The Two Sides of Right Living

The Bible makes it clear that there are two important sides to living right – the negative side and the positive side. Isaiah one of the great Old Testament prophets put it this way to his generation: “Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes, cease to do evil; Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.” (Isaiah 1:16-17) In order to live a life that is pleasing to God there are some things we must not do and there are some things we must do. There is a negative and a positive side to right living.

 

But again the Bible makes it clear that there are two other important sides to right living – the inside and the outside. James one of the writers in the New Testament put it this way: “Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.” (James 4:8) We must work on our outward life but also on our inner life. And actually the two complement each other.

Claude