Holy Influence

 

Holy Influence

The righteous man walks in his integrity; His children are blessed after him.

Proverbs 20:7

No one lives in a vacuum.  Every one of us affects others in some way.  We do not live unto ourselves, nor do we die unto ourselves.  It ought to be our great desire to live so that the effect of our life upon others will be for the good.  Especially, we ought to desire to affect our children in the best way possible.  We cannot affect our offspring in the best possible way without diligent attention to holiness.

Our text describes for us a certain person whom it styles ‘a just man,’ and then proceeds to speak of his character.  According to our text, the spiritual character of the godly person makes for holy behavior which is of vast benefit to succeeding generations.  We see that this person bears the title of ‘a just man.’  Thereby we see the godliness of his character.  That he is ‘just’ cannot be the result of his inherent goodness; rather, it must be the result of his acceptance with God upon the merits of Christ.  That man has an imputed righteousness which allows him to bear the title ‘just.’  He possesses as well an imparted righteousness by virtue of the indwelling Holy Spirit.  This godliness of character accounts for the goodness of his behavior.

Our text declares that he ‘walketh in his integrity.’  Within ‘the just man’ there is the constant operation of the Holy Spirit in sanctification, there is in his life that motivation which issues forth in holy deeds.  Those holy deeds he enacts both publicly and privately.  Therein lies the greatness of his influence; ‘his children are blessed after him.’

Those who have the closest and most prolonged exposure to ‘the just man’ benefit most greatly from his godliness.  What greater gift can you pass on to the dearest folk unto you than the benefit of true spirituality which will be to their eternal good, and to the good of their children as well and in the efficacy of His work for them?  It is the contents of the lips of these justified ones that ‘feed many.’

Our Lord and Savior,

cause us today to walk 

in that visible integrity

which will influence

our children for Thy glory.

Where the Bush is Burning

Tomm Tice