Advent Reading - December 10

Behold, the days come, says the LORD,
that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch,
and a King shall reign and prosper,
and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.

In his days Judah shall be saved,
and Israel shall dwell safely:
and this is his name whereby He shall be called,
THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

(Jeremiah 23:5-6)

AR 815

Righteous acts are the practices of good lives
in the case of people governed by truths,
because no one can be called righteous
unless he lives in accordance with truths.
For in the natural sense
a righteous person is everyone who lives rightly
in accordance with civil and moral laws.
But in the spiritual sense
that person is called righteous
who lives rightly in accordance with Divine laws,
and Divine laws are truths from the Word.
Someone who believes that he is righteous
and so living a good life
without living in accordance with truths
is much deceived.
For a person cannot be reformed and regenerated
and so become good,
except by means of truths
and by a life in accordance with those truths.