What is righteousness?

[giftofGod2]

When I was a new Christian, my pastor asked the congregation to write down on a piece of paper what we would have him preach about, and I put this question as a Sermon topic. Unfortunately, he never preached on it. But I had to go through years of Bible reading to discover what it is.

You see, righteousness is defined as two things in the Bible: there is the righteousness which is of the law, and there is the righteousness of faith.

The righteousness which is by the law, is, simply, keeping the standard of requirements set forth in the Old and New Testaments as being the virtues we ought to exemplify and the vices we ought to avoid as believers. And it is truly righteousness. The only thing is, it doesn't save anyone.

The righteousness which is of faith, on the other hand, is salvational, and it produces the righteousness which is of the law to a certain extent, in that the righteousness of faith apprehends the love of God which is the fulfillment of the righteousness which is of the law (Galatians 5:14-24, Romans 8:4, Romans 5:5, Romans 13:8-10).

Now a man can be so focused on the righteousness of the law that he misses the righteousness which is of faith. If someone is striving to live a moral, "Christian" life but does not believe that Jesus died for his sins, he is trying to establish his own righteousness but is not submitting himself to the righteousness of God (the righteousness which is by faith). Romans 9:30-33, Romans 10:1-4.

The righteousness which is by faith is to believe that Jesus died on the Cross for your sins, was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the scriptures (see 1 Corinthians 15:1-4).

Scriptures to ponder: Romans 5:5, Romans 13:8-10, Romans 8:4. Philippians 3:9. Romans 9:30-33, Romans 10:1-4. Galatians 3:21-25. Galatians 5:14-24, Galatians 5:22-23. Romans 4:3, Romans 4:9.

 

[Soyeong]

When I was a new Christian, my pastor asked the congregation to write down on a piece of paper what we would have him preach about, and I put this question as a Sermon topic. Unfortunately, he never preached on it. But I had to go through years of Bible reading to discover what it is.

You see, righteousness is defined as two things in the Bible: there is the righteousness which is of the law, and there is the righteousness of faith.

The righteousness which is by the law, is, simply, keeping the standard of requirements set forth in the Old and New Testaments as being the virtues we ought to exemplify and the vices we ought to avoid as believers. And it is truly righteousness. The only thing is, it doesn't save anyone.

The righteousness which is of faith, on the other hand, is salvational, and it produces the righteousness which is of the law to a certain extent, in that the righteousness of faith apprehends the love of God which is the fulfillment of the righteousness which is of the law (Galatians 5:14-24, Romans 8:4, Romans 5:5, Romans 13:8-10).

Now a man can be so focused on the righteousness of the law that he misses the righteousness which is of faith. If someone is striving to live a moral, "Christian" life but does not believe that Jesus died for his sins, he is trying to establish his own righteousness but is not submitting himself to the righteousness of God (the righteousness which is by faith). Romans 9:30-33, Romans 10:1-4.

The righteousness which is by faith is to believe that Jesus died on the Cross for your sins, was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the scriptures (see 1 Corinthians 15:1-4).

Scriptures to ponder: Romans 5:5, Romans 13:8-10, Romans 8:4. Philippians 3:9. Romans 9:30-33, Romans 10:1-4. Galatians 3:21-25. Galatians 5:14-24, Galatians 5:22-23. Romans 4:3, Romans 4:9.

I think that the problem in Romans 9:30-32 was not that Israel was living according to what God had commanded them to do, but that they were pursuing the law legalistically as though righteousness were by works instead of pursuing the law spiritually as though righteousness were by faith. Two people can do the same righteous action, such as helping the poor, but the righteous action of one is like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6) because they were doing it to look good or to bring glory to themselves and it was about what they legalistically got in return for their action. On the other other hand, the same righteous action of the other can be like fine white linen (Revelation 19:8) because it was about giving glory to God, demonstrating their love for Him, and demonstrating their faith in Him to lead them into doing what is holy, righteous, and good.

 

[Greg J.]

The two ways I believe the word righteous is used in Scripture is:
1. a way to label a person who is right with God (however it was accomplished)
2. a lifestyle (that is consistent with how God wants us to live)

The righteousness that is by faith is a reference to #1 when a person has genuinely entrusted themselves to God (i.e., is saved), that doesn't specify how that came about.

The righteousness that is from the law is a reference to something that various humans have believed in, but it is not actually righteousness, from a Christian viewpoint, since righteousness only comes by faith, and not by works. (People that kept the Mosaic Law perfectly were not necessarily righteous in God's sight.)

