In this world we live in today people tend to believe that their ways are right in their own eyes, it is hard for many to accept GOD’S ABSOLUTE STANDARD OF TRUE RIGHTEOUSNESS. True or false becomes relative, and many believe they can do whatever they think or feel is right. Let’s discover what the Bible’s views are on righteousness.
“The LORD is RIGHTEOUS (tsaddiyq: correct, just, lawful, right) IN ALL HIS WAYS, Gracious in all His works.” (Psa. 145:17) The Lord God, is righteous in that He speaks and acts in accordance with the purity of His own HOLY NATURE…
What about us? “…we are all like an unclean thing, And ALL OUR RIGHTEOUSNESSES ARE LIKE FILTHY RAGS; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away.” (Isa. 64:6) Righteousness is a God-centered attribute: no man can attain it through his own efforts apart from God’s ordinance. We, humans, are inclined to follow our own paths and use our own ways, instead of God’s. So, if we’ll just do this, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to FORGIVE US our sins and to CLEANSE US from ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS.” (1 John 1:9)
Look at what God did for us, “He made Jesus who knew no sin to be SIN FOR US, that we might BECOME THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD in Him.” (2 Corin. 5:21) Jesus became sin for us so we could become the righteousness of God…
-Bill Stockham