Introduction
What is Righteousness? It is essential to understand that when interpreting words from the scriptures, the English dictionary will not always fully reveal the gravity of the said word in the Bible. This is because the Scriptures were not written in the English language but in Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic languages.
The Meaning of Righteousness
The word Righteousness in the original tongue is the word “dikaios” meaning:
– Acceptable before God
– Right standing with God
In essence, it is when a person is able to stand in God’s presence and is considered to be on the right standing with God (i.e., blameless). It is also closely tied to the word *Justification*.
How does a Man become Righteous?
In the Old Testament, men came into *a right standing with God* by the shedding of the blood of animals for the remission of their sins. This worked well because *men believed in/acted in faith* on the instructions given to them by God. Hebrews 9:22 “…and without the shedding of blood, there is no remission (forgiveness of sin). In essence, during a Sin Offering, the animals used are standing as a substitute/scapegoat/victim/a propitiation for the sins of the individual.
The Role of Faith
In the New Testament, Jesus had to be the substitute for humanity’s sin in order for them to become Righteous before God. Romans 3:24-25 KJV: 24 Being *justified freely* by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25 Whom God hath set forth *to be a propitiation through faith in his blood*, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
The Nature of Righteousness
Understanding and giving ourselves to details are necessary if we will be well-rooted in Christ. So we see that a man becomes righteous as a result of his faith in the death of Christ Jesus for him and not as a result of his good works (Rom 3:28; Isaiah 64:6). We become the Righteousness Of God in Christ Jesus.
The Blood of Jesus shed on the Cross of Calvary covers every sin ever committed by a man when they come to God with the whole of their heart (Jeremiah 34; Romans 5:1). The words *Justification* and *Righteousness* are of close origin.
Transformation by the Holy Spirit: Holiness and Righteousness
Of a truth, the death of Christ covers every sin committed by a man when it is appropriated in faith, but there is the need to understand that we were redeemed into God’s family and made righteous so that we would do/give ourselves to righteousness. In essence, the working of the Holy Spirit in the believer at the new birth (salvation) is responsible for the new nature of righteousness in a man, causing an inward-outward or Inside-Out transformation of the life of a person, thereby causing them to give themselves to the nature of righteousness.
The Bible says to us: Hebrews 12:14 “Follow peace with all men, and *holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:* ” This tells us that God is very much interested in our yielding to the nature of righteousness given to us. He doesn’t want us to sit back with our hands folded and say *”I am the righteous of God in Christ Jesus”* without giving ourselves to the said righteousness.
Yielding to and Growing in Righteousness
It is also important to note that the Holy Spirit does not force anything on a person. So when he convicts a man of a thing, it is left to the person to yield to his nudging. When a man does that, he becomes helped by the Spirit. “So, Holiness is the yielding to the nature of the Righteousness nature in the believer.” You give yourself to it, as righteousness is not just a tag to be worn around the neck but a nature given to us by God.
Just in case you are worried if you would be able to give yourself to the nature of righteousness, remember that growth is a process. It’s like eaglets learning to fly, lions learning to roar, and babies learning to talk and walk. They all grow into their abilities. Similarly, as believers, we don’t stop growing in righteousness.
Conclusion
So I charge you today, “GROW IN RIGHTEOUSNESS! IT IS YOUR NATURE…”
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