Legacy

“The memory of the righteous is blessed, But the name of the wicked will rot.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭10‬:‭7‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

When I read this verse it got me thinking about legacy. What do I mean by legacy? I am talking about the long-lasting impact of a person’s life. We all make an impact in life. What kind of impact are you making? 

I ask myself this question often. How do I affect the people around me? Not that I want to live life based on what others think, but because I want to leave a lasting impression that leads people to Jesus. I say this, not to sound cliche, but because this is how everyone who professes to live for Christ should be! 

When I think about the impression that Christ left on people it was not always positive. There were people who wanted to kill Him! He Loved the unlovable and confronted the self-righteous! He left some people wanting more and others were angry! But everything He did was for the glory of God! And the Legacy He left was one that impacted the whole world! He provided salvation to us all! And our legacy should point to His!!

As I read the verse above it reminds me of how many people are forgotten. They live a life here on earth and then pass on and no one cares to remember them! This verse says their memory will rot! That’s harsh! There are people in my life whose memory brings distaste to my mouth! 

Then there are people who I remember and they bring joy! They made an impression that pointed me to Jesus! 

My grandfather was one such man! He was always supportive and positive! Anything I needed grandpa Wright would support! When I wanted to learn about how a bookstore was run, he took me to the local one to interview the owner. And that was after a long day of work. 

Another man that made an impact on me and passed too soon was John Schlautman. He was a man that would always be at church with a smile! He would be in the rain offering an umbrella to others while he was getting soaked. He was the true picture of a servant! 

Linnea Zednik was another person that had this kind of impact. This is a lady who showed Love and acceptance to me, when all I did was disrespect her. She had no idea where my life had been or why I was the way I was and she Loved me anyway. 

Another person that impacted me was my Grandpa-in-law Rudy! He was such a gentle and caring man that always accepted me! And on his deathbed reminded me that he was proud of who I was and how I Loved his granddaughter. 

And here’s the thing about these people. They have all passed on from this earth, but their legacy is still here. They passed on a piece of themselves to everyone they touched. Everyone they Loved and impacted now carries a piece of them too! And it continues to pass on to those we touch and impact. So, even as their name may someday be forgotten, the Love they passed on continues to flow, because it is a Love that they received from the Heavenly Father! 

This is the kind of man I want to be as well! As I live in righteousness I know I will impact others! And the righteousness I walk in is not anything I earned, but that I was freely given! A gift from God because of the blood that was shed on the cross! And so I can have faith in this verse and know that the memory of me will be a blessed one, but not of me, only Christ in me! 

Romans 1:17

Romans 1:17 - For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it written: “The righteous will live by faith.”

I am not ashamed of the gospel!! How many of us can actually say that truthfully? So often in our lives we view the gospel as something that is good for us, but we are afraid it will make people uncomfortable if we talk about it.
I say let them be uncomfortable. How are they are going to feel if they never accept Christ in their lives. Talk about a lack of comfort.
Part of our problem is that we don’t truly understand the power that is in the gospel. What exactly is the message of the gospel? Gospel means ‘good news.’ For us it is the good news of Jesus Christ to all who will listen.
This verse in Romans explains why the good news of Jesus is so amazing. Through Him we find righteousness. Our message explains how Christ came from heaven to earth, earth to the cross, the cross to the grave and then from the grave back to heaven.
In the process He took all of our sin upon Himself and gave us the ability to become righteous through faith in Him. Faith brings the promise to us. Just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” We have to live by faith because without faith we could never be righteous.

1 Timothy 1:8-9a

1 Timothy 1:8-9a – We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for the lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious.

           Before we were saved we were governed by the law. It showed us what was right and what was wrong. We would try and follow the law, not because we wanted to do what was “right”, but because we wanted to avoid the consequences of breaking it.

           When we accepted Christ we changed. He came into our hearts and made us new from the inside out. We have been made righteous before God and He calls us His children. No longer does the law have power over us because we have been freed from it.

           Just because we are free from the law doesn’t mean we can break it and get away with it. Rather it means that the law cannot touch us because we are abiding to a higher law; the law of Christ. He has instilled in us a desire to obey out of Love, rather than duty.

           Christ has called us to a higher standard of living. He says that we are no longer judged by what we do; now we are judged by our hearts. If you think it, you have done it. It is now our thoughts and motives that convict us. As Christ renews us in heart and mind we begin having the desire to what it right. It is a change in attitude.

So you can see that we are no longer controlled by the law since we now live by a higher standard. If we live according to the standard that Jesus set for us the law will never touch us, because we will be far from breaking it. As we fall deeper in Love with God it will become easier to obey Him. Our obedience will be motivated by Love instead of necessity.