Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.  Matthew 5:6 ESV

The dictionary defines righteousness as the quality of being morally right or justifiable. The Bible tells us in Christ we are sanctified and justified. Our pastor simplifies the definition of justified as being just as if I’d never sinned. I’ve often heard the term righteousness as being in a right relationship with Jesus. Our salvation is not about our religion. Heaven will not only be open to those who were of a certain religion. But it will be for those who were in a good, solid relationship with Jesus Christ. It has nothing to do with the religion but has everything to do with the relationship. Therefore, our righteousness is necessary to be in that right relationship with our Lord and Savior. We must have righteousness. Ezekiel 16:5-9 tells us if a man does what is right…he is righteous, he shall surely live according to the LORD.

Jesus was perfect, He never sinned. We are not perfect. Romans 3:23 tells us we all sin and fall short of the glory of God. How then can we be righteous? Well, I’m glad you asked.

For starters we must have faith. Hebrews 11:6 tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God because the one who draws near to Him must believe He exists and rewards those who seek Him. In Genesis 15:6 we are told that Abram’s faith pleased God and God credited his faith to him as righteousness. Abram or Abraham as he would later be called was not a perfect man. He was an idolater. But God had a purpose for this idolater. He called him out of his family home and his idol worship to follow Him. He promised to make him the father of a great nation. Abraham had bouts where he let fear overcome his faith. There was a famine and instead of trusting God, he went into Egypt. Twice he lied telling rulers his wife was his sister. Instead of trusting God, he took matters into his own hands. He did the same when his wife suggested they use her Egyptian slave girl as a surrogate to get the son God had promised. Abraham messed up at times like we all do, but he was a man of great faith.

I think we can all agree in Genesis 22 when God called Abraham to offer Isaac, the long-awaited son God had promised to him and Sarah, as a burnt offering Abraham showed great faith. Abraham immediately did as Gold told him to do. He knew that God had promised to make him the father of a great nation through Isaac. So, he knew that even if God had to raise Isaac from the dead it would all work out.

That’s basically what our faith is, it’s trusting God will work everything out for our good and will do what is best for us. It’s believing in Romans 8:28 which says that God works all things for the good of those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose.

Satan will do everything he can to destroy our faith. He knows without faith we can’t have righteousness. He knows we can’t be righteous on our own because we are miserable sinners. But when we commit our lives to Christ, we can obtain His righteousness. Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.” Seek God first.

We are incapable of living a life of righteousness all the time. But we should be striving to do just that. If we put forth the effort, God will help us and give us His righteousness. He will reward our faith with righteousness.

Ephesians 6:14 tells us to put on the breastplate of righteousness. A soldiers’ breastplate protects the vital organs like the heart. This is why righteousness is so important. Proverbs 4:23 tells us to guard our heart with all diligence. We are told to love the Lord our God with all our heart. Righteousness protects the heart. So, therefore, we must have righteousness.

We can’t truly love someone who we don’t believe exists. So, in order to love the Lord, we must believe in Him. We must have faith. In order to please Him we must have faith. If we have faith, this is the beginning of righteousness. If we truly believe in Him and love Him, we will want to obey Him.

So, again I ask you, got righteousness? If not, turn to God today. Trust in Him and before anything else, seek His righteousness.

Have a great day!