WHAT IS RIGHTEOUSNESS?

• Genesis 6:9 . . . Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless man living on earth at the time. He consistently followed God’s will and enjoyed a close relationship with him.
• Romans 4:3, 20-22 . . . The Scriptures tell us, “Abraham believed God, so God declared him to be righteous.” . . . And because of Abraham’s faith, God declared him to be righteous.
• Job 1:1 . . . There was a man named Job who lived in the land of Uz. He was blameless, a man of complete integrity. He feared God and stayed away from evil.

Righteousness is consistently following God’s will, walking with God daily, having an unwavering faith in God and his promises, loving him deeply, demonstrating complete integrity, fearing God, and avoiding evil.

HOW CAN I BE CONSIDERED RIGHTEOUS?

• Romans 3:21-22 . . . We are made right in God’s sight when we trust in Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And we all can be saved in this same way, no matter who we are or what we have done.
• Romans 4:24-5:2 . . . Since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of highest privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.
• 2 Corinthians 5:21 . . . God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.
• Romans 1:17 . . . This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”
• Romans 10:10 . . . It is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.
• Philippians 3:9 . . . I no longer count on my own goodness or my ability to obey God’s law, but I trust Christ to save me. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith.

We are considered righteous before God by trusting in Jesus Christ as my Savior.

HOW CAN I PURSUE AND PRACTICE RIGHTEOUSNESS?

• Proverbs 21:21 . . . Whoever pursues godliness and unfailing love will find life, godliness, and honor.
• 1 Timothy 6:11 . . . Run from all these evil things, and follow what is right and good. Pursue a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.
• 1 John 3:7 . . . Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it is because they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous.
• Matthew 25:37-40 . . . Then these righteous ones will reply, “Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison, and visit you?” And the King will tell them, “I assure you, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!”

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE WAYS THE RIGHTEOUS ARE BLESSED?

• Proverbs 15:29 . . . The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayers of the righteous.
• Proverbs 18:10 . . . The name of the Lord is a strong fortress; the godly run to him and are safe.
• Proverbs 28:1 . . . The wicked run away when no one is chasing them, but the godly are as bold as lions.
• Matthew 13:43 . . . Then the godly will shine like the sun in their Father’s Kingdom. Anyone who is willing to hear should listen and understand!

The righteous in Christ are safe in God’s care, bold in God’s work, close to God through their prayers, and radiant in their inner beauty.

PROMISE FROM GOD:

Romans 3:21-22 . . . We are made right in God’s sight when we trust in Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And we all can be saved in this same way, no matter who we are or what we have done.

Righteousness is the establishment of a right relationship-primarily between God and people, but also between individuals. It is the fulfillment of just expectations in any relationship, whether with God or other people. It is applicable at all levels of society and is relevant in every area of life. Therefore, righteousness denotes fulfilled expectations in relationships between husband and wife, parents and children, fellow citizens, employer and employee, merchant and customers, ruler and citizens, and God and people. Depending on the fulfillment of one’s expectations, an individual could be called righteous and his or her acts and speech could be designated as righteous. The opposite of righteous is “evil,” “wicked,” or “wrong” (Psalm 1:6; Zephaniah 3:5).

In Israel the concept of righteousness transformed all of life, both religious and secular. Israel had been called into existence as a separate nation through which Yahweh (the Hebrew term for God) was to witness to the nations concerning his universal rule, his nature, and his expectations of life on earth. This meant that Israel required a revelation from God so that they might learn his will and be instructed in maintaining a relationship with him. The quality of a person’s relationship with God is directly linked to his or her relationship with others.

God is righteous (2 Chronicles 12:6; Psalm 7:9). His righteousness is dynamic, since it describes his acts on behalf of his people and also the nature of his relationship with them. All of God’s acts are righteous (Deuteronomy 32:4; Psalm 103:6), and God’s people rejoiced in the righteous acts of God (89:16). Because God is righteous, he expects righteousness of others, who are to reflect the nature of their Creator. The expected response to God’s rule is in the form of righteousness, that is, conformity to his rule and will. In this basic sense, Noah is called “righteous” because he walked with God and showed integrity in comparison to his contemporaries (Genesis 6:9). After humanity’s fall and acts of rebellion, culminating in the Flood and the dispersion at Babel, God renewed his relationship with humanity in Abraham and his descendants. Abraham was righteous because he believed God’s promises and ordered his life by the revealed will of God (Genesis 15:6).

