Lesson 4 -- Christ on Righteousness

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PEOPLE just can’t seem to follow the simplest of instructions. They insist that they already know what to do. They don’t care to listen. They follow their own inclinations and they do things their own way. And this proud and foolish attitude is precisely what gets them into all sorts of difficulties. And then, they complain — but they have no right to complain. They deserve all that they are getting because, in the first place, they did not follow the simple instructions given to them. Had they done so, their life would have been much easier and far more satisfying.

02 Christ advised us so long ago: "Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness." Nothing else is as important. To follow the ways of righteousness should be our primary concern.

03 If we are to attain this goal, our hearts and minds must be receptive to divine instruction. Only those who possess the right attitudes and who fully realize the importance of these studies will be accorded the knowledge. And those who heed God’s teachings by applying the divine principles they have learned in their daily lives will continue to be provided with everything they need (1).

04 Life is a continuous striving for righteousness in our thoughts, words and deeds. We must learn to discipline our thoughts and emotions. We must also be conscious of everything we say and do (2. 3).

05 But before we may be entitled to receive anything from God, first, we must make ourselves right with Him. We must cease to do evil and repent of the evil we have done. However, repentance alone is not enough; we must also effect the necessary restitution and where this may no longer be possible, we must make amends through some form of service to others. No one can receive if he is not ready to receive (4).

06 We should not be overly concerned with our material possessions. Instead, we should realize that our attachment to physical things is, precisely, the very thing that is preventing us from ascending to our true home in heaven. Therefore, we should prefer to be simple and to live simply. We should strive to free ourselves from lust and desire for the things of the world (5, 6).

07 In our quest for spiritual advancement, each one must begin with self. We should not be critical of others; instead, we should attend to our own personal needs more. We should learn to mind our own business and respect the rights of others. Everyone has the right to live his life according to how he feels life should be lived. No one has the right to impose his will on others. Each one has the right to decide matters for himself and to be judged not by the standards set by others but by the standards he has set for himself. Therefore don’t judge and don’t criticize (7).

08 As we learn to be more considerate of the feelings and needs of others, we will prefer to more humble in our ways. We may think ourselves great; but we are only, at best, as great as our brother. God is in our brother just as He is in us. We are all equal in the sight of God. We all should respect one another (8).

09 No one is perfect. We all have much to learn and do. While on earth, we really do not have the means to accurately assess our progress, not being in possession of all the facts and blinded as we are by the illusions and false notions in the world. In this world, we are very much like students undergoing examination. We might feel that we are making out quite well; but until those result are in, we won’t know for sure. Therefore, we should neither be over-confident nor self-righteous. Instead, a contrite heart will afford us the means to focus on those things that require our further attention and correction (9).

10 Many people prefer the praise of men to that of God. They do things to please men in order that men may honor them and reward them. They advertise all their good deeds in public. In their craving for worldly recognition, they succeed in being highly regarded by other men. But God is not fooled! He sees through the facade of pretense and guile straight to the hearts of men. God sees through hypocrisy and He compensates justly. In all matters, therefore, we really should be truthful (10, 11).

11 God gives to every man according to his abilities and according to what he deserves. All things that are made available to us should be put to good use. And as we faithfully comply with our allotted duties and responsibilities, we shall be able to merit more and better things. Should we be so entitled, however, we must be fully aware of our greater accountability, because to whom much is given, much is required. And lest we become overconfident and negligent, we should always remember that while God may give so freely, He also may take away just as easily should we prove unworthy of these privileges and benefits (12, 13, 14).

12 It is the same in the world as it is in heaven. When we are faithful and trustworthy in the performance of our assigned duties, we get promoted to higher positions and we are given a commensurate increase in pay with additional privileges. But if we are dishonest and unfaithful, our employer will terminate our services and we could even be sent to jail. And if we are unfaithful in worldly matters, why should God entrust His true riches in heaven to us?

13 Therefore, we should strive to fulfill our duties faithfully and to the best of our abilities. And we should begin today while our accountability is still small. We should make it a habit. We should be faithful in the little things so that we may deserve much greater (15).

14 Whenever possible, we should help all who may be in need whether or not they ask for our help (16). We should give freely without thought of recompense and simply because it is right for us to help others (17). In the first place, we ourselves own nothing, but God has made us caretakers of a part of His wealth; and, therefore, we should do as He would, which is, to use all things for the good of all.