 

[giftofGod2]

The two ways I believe the word righteous is used in Scripture is:
1. a way to label a person who is right with God (however it was accomplished)
2. a lifestyle (that is consistent with how God wants us to live)

The righteousness that is by faith is a reference to #1 when a person has genuinely entrusted themselves to God (i.e., is saved), that doesn't specify how that came about.

The righteousness that is from the law is a reference to something that various humans have believed in, but it is not actually righteousness, from a Christian viewpoint, since righteousness only comes by faith, and not by works. (People that kept the Mosaic Law perfectly were not necessarily righteous in God's sight.)

Greg, I just want to ask, because my pastor skipped the subject when we were going through Luke:

What do you make of Luke 1:6?

And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.

Also Soyeong, I think that Romans 9:30-33 to Romans 10:1-4 tells us not to trust in the law at all to save us, but to let Christ come into our heart and be our righteousness. The righteousness which is by faith is first of all imputed: God looks at our faith in Jesus and says, "That is righteousness." (Romans 4:3, Romans 4:9). It is secondarily imparted: God places His righteousness in our hearts so that we can walk in that righteousness in the practical sense (Matthew 5:6, 1 John 3:7, Romans 8:4).

 

[Geralt]

1. "Righteous" is an earned title. Obedience is the requisite. You obey therefore you become righteous.

2. God's standard for obedience is the law, either by the law written in peoples hearts, or the written revealed law.

3. God's standard is "perfect obedience", not simply the effort to obey. This equates to "perfect" righteousness which is compliment to the character of a perfect and holy God. simply saying, nobody goes to heaven without perfectly obeying the law. This means earning "perfect" righteousness.

4. The book of Romans explains that "None is RIGHTEOUS" or nobody has perfectly obeyed the law for the simple reason that everyone sinned. We are not just unwilling, we are unable. We do not understand, therefore we do not seek God.

5. Christ is the ONLY one who perfectly obeyed the law -> therefore His is perfect righteousness. The reason why Christ did NOT come down on heaven on good friday so he can simply die for the sins of His people. NO, he has to be born 'under the law', he has to live a life of obedience, and therefore earn and become perfectly righteous.

6. Now where does faith come in ? Ah the good news, indeed !!!!!

For by faith in Christ,

- His death on the cross removes us of our guilt and the penalty of our sin BUT still does NOT make us righteous (for we have not obeyed anything perfectly)

- His life of perfect obedience to the law, thereby earning him perfect righteousness BECOMES OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS - God sees us in Christ as having perfectly obeyed the law ourselves. We are therefore MADE righteous in Christ.

Rom 5:19 For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous.
​

Hallelujah !

When I was a new Christian, my pastor asked the congregation to write down on a piece of paper what we would have him preach about, and I put this question as a Sermon topic. Unfortunately, he never preached on it. But I had to go through years of Bible reading to discover what it is.

You see, righteousness is defined as two things in the Bible: there is the righteousness which is of the law, and there is the righteousness of faith.

The righteousness which is by the law, is, simply, keeping the standard of requirements set forth in the Old and New Testaments as being the virtues we ought to exemplify and the vices we ought to avoid as believers. And it is truly righteousness. The only thing is, it doesn't save anyone.

The righteousness which is of faith, on the other hand, is salvational, and it produces the righteousness which is of the law to a certain extent, in that the righteousness of faith apprehends the love of God which is the fulfillment of the righteousness which is of the law (Galatians 5:14-24, Romans 8:4, Romans 5:5, Romans 13:8-10).

Now a man can be so focused on the righteousness of the law that he misses the righteousness which is of faith. If someone is striving to live a moral, "Christian" life but does not believe that Jesus died for his sins, he is trying to establish his own righteousness but is not submitting himself to the righteousness of God (the righteousness which is by faith). Romans 9:30-33, Romans 10:1-4.

The righteousness which is by faith is to believe that Jesus died on the Cross for your sins, was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the scriptures (see 1 Corinthians 15:1-4).

Scriptures to ponder: Romans 5:5, Romans 13:8-10, Romans 8:4. Philippians 3:9. Romans 9:30-33, Romans 10:1-4. Galatians 3:21-25. Galatians 5:14-24, Galatians 5:22-23. Romans 4:3, Romans 4:9.

​

 

[giftofGod2]

Geralt, think with me for a moment about 1 John 3:7 and 1 John 2:6.

1 John 3:7, Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.

1 John 2:6, He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

When God makes a man righteous by faith, is it only imputed righteousness? Are we only positionally righteous? Or is there a sense in which God makes us practically righteous, even as Jesus is righteous?

