by Dave Ingram
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes…Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,” -Ephesians 6:10-11,14
The concept of righteousness can be challenging to fully comprehend. God’s Word prescribes righteousness for all humanity, exhorting us to be righteous in a number of places in His Word. Proverbs 11:19 tells us “truly the righteous attain life, but whoever pursues evil finds death.”
At the same time, however, the Word also tells us that no one has the inherent capacity to be righteous on their own. These two precepts may at first seem to be at odds, but it is the righteousness of Jesus Christ, imputed to all believers, that can take our sinful hearts and transform them into righteous extensions of God’s unfailing love.
Righteousness is undeniably a thing to be sought after. Isaiah 32:17 says that “the fruit of that righteousness will be peace; its effect will be quietness and confidence forever,” and Psalm 5:12offers a glimpse of the rewards of righteousness by saying “surely, LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.”
Let’s take a look at how the Bible defines righteousness, what the Bible says about the possibility of humanity being righteous and the ways in which we can strive to become more righteous and conformed to the perfect will of God.
Gift of Righteousness
“As it is written ‘there is none righteous, not even one.’” - Romans 3:10
“He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” - Second Corinthians 5:21
These verses from Romans and Second Corinthians beautifully sum up the answer to the question, “can a person really be righteous?” The answer is a resounding no and yes at the same time. We can never attain true righteousness on our own, but it is the free gift of God, through Christ, that allows us to become righteous in His sight. When God looks at a believer, he sees his own Son. Jesus is the lynchpin of salvation for humanity, because it is His righteousness, shining through us, that allows us to become citizens of Heaven a place where no sin can exist.
“He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” - Psalm 23:3
How to be Righteous
“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” -Matthew 6:33
This passage from the book of Matthew is a quote directly from the Messiah, who was comparing the mindset of striving after the things of world to the mindset of seeking the Kingdom of God above all else. The word “righteousness” also appears in this passage, in the context of an imperative to seek it alongside the Kingdom. The key to becoming a righteous person lies in this passage: righteousness can only come from a life of seeking after God through faith in Jesus Christ.
Faith is credited numerous times in the Word as being a source of righteousness for believers.Romans 4:5 reads, “But to the one who…believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness.” Habakkuk 2:4 is an often quoted passage to the same effect: “…the righteous will live by his faith.”
We have a precedent for faith being the gateway to righteousness, even before Jesus Christ moved from prophecy to history. Abraham was counted righteous because of his faith in God (rather than his adherence to the law), as can be read in Genesis 15:6: “Then he believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.”
The transformative power of the Bible works in and through those who read it to bring about a righteous lifestyle through teaching, reproof, correction and training in righteousness. Does that list sound familiar? Second Timothy 3:16reads, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”
Through the Word of the living God we can come to understand righteousness in all of its complexity. Only through prayer and a life of faith, filled with the Word, can we come to grasp this beautiful concept. Here are two more Scripture verses concerning righteousness, leaving us with a more complete picture of this goal which is worthy to be sought after for all of our lives:
“For the LORD is righteous, He loves righteousness; The upright will behold His face.” - psalm 11:7
“But my righteous one shall live by faith; and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him. But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul.” - Hebrews 10:38-39
Dave Ingram writes for multiple online publications, focusing on Bible Studies and issues in Business Management. Contact Dave at DaveIngram.yolasite.com.
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