Why Righteousness?

The Bible promises many good things for the “righteous.” This designation is a status, a privilege which simply means “those who are right with God.” How can we possibly achieve righteousness and thereby receive all the promises? How can it be earned when even the slightest infraction disqualifies us from meeting the standards of a perfect God. It’s just too hard to be good all the time. What about the wrong things we do that we don’t even know are wrong?

If we’re being honest, we must admit that we can’t earn right standing with God. We’re just out of His league. Clearly, the only way you get “in” is if He lets you “in.”

Thankfully, God says in the Bible that He’s willing to do that! He provided one way. It is the same way taken by Noah, Abraham, Moses, and many others. No, it’s not accomplished by self-denial, punishment, penance, or a series of reincarnated lifetimes. The Bible says that it happens by faith. Specifically, it is by believing in the once-and-for-all sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

If it were by any way other than faith, it would be on us to exert enough consistent energy, willpower and discipline to be called righteous. This pursuit inevitably leads to competition and pride over other “less-righteous” people. It is insanely exhausting, and ultimately impossible. We can even deceive ourselves to the point where we think God owes us for being so “right!”

You can be righteous! No matter what you’ve done, there is a way to have your record wiped clean in heaven. Believe in Jesus, make it personal, openly declare Him as your Lord and begin to follow Him. He will “lead you in the paths of righteousness.” Then you won’t have to earn anything, but can say with confidence in the written, settled Word of God that you are righteous, and that all the promises of God now apply to you!
(Romans 3:10, James 2:10-11, Psalm 19:12, Hebrews 11:4-8, 2 Peter 1:4, Romans 10:4, Psalm 34:15, Genesis 7:1, Genesis 15:6, Romans 10:9, Psalm 23:3, Isaiah 54:17 KJV, 2 Corinthians 1:20 NIV)