I will leave you to answer these questions in consideration of the scriptures set before you.

 

[Soyeong]

Greg, I just want to ask, because my pastor skipped the subject when we were going through Luke:

What do you make of Luke 1:6?

And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.

Also Soyeong, I think that Romans 9:30-33 to Romans 10:1-4 tells us not to trust in the law at all to save us, but to let Christ come into our heart and be our righteousness. The righteousness which is by faith is first of all imputed: God looks at our faith in Jesus and says, "That is righteousness." (Romans 4:3, Romans 4:9). It is secondarily imparted: God places His righteousness in our hearts so that we can walk in that righteousness in the practical sense (Matthew 5:6, 1 John 3:7, Romans 8:4).

I completely agree that we should not trust in the law at all to save us, but the law was never given to instruct us on what to do in order to become righteous in the first place, but rather it was given to instruct us on how to practice, train, or walk in righteousness (1 John 3:10, 2 Timothy 3:16-17). To rephrase Ephesians 2:8-10, we are declared righteous by grace through faith, not by doing what is righteous, but for the purpose of doing what God has instructed is righteous. What good is it for God to impute His righteousness to us if it is not for the purpose of leading us by grace through faith to obey what He has revealed to be righteous? In regard to Romans 8:4, the righteous requirement of the law is obedience and Messiah came to cause us to be obedient that we might thereby meet is righteous requirement.

 

[Greg J.]

Greg, I just want to ask, because my pastor skipped the subject when we were going through Luke:

What do you make of Luke 1:6?

And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.

Luke 1:6 could mean simply that they were both (1) good people and (2) living pleasingly to God—both because they believed in and had entrusted themselves to God.

Because Luke was writing about two Jews, it could have been Luke's rendition of what good Jews they were from the perspective of their peers (which needn't have been dependent on believing that righteousness only came through faith).

Or, the first part of the sentence could be as I defined #1 above, and the last part of the sentence one of the (many) consequences of it (i.e., #2).

 

[Soyeong]

1. "Righteous" is an earned title. Obedience is the requisite. You obey therefore you become righteous.

2. God's standard for obedience is the law, either by the law written in peoples hearts, or the written revealed law.

3. God's standard is "perfect obedience", not simply the effort to obey. This equates to "perfect" righteousness which is compliment to the character of a perfect and holy God. simply saying, nobody goes to heaven without perfectly obeying the law. This means earning "perfect" righteousness.

4. The book of Romans explains that "None is RIGHTEOUS" or nobody has perfectly obeyed the law for the simple reason that everyone sinned. We are not just unwilling, we are unable. We do not understand, therefore we do not seek God.

5. Christ is the ONLY one who perfectly obeyed the law -> therefore His is perfect righteousness. The reason why Christ did NOT come down on heaven on good friday so he can simply die for the sins of His people. NO, he has to be born 'under the law', he has to live a life of obedience, and therefore earn and become perfectly righteous.

6. Now where does faith come in ? Ah the good news, indeed !!!!!

For by faith in Christ,

- His death on the cross removes us of our guilt and the penalty of our sin BUT still does NOT make us righteous (for we have not obeyed anything perfectly)

- His life of perfect obedience to the law, thereby earning him perfect righteousness BECOMES OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS - God sees us in Christ as having perfectly obeyed the law ourselves. We are therefore MADE righteous in Christ.

Rom 5:19 For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous.
​

Hallelujah !​

​

Do you think that God would be happy with someone who was able to live in perfect outward obedience to His law, but whose heart remained far from Him (Isaiah 29:13, Mark 7:6-8)? The law has never been about what we legalistically earn in return for our outward obedience, but rather God's concern has always been about where our heart is at. Obedience to the law has always been about demonstrating our love to God (John 14:15) about demonstrating our faith in God about we should live (Habakkuk 2:4), and about developing a relationship with God. Sin is defined as lawlessness (1 John 3:4) and our salvation is from sin (Matthew 1:21), so our salvation is from lawlessness. Messiah gave himself to redeem us from the penalty of our lawlessness, but that is only part of the salvation that God's grace brings, because it also involves training us to do what God has revealed to be godly, holy, righteous, and good (Romans 7:12), and training us to renounce doing what God has revealed to be ungodly, sinful, and lawless:

Titus 2:11-14 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

 

[Soyeong]

Luke 1:6 could mean simply that they were both (1) good people and (2) living pleasingly to God—both because they believed in and had entrusted themselves to God.

