Psalms 4:5 “Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD.”
The hard facts are that in this present world there are “unreasonable and wicked men” who “have not faith” (II Thessalonians 3:2) and they have no interest at all in “righteousness”. But, those to whom the Lord has given “faith” (Hebrews 12:2), yearn for and rejoice in “the sacrifices of righteousness”. These “sacrifices” are called “righteousness” because they are those things that are “right” according to the Word of God. In Old Testament times offering “the sacrifices of righteousness” included keeping the ceremonial law of feasts and animal “sacrifices” as well as keeping God’s moral law that covers our allegiance to Him and behavior toward each other (Exodus 20:1-26; Deuteronomy 5:1-33). In our New Testament times we rejoice for Christ has fully satisfied the ceremonial law. But we are still obligated to “Offer the sacrifices of righteousness” by our allegiance to Him and behavior toward each other. For us, the “sacrifices of righteousness” includes daily prayer, daily reading God’s Word, attending and participating in our Lord’s Church to worship and praise Him, having a good name in our community, openly confessing our love toward God and each other, freely giving of ourselves and our goods, and being ready to tell others about our hope in Christ. Our Lord put it this way, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” (John 14:15)! Therefore, let us not be hindered or discouraged by “unreasonable and wicked men” who “have not faith”; but, daily rejoice and “Offer the sacrifices of righteousness”!