In last weeks’ blog we found that there are two Greek words that are important for us to consider if we are going to understand the biblical meaning of “righteousness.” The first word, which we looked at last week, is the verb dikaioo, which means “to be made righteous” or “to be justified.” It’s a legal term often used in a court of law. We saw last week that no one can be made “righteous” in God’s eyes through our own efforts of good works or religious rituals. It is a gift that only comes from God, a gift that He gives to anyone in response to repentance and faith. This has been referred to as “Positional Righteousness,” as it brings us into a “right standing” with God. 

Today, we will focus on the second word dikaiosune, a noun which means “rightness,” “integrity,” or “virtue.” We will call this “Practical Righteousness,” because it is the righteousness that is lived out in everyday life. I have many friends who think that just because someone has been given “Positional Righteousness,” along with the assurance of eternal life, they can then go out and “live it up.” In other words, they think that “Positional Righteousness” provides no check against sin, so such people can go out and sin as much as they want to.

What they fail to realize is that when someone receives “Positional Righteousness” as a gift of God, the heart is also changed. And with that change of heart, the new believer says, “Why would I want to live a life of sin and dishonor the One who paid the price for my sin to be forgiven? On the contrary, I want to glorify the One who died for me and be a living testimony of His great love.” The Apostle Paul says, “…the requirements of the Law can be fully met in those who live according to the Spirit….(Rom. 6:4). And the Apostle John says that if we are one of God’s children and have experienced His love, then keeping His commandments is not a burden, but in reality, is a joy and a privilege (1 Jn. 5:3). If you claim to be a follower of Jesus and find that keeping His commandments is a burden for you, then maybe you should first consider the fact that something may need to change in your heart.  

Furthermore, Jesus said that our righteousness must exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees. And their problem was primarily one of pride, pride in their religious position, thinking that they were right with God because they, and only they, were the true keepers of the Law. But they failed to realize that such righteousness does nothing to bring anyone to God. Furthermore, they loved to “show off” their “practical righteousness” by making long public prayers and making sure that people noticed when they dropped some coins into the beggar’s bowl. They seemed to love the sound of metal clanging against metal because they knew that others could hear it too! How impressive!!!!

So, let’s get specific for a moment. Although the list is fairly long, the Apostle Paul mentions some basic Christian qualities that followers of Jesus should possess. The first are qualities that Paul refers to as “the fruit of the Spirit,” that is, the “fruit” that the Holy Spirit produces in our lives. He mentions qualities like, “…love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Gal. 5:22-23). And then to the church in Colossae, Paul mentions these qualities, “…compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness, with love binding all of these qualities together” (Col. 3:12-14). And I also love what Paul says to the Ephesian Church, “…don’t let any unwholesome word proceed out of your mouth, but only words that encourage and bring grace to others….and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other just as God in Christ has forgiven you” (Eph. 4:29-32).

These are wonderful relational virtues that will bring health and healing to so many. It’s the way in which we are to behave at all times. We can only develop these qualities if we allow the Holy Spirit to carve these qualities into our lives so that they become a part of us. Acting in any other way should grieve us to the point that we repent and turn back to Christ for help and forgiveness,

I am absolutely certain that if you and I possess the “Positional Righteousness” that brings us into a right relationship with God, as well as the “Practical Righteousness” of a life well-lived, we will be fully satisfied, just as Jesus said we would. But like He also said, we first need to hunger and thirst for righteousness. If you are already a believer in Christ, then I ask you to pursue practical righteousness, allowing the Holy Spirit to live and work through you. And if you have not yet asked Christ to “invade” your life, then I pray that He will continue to nudge you. And then I pray that we will all experience the fullness of all God has for us, a fullness that comes from living a life of righteousness.