In the last article, we discovered how Abel began his legacy of obedience by giving God his very best. Leftovers and invaluables would not do, for Abel wished to worship God in spirit and truth and was willing to sacrifice his greatest gifts. Such obedience would be marked on the pages of Holy Scripture, and God Himself would vouch for his character. Notice:
2. He Was Righteous
When someone else vouches for your character, it says a lot about you. What if Jesus vouched for you? Would that mean much to you? Christ esteemed Abel in Matthew 23:35 in describing him as “righteous Abel.” Christ was accusing the Jews of persecuting and crucifying the prophets of God and reminded them that righteous blood, like that of Abel’s, was on their hands. Hebrews 11:4 says that Abel “obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts:…” God literally testified of Abel’s integrity! Wow! God took the stand for him as if to say, ”He is blameless in my sight.”
Don’t you want to live your life in such a way that God testifies for you?
One of the greatest feelings in all the world is to be right with God and right with others. Too many men live their lives trying to prove they are right, when a true man of character has God to back him up. A pure man does not have to “save face” because he is more concerned with what God knows versus what others think.
Abel’s life may have ended prematurely, but his character did not. His integrity lives on. He did not obtain holiness and integrity through human experience or accolades, but by a personal relationship with a holy God. “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God,” Matthew 5:8.
Abel’s life was righteous because he spent time with a righteous God. The more you and I enter into the secret place with God, the more our lives will be marked by the characteristics of Christ. But remember, if you wish to dwell in God’s presence, you must be who God knows you to be, not what others think you are.
“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way,” Psalm 37:23.
What does God know about you that no one else knows? Could he take the stand for you and vouch for you as a man of righteousness and integrity? Can God testify for you?
That is my prayer. That I will live to be the man God has called me, testifying of my gifts. I wish to live to him alone and be trusted to the work He has for me.
“Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.”
Psalms 24:3-5
Biblical Manhood 