For the righteous will never be moved; he will be remembered forever.
He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord.
His heart is steady; he will not be afraid, until he looks in triumph on his adversaries.
Psalm 112:6-8 ESV
Fear Not because of Righteousness
Those who are righteous have nothing to fear. Bad news doesn’t worry them. No enemy can stand up to righteousness. Righteousness causes firm hearts, honor, and steadiness.
All it takes to have a successful, peaceful, victorious life is righteousness. It doesn’t take cleverness, intelligence, experience, practice, common sense, family connections, a good plan, financial resources, true grit, courage, physical strength, health, a firm will, or anything else. It takes nothing more or less than righteousness.
Why is righteousness the necessary ingredient? Why is righteousness the one element that can absolutely remove fear? Perhaps righteousness lines us up on God’s side, so righteousness is always on the Right side. Perhaps righteousness is what humans were created for, so righteousness has the effect of living our lives the way the Creator intended. Perhaps righteousness gives our lives positive balance in the karmic scale so the universe smiles on our efforts and grants us happy faces and peace?
Ok, that last one is not serious… but for whatever reason, Psalm 112 tells us that when it comes to life, it is righteousness that matters. Righteousness wins. Righteousness is the determining factor in facing enemies, reputation, confidence, and true peace.
Instead of encouraging us to “Fear Not,” that should give us MORE reason to be afraid! I’ve tried to be righteous, and I’ve failed. I’ve tried HARD to be righteous, and I’ve failed. I am not righteous.
In The Wizard of Oz, the scarecrow declares that his life would be grand, if he only had a brain. The Lion knows that HIS life would be stellar if he had courage. The Tinman is sure that he would overcome all obstacles if he had a heart. And while we discover at the end of the movie, that they do have those things, I realize that while I might have a brain, courage, and a heart, I do NOT have righteousness.
If I need righteousness for peace, success, or survival, I am in trouble.
And so are you.
But Psalm 112 actually DOES remove fear.
Because the righteousness that we can depend on is not ours. The righteousness that is sure, solid, foundational, and that guarantees the defeat of ALL enemies is found in Jesus Christ. And therefor it is absolute. Therefor it is dependable. Therefor it gives us the opportunity to FEAR NOT.
If we try to face down our fears by reaching deep inside to find that inner courage, strength, or even righteousness, we will end our day in failure and fear. If we try to face down our fears by trying harder, thinking smarter, or changing how we feel, we will end our day in darkness and despair.
But knowing that it is RIGHTEOUSNESS for which God looks, and knowing that RIGHTEOUSNESS is found in Jesus Christ, the perfect God/Man can make fears wither and melt and become like smoke in a hurricane.
Even if I can be righteous for a minute moment, relying on my own righteousness just gives me another reason to fear. I’ll fail again. But Jesus has already proven His righteousness. He has already won that battle. He lived and died and lived again in perfect righteousness. And so if HIS righteousness can count as MINE… than fear can disappear.
You see, I can be righteous and end fear. But not by my actions, obedience, or willpower. I can be righteous by accepting the exchange that Christ offers on the cross. His righteousness for my unrighteousness. My unrighteousness for His righteousness.
Fear Not… because of Christ’s Righteousness.