Overview:
“Doing What’s Right” is a cornerstone message from Pastor Chuck Swindoll that addresses the daily, practical choices every believer must make between following the path of the flesh and the path of the Spirit. Drawing from the life of David and the teachings of the New Testament, this message serves as a reminder that while grace covers our sins, it also empowers us with a newfound freedom: the ability to choose righteousness over compromise.
Key Facts: The Power of Choice
- Core Scripture: 2 Samuel 13–15; Galatians 6:7–8
- Key Characters: King David, Amnon, Absalom, and the Apostle Paul
- Core Objective: To help believers understand the relationship between God’s grace and the personal responsibility to act with integrity and obedience.
- Context: Often studied as part of the David: A Man of Passion and Destiny series or within the broader scope of biblical ethics.
What Is the Primary Purpose of This Message?
The primary purpose is to dismantle the myth of “consequence-free” sin. While God offers full forgiveness for the repentant heart, Chuck Swindoll emphasizes that we often still live in the “backwash” of our earthly choices. The message aims to motivate believers toward a “Spirit-empowered hesitancy”—a pause that allows us to reject temptation and choose what is right before the harvest of sin begins.
The Core Themes
- The Law of the Harvest: Based on Galatians 6, Chuck explains the immutable principle that “we reap what we sow.” He uses the tragic unraveling of David’s family (Amnon’s sin and Absalom’s rebellion) as a sober warning of how personal compromise can lead to national and domestic tragedy.
- Freedom Through Obedience: Before Christ, humanity was bound to sin. Through grace, we are granted the “right to rule our lives” by following God’s directives. True freedom is not the license to do what we want, but the power to do what is right.
- Character Over Competency: In a culture that prizes talent and success, Chuck reminds the church that “character is king.” Doing what is right often means choosing the quiet path of integrity over the loud path of self-promotion.
- Handling the “Vessels of Honor”: Using the imagery of 2 Timothy 2, the message encourages believers to “cleanse themselves” from dishonorable things to become useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.
The Big Idea
Life is a series of intersections where we must decide between our will and God’s. “Doing What’s Right” asserts that a life “after God’s own heart” is marked by a commitment to obedience even when it is difficult. By recognizing the high cost of sin and the high value of a “good name,” we can live as experiential overcomers—people who do not just talk about grace but model its power through righteous living.
How to Apply This
- Evaluate Your Friendships: As Chuck often notes, we must select our friends carefully; we tend to become like those we spend the most time with.
- Practice Immediate Confession: Do not let a “small” compromise grow into a secret stronghold. Bring it into the light immediately to stop the cycle of consequences.
- Pursue Four Qualities: In moments of decision, intentionally pursue Righteousness (doing right), Faith (trusting God), Love (seeking the highest good), and Peace (cultivating rest).
Message Summary:
In this opening message of the series A Life Well Lived, Pastor Chuck Swindoll explores the foundational question of what God truly expects from His people. Centered on the timeless prophet Micah’s declaration, this study examines the first of three divine expectations: to do justice. Doing what is right often requires courageous obedience, especially when facing difficult consequences. By looking at both the Old Testament mandate and the New Testament examples of the apostles, we discover that a life well lived is one built on the uncompromising pursuit of righteousness.
Message Key Facts:
- The Prophet’s Answer: In Micah 6:8, the Lord provides a comprehensive summary of His expectations: “to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.”
- The Definition of Justice: In this context, to “do justice” means to actively do what is right, fair, and biblically sound, regardless of the personal cost or social pressure.
- Apostolic Courage: The first-century apostles (Acts 4 and 5) provide a vivid illustration of this principle, choosing to obey God rather than men when commanded to stop preaching the Gospel.
- A Universal Requirement: These expectations are not reserved for a spiritual elite; they are what the Lord “requires” of every person who seeks to follow Him.
Message References:
Primary Scripture Reference: Micah 6:1–8; Acts 4:1–22; 5:16–42
- Micah 6:1–8: God’s “courtroom” dialogue with Israel, where He reminds them of His faithfulness and clarifies that external rituals are no substitute for internal character and just conduct.
- Acts 4:18–20: Peter and John’s bold response to the Sanhedrin: “Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
- Acts 5:29: The definitive principle of Christian civil disobedience: “We must obey God rather than men.”
Lessons on Courageous Obedience
Pastor Chuck Swindoll highlights how we can apply the mandate of “doing justice” to our modern lives:
- Right Actions Trump Religious Ritual: God is more interested in how we treat others and how we conduct ourselves in secret than in our public religious performances. Doing right is the highest form of worship.
- Courage is Not the Absence of Fear: The apostles were likely intimidated by the authorities, but they acted on principle rather than emotion. Doing what’s right often involves “asbestos gloves”—handling hot issues with spiritual strength.
- The Sovereignty of God Over Consequences: When we choose to do what is right, we must leave the results in God’s hands. Courageous obedience trusts that God is responsible for the outcome when we are responsible for the action.
- Integrity in the Face of Opposition: A life well lived is marked by a consistent moral compass. Whether facing a “boiling kettle” of cultural pressure or a personal dilemma, the believer’s North Star must always be God’s revealed will.
