RIGHTEOUSNESS (Part 1)
Did you know that righteousness is mentioned more than 275 times in the Scriptures? What does righteousness mean? How important is righteousness? How many are righteous? How can one become righteous? Where does righteousness come from? Does righteousnessbelong to everyone? Many people have their own personal view of how they define righteousness according to the dictates of their own hearts and understanding. Firstly, what is unrighteousness? But let us look at what Yehovah (Jehovah or God) says about righteousnessin the Scriptures.
It would be most helpful to first examine what is unrighteousness? In the Old Testament, Leviticus chapter 19 and verse 15 says “Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgement, thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty. But in righteousnessshalt thou judge thy neighbour”. In 2nd Peter chapter 2 and verse 13 it explains “And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time.Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you”.
Unrighteouness is sin and unacceptable before Yehovah (Jehovah or God) and in 2nd Peter chapter 2 and verse 15 it states “which have forsaken the right way and are gone astray, following the way of Baalam the son of Boser, who loved the wages of unrighteousness”. Baalam was a man mentioned in the book of Numbers. He was unrighteous because he worked with the enemies of Yehovahs people to cause wickedness against them for money (read his account in the book of Numbers Chapters 22, 23 and 24).
Before Yehovah, all unrighteouness is sin as noted in 1st John chapter 5 and verse 17 “Allunrighteousness is sin…”. Other texts include the following statements. Jeremiah chapter 22 and verse 13 “Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness and his chambers by wrong, that useth his neighbours service without wages and giveth him not for his work”. Romans chapter 1 and verse 18 “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness”.
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Also, in Romans chapter 1 and verses 29 to 31 it lists some of those things which God defines as unrighteousness “Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity, whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection and unmerciful…”.
But in 1st John chapter 1 and verse 9 it gives hope “If we confess our sins (unrighteousness), he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteoueness”. Another is found in Hebrews chapter 8 and verse 12 “For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more”.
Now what is righteousness? Many people would explain righteousness as right doing or just doing the right thing. But this is always open to personal interpretion. One dictionary definition is “righteousness is the quality or state of being righteous, holiness, purity, uprightness, rectitude. Also a righteous act or conduct of one who is righteous”. A quotation taken from a christian perspective states “righteousness is an attribute that belongs to God, the Lawgiver, and is manifested in His laws. No man can be justified by his own works apart from Gods ordinance. Therefore, righteousness is a wonderful gift from God to humanity through His love. It is the God given quality imputed to man upon believing in the Son of God”.
In Deuteronomy chapter 6 and verses 16 to 18, 20, 24 and 25 it explains “Ye shall not tempt the LORD your God….Ye shall diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God and Histestimonies and His statutes, which He hath commanded thee. And thou shalt do that which is right and good in the sight of the LORD, that it may be well with thee….And when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, what mean the testimonies and the statutes and the judgements, which the LORD our God hath commanded you? And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day. And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the LORD our God, as He has commanded us”.
Moses wrote the Torah, which includes Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy in the Old Testament.. Torah is the Hebrew name for the LAW (or Instructions).
In Deuteronomy chapter 4 and verses 1, 2, 5 to 8, 13, it explains “Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgements, which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may live…Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you. Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgements, even as the LORD my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it. Keep therefore and do them, for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes and say, surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people. For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon Him for? And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgements so righteous as all this LAW, which I set before you this day? And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even ten commandments and he wrote them upon two tablets of stone. And the LORD commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgements, that ye might do them…”.
You can see that God is very specific and desires His people to obey His commandments, statutes and judgements. He gives a warning in Deuteronomy chapter 4 and verse 23,39, 40, saying “Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the LORD your God, which He made with you, and make you a graven image, or the likeness of anything, which the LORD thy God hath forbidden thee. Know therefore this day and consider it in thine heart, that the LORD He is God in heaven above and upon the earth beneath and there is none else. Thou shalt keep therefore His statutes, and His commandments, which I command thee this day, that it may go well with thee and with thy children after thee and that thou mayest prolong thy days upon the earth, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, forever”.
I hope you have learned more about the Scriptures. Next month I will continue with Part 2.
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