Dictionaries define righteousness as “behavior that is morally justifiable or
right.” Such behavior is characterized by accepted standards of morality,
justice, virtue, or uprightness. The Bible’s standard of human righteousness
is God’s own perfection in every attribute, every attitude, every behavior,
and every word.
Thus,God’s laws, as given in the Bible, both describe His own character and constitute the plumb line by which He measures human righteousness.
The Greek New Testament word for “righteousness” primarily describes
conduct in relation to others, especially with regards to the rights of others
in business, in legal matters, and beginning with relationship to God. It is
contrasted with wickedness, the conduct of the one who, out of gross self-
centeredness, neither reveres God nor respects man. The Bible describes the
righteous person as just or right, holding to God and trusting in Him.
Psalms 33:18-22 –
18) For I will declare my iniquity; I will be in anguish over my sin.
19) But my enemies are vigorous, and they are strong; And those who hate
me wrongfully have multiplied.
20) Those also who render evil for good, They are my adversaries, because I
follow what is good.
21) Do not forsake me, O Lord;
O my God, be not far from me!
22) Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!
The bad news is that true and perfect righteousness is not possible for man
to attain on his own; the standard is simply too high. The good news is that
true righteousness is possible for mankind, but only through the cleansing of
sin by Jesus Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. We have no ability
to achieve righteousness in and of ourselves. But Christians possess the
righteousness of Christ, because “God made him who had no sin to be sin
for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2
Corinthians 5:21).
This is an amazing truth. On the cross, Jesus exchanged our sin for His
perfect righteousness so that we can one day stand before God and He will
see not our sin, but the holy righteousness of the Lord Jesus.
This means that we are made righteous in the sight of God; that is, that we
are accepted as righteous and treated as righteous by God on account of
what the Lord Jesus has done. He was made sin; we are made
righteousness. On the cross, Jesus was treated as if He were a sinner,
though He was perfectly holy and pure, and we are treated as if we were
righteous, though we are defiled and depraved. On account of what the Lord
Jesus has endured on our behalf, we are treated as if we had entirely
fulfilled the Law of God and had never become exposed to its penalty. We
have received this precious gift of righteousness from the God of all mercy
and grace. To Him be the glory!