Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people. Prov. 14:34.

Whenever the Bible records and unfolds the greatness of men, or singles them out as doing a service for the world or for the nation in which they live, it invariably points to the quality of their lives.

In the world men are usually selected on a different basis and according to a different standard. Were we to be introduced to a sports champion or to a multimillionaire we would probably give him a little more adulation than we would to a more ordinary man. If it were announced that one of the great entertainers was to give a program in a public meeting, the auditorium would probably be more crowded than it would be to hear the most learned scholar or the most dedicated evangelist. If some of the movie stars were to be the town's guests of honor, no doubt large crowds would pour forth into the streets to welcome them, and that without any question as to their moral character. People are easily dazzled by outward show and accomplishments.

Everything about the truth of the Bible and the faith of Jesus is calculated to unlock our faculties, enlarge our capacities, bring out the best possibilities within us. The Christian is a strong man. The Christian faith quickens the powers of the mind. Our moral life becomes a conquering force. The Bible speaks of humble shepherds, farmers, unknown men. Under the action of God and the power of the Holy Spirit, they became commanding characters in the controversy between truth and falsehood, between Christ and Satan. They became men with firm resolutions and convictions, intellectual and military geniuses.

Righteousness exalteth a nation. Sin is a reproach. At no time is sin a positive factor for the improvement and the exaltation of man. Wealth without integrity, without compassion, without spirituality, destroys and degrades. Outward splendor and luxury without character can only falsify life. Pleasures that compromise one's character are a ghastly fiction. The end is ruin and spiritual bankruptcy. There are no lasting pleasures outside of a life of righteousness.