The Three Kinds of Righteousness (8)

The Nature of 'His Righteousness'

God called Abraham righteous because he believed God (Gen 15:1-6). The kind of righteousness that God wants us to have is like the righteousness that Abraham had.

Firstly, he did nothing to attain it. It was given him. This is one important aspect about the nature of this righteousness.

A second aspect is this: if you read the story of Abraham, you cannot fail to notice that his righteousness has little, if any at all, to do with the standard of moral purity. After the LORD declared him righteous he lied to a king about his wife not being his wife (Gen 20:1-18). In fact, he did the same thing before God declared him righteous too (Gen 12:10-20). So in declaring Abraham righteous, God was not saying that the man was perfect in moral behaviour, or that he would not sin.

This is so different from the perspective of the first two kinds of righteousness: the righteousness of the Pharisees (Religion) and the righteousness of the Law. To these, righteousness is synonymous with moral perfection, whether perceived to be so or really so. But to have God’s righteousness simply means this: accepted before God. This is the true meaning of righteousness for New Testament Christians.

Once we understand this, we will no longer feel that we need to be morally perfect to be righteous. We will not be concerned with an evil conscience that keeps on accusing us of our shortcomings. When your conscience shouts at you just ask it to shut up. We need not try to make every decision based on right and wrong. We can live life relaxed, knowing that our acceptance before God has nothing to do with what we do or fail to do. Believe me, it is when we cease to live life by our own effort that Jesus could live His life through us. Tell me, who is likely to do no wrong: Jesus or we?

I understand that all this is hard to take if you have always striven hard to win God’s approval and favour. Perhaps you scrutinised your own action and intention all the time and even invite others to do so. Perhaps you won’t feel good leaving your prayer closet without having confessed every known sin and asking God help you to change. But have you stopped and think? Are not the world and all religions doing the same thing? It’s a common saying we hear that “all religions teach people to be good”. That is true enough, but Christianity is not a religion. Jesus didn’t come to teach us what’s right and wrong. He comes to give us life, abundant life. He started by giving us His righteousness.  

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (Matt 6:33, NKJV)

So it doesn’t matter whether you have been a Christian for twenty years or you have yet to receive Jesus into your life, if you want to have abundant life, to have all you need and desire added to you, seek first the righteousness that only Jesus can give.