“When a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him” (Proverbs 16:7).
There is a winsomeness to living righteously. Because of Jesus’ focus on being about His Father’s business at the age of twelve (Luke 2:49) and His submission to His parents while living in their home (Luke 2:51), He increased in favor with men as He matured into adulthood (Luke 2:52). His earliest disciples in Jerusalem—the three thousand who gladly heard and heeded the preaching and exhortation of Peter and the other apostles—lived their daily lives with such gladness and simplicity of heart that they had favor with all the people (Acts 2:40-47).
It is possible, and therefore the duty of God’s people to adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things (Titus 2:10). The Greek word is kosmeo, from which comes the English word “cosmetics”. It reflects God’s arrangement and orderliness of the heavens and the earth. Starting with a planet which was without form and void (Gen. 1:2), He adorned earth with incredible beauty by structuring it with immutable laws. In like manner, you can build your life in harmony with the immutable laws of wisdom and righteousness. You can deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and live soberly, righteously, and godly in this crooked and perverse generation. You can be zealous for good works like the early disciples Joseph (i.e. Barnabas) and Tabith/Dorcas (Acs 4:36-37; 9:36).
The blessed lifestyle (Mat. 5:3-9) does not eliminate the fact that you will have enemies (Mat. 5:10-12). God’s promise is that your enemies will have no grounds to accurately besmirch your character. Equipped with the breastplate of righteousness (Eph. 6:14), God will protect you.