Because Luke was writing about two Jews, it could have been Luke's rendition of what good Jews they were from the perspective of their peers (which needn't have been dependent on believing that righteousness only came through faith).

Or, the first part of the sentence could be as I defined #1 above, and the last part of the sentence one of the (many) consequences of it (i.e., #2).

I think when Noah was described as being a righteous man (Genesis 6:9), that it was not talking about being from the perspective of his peers, but rather that he entrusted himself to God and thereby practiced obedience to His commands for how to do what is good.

 

[Greg J.]

It's a little different when it is God that says someone is righteous, which basically means they are saved—which comes from believing in God, trusting Him, and have yielded to his Lordship. This kind of heart condition produces obedience, but the obedience doesn't need to be perfect (e.g., David).

 

[Soyeong]

It's a little different when it is God that says someone is righteous, which basically means they are saved—which comes from believing in God, trusting Him, and have yielded to his Lordship. This kind of heart condition produces obedience, but the obedience doesn't need to be perfect (e.g., David).

Agreed. When the Bible describes people as being blameless, it is not saying that they never sinned, but that they practiced repentance for when they did sin.

 

[Geralt]

your argument has no connection with my post nor of being 'righteous'.

Do you think that God would be happy with someone who was able to live in perfect outward obedience to His law, but whose heart remained far from Him (Isaiah 29:13, Mark 7:6-8)? The law has never been about what we legalistically earn in return for our outward obedience, but rather God's concern has always been about where our heart is at. Obedience to the law has always been about demonstrating our love to God (John 14:15) about demonstrating our faith in God about we should live (Habakkuk 2:4), and about developing a relationship with God. Sin is defined as lawlessness (1 John 3:4) and our salvation is from sin (Matthew 1:21), so our salvation is from lawlessness. Messiah gave himself to redeem us from the penalty of our lawlessness, but that is only part of the salvation that God's grace brings, because it also involves training us to do what God has revealed to be godly, holy, righteous, and good (Romans 7:12), and training us to renounce doing what God has revealed to be ungodly, sinful, and lawless:

Titus 2:11-14 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

 

[giftofGod2]

Soyeong, I have a slightly different perspective on how we meet the righteous requirement of the law. Indeed it does amount to obedience, but our focus may not necessarily be obedience to the requirement.

Because love fulfills the law (Romans 13:8-10, Galatians 5:14) and the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost (Romans 5:5). So we fulfill the law not through focusing on obedience, but through receiving the love of Christ and acting according to it.

We love Him because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). Therefore when we receive the salvation that the Lord offers, we 1) receive the Holy Ghost, and 2) we become grateful over the great price that God paid to purchase us out of our slavery to sin and satan.

Therefore the gospel produces the love of God in us, out of response to God's love towards us.

This love fulfills the righteous requirement of the law, and our focus is not, "How can I be obedient today?" (though there is nothing wrong with asking that as a question if the first thing is established) but rather our focus is the Cross, e.g. what Christ did for us on it--and our response to the Cross is that there is a basic attitude that amounts to the love of God in our dealings with other people. And thus the righteous requirement of the law is fulfilled in us (not by us) who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit.

Now the fact that it is fulfilled in us does not mean that it is not fulfilled practically by us: I am only saying that it must be fulfiled in us first and it will be fulfiled by us as the result--though in all reality it is not fulfilled by us but by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.

And the "by" in this equation means that it is practically fulfilled in our lives and is not just or only an abstract feeling in our hearts of love towards other people. The apostle John wrote us and told us that we ought not to love people in word only but in deed and in truth.

So a love that amounts to a man saying, "I have feelings of love towards you" does not amount to much. The love of God always turns out to be practical and works itself out by what we do.

 

[hedrick]

The core meaning is living as God wants. That means doing what he wants, but not perfection. Part of it is also repentance, and being forgiven by God. I think it's nearly synonymous with living in faith (Paul's normal term) or being a follower (Jesus' term). Paul also uses the term in a very closely-related fashion, to indicate being accepted by God.

In Paul there's another use of the word, which is the righteousness of God. Obviously the definition above doesn't work for God. For God righteousness is being faithful to his covenant, to his commitment to save his people. It's shown by sending Christ.

