But let justice roll on like a river,
righteousness like a never-failing stream!
Amos 5:24
There is no doubt that the God who lovingly created each one of us and daily sustains us
is worthy of honour and glory and praise from the very beings whom He has created. But
what is the best way to honour, glorify and praise our God? People come up with many
different answers to that question.
During the time of the prophet Amos, God's people were doing many things that we
would probably consider the right thing to do; they were gathering in religious assemblies
and holding religious feasts, they were bringing burnt offerings and grain offerings, they
were bringing choice fellowship offerings, they were singing and making music on harps
but God tells them that He wants none of these things and then goes on and tells them
what He would rather have: He wants rivers of justice and streams of righteousness!
Streams in Israel are sometimes called wadis.A wadi can be a dry river bed one day, a
raging torrent the next and a shallow stream the next. Wadis are thus not very reliable. In
the verse before us today God is looking for a never failing stream, in other words it's
always there and it is reliable. This is what He wants our righteousness (for
righteousness you can read obedience to God's will) to be like, never failing, always there
and reliable. It is interesting that God seems to want streams of righteousness but rivers
of justice. Streams flow into rivers, don't they? Obedience to God always seems to
involve our seeking justice in the lives of others. We cannot claim to be living in
obedience to God's will while at the same time living in the midst of a situation of
injustice towards others and do nothing about it. Where there is any form of injustice,
born-again Christians are called to seek and work for justice.
Looking to our own obedience to God's will and working for justice in the world around
us are some of the ways in which we bring salt and light into the world around us. They
are also some of the most effective ways of bringing honour, glory and praise to our God.
Whate'er our pardoning Lord
Commands, we gladly do,
And guided by his sacred Word
We all his steps pursue.
His glory our design,
We live our God to please;
And rise, with filial fear divine,
To perfect holiness. (93)
Be the first to react on this!
John Wesley (1703 - 1791)
Was an Anglican cleric and Christian theologian. Wesley is largely credited, along with his brother Charles Wesley, as founding the Methodist movement which began when he took to open-air preaching in a similar manner to George Whitefield. In contrast to Whitefield's Calvinism, Wesley embraced the Arminian doctrines that were dominant in the 18th-century Church of England. Methodism in both forms became a highly successful evangelical movement in Britain, which encouraged people to experience Jesus Christ personally.Wesley helped to organise and form societies of Christians throughout Great Britain, North America and Ireland as small groups that developed intensive, personal accountability, discipleship and religious instruction among members. His great contribution was to appoint itinerant, unordained preachers who travelled widely to evangelise and care for people in the societies. Under Wesley's direction, Methodists became leaders in many social issues of the day, including the prison reform and abolitionism movements.
John Wesley was an Anglican cleric and Christian theologian. Wesley is largely credited, along with his brother Charles Wesley, with founding the Methodist movement which began when he took to open-air preaching in a similar manner to George Whitefield. In contrast to George Whitefield's Calvinism (which later led to the forming of the Calvinistic Methodists), Wesley embraced Arminianism. Methodism in both forms was a highly successful evangelical movement in the United Kingdom, which encouraged people to experience Christ personally.
Wesley believed that this doctrine should be constantly preached, especially among the people called Methodists. In fact, he contended that the purpose of the Methodist movement was to "spread scriptural holiness across England."
Throughout his life, Wesley remained within the Church of England and insisted that his movement was well within the bounds of the Anglican tradition. His maverick use of church policy put him at odds with many within the Church of England, though toward the end of his life he was widely respected.
John Wesley was the founder of the Methodist movement which grew from the 'Holy Club' of his Oxford friends into a great religious revival. An indefatigable traveller, preacher and writer, Wesley averaged 8,000 miles a year on horseback and gave 15 sermons a week. The reluctance of the Anglican clergy to lend him their pulpits led him to give some of his sermons in the open air, a decision which enabled him to reach those among the poorer sections of society who were not accustomed to going to church.