Righteousness
- Adrian Espinosa
- May 30, 2023
- 3 min read
“Behold, the storm of the Lord! Wrath has gone forth, a whirling tempest; it will burst upon the head of the wicked. The anger of the Lord will not turn back until he has executed and accomplished the intents of his heart. In the latter days you will understand it clearly. “I did not send the prophets, yet they ran; I did not speak to them, yet they prophesied. But if they had stood in my council, then they would have proclaimed my words to my people, and they would have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their deeds.”
Jeremiah 23:19-22 ESV
Righteousness is not just what we run from but what we run to. Oftentimes the Church has used the idea or the theological understanding of righteousness to mean good works and good appearances. This could not be further from biblical righteousness, biblical righteousness is not based on the perfect actions of man but continual trusting the guidance of a holy God.
Abraham had faith in God’s promises despite the circumstances and it was this that made him righteous in God’s eyes (Galatians 3:6). However, he in fact disobeyed and acted on his own authority constantly, such as with Hagar (Genesis 16), Pharaoh (Genesis 12), and Abimelech (Genesis 20). He chose his own guidance, over the guidance of the Lord and in the midst of his lack of righteousness, God still waited for him to return and he did. It was not Abraham’s failure that defined his standing with God but his choice to return and listen to His voice.
In the time of Jeremiah the prophet, there were many false prophets prophesying, acting religious, and having the appearance of righteousness, yet never spent time with the only one who is truly righteous. They never sought His love, never sought His truth, and never waited for His instruction. Despite His warning by other prophets and the word they claimed to believe in, they never listened or obeyed the guidance of a holy and loving God. In the end their false righteousness was unveiled and they suffered for it, despite God’s mercy being at their feet, they never returned to Him.
Now if God gave Abraham and the prophets after him, the opportunity to return to God’s righteousness, why wouldn’t He give you the same opportunity? Even more so than their opportunities, you not only have the same word of God the prophets did and the voice of God like Abraham heard. But now you can have the indwelling of God’s Spirit in you, and He will continually be there for you to be led into righteousness!
I am convinced that the western Church doesn’t understand righteousness very well. We have painted it with the ideas of charity, philanthropy, and volunteer work. Not to say that these are not good or righteous things, but doing these things in pursuit of righteousness, instead of doing them from the place of righteousness, is where we fall short. I challenge you this week, ask the Lord if you are leaning on His righteousness to do His work or are you doing it to gain His righteousness or the perception of His righteousness. Go back to the righteous one, sit with Him, and obey what He has to say, so that you can live a righteous life by God’s standards and not our own.
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