AM I RIGHTEOUS?
RIGHTEOUSNESS DEFINED – Righteousness is to stand righteous (lawful) before God. God is our law Giver and also our Judge (Isaiah 33:22). Jesus gave us an excellent example to emphasis that not one man on earth can be righteous before God through all of His good and righteous deeds in the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18:9-14). This parable was told to those who were confident in their own righteousness. The Pharisee was right in all of his deeds – no willful sin, paying tithes and fasting twice in a week while the tax collector had nothing of such sort to boast of himself. He stood at a distance, dared not even to lift his eyes to heaven, beating his chest he cried, “God have mercy on me, I’m a sinner.” Here Jesus says that all his righteous deeds have puffed up the Pharisee and given him pride while the tax collector though a sinner was humble and trusted God to make him righteous. Yeah, however righteous we may be, our righteousness are just as filthy rags before our righteous God (Isaiah 64:6).
AM I RIGHTEOUS BEFORE GOD ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES?
1. AM I BORN AGAIN? We know that God is righteous, and EVERYONE who practices righteousness is born of Him (1 John 2:29). Jesus Himself has said that none can even see the kingdom of God unless he is born again (John 3:3). Being born again is becoming children of God by faith in Jesus Christ (John 1:12-13).
2. DO I LIVE BY FAITH? The righteousness of God is birthed out of our faith to produce further faith (Romans 1:17). The righteous shall live by faith and does not draw back (Hebrews 10:38) just as Abraham gained all His blessings by faith, not considering any physical, material or geographical setbacks (Romans 4:13, 17-22).
3. AM I ENTIRELY DEPENDANT ON THE GRACE OF GOD? Righteousness is gained through the grace of God and not by any of our works of the law (Galatians 2:21). It was Christ who died for our trespasses and raised up for our justification (Romans 4:25). No man can become righteous before God because even if he keeps all of the laws but stumbles in one, he is found guilty in all of them (James 2:10).
4. DO I STAY AWAY FROM FALSE TEACHERS & THE LOVE OF MONEY? To pursue righteousness, we ought to stay afar from ungodly teaching, unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels resulting in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and from those who consider godliness as financial gain and most of all from the love of money (1 Timothy 6:3-11).
5. AM I CAREFUL ABOUT EVERY WORD I SAY? It is by our words we are either justified or condemned says the Word of God. We are not permitted to utter one careless word. Our words are considered as the outcome of the storehouse of our heart (Matthew 12:33-37). Of Job we see that even after losing everything he did not sin nor did he speak folly of God (Job 1:22). God Himself testifies that Job spoke right about Him (Job 42:7). Yet in His personal encounter with him, we see Job laying his hands on his mouth and daring to speak no more. God challenges Job to answer His questions (Job 40:3-8). How much more careful we ought to be about our words?
6. AM I CONCERNED ABOUT THE LEAST? The righteous are the ones that feed the hungry, quench the thirsty, clothe the naked, care for the sick and visit the imprisoned. God considers these good deeds as deeds done personally to Himself (Matthew 25:34-40).
CONCLUSION: Most of all, let us who walk right with walk through His grace not look down upon those who stumble in their sins (Luke 18:9). Let us be gracious and merciful, pray for them and help them also walk right with God. God bless you!
