What does "right in the eyes of the LORD" mean for Christians now? Setting the scene • Deuteronomy 13:18: “because you obey the LORD your God by keeping all His commandments that I am giving you today, and by doing what is right in the eyes of the LORD your God.” • In Moses’ day the charge was clear: obedience from the heart, expressed in practical loyalty, pleased God and brought His blessing. That same heartbeat continues for New-Covenant believers. The key phrase in focus • “Right” carries the idea of straightness, soundness, what lines up with God’s own character. • “In the eyes of the LORD” reminds that His assessment, not human opinion, is the ultimate standard (Proverbs 21:2). • For Christians, the phrase announces a life calibrated to God’s revealed will, empowered by His Spirit, and motivated by love for Christ. Snapshots of those who did right • David — 1 Kings 15:5 notes he “did what was right in the eyes of the LORD” except in the matter of Uriah, showing that even failures can be forgiven when repentance is real (Psalm 32). • Hezekiah — 2 Kings 18:3: “Hezekiah did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father David had done.” Reforms, trust, and prayer marked his reign. • Josiah — 2 Kings 22:2: “he did what was right… he did not turn aside to the right or to the left.” Whole-hearted devotion and humble responsiveness to Scripture set him apart. How Jesus clarifies the standard • Mark 12:30-31 gathers the Law into love for God and love for neighbor. Doing right is first relational, then behavioral. • John 14:15: “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” Love is measured in obedient action. • Christ’s atoning work provides both forgiveness for failing to live rightly and power through the Holy Spirit to start living rightly (Romans 8:3-4). What it means for believers now • Alignment with Scripture — the written Word is still the plumb line (2 Timothy 3:16-17). • Whole-life obedience — not compartments but every arena: family, work, church, community (Colossians 3:17). • Moral courage — choosing God’s approval over culture’s applause, as Peter and John modeled: Acts 4:19. • Heart integrity — God values motive as much as action (1 Samuel 16:7). • Dependence on grace — salvation is by faith, yet grace trains believers to “deny ungodliness” and live uprightly (Titus 2:11-12). Practical daily choices • Immerse in the Word: regular reading, memorizing, meditating. • Pray for a sensitive conscience and quick repentance when sin appears. • Cultivate Christ-like love in speech, attitudes, and service. • Practice ethical excellence in finances, sexuality, and honesty. • Engage in gospel witness and mercy works, reflecting God’s righteousness to a watching world. Heart check • Micah 6:8 sets a concise grid: act justly, love mercy, walk humbly. • Romans 12:1-2 urges surrendered bodies and renewed minds, proving “the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.” • James 1:22 insists on doing, not merely hearing, the Word. Further Scriptures to explore Deuteronomy 6:18; Psalm 19:14; Proverbs 3:5-7; Isaiah 56:1-2; Matthew 5:14-16; Ephesians 2:10; 1 Peter 2:12; 1 John 2:3-6. Living “right in the eyes of the LORD” remains a vibrant, grace-empowered calling: loving Him supremely, trusting His Word completely, and choosing His ways consistently until faith becomes sight. |
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