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====The Righteousness of God, #9====

Then Peter began to speak: "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism But accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right." (Acts 10:34,35—NIV)

Adamic righteousness, while certainly more pleasing to God than no righteousness at all, is a lower level of righteousness, even though God accepts it and will bless the individual who is truthful, honest, and merciful.

The righteousness of God is infinitely purer and stronger than the best efforts of the adamic nature. The righteousness of God is that which God Himself is, His moral Nature. It is God's will that His Nature be formed in us. When it is, God and Christ will come and live forever in the new creation we have become as Christ has been formed in us.

The Apostle Paul, quoting from Psalms, has stated:

As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one." (Romans 3:10-12—NIV)

Some Christian teaching emphasizes that no person on earth ever has or ever will live righteously. The conclusion is that we can be righteous only through identification with the Lord Jesus Christ.

However, both the Old Testament and the New on many occasions refer to people as righteous, even when they were not identified with Christ.

This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God. (Genesis 6:9—NIV)

Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. (Matthew 1:19—NIV)

The Bible speaks in numerous instances of righteous people. Then it states that there is not even one righteous person.

How do we reconcile this seeming contradiction?

It is as we have said. God welcomes every attempt of human beings to live righteously, unless, of course, they hear the Gospel of Christ and seek to employ their own righteousness in place of receiving Christ.

At the last judgment human beings will be judged according to their works. God honors those who, in terms of their conscience or cultural standards, try to do what is right. To say this is not true is to deny the clear statements of the Bible.

People of the world also honor righteousness even though they seem to fight against it at times. Because the Christian churches do not preach righteous behavior the world despises the believers as being no different from themselves.

However, it is as we have said. The righteousness of God is a kind of righteousness that far exceeds the attempts of the human being to act according to conscience, and therefore the seeking of God's Kingdom and His righteousness is the first duty of every person.

The nations of the earth will not glorify God until we who are Christians begin to practice the righteous works for which God has created us. It is well that we bring the Gospel to them, but this is not the light that Christ spoke of. The light that Christ referred to consists of our good works. Such good works can be seen in us only as we forsake our sinful nature and embrace the righteousness which is that of God Himself through the Lord Jesus Christ. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16—NIV) (from The Righteousness of God)

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