The Lord revealed to Israel even more clearly how they were to relate to him and to each other. The law in Israel was for the purpose of helping the people of God to live in conformity to the will of God and thereby be righteous. The person who was devoted to the service of God in worship and life was called righteous (Malachi 3:18). Thus, righteousness is a state of integrity in relation to God and one’s neighbor, expressing itself in one’s acts and speech.

The hope for an era characterized by righteousness was rooted in the prophetic revelation of the messianic rule and the establishment of God’s kingdom on earth (Isaiah 11:1-9), whose rule will extend to the nations (11:10-16) and last forever (9:7). Isaiah developed the revelation of the glorious, victorious entrance of the kingdom of God in a most exquisite way, when his enemies will be subdued and his people will be gathered together and will live in a state of peace in his presence. The acts of restoration, extending from Israel’s return from exile until the final coming of the external kingdom are, in his prophetic purview, the demonstration of God’s righteous acts. He forgives, restores, remains faithful, loves, elects, and sends his Spirit to renew his people and to bestow on them all the benefits of the renewed covenant relationship. Both Jews and Gentiles will be the recipients of his righteous acts (45:8, 23).

Out of concern for the salvation of his people and the establishment of his everlasting kingdom, God revealed his righteousness in the sending of his beloved Son. The coming of Christ marks an era of renewal of his relationship with people, the renewal of the covenant and renewal of his kingdom on earth. The older covenant was mediated by Moses; the covenant was renewed by the Son of God, who came “to fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15). The message of Jesus is consistent with the Old Testament in the close identification of God’s kingdom with his righteousness (6:33; 13:43). Jesus also taught that God expects all people to live in harmony with his will (7:21). Jesus is God’s final revelation of what God requires of individuals so as to enter the kingdom and to live righteously.

But individuals cannot attain this righteousness by their own merits; it is a gift from God (Romans 3:21-5:21). There is no righteousness apart from Jesus Christ. In the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus we discover that “it is through faith that a righteous person has life” (1:17). Therefore, the Father requires acceptance of his Son as his appointed means of justification (3:25-26; 5:9). God declares people to be righteous when they put their trust in his Son (8:33-34; 2 Corinthians 3:18). God pardons sins, is reconciled with sinners, and grants his peace to them (Ephesians 2:14-17). Those who have been declared righteous enjoy a new relationship. They are “sons of God” by adoption. The Father relates to his children righteously and expects them to relate righteously to him.

The fullness of righteousness will be manifest at the coming of the Lord Jesus, when all those who have been justified will also be glorified (Romans 8:30). The goal of salvation history moves toward the final glorious manifestation of God’s kingdom, when all creation will be renewed in “righteousness”-that is, all creation will be right with God (2 Peter 3:13).

HOW DO WE BECOME RIGHTEOUSNESS?

BIBLE READING: Psalm 51:1-19
KEY BIBLE VERSE: Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me. (Psalm 51:10)

WE ARE NOT RIGHTEOUS BY NATURE.

Because we are born as sinners (51:5), our natural inclination is to please ourself rather than God. David followed that inclination when he took another man’s wife. We also follow it when we sin in any way. Like David, we must ask God to cleanse us from within (51:7), making room for clean thoughts and right desires. Right conduct can come only from a clean heart and spirit. Ask God to create a pure heart in you.

BIBLE READING: Isaiah 64:1-12
KEY BIBLE VERSE: We are all infected and impure with sin. When we proudly display our righteous deeds, we find they are but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall. And our sins, like the wind, sweep us away. (Isaiah 64:6)

WE DO NOT BECOME RIGHTEOUS BY BEING GOOD.

This passage can easily be misunderstood. It does not mean that God will reject us if we come to him in faith, nor does it mean that he despises our efforts to please him. It means that if we come to him demanding acceptance on the basis of our “good” conduct, God will point out that our righteousness is nothing compared to his infinite righteousness. Sin makes us unclean so that we cannot approach God (Romans 3:23) any more than a beggar in rotten rags could dine at a king’s table. Our best efforts are still infected with sin. Our only hope, therefore, is faith in Jesus Christ, who can cleanse us and bring us into God’s presence.

BIBLE READING: 2 Corinthians 5:11-21
KEY BIBLE VERSE: God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

WE BECOME RIGHTEOUS THROUGH CHRIST.

When we trust in Christ, we make an exchange-our sin for his righteousness. Our sin was poured into Christ at his crucifixion. His righteousness is poured into us at our conversion. This is what is meant by Christ’s “atonement” for sin. In the world, bartering works only when two people exchange goods of relatively equal value. But God offers to trade his righteousness for our sin-something of immeasurable worth for something completely worthless. How grateful we should be for his kindness to us.

Please stay tuned for more.