Righteousness is one of the key themes of scripture. If you’re not righteous, you’re unrighteous.
There is nothing in between. Heaven is made for the righteous. All God’s blessings and promises are
for the righteous. In both Hebrew and Greek, the words “just” and “righteous” translate only one
original word, which is justified, which can also be translated as made righteous.
In Matthew 6:33 Jesus said- “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these
things shall be added to you.” According to Romans 14:17 “the kingdom of God is not eating and
drinking, but a principle of righteousness, peace and joy.” If we read the verse again, it reads as
follows… but seek first righteousness, peace and joy and His righteousness. This emphasizes how
important righteousness is to God.
How are you and I made righteous? Romans 3:20 says, “Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh
will be justified in His sight.” God never expected anybody to be made righteous by the keeping of
the law. According to Romans 3:24 we are being justified FREELY by His grace through the
redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Righteousness is a FREE gift. You can’t earn it, you can’t buy it,
and you can’t deserve it. You can only receive it by faith in Jesus Christ. Romans 4:5 confirms, “But
to him who does not work, but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for
as righteousness.”
Romans 10:3 says, “For they, being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their
own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. “ Isaiah 64:6 reminds us that
our own righteousness is like filthy rags to the Lord. Self-righteousness is the root of many other
problems e.g. pride. It takes humility to say – “I’m made righteous ONLY by FAITH in Christ Jesus.”
We get righteousness by believing it in the heart and pronouncing it with the mouth. “For with the
heart one believes unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Jesus
said in Matthew 12:37, “For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be
condemned.”
According to 2 Corinthians 5:21, “He made Christ who knew no sin to (judicially) be sin on our behalf,
so that in Him we would become the righteousness of God (that is, we would be made acceptable to
Him and placed in a right relationship with Him by His gracious lovingkindness). “There is therefore
now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus
has made me free from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:1-2) Jesus took all our sins, shame,
guilt, condemnation and unworthiness so that we might receive His righteousness. Anyone who
embraces an inferior cross is constantly filled with introspection and self-induced suffering. Doesn’t
it honour Christ more when we think of ourselves as free from sin just because He said so? At some
point in our lives, we must rise to the high calling of God and stop saying things about ourselves that
are false. If a ship doesn’t leave the harbour, it cannot be steered. If we remain in the harbour of
our sin, shame, guilt, condemnation and unworthiness, we will never be able to step into the fullness
of what God has prepared for us.
If the Father filled the Old Testament houses with His glory, though they were built by human hands,
how much more will He fill the place that He built with His own hands? Haggai 2:9 confirms, “The
glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts.” The attitude of
those who live in the triumph of Jesus Christ is different from those who live under the influence of
their past. Living in the victory of Jesus on the cross is the privilege for every believer.
In Song of Songs 5:3 the bride lays aside her garments for the bridegroom. May we be eager to lay
aside our garments of self-righteousness and unrighteousness to clothe ourselves with His garment
of true righteousness. The most expensive robe you’ll ever wear is the one the Father gave to you
which Jesus paid for with His blood.
My heart echoes the words of a well-known hymn, My Hope is Built on Nothing Less (On Christ the
Solid Rock) by Robert Critchley… “When He shall come with trumpet sound – Oh, may I then in Him
be found; Dressed in His righteousness alone – Faultless to stand before the throne.
On Christ the solid rock I stand – All other ground is sinking sand.
My hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.”
Thank you, Lord, for the FREE gift of righteousness. Help me to honour You by fully embracing the
cross and by walking in the fullness of what you’ve paid for. Amen
Angelique Conradie