“For the Lord is righteous, He loves righteousness; His countenance beholds the upright.” ~ Psalms 11: 7

As believers, we hear the word “Righteousness” a lot of times, especially amongst the brethren. But what do we understand by Righteousness?

What does it mean to be Righteous?

To be righteous means to be in “right standing” – that is, living in alignment with certain rules, morals, or ethical standards that have been set or laid down, whether by society, family, or ourselves. In the case of the Kingdom of God, ‘righteousness’ means living in right standing with God, being in alignment with Him. This is reflected in our actions, inactions, thoughts, words, and overall way of life.

Over the past few weeks, we have dwelt on the Kingdom culture and what is expected of us as believers. Building on that foundation, it is important to understand that righteousness is not a debatable factor in our Christian journey.

In truth, righteousness is what is expected of every believer, and without it, one cannot be a part of the family of God.

We see Jesus Himself declare in Matthew 5:20:
“For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.”

This shows us how important righteousness is to entering the Kingdom of Heaven. Mind you, the scribes and Pharisees at that time were regarded as the “most holy” and “upright” people. Yet, in His statement, Jesus expects that our righteousness should surpass theirs.

Brethren, without a life of righteousness, we cannot please God.

We might have the fame, the crowd, the money, and even do things that appear “great” for God in the eyes of men. But if we lack right standing with God and obedience to His commandments, then it is all in vain; for such individuals will by no means enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

Prayer: Lord, help me live a life of righteousness at all times.