WHAT IS RIGHTEOUSNESS?
What is the first thing you think of when you hear the word righteous
or righteousness? Many of us
think of behavior. However, God says in
1 Corinthians 1:30 that Jesus Himself has become righteousness to
us! So, righteousness is a Person,
not behavior! To the Christian, Christ
is his identity! He or she is one with
Christ! Righteousness is “right
standing” before God, not “right doing!”
Romans 5:19 says that those who trust Christ are “made
righteous” through His finished work on the cross. We don’t become righteous through our
behavior. God declares a Christian righteous. God who spoke the worlds into existence
through Christ (Colossians 1:16), also speaks a man’s righteousness into
existence through Christ (Romans 4:21-24, 2 Corinthians 5:21)!
Sin is the opposite of righteousness. Romans 5:19 also says that all are “made
sinners” through the work of Adam at the tree.
We all are born sinners at heart.
People sin because they are sinners…they are not sinners because they
sin. If a person sees he is a sinner
only because he sins, he will be tempted to be good by trying not to sin! A person must see that his heart is sinful to
the core with no hope outside of Christ.
So, people don’t become sinners through behavior…they are
born that way! And people don’t become righteous
through behavior…they are re-born that way!