15 It is not important whether we give much or we give little. What is important is the spirit in which the giving is done. We should give from the heart. Our attitudes and feelings relative to the act of giving are what count (18). The true giver demands nothing; moreover, he gives not to those who would be able to repay him but to those who can’t (19).

16 But we should temper our charities with wisdom. We should learn the proper ways of helping. We should learn when to help and when to withhold help in order to help all the more. We should not give that which is holy to dogs nor should we cast our pearls before swine (20). Likewise, we should always take care never to impose our help on others.

17 All men are God’s children. As being naughty and mischievous is only natural to the children of men, being evil is just as natural to young spirit children because they, as yet, know no better. But given time, everyone will be able to attain to God’s divine ways. Meanwhile, if we go by earthly standards, we can never attain to heaven. Entry into heaven demands much, much more. Instead, we should strive to be more like our Father in heaven. Through our increased awareness of spiritual truths, we should be able to love even our enemies. We must love as God loves (21).

18 When someone commits an offense, we should help him to become aware of his error. And if he should be sorry for his mistakes, then we should forgive him, everytime (22). Everyone commits mistakes and will continue to commit mistakes. Therefore, we should learn to be more understanding and to forgive (23).

19 More often than not, offenders don’t really know that what they are doing is wrong. And then, even when they do realize that they are in the wrong, they are unable to desist from doing wrong because of certain circumstances that prevent them from doing right. It is best for us, therefore, to try to determine the true situation surrounding the offense and be ready always to offer our sympathy, understanding and forgiveness. To love is to forgive (24).

20 In addition, we really need to forgive others because we commit a lot of mistakes ourselves, whether knowingly or unknowingly. And God is a just God. He forgives us so long as we forgive others. But He cannot forgive us if we, ourselves, will not forgive (25).

21 Love is an all-encompassing word that includes many other virtues like charity, mercy and compassion. All these, Christ demonstrated when he was in the world. And it is now our duty to love as he loved and to become the living examples of his teachings to others if we desire to be with him (26, 27).

22 Many say that they love God even though they hate some of their brothers. But in truth, no one can love God who does not love all his fellowmen. If we cannot learn to love those whom we can see, how can we love God Whom we cannot see? Necessarily, we must begin by loving our neighbor. And we must love him as we love ourselves. We should be as the good Samaritan who loved even those he did not know, who cared for those in need and who gave, demanding nothing in return (28). To love our fellowmen is to love God.

23 Nothing comes that does not come from God. It is just that man, in his ignorance, is not as yet able to fully comprehend all the reasons behind God’s actions. But our every experience, however bad and especially the bad, is provided to further our spiritual development. It is especially during these trying times that we are afforded the opportunity to return love for hate and good for evil. Hence, we should not resist evil; instead, we should view it as the opportunity that it really is. Once we become fully aware of the very real and lasting benefits accruing to our spirit selves when we undergo bad experiences, we will inevitably cease to remain opposed to them. And only then can we learn and benefit the most from them (29).

24 One of the simplest and most effective tests of the rightness of our actions is to ask ourselves what we would want others to do given a particular situation. If we are in need and we ask someone for help, certainly, we would want him to help us out to the best of his abilities. If we are to purchase anything, we would want the best that can be available at a price that is reasonable. If we are seeking information, we would not want to be misled. In our dealings with people, we would want to be trusted and accorded due respect. And if we were to commit an offense, provided we are truly sorry, we would want to be forgiven. Whatsoever, therefore, we would want others to do for us, we should first be willing to do for others. Our actions can be deemed justifiable and proper if taken in this light; otherwise, they cannot be so justified. But we must do these very things for others first before we can expect others to do the same for us (30).

25 Yes, everyone desires all the good things in life. And being God’s children, we are all destined to enjoy the very best. God, our Father, is super-rich and He wants all of us to have everything we desire. But we must deserve to have these true riches.

26 Such is the purpose of life on earth. Here, we are taught the basic precepts of divine love and righteous living. Here, we train in preparation for the greater life that is to come. Here, we must prove that we truly deserve to enter into His Kingdom. And if eternal life and happiness are what we desire, then we know what we must do. First, we must seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and, then, all other things will be ours, as well, however, not here on earth but in heaven (31).