Dear Brothers and Sisters,
During the Book Study on Saturday, there was a brief discussion on the significant topic of “righteousness“. This is a word that means to be just, to be right before God. There is a lot to say on it but for those who might want to understand a little more, here it is. Hope and pray this helps.
When it comes to our salvation, if we are to be saved on our own, we have to be right in every sense all the time – mortally, ethically, spiritually and practically and in thoughts, words, deeds and even in the intentions of the thoughts of the heart. Being sinful though, we are not righteous in the perfect sense and so as Rom. 5:19 says, by the obedience of Jesus Christ we are made righteous by God. This is called as the “positional righteousness” as our standing has changed from being an enemy to a child of God because we are covered by the righteousness of Jesus because of faith.
Once we are saved, we do not just live passively or worse, passionately but rather as Eph. 2:9 says, we are saved to do good works. This is called as the “practical righteousness”. For eg. we love, help, pray, fast, support or not steal, not murder, not lie not to earn salvation but because our heart has been changed to like what God likes and to hate what God hates. As Jesus prayed in Jn. 17:17, we are made holy every moment through the Word of God by the Spirit of God. Paul says in Eph. 4:23 to put on this new self or man, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. We are commanded many a times to be right before God.
Noah was called a righteous man in Gen. 6:9 and 7:1. Lot is called righteous in 2 Pet. 2:7. Abel, the 2nd son of Adam’s deeds is called righteous in 1 Jn. 3:12. Abraham pleaded to the LORD based on those who could be righteous in Gen. 18:23-28. Judah said his daughter in law Tamar was more righteous than him in Gen. 38:26. King Saul said David was more righteous than him in 1 Sam. 24:17.
Ps. 18:20-25 which is similar to 2 Sam. 22:21-25 says,
The LORD dealt with me according to my righteousness…And the LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness. Here’s its not about what Jesus did for us or God’s righteousness but the believer’s own righteousness. As the Psalm says, having clean hands, keeping the ways of the LORD, being blameless, keeping oneself from guilt, being clean in God’s sight. Ezek. 18:5 and 9 would describe being righteous as doing what is just and right and walking in God’s commands and keeping his rules by being faithful.
In Matt. 10:41, Jesus said a person who takes care of a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. In Matt. 25:41, Jesus said the righteous are those who provided food for the hungry, drink for thirsty, hosted and helped strangers, clothed the naked and visited the sick and the suffering. They are called as those who are “Blessed by God the Father and will go be part of the kingdom of God”. They will hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
So to conclude, we are saved ONLY by the righteousness of Christ (all that He did while living on this earth including his death) and as a result we practice own righteousness displayed in our righteous acts. In fact, 1 Jn. 3:7 mentions this as an evidence of true faith. It says, “Whoever practices righteousness [doing right things before God] is righteous as he is righteous [saved].” May Jesus Christ the righteous, help us to be righteous men and women of God!
