Understanding the Righteousness of God: Our Response

    God is righteous. He set the standard for what is right by being the standard. His righteousness is made known in His in His mercy (lovingkindness), His faithfulness, His judgments, His truth, His words/His Word (Jesus), in the gospel of Christ, in His forbearance to overlook our past sin, and in promising salvation for those who have faith in Christ Jesus and retribution for those who have tormented believers. What God says He will do and nothing, no one, can prevent Him from accomplishing it.  

    When we understand the righteousness of God, what should our response be?

    We should praise it, practice it, and proclaim it.

Praise His Righteousness

    Our Creator, our God, and our Father made us so that we would seek Him; He made us in the hope that we would search for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us (Acts 17:26-27). He “rose early” (well beforehand) to tell His people what is right (Jeremiah 7:13, 25, 25:4); He did nothing without telling His prophets, and they in turn would inform the people (Amos 3:7-8). From the beginning of time, God has made His righteousness known, and for that we can and should praise Him!  

“I will praise the LORD according to His righteousness, and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.” (Psalm 7:17 NKJV) 

Practice His Righteousness

    We must practice the righteousness of God – what He says is right – we cannot make up our own standards for what we think is right and believe that it is okay with God. We must seek His righteousness first and foremost (Matthew 6:33) and make His righteousness our daily practice, only then can we be considered righteous just as He is righteous (1 John 3:7).

“He who follows righteousness and mercy finds life, righteousness, and honour.” (Proverbs 21:21 NKJV)

 

    Humility and the removal of bad habits are necessary to properly practice righteousness. It can be difficult when you feel like you’re always being told what to do, but when we humble ourselves enough to seek our Creator and come to understand His complete love for us, when we comprehend how much He wants us to find Him and follow Him, and when we realize that all His commands are “for our good always” (Deuteronomy 6:24-25) that they guide us toward what is beneficial and they guard us from what is harmful, then we will happily put diligent effort into removing bad habits from our lives (Ephesians 4:17-32, James 1:19-20, 3:13-16)

“If you seek [wisdom] as silver and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding; He stores us sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly; He guards the paths of justice, and preserves the way of His saints. Then you will understand righteousness and justice, equity and every good path. When wisdom enters your heart, and knowledge is pleasant to your soul, discretion will preserve you; understanding will keep you, to deliver you from the way of evil.” (Proverbs 2:4-12 NKJV)

    Humility, coupled with appreciation for God’s loving provision, should lead us to ask God for wisdom when we comprehend that His wisdom is the best wisdom to attain, and that He gives it liberally and without reproach (James 1:5-8, Psalm 25:8-9). Wisdom (putting what we learn from God’s word into practice) will guide us in His righteousness (Proverbs 2:10-12, 8:8-9, 18, 20-21). Seeking the wisdom that is from above and putting it into practice will produce the fruit of righteousness (James 3:17-18).

Proclaim His Righteousness

    As long as time continues God’s people will be able to proclaim God’s righteousness to the next generation because it will always be true and it will always be pertinent (1 Peter 1:25 and Psalm 111).

“A posterity shall serve him. It will be recounted of the Lord to the next generation, they will come and declare His righteousness to a people who will be born, that He has done this.” (Psalm 22:30-31 NKJV) 

    We are to proclaim the praises of God, who called us from darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). We should be so full of gratitude for the righteousness of God, so thankful for His constancy, His consistency, and His salvation that we overflow with proclamations of praise for Him! Please take time to read, reread, and meditate on Psalm 145 this week today, and each day this week, as the Lord wills.

“…I will hope continually, and will praise You yet more and more. My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness and Your salvation all the day, for I do not know their limits. I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD; I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only. O God, You have taught me from my youth; and to this day I declare Your wondrous works. Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, do not forsake me, until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to everyone who is to come.” (Psalm 71:14-18 NKJV) 

    Let’s respond to the righteousness of God with praise from a heart and mind full of appreciation for it, and let us practice His righteousness with a keen determination so that we, through our words and conduct, may proclaim His righteousness to our family and to the world around us!

    God’s way is the best way! Let’s seek first His kingdom and His righteousness every.single.day.

 You can do it! So can I!!