 

[aiki]

Scripture tells us there are two ways to be righteous: by the fulfillment of the law or by the imputation of Christ's righteousness to us. The former method of being righteous has been shown over many millenia to be beyond those who are "dead in trespasses and sins." (Eph. 2:1) "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Ro. 3:23): this is what the perfect law of God has revealed as sin-cursed humans have tried to live in obedience to it. The latter way of becoming righteous is, as has been explained in this thread, to have the perfect righteousness of Christ imputed to us (Ro. 4:20-24). This is what the Bible calls "justification" and is the only way to be made acceptable in God's sight. We must be "found in him (Christ), not having my own righteousness...but that which is through faith in Christ." (Phil. 3:9) When by faith a person trusts in the atoning work of Christ on their behalf and receives him as their Saviour and Lord, they are placed in Christ and he in them by the Holy Spirit and thus they are made "accepted in the beloved." (Eph. 1:6)

Here's the really interesting thing: Our ability to understand and believe the Gospel and to trust in Christ as our Saviour is all God's doing. He saves us and He takes the responsibility for completing in us the saving work He began (1Thess. 5:23, 24; Phil. 1:6). All we do, ultimately, is work out what He has first worked in (Phil 2:12, 13).

Selah.

 

[Stillicidia]

Revising my posts,

I barely learned this a day ago. It is moral uprightness, to the effects of following the commands of Jesus spoken of in Matthew 5-7

 

[Inkfingers]

When I was a new Christian, my pastor asked the congregation to write down on a piece of paper what we would have him preach about, and I put this question as a Sermon topic. Unfortunately, he never preached on it. But I had to go through years of Bible reading to discover what it is.

You see, righteousness is defined as two things in the Bible: there is the righteousness which is of the law, and there is the righteousness of faith.

The righteousness which is by the law, is, simply, keeping the standard of requirements set forth in the Old and New Testaments as being the virtues we ought to exemplify and the vices we ought to avoid as believers. And it is truly righteousness. The only thing is, it doesn't save anyone.

The righteousness which is of faith, on the other hand, is salvational, and it produces the righteousness which is of the law to a certain extent, in that the righteousness of faith apprehends the love of God which is the fulfillment of the righteousness which is of the law (Galatians 5:14-24, Romans 8:4, Romans 5:5, Romans 13:8-10).

Now a man can be so focused on the righteousness of the law that he misses the righteousness which is of faith. If someone is striving to live a moral, "Christian" life but does not believe that Jesus died for his sins, he is trying to establish his own righteousness but is not submitting himself to the righteousness of God (the righteousness which is by faith). Romans 9:30-33, Romans 10:1-4.

The righteousness which is by faith is to believe that Jesus died on the Cross for your sins, was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the scriptures (see 1 Corinthians 15:1-4).

Scriptures to ponder: Romans 5:5, Romans 13:8-10, Romans 8:4. Philippians 3:9. Romans 9:30-33, Romans 10:1-4. Galatians 3:21-25. Galatians 5:14-24, Galatians 5:22-23. Romans 4:3, Romans 4:9.

The righteousness of faith (which leads us into obedience unto God through love of God) leads to the righteousness of law (as those who love God keep the commandments).

Without the righteousness of faith we do not act for love of God but instead seek to use the law to mask our own self-worship. No amount of works can cover that idolatry up.

 

[justbyfaith]

The righteousness of faith is attested to by the law and the prophets (Romans 3:21). This means that the law and the prophets testify that the righteousness of faith is indeed righteousness. In Galatians 5:22-23 we find that there is no law against the behaviour of one who is bearing the fruit of the Spirit. The righteousness of the law is fulfilled in us who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit (Romans 8:4). If we are spiritually-minded, we are subject in our minds to the law of God (inverse of Romans 8:7).

We are filled with the Holy Spirit through the righteousness of faith (Galatians 3:14), and as the result God places within us His love (Romans 5:5), which is the fulfilling of the law (Romans 13:8-10). Therefore the righteousness of the law is fulfilled in those who have the righteousness of faith. However, this is not through the attempting to obey a set of do's and don'ts (Philippians 3:9). Rather it is through a relationship with God in Christ. By obeying the leadings and promptings and guidings of the Holy Spirit (who guides us by showing us what is the loving thing to do in any given situation), we fulfill the law by doing that which is truly loving (Romans 13:8-10, Romans 8:4). I may add that the world sometimes considers what is truly loving to be hateful (such as when we tell a homosexual that his lifestyle is sinful before God).

We also are being transformed into the image of Christ from glory to glory by His Spirit; which is another reason why it is not through attempting to keep a set of do's and don'ts. We become more like Christ, and also become more righteous according to the law's standard (Romans 3:21) through simply gazing at Christ and being transformed into the same image from glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3:18).