Topical Bible: Righteousness: The Wicked Make Mention of God, not It

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Righteousness, a central theme in the Bible, is often contrasted with wickedness. The Scriptures reveal that while the wicked may acknowledge God, they do not truly understand or pursue righteousness. This distinction is crucial in understanding the biblical perspective on the nature of righteousness and the behavior of the wicked.

Biblical Understanding of Righteousness

Righteousness in the Bible is fundamentally about being in right standing with God. It involves living in accordance with God's laws and commands, reflecting His holy nature. The Berean Standard Bible frequently emphasizes that righteousness is not merely about external actions but is deeply rooted in the heart and character of an individual. For instance, in Psalm 11:7 , it is written, "For the LORD is righteous; He loves justice. The upright will see His face."

The Wicked and Their Mention of God

The wicked, as described in the Bible, may speak of God or even perform religious acts, but their hearts are far from Him. Their mention of God is often superficial, lacking the genuine pursuit of righteousness. In Isaiah 29:13 , the Lord says, "These people draw near to Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me, and their worship of Me is but rules taught by men."

The wicked may use God's name for their own purposes, but they do not embody the righteousness that God requires. In Matthew 7:21-23 , Jesus warns, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness!'"

The Deceptive Nature of the Wicked

The wicked may deceive others, and even themselves, into believing they are righteous by their mention of God. However, their actions betray their true nature. Proverbs 15:8-9 states, "The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable to the LORD, but the prayer of the upright is His delight. The LORD detests the way of the wicked, but He loves those who pursue righteousness."

The wicked's mention of God is often a facade, masking their true intentions and actions. In Psalm 50:16-17 , God addresses the wicked, saying, "But to the wicked God says: 'What right have you to recite My statutes and to bear My covenant on your lips? For you hate My instruction and cast My words behind you.'"

The Call to True Righteousness

The Bible calls believers to pursue true righteousness, which is not merely about outward appearances or verbal acknowledgments of God. True righteousness involves a transformation of the heart and a sincere commitment to God's ways. In Micah 6:8 , it is written, "He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?"

The distinction between the righteous and the wicked is clear: while the wicked may mention God, they do not live in accordance with His righteousness. The righteous, on the other hand, seek to align their lives with God's will, demonstrating their faith through their actions and character.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Isaiah 48:1
Hear you this, O house of Jacob, which are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah, which swear by the name of the LORD, and make mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth, nor in righteousness.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

As the Wicked Make an Ill Use of the Law, which is Good, So the ...
... But unless divine grace aid us, we cannot love nor delight in true righteousness. ...
is evil because it is the wages of sin; but as wicked men make an evil ...
//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/city of god/chapter 5 as the wicked make.htm

The Knowledge of God
... He lays judgement to the line, and righteousness to the ... not only judges wicked actions,
but wicked designs. ... hearts shall be opened, God will make an honourable ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/a body of divinity/2 the knowledge of god.htm

Of the Crimes of the Wicked, and the Torture Inflicted on the ...
... most wicked men venture to make mention of justice ... Why should not all be equally
wicked, rapacious, unchaste ... which attacked the Author of righteousness Himself. ...
/.../lactantius/the divine institutes/chap ix of the crimes of.htm

Concerning the Flood; and after what Manner Noah was Saved in an ...
... to him, but were slaves to their wicked pleasures, he ... Now God loved this man for
his righteousness: yet he ... Mnaseas, and a great many more, make mention of the ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 3 concerning the flood.htm

On Repentance and Remission of Sins, and Concerning the Adversary.
... The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and ... sin, and the father of
the wicked: and this ... Scriptures: nay, not simply I will make mention of Rahab ...
/.../cyril/lectures of s cyril of jerusalem/lecture ii on repentance and.htm

Another Mode of Justification
... which we speak is neither in the wicked nor in ... Gospel teaches a new kind of
righteousness, namely, that ... is very easy: because they do not make mention of faith ...
/.../melanchthon/the apology of the augsburg confession/part 9 another mode of.htm

On the Righteousness and Efficacy of the Providence of God ...
... the patience of his servant, and to make that virtue ... the following passages: "The
rod of the wicked shall not ... is due to it according to the righteousness of God ...
/.../the works of james arminius vol 1/disputation 9 on the righteousness.htm

Psalm LXXXIII.
... the enemies of God's people, barren of righteousness, full of ... And now, where they
can, they make a noise and ... destroyed in as far as they are wicked, that being ...
/.../augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm lxxxiii.htm

Goodness in a Dungeon
... and earned the unslumbering hatred of a wicked woman ... made it to prosper,' as He always
will make such work ... if it work in us the peaceable fruit of righteousness. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/goodness in a dungeon.htm

Twenty Sixth Sunday after Trinity God's Judgment when Christ ...
... God permits Christians to suffer on earth is to make plain the ... God's righteousness
will not admit of it ... the godly must have eternal good, and the wicked, on the ...
/.../luther/epistle sermons vol iii/twenty sixth sunday after trinity.htm