One of the essential qualities of salvation is righteousness. When God brings someone into His kingdom, He cleanses them from sin. His act of sanctification (Galatians 2:20) breaks the chains of sin’s bondage and replaces them with righteousness.

We live in a world riddled with evildoers carrying out Satan’s wickedness. Lawlessness is on the increase, and doing right is declining. In fact, in the western world, some people trade the truth for the false and evil for good. This isn’t surprising because people who love the world cannot live right.

What is Righteousness

A dictionary defines righteousness as “adherence to moral principles.” This definition gives us a general understanding of the meaning but lacks the actual reality of its purpose. No, it leaves out a crucial ingredient which is God.

God is the essence of righteousness. Yes, He never fails to show us His fairness and mercy. The Lord’s greatest act of goodness is sacrificing His Son, Jesus Christ, to redeem the world. Christ’s death, resurrection, and ascension back into heaven are God’s New Covenant (Luke 22:20), and the beginning of righteousness.

Righteousness directly results from God’s gift of salvation (Ephesians 2:8-9). It’s through His grace and faith in Jesus that sanctifies our hearts and activates the Holy Spirit. And when the Holy Spirit takes root, our ability to do right emerges.

God’s precepts are the blueprint for a life filled with holiness and full of goodness. The Ten Commandments show us righteous principles that are pleasing to His eyes. For example, the first commandment is God’s bottom line. He demands that we place Him as the only God. The remaining nine outline a manner of living following His standards.

When God delivered Christ into the world, it placed the source of righteousness inside His Son (John 14:6). Now, God made Jesus the centerpiece of rightful living. Christ’s teachings are the pinnacle of a saved life. His Deity holds God’s truth and the Holy Spirit guides us in a life anchored in God’s word.

Christ’s Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5,6.7) is an excellent depiction of righteousness. It starts with the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12) and ends with placing faith in Christ (Matthew 7:24-29). In these three chapters, Jesus showed the right way for us to respond to anger, lust, worry, and divorce. He highlighted how to pray (Matthew 6:5-15) and live within God’s kingdom (Matthew 7:13-14).

Conclusion

This is a brief discussion on righteousness. In reality, righteousness is an ongoing process. I think you’ll agree that the closer we draw to Christ, the more excellent opportunities we find to live righteous lives.

What’s your outlook on righteousness?